Communication system using wireless power

• US 9,627,914 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Joon, Kwon, Ui Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baxter, Brian K
• Application Number:
  US13/592,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20130049483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting power. According to one general aspect, a communication device using wireless power may include: a transmitter configured to transmit, to a target resonator, energy stored in a source resonator through mutual resonance; an energy compensator configured to compensate for energy expended in the source resonator; and a controller configured to control an electrical connection providing energy to the source resonator.

Claims

1. A communication device using wireless power, the communication device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, to a target resonator, energy stored in a source resonator through mutual resonance;

an energy compensator configured to compensate for energy expended in the source resonator;

a controller configured to control an electrical connection of a power input unit selectively providing energy to the source resonator,

wherein the power input unit is configured to be electrically separated from the transmitter while the transmitter transmits the energy stored in the source resonator, and

wherein the transmitter comprises a storage capacitor configured to store energy from an input voltage provided by the power input unit when the source resonator is in self resonance and configured to release energy to the target resonator when the source resonator and the target resonator are in mutual resonance and the electrical connection is broken.

2. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a modulator configured to modulate information using mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the modulator modulates the information depending on whether generating mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator is performed.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the modulator modulates the information by quantizing a level of the energy stored in the source resonator.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the energy compensator compensates for energy expended due to an internal resistance, a radiation resistance, or both, of the source resonator in the energy stored in the source resonator.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the energy compensator comprises:

a detector configured to detect energy expended in the source resonator; and

a compensator configured to compensate for the detected energy.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the energy compensator compensates for the expended energy using an active element so that a quality (Q) factor of the source resonator has a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether to generate mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator by controlling the electrical connection between the source resonator and a power source connected to the power input unit, so the mutual resonance is generated based on the electrical connection being broken.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the controller controls an electrical connection between the power source and the energy compensator so that energy is provided to the energy compensator while the source resonator is in mutual resonance with the target resonator.

10. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive energy transmitted from the target resonator through mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator; and

a demodulator configured to determine whether mutual resonance occurs by detecting a waveform of the received energy, and to demodulate information transmitted by the target resonator based on whether mutual resonance occurs.

11. A communication system with wireless power, the communication system comprising:

a power transmission unit, comprising;

a first modulator configured to modulate information using mutual resonance between a source resonator and a target resonator;

a first transmitter configured to store energy in the source resonator while the source resonator is in self resonance and configured to transmit, to the target resonator, the energy stored in the source resonator through mutual resonance;

a first energy compensator configured to compensate for energy expended in the source resonator;

a first controller configured to control an electrical providing energy to the source resonator;

a first receiver configured to receive energy transmitted from the target resonator through mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator;

a first demodulator configured to determine whether mutual resonance occurs by detecting a waveform of the received energy, and to demodulate information transmitted by the source resonator based on whether mutual resonance occurs;

a power receiving unit comprising;

a second energy compensator configured to compensate for energy expended in the target resonator; and

a second controller configured to control an electrical connection between the target resonator and a load provided with energy from the target resonator.

12. The communication system of claim 11, the power receiving unit further comprising:

a second modulator configured to modulate information using mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator; and

a second transmitter configured to transmit, to the source resonator, energy stored in the target resonator through mutual resonance.

13. The communication system of claim 12, the power receiving unit further comprising:

a second receiver configured to receive energy transmitted from the target resonator through mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator; and

a second demodulator configured to determine whether mutual resonance occurs by detecting a waveform of the received energy, and to demodulate information transmitted by the target resonator based on whether mutual resonance occurs.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the first energy compensator compensates for the energy expended using an active element so that a quality (Q) factor of the source resonator has a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

15. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the second energy compensator compensates for the expended energy using an active element so that a Q factor of the target resonator has a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

16. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the first controller controls the electrical providing of energy to the source resonator so that energy is not provided to the source resonator when the first transmitter is controlled to transmit the energy stored in the source resonator through mutual resonance.

17. A communication method using wireless power, the communication method comprising:

compensating for energy expended in a source resonator;

controlling an electrical connection providing energy to the source resonator to store the energy in the source resonator while the source resonator is in self resonance; and

transmitting, to a target resonator, the energy stored in the source resonator through mutual resonance,

wherein the source resonator comprises a storage capacitor configured to store energy from an input voltage provided by the power input unit when the source resonator is in self resonance and configured to release energy to the target resonator when the source resonator and the target resonator are in mutual resonance and the electrical connection is broken.

18. The communication method of claim 17, wherein the compensating comprises compensating for energy expended due to an internal resistance, a radiation resistance, or both, of the source resonator in the energy stored in the source resonator.

19. The communication method of claim 17, further comprising:

modulating information using mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.

20. The communication method of claim 17, wherein the controlling of the electrical connection includes controlling the electrical connection to be broken during the transmitting of the energy stored in the source resonator.

21. A communication device using wireless power, the communication device, comprising:

a controller to control a source resonator of a transmitter to at least alternately be in mutual resonance with a target resonator of a receiver and in self resonance;

a power input unit configured to selectively store energy into the source resonator when the source resonator is controlled to be in self resonance; and

the transmitter configured to transmit energy stored in the source resonator to the target resonator when the source resonator is controlled to be in the mutual resonance with the target resonator, and

wherein the transmitter comprises a storage capacitor configured to store energy from an input voltage provided by the power input unit when the source resonator is in self resonance and configured to release energy to the target resonator when the source resonator and the target resonator are in mutual resonance and the electrical connection is broken.

22. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to control the power input unit to electrically connect a power source to the transmitter to store the energy into the source resonator while the controller controls the source resonator to be in self resonance, and configured to control the power input unit to electrically isolate the transmitter from the power source while the source resonator and the target resonator are in mutual resonance.

23. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the communication device further comprises an energy compensator configured to selectively decrease of an effective resistance of the source resonator to increase a Q factor of the source resonator to compensate for energy loss by the source resonator cause by an internal resistance and/or radiance resistance of the source resonator, while the source resonator is in the mutual resonance with the target resonator, and

wherein the energy compensator is connected to the energy source to provide initial power to the energy compensator when the source resonator and the target resonator are in mutual resonance.