Low-power wireless charging apparatus and method thereof

• US 9,231,428 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wit Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Eung Ju, Yoon, Young Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Nghia
• Application Number:
  US13/607,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 320116-121, 320/124
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a low-power wireless charging apparatus including: a plurality of primary coils corresponding to a plurality of receivers, respectively; a plurality of drivers periodically and sequentially transmitting receiver detect signals; a sensing unit detecting a current and a voltage according to a magnetic field changed by one or more of the plurality of primary coils; a comparator comparing the detected current and voltage with pre-set values; a low-power auxiliary control unit generating a wake-up signal when one or more receivers are present; and a main control unit turned on upon receiving the wake-up signal, and controlled to generate a wireless power signal for charging a corresponding receiver and transmit, whereby unnecessary power consumption can be prevented and the burden of the main control unit can be lessened, thus increasing efficiency.

Claims

1. A low-power wireless charging apparatus comprising:

a plurality of primary coils;

a plurality of drivers configured to periodically and sequentially transmit receiver detect signals for detecting receivers connected to the plurality of primary coils, respectively;

a sensor configured to detect a current and a voltage according to a magnetic field changed by one or more of the plurality of primary coils by the receiver detect signals transmitted through the plurality of drivers;

a comparator configured to compare the current and voltage detected by the sensor with pre-set values;

a low-power auxiliary control device configured to generate a wake-up signal when one or more receivers are present; and

a main control device configured to turn on upon receiving the wake-up signal generated by the low-power auxiliary control unit, and controllable to generate a wireless power signal for charging a corresponding receiver and transmit the generated wireless power signal.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the low-power auxiliary control device includes:

an auxiliary control signal generator configured to generate respective receiver detect signals to be transmitted through the plurality of drivers, respectively; and

a low-power controller configured to control the auxiliary control signal generator and the plurality of drivers to periodically and sequentially transmit the respective receiver detect signals generated by the auxiliary control signal generator through the plurality of drivers, control the sensor to detect the current and the voltage according to the magnetic field changed by one or more of the plurality of primary coils according to the respective receiver detect signals, and control the comparator to compare the detected current and voltage with pre-set values, and generate the wake-up signal including driver information and primary coil information corresponding to the detected current and voltage and transmit the generated wake-up signal to the main control unit when the detected current and voltage are greater than the pre-set values.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the main control unit includes:

a main control signal generator configured to generate a wireless power signal to be transmitted through a corresponding driver according to the driver information and the primary coil information included in the wake-up signal received from the low-power auxiliary control device; and

a main controller configured to control the main control signal generator and the corresponding driver to transmit the wireless power signal generated by the main control signal generator through the corresponding driver, and controllable to transmit the wireless power signal to a corresponding receiver through a primary coil connected with the corresponding driver.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the main controller is configured to transmit an authentication signal for authenticating the corresponding receiver through the corresponding driver and the primary coil and then determine whether or not a response signal transmitted from the corresponding receiver is received, and wherein the main controller is configured to transmit the wireless power signal upon receiving the response signal.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of drivers include:

a first driver configured to transmit the wireless power signal generated under the control of the main control device through a corresponding primary coil among the plurality of primary coils; and

a second driver configured to periodically and sequentially transmit the respective receiver detect signals generated under the control of the low-power auxiliary control device through the plurality of primary coils.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, further comprising:

a switching unit installed between the plurality of drivers and the plurality of primary coils, the switching unit being configured to perform switching to connect the plurality of drivers and the plurality of primary coils under the control of the main control device and the low-power auxiliary control device.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the switching unit includes:

a first switch configured to be switched to connect the first driver and the plurality of primary coils; and

a second switch configured to be switched to connect the second driver and the plurality of primary coils.

8. A low-power wireless charging method comprising:

(A) generating, by a low-power auxiliary control device, receiver detect signals corresponding to a plurality of primary coils to determine whether or not a receiver is present, and generating a wake-up signal when one or more receivers are present; and

(B) turning on a main control device by receiving the generated wake-up signal to generate a wireless power signal for charging a corresponding receiver and transmit the generated wireless power signal.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

(C) transmitting the wireless power signal to charge the corresponding receiver, and changing the main control device into a sleep mode when the charging of the corresponding receiver is completed.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the operation (A) includes:

(A-1) generating, by the low-power auxiliary control device, respective receiver detect signals for detecting respective receivers corresponding to the plurality of primary coils;

(A-2) transmitting the generated respective receiver detect signals through a plurality of drivers connected to the plurality of primary coils, respectively;

(A-3) detecting a current and a voltage according to a magnetic field changed by one or more of the plurality of primary coils according to the respective receiver detect signals transmitted through the plurality of drivers;

(A-4) comparing the detected current and voltage with pre-set values to determine whether or not the detected current and voltage are greater than the pre-set values; and

(A-5) generating a wake-up signal when the detected current and voltage are greater than the pre-set values.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein the operation (B) includes:

(B-1) turning on the main controller by receiving the wake-up signal;

(B-2) generating a wireless power signal for charging the corresponding receiver; and

(B-3) transmitting the generated wireless power signal to a driver corresponding to the corresponding receiver to transmit the wireless power signal to the corresponding receiver through a primary coil connected to the driver.