Wireless power transmitting apparatus and method

• US 9,124,123 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Hybrid Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hanrim Postech Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Chun-Kil
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowers, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US13/644,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wireless power transmitting apparatus and method of wirelessly a power sequentially to a plurality of power receiving apparatuses. According to the wireless power transmitting apparatus and method, a power is wirelessly transmitted through a plurality of power transmitting coils, and a power transmitting control unit performs a control to allocate priorities to the plurality of power receiving apparatuses charged with the power transmitted by the power transmitting coils by judging whether or not the plurality of power receiving apparatuses have been mounted in portable terminals and charged states of the plurality of power receiving apparatuses in the case in which the number of power receiving apparatuses is plural and sequentially transmit the power to the plurality of power receiving apparatuses according to the allocated priorities to charge the power in the plurality of power receiving apparatuses.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit a power through a plurality of power transmitting coils; and

a power transmitting control unit configured to perform a control to judge priorities of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses charged with the power transmitted by the power transmitting unit in the case in which the number of power receiving apparatuses is plural, sequentially select the plurality of power receiving apparatuses one by one according to the judged priorities, and transmit the power to the selected power receiving apparatuses,

wherein the power transmitting unit includes;

a signal transmitting unit configured to generate information request signal requesting information of identifications (IDs) of the plurality of power receiving apparatuses, information on whether or not the plurality of power receiving apparatuses are mounted in portable terminals and information on power charged states under the control of the power transmitting control unit, and configured to transmit the information request signal to the plurality of power receiving apparatuses; and

a signal receiving unit configured to receive information signal transmitted by the power receiving apparatuses according to the information request signal and configured to provide the information signal to the power transmitting control unit.

2. The wireless power transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the information request signal and the reception of the information signal are performed through the plurality of power transmitting coils.

3. The wireless power transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the priorities are allocated in a scheme in which a first priority is allocated to the power receiving apparatus that is mounted in the portable terminal and a second priority is allocated to the power receiving apparatus that is not mounted in the portable terminal.

4. The wireless power transmitting apparatus of claim 3, wherein in the case in which the priorities according to the information on whether or not the power receiving apparatuses are mounted in the portable terminals are the same as each other, the priorities are determined according to the power charged states of the power receiving apparatuses.

5. The wireless power transmitting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit includes:

a driving driver configured to generate a driving signal that is to detect a variation in a load and a driving signal that is to transmit under the control of the power transmitting control unit; and

a series resonant converter configured to switch a direct current (DC) power according to the driving signal to output the switched DC power to the plurality of power transmitting coils.

6. The wireless power transmitting apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power transmitting unit includes:

a switching driving unit configured to generate a switching driving signal under the control of the power transmitting control unit; and

a plurality of switches each provided between the series resonant converter and the plurality of power transmitting coils and configured to be switched the switching driving signal.

7. A wireless power transmitting method comprising:

generating, in a signal transmitting unit, information request signal requesting information of identifications (IDs) of power receiving apparatuses, information on whether or not the power receiving apparatuses are mounted in portable terminals and information on power charged states under a control of a power transmitting control unit in the case in which loads of a plurality of power transmitting coils are varied;

transmitting the information request signal to the power receiving apparatuses;

receiving information signal according to the information request signal from the power receiving apparatuses;

judging, in the power transmitting control unit, priorities using the information signal in the case in which the number of power receiving apparatuses is plural; and

sequentially selecting, in the power transmitting control unit, the plurality of power receiving apparatuses one by one according to the priorities and transmitting the power to the selected power receiving apparatuses.

8. The wireless power transmitting method of claim 7, wherein the priorities are allocated in a scheme in which a first priority is allocated to the power receiving apparatus that is mounted in the portable terminal and a second priority is allocated to the power receiving apparatus that is not mounted in the portable terminal.

9. The wireless power transmitting method of claim 8, wherein in the case in which the priorities according to whether or not the power receiving apparatuses are mounted in the portable terminals are the same as each other, the priorities are determined according to the power charged states of the power receiving apparatuses.