Wireless energy receiver/transmitter/system and wireless energy transmission method

• US 9,130,409 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Moh, Kyung Goo
• Primary Examiner(s): DEBERADINIS, ROBERT L
• Application Number:
  US13/677,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

A wireless energy transmission system includes a wireless energy transmitting device and a wireless energy receiving device configured to receive power from the wireless energy transmitting device through a magnetic field. The wireless energy transmitting device includes a signal generator configured to include a resonator including at least one inductor and at least one capacitor and to generate at least two signals having a 90-degree phase difference from each other. The wireless energy receiving device includes a frequency adjustor configured to match a frequency between the wireless energy transmitting device and the wireless energy receiving device.

Claims

1. In a wireless energy transmission system including a wireless energy receiving device and a wireless energy transmitting device, at least one of the wireless energy receiving device and the wireless energy transmitting device comprising:

a first oscillator configured to output an in-phase (I) signal;

a second oscillator configured to output a quadrature-phase (Q) signal having a 90-degree phase difference from the I signal, wherein each of the first and second oscillators comprises a resonator having at least one inductor and at least one capacitor, and a current changing block connected to the at least one inductor and configured to change an amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor; and

a monitor configured to monitor a frequency of at least one of the I and Q signals and control the current changing block according to a monitoring result.

2. The wireless energy transmission system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a magnetic field between the wireless energy receiving device and the wireless energy transmitting device and further control the current changing block according to a sensing result.

3. The wireless energy transmission system of claim 1, wherein the resonator comprises:

a first inductor pair having first mutual inductance and including a first inductor and a second inductor;

a second inductor pair having second mutual inductance and including a third inductor and a fourth inductor;

a capacitor connected between the first inductor and the third inductor; and

a bias block configured to bias current flowing through the first and third inductors,

wherein the current changing block changes current flowing through the second and fourth inductors.

4. The wireless energy transmission system of claim 3, wherein the least one inductor of the first oscillator is configured perpendicular to the at least one inductor of the second oscillator.

5. A wireless energy receiving device comprising:

a first oscillator configured to output an in-phase (I) signal; and

a second oscillator configured to output a quadrature-phase (Q) signal having a 90-degree phase difference from the I signal,

wherein each of the first and second oscillators comprises;

a first inductor pair having first mutual inductance and comprising a first inductor and a second inductor;

a second inductor pair having second mutual inductance and comprising a third inductor and a fourth inductor; and

a capacitor connected between the first inductor and the third inductor,

wherein each of the first and second oscillators controls a magnitude of received wireless energy by changing a resonance frequency by changing an amount of current flowing through the second and fourth inductors.

6. The wireless energy receiving device of claim 5, wherein each of the first and second oscillators further comprises:

a current changing block configured to change the amount of current flowing through the second and fourth inductors.

7. The wireless energy receiving device of claim 5, wherein the first and third inductors have the same inductance, and the second and fourth inductors have the same inductance.

8. The wireless energy receiving device of claim 5, wherein each of the first and second oscillators further comprises:

a bias block configured to bias current flowing through the first and third inductors;

cross-coupled transistors respectively connected between the first inductor and the bias block, and between the third inductor and the bias block;

a transistor connected between the second inductor and the current changing block; and

a transistor connected between the fourth inductor and the current changing block.

9. The wireless energy receiving device of claim 8, wherein the Q signal output by the second oscillator is applied to gates of the transistors in the first oscillator, and the I signal output by the first oscillator is applied to gates of the transistors in the second oscillator.

10. The wireless energy receiving device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the inductors in the first oscillator is configured perpendicular to at least one of the inductors in the second oscillator.

11. An electronic system comprising:

a wireless energy receiving device configured to receive wireless energy from a wireless energy transmitting device through a magnetic field and generate reception power; and

a power unit configured to receive the reception power from the wireless energy receiving device and supply at least a portion of internal power necessary for operation of the electronic system,

wherein the wireless energy receiving device comprises;

a first oscillator configured to output an in-phase (I) signal; and

a second oscillator configured to output a quadrature-phase (Q) signal having a 90-degree phase difference from the I signal, and

each of the first and second oscillators comprises;

a resonator comprising at least one inductor and at least one capacitor; and

a current changing block connected to the at least one inductor to change an amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor.

12. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second oscillators further comprises:

a negative resistance block connected to the resonator to counterbalance positive resistance of the resonator; and

a coupling circuit block connected to the at least one inductor to couple the first and second oscillators.

13. The electronic system of claim 12, wherein the current changing block comprises at least two N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors connected in parallel, a terminal of the at least two NMOS transistors being connected to the coupling circuit block, and the at least two NMOS transistors being selectively switched in response to an input control signal applied to gates of the respective at least two NMOS transistors to change the amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor.

14. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the current changing block comprises:

a current source configured to supply a predetermined current;

a first N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor having a terminal connected to the current source; and

at least two NMOS transistors connected to a gate of the first NMOS transistor as a current mirror, wherein the at least two NMOS transistors are selectively switched in response to an input control signal to change the amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor.

15. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the current changing block comprises:

at least two current sources connected in parallel to supply a predetermined current;

a first N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor having a terminal connected to the at least two current sources; and

a second NMOS transistor connected to a gate of the first NMOS transistor as a current mirror, wherein the at least two current sources are selectively switched in response to an input control signal to change the amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor.

16. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the wireless energy receiving device further comprises:

a monitor configured to monitor a frequency of at least one of the I and Q signals and generate a control signal; and

a frequency adjustor configured to change the frequency of the I and Q signals by changing the amount of current flowing through the at least one inductor in response to the control signal.

17. The electronic system of claim 11, wherein the electronic system is one selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), and a tablet personal computer.

18. A method of receiving wireless energy using a wireless energy receiving device, the method comprising:

generating an in-phase (I) signal and a quadrature-phase (Q) signal having a 90-degree phase difference from the I signal using a quadrature oscillator comprising at least one pair of inductors having mutual inductance; and

adjusting a resonance frequency by changing an amount of current flowing through one inductor in the at least one pair of inductors.

19. The wireless energy receiving method of claim 18, further comprising:

biasing current flowing in an inductor of the at least one pair of inductors using a predetermined bias current.

20. The wireless energy receiving method of claim 18, further comprising:

monitoring a frequency of at least one of the in-phase (I) signal and the quadrature-phase (Q) signal and providing a monitoring result, wherein the adjusting of the resonance frequency by changing the amount of current flowing through the inductor is made in response to the monitoring result.