Wireless power receiver

• US 10,714,976 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Uchimoto, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US15/605,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

A reception antenna includes a reception coil which receives a power signal. A rectification circuit rectifies an alternating current flowing to the reception antenna. A smoothing capacitor smoothes an output of the rectification circuit. A waveform stabilizer is enabled when a power receiver satisfies a predetermined condition and shifts a parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver structured to receive a power signal from a wireless power transmitter, the wireless power receiver comprising:

a reception antenna having a reception coil structured to receive the power signal;

a rectification circuit having a first AC input terminal and a second AC input terminal coupled to both ends of the reception antenna, and structured to rectify an alternating current flowing through the reception antenna;

a smoothing capacitor structured to smooth an output of the rectification circuit;

a waveform stabilizer structured to be enabled in responsive to assertion of the control signal and to shift a parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna so as to suppress waveform disturbance which occurs in voltages at the first AC input terminal and the second AC input terminal;

a current sensor structured to detect an output current of the wireless power receiver; and

a main controller structured to receive an output of the current sensor and to generate the control signal which is asserted when the output current is larger than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the waveform stabilizer includes

a first capacitor and a first switch which are provided in series between the first AC input terminal and a ground;

a second capacitor and a second switch which are provided in series between the second AC input terminal and the ground; and

a driver structured to turn on the first switch and the second switch for enabling the waveform stabilizer.

2. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, wherein

the rectification circuit includes an H bridge circuit which has a first alternating-current input terminal and a second alternating-current input terminal connected to the reception antenna and a synchronous rectification controller which controls the H bridge circuit.

3. The wireless power receiver according to claim 2, wherein

when an output current of the wireless power receiver is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the synchronous rectification controller controls the H bridge circuit in a semi-synchronous rectification mode and when the output current is larger than the predetermined threshold, the synchronous rectification controller controls the H bridge circuit in a full-synchronous rectification mode, and

when the H bridge circuit is operated in the full-synchronous rectification mode, the waveform stabilizer is enabled.

4. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, wherein

terminals of low potential sides of the first switch and the second switch are connected to a common node, and

the waveform stabilizer further includes a resistor which is provided between the common node and the ground.

5. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, wherein

the waveform stabilizer further includes a first resistor which is provided in series with the first capacitor and the first switch between one end of the reception antenna and the ground and a second resistor which is provided in series with the second capacitor and the second switch between the other end of the reception antenna and the ground.

6. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, further comprising:

an AM modulator which is connected to the reception antenna and changes the parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna according to an AM modulation signal.

7. The wireless power receiver according to claim 6, wherein

the waveform stabilizer is configured to share at least a part with the AM modulator.

8. The wireless power receiver according to claim 6, wherein

the waveform stabilizer is structured to be disabled in an operation section of the AM modulator.

9. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, wherein

the waveform stabilizer is structured to be not enabled before position detection by the wireless power transmitter is completed.

10. The wireless power receiver according to claim 1, wherein

the wireless power receiver corresponds to a Qi standard.

14. The wireless power receiver according to claim 6, wherein the main controller is structured to generate control error (CE) packets according to an error of the output voltage of the rectification circuit and its target value, and to supply the AM modulation signal including the control error packets to the AM modulator.

11. An electronic apparatus including a wireless power receiver structured to receive a power signal from a wireless power transmitter, the wireless power receiver comprising:

a reception antenna having a reception coil structured to receive the power signal;

a rectification circuit having a first AC input terminal and a second AC input terminal coupled to both ends of the reception antenna, and structured to rectify an alternating current flowing through the reception antenna;

a smoothing capacitor structured to smooth an output of the rectification circuit;

a waveform stabilizer structured to be enabled in responsive to assertion of the control signal and to shift a parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna so as to suppress waveform disturbance which occurs in voltages at the first AC input terminal and the second AC input terminal;

a current sensor structured to detect an output current of the wireless power receiver; and

a main controller structured to receive an output of the current sensor and to generate the control signal which is asserted when the output current is larger than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the waveform stabilizer includes

a first capacitor and a first switch which are provided in series between the first AC input terminal and a ground;

a second capacitor and a second switch which are provided in series between the second AC input terminal and the ground; and

a driver structured to turn on the first switch and the second switch for enabling the waveform stabilizer.

12. A power reception control circuit used in a wireless power receiver, the power reception control circuit comprising:

a first alternating-current input terminal and a second alternating-current input terminal which are connected to a reception antenna receiving a power signal from a wireless power transmitter;

a rectification circuit which includes having a first AC input terminal and a second AC input terminal coupled to both ends of the reception antenna and is connected to the first alternating-current input terminal and the second alternating-current input terminal and structured to rectify an alternating current flowing to the reception antenna;

a rectification terminal to which a smoothing capacitor smoothing an output of the rectification circuit is connected;

a waveform stabilizer structured to be enabled in responsive to assertion of the control signal and to shift a parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna so as to suppress waveform disturbance which occurs in voltages at the first AC input terminal and the second AC input terminal;

a current sensor structured to detect an output current of the wireless power receiver; and

a main controller structured to receive an output of the current sensor and to generate the control signal which is asserted when the output current is larger than a predetermined threshold,

wherein the waveform stabilizer includes;

a first capacitor and a first switch which are provided in series between the first alternating-current input terminal and a ground;

a second capacitor and a second switch which are provided in series between the second alternating-current input terminal and the ground; and

a driver structured to turn on the first switch and the second switch for enabling the waveform stabilizer.

13. A control method for a wireless power receiver receiving a power signal from a wireless power transmitter, the control method comprising:

receiving the power signal by a reception antenna including a reception coil;

rectifying, by a rectification circuit, an alternating current flowing to the reception antenna by a rectification circuit;

smoothing an output of the rectification circuit;

shifting, by a waveform stabilizer, a parallel resonance frequency of the reception antenna;

detecting, by a current sensor, an output current of the wireless power receiver; and

receiving an output of the current sensor and generating the control signal which is asserted, by a main controller, when the output current is larger than a predetermined threshold,

wherein

the rectification circuit has a first AC input terminal and a second AC input terminal coupled to both ends of the reception antenna, and

the waveform stabilizer includes;

a first capacitor and a first switch which are provided in series between the first AC input terminal and a ground;

a second capacitor and a second switch which are provided in series between the second AC input terminal and the ground; and

a driver structured to turn on the first switch and the second switch for enabling the waveform stabilizer in responsive to assertion of the control signal so as to suppress waveform disturbance which occurs in voltages at the first AC input terminal and the second AC input terminal.