Wireless charging apparatus and method

• US 10,505,384 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Won, Kim, Seong Min, Moon, Jung Ick, Jeon, Sang Bong, Cho, In Kui, Yun, Je Hoon, Jang, Dong Won, Choi, Hyung Do
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US15/428,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

Disclosed is a wireless charging apparatus and method, the apparatus including a controller configured to control the wireless charging apparatus, and a transmitter configured to form a rotating magnetic field in a three-dimensional (3D) space in response to a first clock signal and a second clock signal generated under a control of the controller, wherein a phase difference between the first clock signal and the second clock signal is 90 degrees.

Claims

1. A wireless charging apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to control the wireless charging apparatus; and

a transmitter configured to form a uniform magnetic field in a three-dimensional (3D) space based on a control of the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to change a phase of a current supplied to the coil of the transmitter,

wherein the transmitter includes first coils and second coils consisting of a pair of coils,

wherein a pair of first coils faces each other, and a pair of second coils faces each other in the 3D space,

wherein the controller supplies a first current into the pair of first coils and supplies a second current into the pair of second coils, and a phase difference between the first current and the second current is 90 degree,

wherein the transmitter includes;

a first inverter configured to supply currents to first coils among the plurality of coils in response to a first clock signal and a reversed first clock signal; and

a second inverter configured to supply currents to second coils among the plurality of coils in response to a second clock signal and a reversed second clock signal.

2. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coils are arranged in a first direction in parallel and the second coils are arranged in a second direction in parallel.

3. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter further includes a third inverter configured to supply a current to a third coil among the plurality of coils in response to a third clock signal, and

the third coil is disposed on a bottom face of the wireless charging apparatus.

4. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter further includes:

a phase reverser configured to reverse a phase of the first clock signal and a phase of the second clock signal.

5. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a clock signal generator configured to generate the first clock signal and the second clock signal.

6. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to control a clock frequency of the clock signal generator based on a quiescent current.

7. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a supervisor configured to monitor the quiescent current.

8. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a duty ratio between the first clock signal and the second clock signal based on a quiescent current.

9. The wireless charging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control a buck converter to adjust input power of the transmitter based on a quiescent current.

10. A wireless charging method performed by a wireless charging apparatus, the method comprising:

wherein the wireless charging apparatus includes a controller and a transmitter,

receiving, by the transmitter, a first clock signal and a second clock signal generated by the controller; and

forming, by the transmitter, a uniform magnetic field in a three-dimensional (3D) space,

wherein the controller is configured to change a phase of a current supplied to the coil of the transmitter,

wherein the transmitter includes first coils and second coils consisting of a pair of coils,

wherein a pair of first coils faces each other, and a pair of second coils faces each other in the 3D space,

wherein the controller supplies a first current into the pair of first coils and supplies a second current into the pair of second coils, and a phase difference between the first current and the second current is 90 degree,

wherein the forming includes;

supplying, by the transmitter, currents to first coils of the wireless charging apparatus in response to a first clock signal and a reversed first clock signal; and

supplying, by the transmitter, currents to second coils of the wireless charging apparatus in response to a second clock signal and a reversed second clock signal.

11. The wireless charging method of claim 10, wherein the first coils are arranged in a first direction in parallel and the second coils are arranged in a second direction in parallel.

12. The wireless charging method of claim 10, wherein the forming further includes supplying a current to a third coil of the wireless charging apparatus in response to a third clock signal, and

the third coil is disposed on a bottom face of the wireless charging apparatus.

13. The wireless charging method of claim 12, wherein the first coils and the second coils are arranged on a wall of the wireless charging apparatus.

14. The wireless charging method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, frequencies of the first clock signal and the second clock signal based on a quiescent current.

15. The wireless charging method of claim 14, further comprising:

wherein the wireless charging apparatus includes a supervisor,

monitoring, by the supervisor, the quiescent current.

16. The wireless charging method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting, by the controller, a duty ratio between the first clock signal and the second clock signal based on a quiescent current.

17. The wireless charging method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting, by the controller, an input power input to the wireless charging apparatus based on a quiescent current.