Wireless power transmission and reception apparatus having resonance frequency stabilization circuit and method thereof

• US 8,823,215 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Se-Ho, Park, Sung-Kweon, Lee, Young-Min, Kim, Ki-Hyun, Kim, Hong-Kweun, Lee, Woo-Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGE, JOSEPH N
• Application Number:
  US13/029,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20110198938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas

Abstract

A wireless power transmission apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power reception apparatus and supplying power for loads of the wireless power reception apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a power generator for generating power having a fixed oscillation frequency; a power transmission resonator, which has a resonance frequency identical to the oscillation frequency, for wirelessly transmitting the power generated by the power generator to the wireless power reception apparatus; and a power transmission resonance frequency controller for controlling the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator in response to a change of the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power reception apparatus, the wireless power transmission apparatus comprising:

a power generator for generating power having a fixed oscillation frequency;

a power transmission resonator, which has a resonance frequency identical to the oscillation frequency, for wirelessly transmitting the power generated by the power generator to the wireless power reception apparatus; and

a power transmission resonance frequency controller configured to monitor a change of the resonance frequency of the power wirelessly transmitted from the power transmission resonator, and to control the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator based on the change of the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator,

wherein the power transmission resonance frequency controller comprises an LC tuner, a monitoring resonator, a matching circuit for processing impedance matching of the monitoring resonator, and an LC tuner controller connected to the matching circuit, and

wherein the LC tuner controller checks a power value input through the monitoring resonator and controls the LC tuner according to an LC value corresponding to a maximum power value.

2. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the LC tuner sequentially changes an LC value of the power transmission resonator to at least two predetermined LC values, and

the monitoring resonator is disposed close to the power transmission resonator, for monitoring the change of the resonance frequency of the power wirelessly transmitted from the power transmission resonator.

3. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LC tuner is a variable Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) LC.

4. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the LC tuner is a selective LC switch bank.

5. A wireless power reception apparatus for wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmission apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power transmission apparatus, the wireless power reception apparatus comprising:

a power reception resonator for setting a resonance frequency of the wireless power reception apparatus to be identical to a resonance frequency of the wireless power transmission apparatus and receiving power from a power transmission resonator of the wireless power transmission apparatus through coupling with the power transmission resonator; and

a power reception resonance frequency controller for sensing a change of the resonance frequency of power supplied from the power reception resonator to loads and controlling the resonance frequency of the power reception resonator,

wherein the power reception resonance frequency controller comprises an LC tuner, a monitoring resonator, a matching circuit for processing impedance matching of the monitoring resonator, and an LC tuner controller connected to the matching circuit, and

wherein the LC tuner controller checks a power value input through the monitoring resonator and controls the LC tuner according to an LC value corresponding to a maximum power value.

6. The wireless power reception apparatus of claim 5, wherein the LC tuner sequentially sets an LC value of the power reception resonator to at least two predetermined LC values.

7. The wireless power reception apparatus of claim 5, wherein the LC tuner is a variable Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) LC.

8. The wireless power reception apparatus of claim 5, wherein the LC tuner is a selective LC switch bank.

9. A method performed in a wireless power transmission apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power reception apparatus, the method comprising:

generating power having a fixed oscillation frequency;

wirelessly transmitting the power generated by the power generator to the wireless power reception apparatus through a resonance frequency identical to the oscillation frequency;

monitoring a change of the resonance frequency of the power wirelessly transmitted from a power transmission resonator;

controlling the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator based on the change of the resonance frequency of the power wirelessly transmitted from the power transmission resonator; and

checking, by an LC tuner controller connected to a matching circuit, a power value input through a monitoring resonator, and controlling the LC tuner according to an LC value corresponding to a maximum power value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the resonance frequency comprises:

sequentially changing, by the LC tuner, an LC value of the power transmission resonator to at least two predetermined LC values;

monitoring the change of the resonance frequency of the power wirelessly transmitted from the power transmission resonator; and

processing impedance matching of the monitoring resonator.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the LC tuner is a variable Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) LC.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the LC tuner is a selective LC switch bank.

13. A method performed in a wireless power reception apparatus for wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmission apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power transmission apparatus, the method comprising:

setting a resonance frequency of the wireless power reception apparatus to be identical to a resonance frequency of the wireless power transmission apparatus and receiving power from a power transmission resonator of the wireless power transmission apparatus through coupling with the power transmission resonator; and

sensing a change of the resonance frequency of power supplied from the power reception resonator to loads;

controlling the resonance frequency of the power reception resonator; and

controlling an LC tuner according to an LC value corresponding to a maximum power value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sequentially setting, by the LC tuner, an LC value of the power reception resonator to at least two predetermined LC values; and

checking a power value supplied to a load of the wireless power reception apparatus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the LC tuner is a variable Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) LC.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the LC tuner is a selective LC switch bank.