Apparatus and method for controlling charging power of wireless power receiver

• US 9,407,107 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sung-Kweon, Lee, Young-Min, Ko, Kil-Soo, Kim, Ki-Hyun, Park, Se-Ho, Park, Jin-Hyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US13/680,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• 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 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

In an apparatus for adjusting charging power of a wireless power receiver, when one or more wireless power receivers require charging, it is determined whether the sum of required charging powers required by the one or more wireless power receivers exceeds maximum supplied power provided by a wireless power transmitter. When a result indicates that the sum exceeds the maximum supplied power, a control operation is performed to adjust the required charging power of each wireless power receiver. Therefore, it is possible to wirelessly charge each wireless power receiver without interruption.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus for adjusting charging power of a wireless power receiver, the transmission apparatus comprising:

a power supply unit which outputs power; and

a transmission controller which receives a signal for requesting wireless power from at least one wireless power receiver, calculates a sum of required amount of the wireless power of the at least one wireless power receiver, when the calculated sum exceeds maximum amount of supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the transmission apparatus, transmits a request for adjusting required amount of the wireless power to the at least one wireless power receiver, and when a signal for requesting wireless power corresponding to adjusted amount from the at least one wireless power receiver is received, transmits the wireless power corresponding to the adjusted amount to the at least one wireless power receiver.

2. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal for requesting the wireless power includes identification information and characteristic information of each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

3. The transmission apparatus of claim 2, wherein the characteristic information includes information on total power of the at least one wireless power receiver.

4. The transmission apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transmission controller calculates a sum of maximum amount of wireless power in a constant current mode for the at least one wireless power receiver by using the characteristic information, and determines whether the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the transmission apparatus.

5. The transmission apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the transmission apparatus, the transmission controller transmits a signal for reducing the maximum amount of the wireless power to the each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

6. The transmission apparatus of claim 4, wherein, when the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power does not exceed the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the transmission apparatus, the transmission controller transmits the required wireless power, that each of the at least one wireless power receiver has required, to each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

7. The transmission apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when charging of the at least one wireless power receiver is completed, the transmission controller transmits a signal for increasing maximum amount of the wireless power to each of at least one remaining wireless power receiver except for the at least one wireless power receiver for which charging is completed.

8. The transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when a response to the request is received from each of the at least one wireless power receiver, the power supply unit transmits the adjusted amount of the wireless power to each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

9. A reception apparatus for adjusting charging power, the reception apparatus comprising:

a battery unit which stores power;

a charging control unit which receives the power, and delivers the received power to the battery unit; and

a reception controller which transmits a signal for receiving wireless power to a wireless power transmitter, when a request for adjusting required amount of the wireless power is received from the wireless power transmitter, adjusts the required amount of the wireless power, requests wireless power corresponding to the adjusted amount to the wireless power transmitter, and receives the requested wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

10. The reception apparatus of claim 9, wherein the signal includes identification information and characteristic information of each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

11. The reception apparatus of claim 9, wherein the characteristic information includes information on total power of the at least one reception apparatus.

12. The reception apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reception controller receives a signal for reducing maximum amount of the wireless power of the reception apparatus from the wireless power transmitter.

13. The reception apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reception controller controls the charging control unit to reduce the maximum amount of the wireless power of the reception apparatus to first threshold power, and transmits a response to the wireless power transmitter.

14. The reception apparatus of claim 9, wherein the reception controller receives a signal for increasing the maximum amount of the wireless power of the reception apparatus from the wireless power transmitter.

15. The reception apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reception controller controls the charging control unit to increase the maximum amount of the wireless power of the reception apparatus to the second threshold power, and transmits a response to the wireless power transmitter.

16. A method for adjusting charging power of a wireless power receiver in a wireless power transmitter, the method comprising:

receiving, by the wireless power transmitter, a signal for requesting wireless power from at least one wireless power receiver;

calculating, by the wireless power transmitter, a sum of required amount of the wireless power of the at least one wireless power receiver;

determining, by the wireless power transmitter, whether the calculated sum of the required amount of the wireless power exceeds maximum amount of supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter;

transmitting, by the wireless power transmitter, a request for adjusting the required amount of the wireless power to the at least one wireless power receiver when the calculated sum of the required power amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power; and

transmitting, by the wireless power transmitter, wireless power corresponding to adjusted amount to the at least one wireless power receiver when a signal for requesting the wireless power corresponding to the adjusted amount from the at least one wireless power receiver is received.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the adjusted amount of the wireless power to each of the at least one wireless power receiver when the response to the request is received from each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the signal includes identification information and characteristic information of each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the characteristic information includes information on a total power of the at least one wireless power receiver.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the calculated sum of the required amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter comprises:

calculating a sum of maximum amount of the wireless power in a constant current mode for the at least one wireless power receiver by using the characteristic information; and

determining whether the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining whether the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter comprises:

generating a signal for reducing the maximum amount of the wireless power of each of the at least one wireless power receiver when the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter; and

transmitting the generated signal to each of the at least one wireless power receiver.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining whether the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power exceeds the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter further comprises:

transmitting the required amount of the wireless power that each of the at least one wireless power receiver has required, to each of the at least one wireless power receiver when the calculated sum of the maximum amount of the wireless power does not exceed the maximum amount of the supplied wireless power capable of being supplied by the wireless power transmitter.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting a signal for increasing the maximum amount of the wireless power to each of at least one remaining wireless power receiver except for at least one wireless power receiver for which charging is completed, when the charging of the at least one wireless power receiver is completed.

24. A method for adjusting charging power in a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:

transmitting by the wireless power receiver, a signal for receiving wireless power to a wireless power transmitter;

adjusting, by the wireless power receiver, required amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver when a request for adjusting required amount of the wireless power is received from the wireless power transmitter;

requesting, by the wireless power receiver, wireless power corresponding to the adjusted amount to the wireless power transmitter; and

receiving, by the wireless power receiver, the requested wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

after adjusting the required amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver, transmitting a response to the request to the wireless power transmitter.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the characteristic information includes information on total power of the at least one wireless power receiver.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a signal for reducing maximum amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver, from the wireless power transmitter.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein adjusting the required amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver comprises:

reducing the maximum amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver to a first threshold power; and

transmitting the response to the wireless power transmitter.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a signal for increasing maximum amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver, from the wireless power transmitter.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein adjusting the required amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver comprises:

increasing the maximum amount of the wireless power of the wireless power receiver to a second threshold power; and

transmitting the response to the wireless power transmitter.