Wireless charging method and apparatus thereof

• US 10,270,276 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kihyun, Koo, Kyungha, Lee, Wooram, Lee, Changhyung, Kim, Jihye, Kim, Jihong, Noh, Yunjeong, Park, Seho, Sun, Kumjong, Lee, Ju-Hyang, Ha, Mincheol, Hwangbo, Sangmoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US15/202,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20170047769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104, 455572-573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a wireless charging coil disposed inside the housing, a fan disposed inside the housing and in proximity to the coil, a temperature sensor disposed inside the housing and in proximity to the coil, a wireless charging circuit having the coil and configured to transmit power wirelessly to an external device via the coil, and a control circuit electrically connected to the fan, the temperature sensor, and the wireless charging circuit. The control circuit may be configured to receive a signal from the external device, receive data related to a temperature of the coil from the temperature sensor, and control the fan at least partially on the basis of at least one of the signal and the data.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless charging coil disposed inside the housing;

a fan disposed inside the housing and configured to cool the wireless charging coil;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the wireless charging coil;

a wireless charging circuit comprising the wireless charging coil and configured to transmit power wirelessly to an external device via the wireless charging coil; and

a control circuit electrically connected to the fan, the temperature sensor, and the wireless charging circuit, and configured to;

receive, from the external device, a signal from the external device for indicating that a high-speed charge among the high-speed charge and a normal-speed charge is supported by the external device, and

control, based on the signal, the fan based on at least one of the signal or the data to be turned on or off.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive a second signal from the external device via the wireless charging circuit.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second signal includes an indication for requesting control of the fan.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second signal includes an indication regarding a level of power transmitted wirelessly to the external device via the wireless charging coil.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is fixed to one of furniture, a building structure, a vehicle, or a home appliance.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a shield member that is coupled to a lower surface of the fan and configured to block electromagnetic radiation; and

a heat radiation member that is coupled to a lower surface of the wireless charging coil and configured to absorb heat from the wireless charging coil,

wherein the fan is further disposed below the heat radiation member.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive data indicating the temperature of the wireless charging coil from the temperature sensor.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the controlling the fan to be turned on or off is based on the signal and the data.

9. The electronic device of claim 7,

wherein the wireless charging circuit is configured to operate in a first mode for transmitting the power with a first power source or a second mode for transmitting the power with a second power source having higher power than the first power source, and

wherein the control circuit is further configured to select the first mode or the second mode based on at least one of the signal or the data.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuit further comprises a circuit configured to receive power of a different level from an external power source based on the first mode or the second mode.

11. A method for performing wireless charging in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, from an external device, a signal for indicating that a high-speed charge among the high-speed charge and a normal-speed charge is supported by the external device;

receiving data indicating a temperature of a wireless charging coil from a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed inside a housing of the electronic device and configured to detect the temperature of the wireless charging coil;

transmitting power wirelessly to the external device via the wireless charging coil; and

controlling, based on the signal and the data, a fan to be turned on or off, the fan disposed inside the housing and in proximity to the wireless charging coil.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

operating, using a wireless charging circuit having the wireless charging coil and disposed inside the housing, in a first mode for transmitting the power to a first power source;

or

operating, using the wireless charging circuit, in a second mode for transmitting the power to a second power source having higher power than the first power source,

wherein the controlling of the fan further comprises selecting the first mode or the second mode based on at least one of the signal or the data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the controlling of the fan comprises receiving power of a different level from an external power source via an interface circuit based on the first mode or the second mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling of the fan comprises receiving a second signal from the external device via a wireless charging circuit having the wireless charging coil.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second signal includes an indication requesting control of the fan.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second signal includes an indication regarding a level of power transmitted wirelessly to the external device via the wireless charging coil.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is fixed to one of furniture, a building structure, a vehicle, or a home appliance.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

operating, using a wireless charging circuit comprising the wireless charging coil and disposed inside the housing, in a first mode for transmitting the power at a first power level;

or

operating, using the wireless charging circuit, in a second mode for transmitting the power to a second power source having a higher power than the first power level,

wherein selection of the first power level or the second power level is based on a time.