Power wireless transmitter in magnetic resonance-based wireless power transmission system

• US 10,298,068 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PR Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Republic, Corp.
• Inventors: Oh, Yeonmi, Choi, Changuk
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Jeffrey M
• Application Number:
  US15/307,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

The present disclosure is to provide a power wireless transmitter in a magnetic resonance-based wireless power transmission system, wherein when, due to a presence of a metal, an output from the wireless power transmitter has a change in a resonance frequency thereof, a drive frequency and/or duty ratio with a maximum output therefrom are determined to be applied for a transmission from the wireless power transmitter, thereby to achieve an efficient wireless power transmission.

Claims

1. A power wireless transmitter in a magnetic resonance-based wireless power transmission system, the transmitter comprising:

a power supply;

a variable drive frequency signal generator configured to receive a drive voltage from the power supply and generate a variable drive frequency signal for wireless power transmission, a drive frequency of the variable drive frequency signal being varied according to a change in a resonance frequency of the transmitter due to presence of a metal;

a switching unit configured to receive the drive voltage from the power supply and to receive the variable drive frequency signal from the variable drive frequency generator and to switch and amplify the variable drive frequency signal;

a wireless power transmission unit configured to receive the amplified variable drive frequency signal from the switching unit and wirelessly transmit a power to a wireless power receiving unit using the amplified variable drive frequency signal;

a frequency detection unit configured to detect an amplitude of the amplified variable drive frequency signal outputted from the wireless power transmission unit;

a comparator configured to compare the detected amplitude of the amplified variable drive frequency signal to a reference value as a predetermined amplitude; and

a duty ratio changing unit configured to vary a duty ratio of the variable drive frequency signal generated from the variable drive frequency generator, wherein the variable drive frequency signal with a varied duty ratio is inputted to the switching unit,

wherein when the detected amplitude of the amplified variable drive frequency signal is larger than or equal to the reference value as the predetermined amplitude, the frequency of the amplified variable drive frequency signal is determined as a drive frequency for transmission from the wireless power transmission unit, wherein the determined frequency is fed back to the variable drive frequency generator, and, thus, the variable drive frequency generator generates a drive frequency signal using the fed drive frequency,

wherein a duty reference value is set to about 50%, and the duty ratio changing unit is configured to vary the duty ratio within ±

10% of the duty reference value,

wherein when the detected amplitude of the amplified variable drive frequency signal with the varied duty ratio is larger than or equal to the reference value as the predetermined amplitude, the varied duty ratio is determined as a duty ratio for transmission from the wireless power transmission unit, wherein the determined duty ratio is fed back to the duty ratio changing unit, and, thus, the duty ratio changing unit varies a duty ratio of the drive frequency signal using the fed duty ratio, and

wherein when plural variable drive frequency signals with different drive frequencies and duty ratios have amplitudes equal to or larger than the predetermined amplitude as the reference value, the drive frequency and duty ratio for transmission from the wireless power transmission unit are determined as a drive frequency and duty ratio of a variable drive frequency signal with the largest amplitude among the plural variable drive frequency signals.

2. The power wireless transmitter of claim 1, wherein the variable drive frequency generator generates the variable drive frequency signal by varying a drive frequency at a first sweep frequency interval within about ±

50% of a resonance frequency determined by an inductance and capacitance of an inductor and capacitor included in the wireless power transmission unit.

3. The power wireless transmitter of claim 2, wherein when the detected amplitude of the amplified variable drive frequency signal is smaller than the reference value as a predetermined amplitude, the variable drive frequency generator generates a drive frequency signal by varying the drive frequency at a second sweep frequency interval smaller than the first sweep frequency interval.

4. The power wireless transmitter of claim 1, wherein the switching unit is implemented using a half bridge or full bridge circuit.

5. The power wireless transmitter of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmission unit wirelessly transmits the power to the wireless power receiving unit via a LC parallel resonance.

6. The power wireless transmitter of claim 1, wherein the frequency detection unit uses an envelope detection, LC ratio detection, Foster-seeley detection, or voltage comparison detection.