Communication apparatus and communication method in wireless power transmission system

• US 9,108,523 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun, Kwon, Sang Wook, Park, Eun Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US13/567,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A communication apparatus in a wireless power transmission system includes an operating mode converter configured to switch an operating mode of the communication apparatus between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode according to a predetermined timing; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit state information of a channel occupied by a source including the communication apparatus using a continuous wave signal while the communication apparatus is operating in the transmitting mode irrespective of whether the communication apparatus is performing communication via the occupied channel. The source including the communication apparatus is configured to transmit wireless power. The occupied channel has been assigned to the source including the communication apparatus from a plurality of channels available in a communication cell for assignment to a plurality of sources each configured to transmit wireless power.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus in a wireless power transmission system, the communication apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to switch an operating mode of the communication apparatus between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode according to a predetermined timing; and

a transmitter configured to transmit state information of a communication channel occupied by a source comprising the communication apparatus using a continuous wave signal while the communication apparatus is operating in the transmitting mode irrespective of whether the communication apparatus is performing communication via the occupied communication channel, the source comprising the communication apparatus being configured to transmit wireless power, the occupied communication channel having been assigned to the source comprising the communication apparatus from a plurality of communication channels available in a communication cell for assignment to a plurality of sources each configured to transmit wireless power.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver configured to receive a channel assignment request message from an additional source in the communication cell while the communication apparatus is operating in the receiving mode, the additional source having entered the communication cell after all of the communication channels have already been assigned to other sources.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the occupied communication channel is to be assigned to the additional source based on the state information of the occupied communication channel and a schedule of the source comprising the communication apparatus for using the occupied communication channel in response to the channel assignment request message.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a channel assignment approval message to the additional source in the transmitting mode when the determining unit determines that the occupied communication channel is to be assigned to the additional source.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to measure a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and a link quality indicator (LQI) of the occupied communication channel while the communication apparatus is operating in the receiving mode.

6. The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the occupied communication channel is to be changed to another communication channel based on the RSSI and the LQI of the occupied communication channel.

7. The communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a channel assignment request message from any of the plurality of sources in the communication cell excluding the source comprising the communication apparatus while the communication apparatus is operating in the receiving mode.

8. The communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the state information of the occupied communication channel comprises information about the source comprising the communication apparatus that is currently occupying the communication channel, information about a target receiving wireless power from the source comprising the communication apparatus, and information about a schedule the source comprising the communication apparatus for using the communication channel.

9. A communication method in a wireless power transmission system, the communication method comprising:

switching an operating mode of a communication apparatus performing the communication method between a transmitting mode and a receiving mode according to a predetermined timing; and

transmitting state information of a communication channel occupied by a source comprising the communication apparatus using a continuous wave signal while the communication apparatus is operating in the transmitting mode irrespective of whether the communication apparatus is performing communication via the occupied communication channel, the source comprising the communication apparatus being configured to transmit wireless power, the occupied communication channel having been assigned to the source comprising the communication apparatus from a plurality of communication channels available in a communication cell for assignment to a plurality of sources each configured to transmit wireless power.

10. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a channel assignment request message from an additional source in the communication cell while the communication apparatus is operating in the receiving mode, the additional source having entered the communication cell after all of the communication channels have already been assigned to other sources.

11. The communication method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether the occupied communication channel is to be assigned to the additional source based on the state information of the occupied communication channel and a schedule of the source comprising the communication apparatus for using the occupied communication channel in response to the channel assignment request message.

12. The communication method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a channel assignment approval message to the additional source in the transmitting mode when a result of the determining is that the occupied communication channel is to be assigned to the additional source.