Electronic device and wireless charging method of electronic device

• US 10,291,293 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kazy, Fayeen Shariar, Rahman, Muhammad Mahbubur, Noman, Sadik
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US15/075,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20160285517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 455567, 455573, 455 634, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a communication unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from an external device, a power transmitter configured to wirelessly supply power to the external device, and a controller configured to, when a wireless charging request is received from the external device, identify a location of the external device, determine a direction in which electromagnetic energy is output according to the location of the external device, and control the power transmitter to output the electromagnetic energy in the determined direction to wirelessly supply power to the external device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data to and from a first external device;

a power transmitter configured to wirelessly supply power to the first external device; and

at least one processor configured to, when a wireless charging request is received from the first external device;

determine a direction in which electromagnetic energy is to be output according to the location of the first external device,

control the power transmitter to output the electromagnetic energy in the determined direction to wirelessly transmit the power to the first external device,

monitor a charging amount of the first external device based on information of the charging amount of the first external device received from the first external device,

when a ratio value of the charging amount of the first external device to a transmitting power amount of the electronic device is equal to or smaller than a reference value, determine whether there is a hindrance between the electronic device and the first external device using a camera of the electronic device, and

in response to determining that the hindrance exists in a power transmission path between the electronic device and the first external device, control the power transmitter to stop transmitting power to the first external device,

wherein the at least on processor is further configured to control the first external device to transmit extra power to a second external device by using an antenna of the first external device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to pause wireless charging when a call connection notification is received from the first external device.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to re-initiate the wireless charging when a call termination notification is received from the first external device while the wireless charging is paused.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power transmitter includes at least one of a directional filter, a directional coupler, or a directional antenna.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to tune a value of a device within a tunable circuit within the power transmitter to resonate with the first external device located in the determined direction.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the camera to capture an image in the determined direction to determine whether there is the hindrance between the electronic device and the first external device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control to output a warning to inform a user that the hindrance exists in response to determining that the hindrance exists in the power transmission path between the electronic device and the first external device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the charging value includes a charging change amount based on the charging amount or a ratio of the charging amount of the first external device to the transmitted power amount to the first external device.

9. A method of performing wireless charging by an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless charging request from a first external device;

determining a direction in which electromagnetic energy is to be output according to a location of the first external device;

outputting the electromagnetic energy in the determined direction to wirelessly transmit power to the first external device;

monitoring a charging amount of the first external device based on information of the charging amount of the first external device received from the first external device;

when a ratio value of the charging amount of the first external device to a transmitting power amount of the electronic device is equal to or smaller than a reference value, determining whether a hindrance exists between the electronic device and the first external device using a camera of the electronic device; and

in response to determining that the hindrance exists in a power transmission path beteween the electronic device and the first external device, stopping the transmission of power to the first external device,

wherein the electronic device is configured to control the first external device to transmit extra power to a second external device by using an antenna of the first external device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a call connection notification from the first external device during the wireless charging; and

pausing the wireless charging in response to the call connection notification.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a call termination notification from the first external device while the wireless charging is paused; and

re-initiating the wireless charging in response to the call termination notification.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the supplying of the power to the first external device comprises tuning a value of a device within a tunable circuit within the electronic device to resonate with the first external device located in the determined direction.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of whether a hindrance exists between the electronic device and the first external device comprises controlling the camera to capture an image in the determined direction to determine whether there is the hindrance between the electronic device and the first external device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

outputting a warning to inform a user that the hindrance exists in response to determining that the hindrance exists in the power transmission path between the electronic device and the first external device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the charging value includes a charging change amount based on the charging amount or a ratio of the charging amount of the first external device to the transmitted power amount to the first external device.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program stored therein, the computer-readable program, when executed on a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive a wireless charging request from a first external device;

determine a direction in which electromagnetic energy is to be output according to a location of the first external device;

output the electromagnetic energy in the determined direction to wirelessly transmit power to the first external device;

monitor a charging amount of the first external device based on information of the charging amount of the first external device received from the first external device;

when a ratio value of the charging amount of the first external device to a transmitting power amount of the electronic device is equal to or smaller than a reference value, determine whether a hindrance exists between the computing device and the first external device using a camera of the computing device; and

in response to determining that the hindrance exists in a power transmission path beteween the computing device and the first external device, stop the transmission of power to the first external device,

wherein the computer-readable program further causes the computing device to control the first external device to transmit extra power to a second external device by using an antenna of the first external device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable program further causes the computing device to:

receive a call connection notification from the first external device during the wireless charging; and

pause the wireless charging in response to the call connection notification.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable program further causes the computing device to:

receive a call termination notification from the first external device while the wireless charging is paused; and

re-initiate the wireless charging in response to the call termination notification.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable program further causes the computing device to:

control the camera to capture an image in the determined direction to determine whether there is the hindrance between the computing device and the first external device.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the charging value includes a charging change amount based on the charging amount or a ratio of the charging amount of the first external device to the transmitted power amount to the first external device.

21. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data to and from a first external device;

a power transmitter configured to wirelessly supply power to the first external device; and

at least one processor configured to, when a wireless charging request is received from the first external device;

determine a direction in which electromagnetic energy is to be output according to a location of the first external device,

control the power transmitter to output the electromagnetic energy in the determined direction to wirelessly transmit the power to the first external device,

monitor a charging amount of the first external device based on information of the charging amount of the first external device received from the first external device,

when a ratio value of the charging amount of the first external device to a transmitting power amount of the electronic device is equal to or smaller than a reference value, determine whether there is a hindrance between the electronic device and the first external device using a camera of the electronic device, and

in response to determining that the hindrance exists in a power transmission path between the electronic device and the first external device, control the power transmitter to stop transmitting power to the first external device,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the first external device to transmit extra power to a second external device by using an antenna of the first external device.