Wireless charging apparatus and method

• US 10,432,245 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Byun, Kang-Ho, Kim, Hong-Kweun, Park, Se-Ho, Lee, Kyung-Woo, Lee, Young-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Mong-Thuy T
• Application Number:
  US14/365,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20140308996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 455573
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a power information transmission period from a mobile terminal to be charged in a wireless charging apparatus. To this end, a wireless charging apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a communication unit for receiving power information from at least one mobile terminal; and a control unit for determining a transmission period of power information for each of the at least one mobile terminal based on the power information and adjusting the transmission period according to whether the power information is received from the at least one mobile terminal. As described above, the waste of resources, which may occur due to unnecessary packet transmission, can be reduced by adaptively adjusting the transmission period, thereby increasing the efficiency of power transmission.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wirelessly charging at least one device, the apparatus comprising:

a resonator that wirelessly transmits power for charging the at least one device;

a communication unit; and

a control unit configured to;

receive, through the communication unit, power state information from the at least one device,

compare between a transmission cycle of each of the at least one device and a threshold cycle based on the power state information,

determine, among the at least one device, a device with which the apparatus is to communicate during an allocation period based on the comparison between the transmission cycle of each of the at least one device and the threshold cycle,

set a transmission cycle of the determined device based on the received power state information, and

transmit, through the communication unit, a message to the determined device including the set transmission cycle.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message is provided by using a notice frame.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces the transmission cycle of a device that has not transmitted the power state information.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit deletes the device that has not transmitted the power state information from a communication target list according to the reduction of the transmission cycle.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the transmission cycle of each of the at least one device to a basic cycle in which the power state information is capable of being periodically received from the at least one device, when a current change is sensed.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the transmission cycle of the at least one device to a basic cycle in which the power state information is capable of being periodically received from the at least one device, when the control unit receives a message notifying of an abnormal state from the at least one device.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the transmission cycle of the at least one device to a basic cycle in which the power state information is capable of being periodically received from the at least one device, when a power transmission efficiency does not reach a predetermined power transmission efficiency.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit changes, to a basic cycle, the transmission cycle of a device, of which the transmission cycle is longer than or equal to the basic cycle with respect to the at least one device.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines transmission of power to the at least one device based on the power state information received through the communication unit.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power state information comprises at least one of:

information on a voltage and a current induced in an antenna of the at least one device;

information on a voltage and a current obtained by rectifying power induced in a coil; and

information on a voltage and a current supplied to a charging unit.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a device which has a transmission cycle being equal to or less than a corresponding threshold value as the determined device.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit updates each of the transmission cycle by setting a transmission cycle corresponding to a device that transmits the power state information during the allocation period as a predetermined transmission cycle.

13. A method for wirelessly charging at least one device by a wireless charging transmitter, the method comprising:

receiving power state information from the at least one device;

comparing between a transmission cycle of each of the at least one device and a threshold cycle based on the power state information;

determining, among the at least one device, a device with which the apparatus is to communicate during an allocation period based on the comparison between the transmission cycle of each of the at least one device and the threshold cycle;

setting a transmission cycle of the determined device based on the received power state information; and

transmitting a message to the determined device including the set transmission cycle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the setting the transmission cycle of the determined device based on the received power state information comprises increasing a transmission cycle of a device that has transmitted the power state information, and reducing a transmission cycle of a device that has not transmitted the power state information.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

deleting the device that has not transmitted the power state information from a communication target list according to the reduction of the transmission cycle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising determining transmission of power to the at least one device based on the received power state information.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the power state information comprises at least one of:

information on a voltage and a current induced in an antenna of the at least one device;

information on a voltage and a current obtained by rectifying power induced in a coil; and

information on a voltage and a current supplied to a charging unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the determining, among the at least one device, the device comprises determining a device which has a transmission cycle being equal to or less than a corresponding threshold value as the determined device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising setting a value corresponding to a device that transmits the power state information during the allocation period as a predetermined transmission cycle.