Establishing data communication connection using wireless power transmission

• US 9,094,059 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jaesung, Seo, Jeong Kyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/250,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/491 using 1B2B codes

Abstract

A power transmitter according to an embodiment disclosed herein can include a power conversion unit configured to form a wireless power signal using power supplied from a power supply unit and receive a modulated wireless power signal containing a packet; a communication unit configured to transmit and receive user data via connection to a power receiver; and a control unit configured to detect the power receiver using the wireless power signal, decode a connection configuration packet transmitted from the power receiver based on the modulated wireless power signal, and establish the connection to the power receiver based on access information included in the connection configuration packet.

Claims

1. A power transmitter, comprising:

a power transmission unit including a transmission coil;

a communication unit including an antenna; and

a control processor configured to;

transmit a wireless power signal including access information along a first communication channel using the transmission coil,

detect a power receiver using the transmitted wireless power signal,

receive a modulated connection configuration packet included in a modulated wireless power signal received from the power receiver along the first communication channel,

decode the modulated connection configuration packet, wherein the modulated connection configuration packet includes access information, and

establish a second communication channel based on the access information so the control processor transceives data between the power transmitter and the power receiver through the second communication channel.

2. The power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the control processor is configured to acquire the access information from the modulated connection configuration packet when a connection between the power transmitter and the power receiver is not established.

3. The power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the control processor is further configured to request the access information from the power receiver when a connection between the power transmitter and the power receiver is not established.

4. The power transmitter of claim 3, wherein the access information is requested through the wireless power signal.

5. The power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the control processor is further configured to detect the power receiver by measuring an amount of power supplied to generate the wireless power signal and determine whether or not the power receiver exists based on a change in the amount of the power measured.

6. The power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the control processor is further configured to detect the power receiver by generating a detection signal and receive the connection configuration packet in response to the detection signal.

7. The power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the detection signal is the wireless power signal generated by applying a power signal at a specific operating point.

8. The power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the modulated connection configuration packet received in response to the detection signal includes a message indicating a strength of the detection signal received by the power receiver.

9. The power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the control processor is further configured to determine whether or not the communication unit is activated if the power receiver is detected, and activate the communication unit when the communication unit is not activated.

10. The power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display information on power transferred to the power receiver including at least one of an amount of rectified power, a power transfer speed, a power transfer efficiency, a total time of power transfer, a progress of charging, an amount of charged power or information on a power transfer state in the power receiver.

11. A power receiver, comprising:

a power receiving unit including a receiving coil and configured to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitter along a first communication channel;

a communication unit including an antenna; and

a control processor configured to;

modulate a connection configuration packet using the wireless power signal via the power receiving unit, wherein the connection configuration packet includes access information for connecting to the power transmitter,

transmit the modulated connection configuration packet to the power transmitter through the first communication channel, and

establish a second communication channel based on the access information so the control processor transceives data between the power transmitter and the power receiver through the second communication channel.

12. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the control processor is further configured to transmit the modulated connection configuration packet to the power transmitter when a connection between the power transmitter and the power receive is not established.

13. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the control processor is further configured to transmit the modulated connection configuration packet to the power transmitter when the access information is requested from the power transmitter.

14. The power receiver of claim 13, wherein the access information is requested along the first communication channel.

15. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the access information is related to authentication or authorization for the data communication along the second communication channel.

16. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the second communication channel is a Bluetooth channel, and the access information includes a password or address.

17. The power receiver of claim 16, wherein the control processor is further configured to establish the second communication channel by performing device pairing with the power transmitter based on a Bluetooth address.

18. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the first communication channel is a wireless LAN communication channel, and the access information includes a password, a key or an address used to access the wireless LAN.

19. The power receiver of claim 18, wherein the control processor is further configured to establish the second communication channel by performing authentication with the power transmitter based on the access information.

20. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the control processor is further configured to transmit the modulated connection configuration packet in response to a wireless power signal for detection to the power transmitter when receiving the wireless power signal for detection by the power receiving unit.

21. The power receiver of claim 20, wherein the modulated connection configuration packet transmitted in response to the wireless signal for detection includes a message indicating a strength of the wireless power signal for detection received by the power receiving unit.

22. The power receiver of claim 11, wherein the control processor is further configured to determine whether or not the communication unit is activated if the wireless power signal is received by the power receiving unit, and activates the communication unit when the communication unit is not activated.

23. The power receiver of claim 11, further comprising:

a display configured to display information on power transferred to the power receiver including at least one of an amount of rectified power, a power transfer speed, a power transfer efficiency, a total time of power transfer, a progress of charging, an amount of charged power or a power transfer state by the power receiving unit.