Wireless power transmission device

• US 9,231,413 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueno, Takeshi, Onizuka, Kohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Aqeel
• Application Number:
  US13/461,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a power reception device includes a load circuit, to which a first signal having a first power value is supplied from a first resonance circuit connected to a power reception coil, and a first transceiver which transmits the first power value to a power transmission device. The power transmission device includes a second resonance circuit including a plurality of inductors and capacitors to which a second signal having a second power value is input, a power transmission coil connected to the second resonance circuit, a second transceiver which receives the first power value from the first transceiver, and a first control circuit which calculates power transmission efficiency using the first power value and the second power value and adjusts at least one of inductance values of the inductors and/or at least one of capacitance values of the capacitors based on the power transmission efficiency.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission device, comprising:

a power transmission device; and

a power reception device, to which power is transmitted from the power transmission device, wherein

the power reception device includes

a power reception coil which receives the power,

a first resonance circuit connected to the power reception coil,

a load circuit to which a first signal having a first power value is supplied from the first resonance circuit,

a first power measuring unit, which measures the first power value, and

a first transceiver which transmits the first power value to the power transmission device, and

the power transmission device includes

a power source, which generates a second signal having a second power value,

a second resonance circuit including a plurality of inductors and capacitors to which the second signal is input,

a power transmission coil connected to the second resonance circuit, which transmits the power,

a second power measuring unit which measures the second power value,

a second transceiver which receives the first power value from the first transceiver, and

a first control circuit which calculates power transmission efficiency using the first power value and the second power value and adjusts at least one of inductance values of the inductors and/or at least one of capacitance values of the capacitors based on the power transmission efficiency.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the first resonance circuit includes a plurality of inductors and capacitors,

the second transceiver transmits the power transmission efficiency to the first transceiver, and

the power reception device further includes a second control circuit which adjusts at least one of inductance values of the inductors and/or at least one of capacitance values of the capacitors included in the first resonance circuit based on the first power value or the power transmission efficiency.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first transceiver and the second transceiver transmit or receive the signal through the power reception coil and the power transmission coil.

4. A wireless power transmission device, comprising:

a power transmission device; and

a power reception device, to which power is transmitted from the power transmission device, wherein

the power reception device includes

a power reception coil which receives the power,

a first resonance circuit connected to the power reception coil,

a load circuit to which a first signal having a first power value is supplied from the first resonance circuit,

a first power measuring unit which measures the first power value, and

a transmitter which transmits the first power value to the power transmission device, and

the power transmission device includes

a power source which generates a second signal having a second power value,

a second resonance circuit including a plurality of inductors and capacitors to which the second signal is input,

a power transmission coil connected to the second resonance circuit, which transmits the power,

a second power measuring unit which measures the second power value,

a receiver which receives the first power value from the first transceiver, and

a first control circuit which calculates power transmission efficiency using the first power value and the second power value and adjusts a frequency of the second signal output from the power source based on the power transmission efficiency.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein

the receiver transmits the power transmission efficiency to the transmitter, and

the power reception device further includes

a first switch and a second switch, one end of each of which is connected to an output terminal of the first resonance circuit,

a variable resistor connected to the other end of the first switch,

an impedance conversion circuit arranged between the other end of the second switch and the load circuit, and

a second control circuit which obtains a resistance value of the variable resistor with which the power transmission efficiency is not lower than a predetermined value when the first switch is turned on and the second switch is turned off and controls the impedance conversion circuit such that impedance looking from the first resonance circuit into the side of the load circuit is equivalent to the resistance value when the first switch is turned off and the second switch is turned on.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein

the power reception device further includes a detection circuit which detects change in load impedance from an output signal of the impedance conversion circuit, and

at least any one of adjustment of the frequency by the first control circuit and control of the impedance conversion circuit by the second control circuit is performed when the first power value changes and change with time in the load impedance is not larger than a predetermined threshold.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the receiver and the transmitter receive and transmit the signal through the power reception coil and the power transmission coil.

8. A power transmission device, which transmits power to a power reception device, comprising:

a power source which generates a first signal having a first power value;

a first resonance circuit including a plurality of inductors and capacitors to which the first signal is input;

a power transmission coil connected to the first resonance circuit which transmits the power;

a power measuring unit which measures the first power value;

a receiver which receives a second power value of a second signal supplied from a second resonance circuit connected to a power reception coil to a load circuit in the power reception device transmitted from the power reception device; and

a control circuit which calculates power transmission efficiency using the first power value and the second power value and adjusts at least one of inductance values of the inductors and/or at least one of capacitance values of the capacitors based on the power transmission efficiency.

9. A power reception device, to which power is transmitted from a power transmission device, comprising:

a power reception coil which receives the power;

a resonance circuit including a plurality of inductors and capacitors and connected to the power reception coil;

a load circuit to which a first signal having a first power value is supplied from the resonance circuit;

a power measuring unit which measures the first power value;

a transceiver which transmits the first power value to the power transmission device and receives power transmission efficiency calculated based on a second power value of a second signal generated by a power source for transmitting the power in the power transmission device and the first power value from the power transmission device; and

a control circuit which adjusts at least one of inductance values of the inductors and/or at least one of capacitance values of the capacitors included in the resonance circuit based on the power transmission efficiency.