Voltage regulation in wireless power

• US 9,774,211 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kasturi, Sreenivas, Yang, Songnan, Rosenfeld, Jonathan, Sever, Isaac, Whitten, Trent D., Porat, Shahar
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US14/712,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20160336757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320135, 320143, 336 55, 307 101, 307 44, 307 90
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/16 Water cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/16 Regulation of the charging current or voltage by variation of field
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/00 Suppression or limitation of noise or interference by means associated with receiver H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/00 Line transmission systems combined with near-field transmission systems H04B5/00

Abstract

Techniques for voltage regulation in a system, method, and apparatus are described herein. An apparatus for voltage regulation in a wireless power receiver may include a rectifier having an output voltage. The apparatus may also include voltage compensation logic including at least one capacitor to reduce voltage variation of the output voltage from the rectifier.

Claims

1. An apparatus for voltage regulation in a wireless power receiver, comprising:

a rectifier coupled to a wireless power receiving coil to rectify a voltage received from the wireless power receiving coil; and

a voltage compensation logic to reduce voltage variation of an output voltage of the rectifier, the voltage compensation logic comprising;

a voltage controlled capacitor parallel to the wireless power receiving coil;

a voltage divider coupled to an output of the rectifier to generate a voltage signal proportional to the output voltage of the rectifier; and

a difference amplifier to detect a difference between a reference voltage and the voltage signal and output a bias voltage, wherein the bias voltage adjusts a capacitance of the voltage controlled capacitor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage compensation logic is configured to generate a compensated current source, wherein the compensated current source is configured to limit a power range of the rectifier within a predefined range.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the compensated current source is configured to limit the power range of the rectifier with a function of voltage range during load modulation of the wireless power receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the current source comprises:

a first amplifier to generate a first voltage of a lower limit of the voltage range;

a voltage divider to generate a second voltage of a higher limit of the voltage range;

a second amplifier to;

receive the first voltage and the second voltage; and

supply an equalized output voltage within the predefined range based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bias voltage output from the difference amplifier is within a predefined continuous range.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage controlled capacitor is a first voltage controlled capacitor,

wherein the voltage compensation logic further comprises a second voltage controlled capacitor arranged in series with the wireless power receiving coil, and

wherein the first voltage controlled capacitor and the second voltage controlled capacitor are configured to supply a minimum operating voltage to the rectifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage compensation logic comprises a difference amplifier configured to

trigger an associated value in a capacitor bank to reduce capacitance of the voltage controlled capacitor based on the difference between the reference voltage and the voltage signal detected by the difference amplifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bias voltage output from the difference amplifier is within a predefined range of discrete voltages.

9. A method for voltage regulation in a wireless power receiver, comprising:

rectifying a voltage received from a wireless power receiving coil via a rectifier coupled to the wireless power receiving coil;

generating a voltage signal proportional to an output voltage of the rectifier;

detecting a difference between a reference voltage and the voltage signal;

outputting a bias voltage; and

adjusting a capacitance of a voltage controlled capacitor based on the bias voltage so that a voltage variation of the output voltage of the rectifier is reduced, wherein the voltage controlled capacitor is parallel to the wireless power receiving coil.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein reducing the voltage variation of the output voltage of the rectifier comprises driving a voltage controlled capacitor in parallel with the wireless power receiving coil.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising limiting a power range of the rectifier within a predefined range as a function of rectified voltage.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising limiting the power range during load modulation of the wireless power receiver.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein limiting a voltage range of the rectifier via a current source comprises:

generating a first voltage associated with a lower limit of the voltage range at a first amplifier;

generating a second voltage of a higher limit of the voltage range at a voltage divider;

receiving the first voltage and the second voltage at a second amplifier; and

providing, from the second amplifier, an equalized output voltage within the predefined range based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein reducing voltage variation of the output voltage via the voltage controlled capacitor comprises:

detecting a difference between a reference voltage and the output voltage of the rectifier; and

adjusting a bias voltage output from the difference amplifier to be provided to the voltage controlled capacitor based on the detected difference.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bias voltage output from the difference amplifier is within a predefined continuous range.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the voltage controlled capacitor is a first voltage controlled capacitor among a second voltage controlled capacitor, the second voltage controlled capacitor in series with the receiver coil, the method further comprising configuring the first and second voltage controlled capacitors to provide a minimum operating voltage to the rectifier.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein reducing voltage variation of the output voltage via the voltage controlled capacitor comprises:

detecting a difference between a reference voltage and the voltage signal; and

triggering an associated value in a capacitor bank to reduce capacitance of the voltage controlled capacitor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bias voltage output from the difference amplifier is within a predefined range of discrete voltages.

19. A system for wireless charging, comprising:

a rectifier comprising an output voltage; and

a voltage compensation logic to reduce voltage variation of the output voltage from the rectifier, wherein the voltage compensation logic comprises;

a voltage controlled capacitor in parallel with a wireless power receiving coil;

a current source configured to limit a voltage range of the rectifier within a predefined range;

or

a combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the current source is configured to generate a limit in power range at the rectifier during load modulation of the wireless power receiver.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the current source comprises:

a first amplifier to generate a first voltage associated with a lower limit of the voltage range;

a voltage divider to generate a second voltage of a higher limit of the voltage range;

a second amplifier to;

receive the first voltage and the second voltage; and

provide an equalized output voltage within the predefined range based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the voltage compensation logic further comprises a difference amplifier configured to:

detect a difference between a reference voltage and a voltage associated with the output from the rectifier; and

adjust a bias voltage output from the difference amplifier to be provided to the voltage controlled capacitor based on the detected difference.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the capacitor is a first voltage controlled capacitor, further comprising

a second voltage controlled capacitor arranged in series with the receiver coil, and

wherein the first voltage controlled capacitor and the second voltage controlled capacitor are configured to provide a minimum operating voltage to the rectifier.