Multi-mode wireless power receiver control

• US 10,476,310 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Chang-Yu, Kissin, Michael Le Gallais, Beaver, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis B
• Application Number:
  US15/711,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20180342897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/529 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0074 Plural converter units whose inputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/22 with intermediate conversion into ac
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In certain aspects, methods and systems for controlling power transfer at a wireless power receiver are disclosed. In certain aspects, a method includes determining a duty cycle of a DC-DC converter of the wireless power receiver. The method further includes determining a duty cycle limit for an AC switching controller based on the determined duty cycle. The method further includes determining an operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller. The method further includes comparing the operational duty cycle to the duty cycle limit. The method further includes adjusting at least one of a desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter when the operational duty cycle is greater than the duty cycle limit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power transfer at a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:

determining a duty cycle of a DC-DC converter of the wireless power receiver based on one of a voltage and a current output to a load of the wireless power receiver and one of a desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter;

determining a duty cycle limit for an AC switching controller based on the determined duty cycle and the one of the voltage and the current output to the load;

determining an operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller based on the other one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter and an actual one of a current and voltage output from the AC switching controller;

comparing the operational duty cycle to the duty cycle limit; and

adjusting at least one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter when the operational duty cycle is greater than the duty cycle limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duty cycle limit is configured to set a peak voltage or peak current through the AC switching controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational duty cycle is configured to maintain the one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter is adjusted to a value based on a selected operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller that is between the operational duty cycle and the duty cycle limit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an output of the AC switching controller is coupled to an input of the DC-DC converter, and wherein the DC-DC converter is configured to limit a voltage at the AC switching controller, and the AC switching controller is configured to limit a current at the DC-DC converter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the duty cycle of the DC-DC converter is based on the voltage output to the load and the desired voltage input to the DC-DC converter, wherein determining the duty cycle limit for the AC switching controller is based on the voltage output to the load, and wherein determining the operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller is based on the desired current input to the DC-DC converter and the actual current output from the AC switching controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the duty cycle of the DC-DC converter is based on the current output to the load and the desired current input to the DC-DC converter, wherein determining the duty cycle limit for the AC switching controller is based on the current output to the load, and wherein determining the operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller is based on the desired voltage input to the DC-DC converter and the actual voltage output from the AC switching controller.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling a power transfer element of the wireless power receiver to a wireless field to generate a voltage and current input to the AC switching controller.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the duty cycle of the DC-DC converter corresponds to a period of cycling one or more switches of the DC-DC converter between an open state and a closed state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the duty cycle of the AC switching controller corresponds to a period of cycling one or more switches of the AC switching controller between an open state and a closed state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired voltage and current input are based on at least one of a current or voltage rating of the AC switching controller or a current or voltage rating of the DC-DC converter.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising initializing to default values the duty cycle for the AC switching controller, the duty cycle of the DC-DC converter, the desired voltage input to the DC-DC converter, and the desired current input to the DC-DC converter.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller comprises setting a minimum floor value for the operational duty cycle to be above 0.

14. A wireless power receiver comprising:

means for determining a duty cycle of a DC-DC converter of the wireless power receiver based on one of a voltage and a current output to a load of the wireless power receiver and one of a desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter;

means for determining a duty cycle limit for an AC switching controller based on the determined duty cycle and the one of the voltage and the current output to the load;

means for determining an operational duty cycle for the AC switching controller based on the other one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter and an actual one of a current and voltage output from the AC switching controller;

means for comparing the operational duty cycle to the duty cycle limit; and

means for adjusting at least one of the desired voltage and current input to the DC-DC converter when the operational duty cycle is greater than the duty cycle limit.