Device and method for controlling wireless power signal in wireless power transmission device

• US 9,099,884 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Hybrid Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hanrim Postech Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuk, Yoon-Sang, Jung, Chun-Kil
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David
• Application Number:
  US13/289,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection

Abstract

Various embodiments of a method for controlling a wireless power signal in a wireless power transmission device and related devices are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include transmitting an object detecting signal via a transmission coil of the wireless power transmission device, receiving an object response signal in response to the object detecting signal via the transmission coil, and transmitting the wireless power signal to a wireless power receiving device via the transmission coil based on the object response signal. The method may also include detecting a voltage or a current of the transmission coil and changing the wireless power signal when a phase value of the voltage or the current of the transmission coil is changed by more than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a wireless power signal in a wireless power transmission device, comprising:

transmitting an object detecting signal via a transmission coil of the wireless power transmission device;

receiving an object response signal in response to the object detecting signal via the transmission coil;

transmitting the wireless power signal to a wireless power receiving device via the transmission coil based on the object response signal;

detecting a voltage or a current of the transmission coil;

detecting a movement of the wireless power receiving device by detecting change of a phase value of the voltage or the current of the transmission coil; and

changing the wireless power signal if the movement of the wireless power receiving device is detected,

wherein the transmission coil comprises a first transmission coil and a second transmission coil, and

wherein the changing of the wireless power signal comprises;

retransmitting the object detecting signal in turn via the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil; and

retransmitting the wireless power signal by selecting any one of the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil based on the object response signal received in response to the object detecting signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the wireless power signal comprises resetting a driver of a transmission controller that controls the wireless power signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the wireless power signal comprises changing a voltage gain by changing a frequency of the wireless power signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the wireless power signal comprises changing an output voltage of an AC/DC rectifier of the wireless power transmission device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission coil is a circular coil and the second transmission coil is a rectangular coil surrounding the circular coil.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil have substantially the same shape and size.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission coil comprises at least one of an oval-shaped coil, a circular-shaped coil, a track-type coil, and a rounded-rectangular-shaped coil.

8. A wireless power transmission device comprising:

a transmission coil configured to transmit an object detecting signal and a wireless power signal; and

a transmission controller configured to monitor a movement of a wireless power receiving device by detecting change of a phase value of the current or the voltage of the transmission coil and to change the wireless power signal when the movement of the wireless power receiving device is detected,

wherein the transmission coil comprises a first transmission coil and a second transmission coil, and

wherein to change the wireless power signal the transmission controller is configured to retransmit the object detecting signal in turn via the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil, and configured to select any one of the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil and transmit the wireless power signal via the selected transmission coil based on a response signal of the retransmitted object detecting signal.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission controller is configured to reset a driver of the transmission controller when the phase value of the voltage or the current of the transmission coil is changed by more than the predetermined value.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission controller is configured to change a voltage gain by changing a frequency of the wireless power signal when the phase value of the voltage or the current of the transmission coil is changed by more than the predetermined value.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission controller is configured to change an output voltage of an AC/DC rectifier of the wireless power transmission device when the phase value of the voltage or the current of the transmission coil is changed by more than the predetermined value.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the first transmission coil is a circular coil and the second transmission coil is a rectangular coil surrounding the circular coil.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil have substantially the same shape and size.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission coil comprises at least one of an oval-shaped coil, a circular-shaped coil, a track-type coil, and a rounded-rectangular-shaped coil.

15. The device of claim 8, further comprising a shielding core configured to accommodate the transmission coil therein.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the shielding core comprises a ferrite material.

17. The device of claim 8, wherein the transmission controller further comprises a current sensor configured to measure the current in the transmission coil.