Wireless charging apparatus and wireless charging method

• US 9,762,082 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Sung-Bum
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBOWSKI, LEIGH M
• Application Number:
  US14/549,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A wireless charging apparatus and a wireless charging method are provided. The method includes selecting at least one of a wireless power reception mode and a wireless power transmission mode by a wireless charging apparatus, wirelessly receiving electric power when the wireless power reception mode is selected, and wirelessly transmitting electric power when the wireless power transmission mode is selected.

Claims

1. A wireless charging method performed at an electronic device comprising:

selecting, by the electronic device, one of a wireless power reception mode, a wireless power transmission mode, and a wireless power relay mode;

wirelessly receiving power from a power transmitting device by connecting a power receiver of the electronic device to a resonator of the electronic device based on the wireless power reception mode being selected;

wirelessly transmitting power to a power receiving device by connecting a power transmitter of the electronic device to the resonator based on the wireless power transmission mode being selected; and

wirelessly relaying power from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device by disconnecting both of the power transmitter and the power receiver from the resonator based on the wireless power relay mode being selected.

2. The wireless charging method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly transmitting the power, comprises:

selecting one of an external power source and a battery of the electronic device, based on the wireless power transmission mode being selected;

receiving electric power from the external power source and wirelessly transmitting the power using the electric power being supplied from the external power source, based on the external power source being selected; and

wirelessly transmitting the power using electric power supplied from the battery, based on the battery being selected.

3. The wireless charging method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the electronic device receives the electric power from the external power source, communicating with at least one external device located around the electronic device; and

wirelessly transmitting the power using the electric power supplied from the external power source to the at least one external device to charge the at least one external device.

4. The wireless charging method of claim 3, further comprising:

causing the at least one external device to wirelessly receive the power transmitted from the electronic device, based on a predetermined condition.

5. The wireless charging method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition is one of distances between the electronic device and the at least one electronic device, remaining battery amounts of the at least one electronic device, and a predetermined time interval.

6. The wireless charging method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a charging order of a plurality of external devices if the at least one external device includes the plurality of external devices based on a predetermined condition, and

causing one external device of the plurality of external devices to operate in a wireless power reception mode and another external device of the plurality of external devices to operate in a wireless power relay mode based on the charging order.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a resonator;

a power transceiver comprising a power transmitter and a power receiver; and

a controller configured to;

based on a power reception mode being selected, control the power transceiver to wirelessly receive power from a power transmitting device by connecting the power receiver to the resonator,

based on a power transmission mode being selected, control the power transceiver to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving device by connecting the power transmitter to the resonator, and

based on a power relay mode being selected, control the power transceiver to wirelessly relay power received from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device by disconnecting both of the power transmitter and the power receiver from the resonator.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising:

a first switch configured to;

based on the wireless power reception mode being selected, connect the power receiver to the resonator,

based on the wireless power transmission mode being selected, connect the power transmitter to the resonator, and

based on the wireless power relay mode being selected, disconnect both of the power receiver and the power transmitter from the resonator.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a battery; and

a second switch configured to connect one of an external power source and the battery to the power transmitter.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a booster IC (integrated circuit), located between the battery and the second switch, configured to adjust a voltage of a power provided from the battery to a predetermined value.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a buck converter IC, located between the battery and the second switch, configured to adjust a voltage of the power provided from the battery to a predetermined value.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a Power Management IC (PMIC) configured to charge the battery with the power received through the power transceiver.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a booster Integrated Circuit (IC) configured to charge the battery with the power received through the power transceiver.

14. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein,

based on electric power from the external source being supplied to the electronic device, the controller is further configured to control the electronic device to wirelessly transmit power to at least one external device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to control the electronic device to wirelessly transmit power to the at least one external device based on a predetermined condition.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined condition is one of distances between the electronic device and the at least one external device, remaining battery amounts of the at least one external device, and a predetermined time interval.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a charging order of a plurality of external devices if the at least one external device includes the plurality of external devices, and cause one external device of the plurality of external devices to operate in the wireless power reception mode and another electronic device to operate in a wireless power relay mode based on the charging order.