Wireless power supply apparatus, wireless charging apparatus, and wireless charging system using the same

• US 9,276,434 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Sung-jin, Yi, Kang-hyun, Yang, Joon-hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US13/184,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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

Abstract

A wireless charging apparatus and a wireless charging system using the same are provided. The wireless charging apparatus includes a sensing resonator that senses for an external device; a transmission resonator that transmits energy to the external device by magnetic resonance; and a transmission circuit that controls the transmission resonator in accordance with an output of the sensing resonator.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply apparatus that wirelessly supplies power to an external device in a resonant method, the wireless power supply apparatus comprising:

a transmission resonator that transmits energy to the external device by magnetic resonance;

a sensing resonator that wirelessly receives the energy by magnetic resonance from the transmission resonator, and senses the external device based on the received energy; and

a transmission circuit that controls the transmission resonator in accordance with an output of the sensing resonator,

wherein the transmission circuit determines whether to operate the transmission resonator by comparing the output of the sensing resonator with a threshold level.

2. The wireless power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing resonator determines whether the external device is approaching the wireless power supply apparatus based on the received energy.

3. The wireless power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if a voltage or current that is measured by the sensing resonator is lower than a reference value, the sensing resonator determines that the external device is approaching and outputs a first level.

4. The wireless power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if a voltage or current that is measured by the sensing resonator is higher than a reference value, the sensing resonator determines that the external device is not approaching and outputs a second level.

5. The wireless power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing resonator has a quality factor (Q) value that is smaller than a Q value of the transmission resonator.

6. The wireless power supply apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission circuit controls the sensing of the sensing resonator by turning on the transmission resonator for a predetermined time in a predetermined period.

7. A wireless charging apparatus included in a wireless charging system, the wireless charging apparatus comprising:

a transmission resonator;

a transmission circuit that resonates the transmission resonator by generating a magnetic field; and

a sensing resonator that wirelessly receives energy by magnetic resonance from the transmission resonator and controls whether to resonate the transmission resonator based on a distance between an external device to be charged and the wireless charging apparatus;

a level detector that detects a signal level of the sensing resonator,

wherein the level detector controls an on/off operation of the transmission circuit according to the detected signal level.

8. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensing resonator determines whether the external device to be charged is positioned within a certain distance from the wireless charging apparatus, and controls whether to resonate the transmission resonator according to a result of determination.

9. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensing resonator resonates the transmission resonator if it is determined that the external device to be charged is within the certain distance.

10. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein, if the level of the signal received from the sensing resonator is equal to or greater than a threshold level, the level detector prevents the transmission resonator from resonating by turning off the transmission circuit, and, if the level of the received signal is lower than the threshold level, the level detector controls the resonating of the transmission resonator by turning on the transmission circuit.

11. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal level is a voltage level or a current level that is detected by the sensing resonator.

12. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transmission circuit further comprises a transmission feeder;

wherein the transmission feeder forms a magnetic field that is concentrated on a frequency by exciting the transmission resonator.

13. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the external device to be charged comprises a reception resonator;

wherein a resonance frequency of the transmission resonator is equal to a resonance frequency of the reception resonator.

14. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transmission resonator and the reception resonator have a quality factor (Q) value that is high, and the sensing resonator has a Q value that is low.

15. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the external device to be charged changes the Q value of the reception resonator, and the transmission circuit stops the transfer of energy to the external device to be charged.

16. A wireless charging system comprising:

a transmitter including a transmission resonator;

a transmission circuit that resonates the transmission resonator by generating a magnetic field; and

a sensing resonator that wirelessly receives energy by magnetic resonance from the transmission resonator and controls whether to resonate the transmission resonator based on a distance between an external device to be charged and the transmitter of the wireless charging system; and

a receiver including a reception resonator that receives energy from the transmission resonator; and

a reception circuit that converts the energy received by the reception resonator into electric energy;

a level detector that detects a signal level of the sensing resonator,

wherein the level detector controls an on/off operation of the transmission circuit according to the detected signal level.

17. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the receiver further comprises a charging unit that charges using the electric energy converted by the reception circuit.

18. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensing resonator determines whether the receiver is positioned within a distance from the transmitter, and controls whether to resonate the transmission resonator according to a result of determination.

19. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the sensing resonator resonates the transmission resonator if it is determined that the receiver is within the distance from the transmitter.

20. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein, if the level of the signal received from the sensing resonator is equal to or greater than a threshold level, the level detector prevents the transmission resonator from resonating by turning off the transmission circuit, and, if the level of the received signal is lower than the threshold level, the level detector guides the resonating of the transmission resonator by turning on the transmission circuit.

21. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the signal level is a voltage level or a current level that is detected by the sensing resonator.

22. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the transmitter further comprises a transmission feeder;

wherein the transmission feeder forms a magnetic field that is concentrated on a frequency by exciting the transmission resonator.

23. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a resonance frequency of the transmission resonator is equal to a resonance frequency of the reception resonator.

24. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the reception circuit controls the reception resonator not to receive energy from the transmission resonator in the case in which charging of the charging unit is completed.

25. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the reception circuit controls the reception resonator not to receive energy from the transmission resonator by changing a quality factor (Q) value of the transmission resonator in the case in which charging of the charging unit is completed.

26. The wireless charging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the transmission resonator and the reception resonator have a quality factor (Q) value that is high, and the sensing resonator has a Q value that is low.