Wireless charger for mobile terminal in vehicle, and vehicle

• US 10,814,807 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2018
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Younghak
• Primary Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US15/861,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20180198313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• 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 50/80 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 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A wireless charger for a mobile terminal in a vehicle includes a power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to a first mobile terminal and a processor configured to acquire model information of the first mobile terminal and to adjust parameters of the power based on the model information.

Claims

1. A wireless charger for a mobile terminal in a vehicle, comprising:

a power transmitter including a plurality of transmitter coils and configured to wirelessly transmit power to a first mobile terminal;

a memory configured to store frequency response characteristic data for a plurality of mobile terminal models and store frequency characteristic data for the plurality of transmitter coils;

a temperature sensing unit configured to sense temperature of the first mobile terminal; and

a processor configured to;

acquire model information of the first mobile terminal based on detected frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal;

control the power transmitter to adjust parameters of the power transmitted to the first mobile terminal based on the model information of the first mobile terminal;

acquire detected frequency characteristic data of power transmitted from each transmitter coil of the plurality of transmitter coils;

based on the model information of the first mobile terminal, receive stored frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal stored in the memory from the stored frequency response characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models;

detect a foreign object by both (1) comparing the stored frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal for the plurality of mobile terminal models and the detected frequency characteristic data of the power transmitted from said each transmitter coil of the plurality of transmitter coils, and (2) based on gradient data which indicates a degree of increase in temperature over time where the gradient data is acquired by the temperature sensing unit;

based on the detected frequency characteristic data of power acquired from each of the transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils, determine a transmitter coil from among the plurality of transmitter coils via which power is to be wirelessly transmitted to the first mobile terminal,

wherein the stored frequency characteristic data comprises a lookup table of spatial frequency characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models based on location information relative to the wireless charger.

2. The wireless charger according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect the foreign object by comparing a first gradient corresponding to a first section of the stored frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal in a predetermined range and a second gradient corresponding to a first section of the stored frequency characteristic data of the power transmitted from the power transmitter in the predetermined range.

3. The wireless charger according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to detect the foreign object located in an area corresponding to one of the transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils by comparing the stored frequency response characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models and the detected frequency characteristic data of the power acquired from said each of the transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils.

4. The wireless charger according to claim 1, wherein the stored frequency response characteristic data comprises a second lookup table of frequency response characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models based on power values.

5. The wireless charger according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire the model information by comparing the stored frequency response characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models and the detected frequency characteristic data from said each transmitter coil of the plurality of transmitter coils.

6. The wireless charger according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, when it is determined that the foreign object is detected, control the power transmitter so that power is not transmitted to the first mobile terminal.

7. The wireless charger according to claim 6, further comprising an interface configured to exchange a signal with a user interface apparatus for the vehicle,

wherein the processor is configured to, when it is determined that the foreign object is detected, provide information on detection of the foreign object to the user interface apparatus.

9. The wireless charger according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of transmitter coils of the power transmitter comprises a first transmitter coil and a second transmitter coil, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire model information of a second mobile terminal;

wirelessly transmit power, which the parameters are adjusted based on the model information of the first mobile terminal, to the first mobile terminal via the first transmitter coil; and

wirelessly transmit power, which second parameters are adjusted based on the model information of the second mobile terminal, to the second mobile terminal via the second transmitter coil.

8. A wireless charger for a mobile terminal in a vehicle, comprising:

a power transmitter including a plurality of transmitter coils and configured to wirelessly transmit power to a first mobile terminal;

a plurality of indicators disposed to correspond to the plurality of transmitter coils, respectively;

a memory configured to store frequency response characteristic data for a plurality of mobile terminal models and store frequency characteristic date for the plurality of transmitter coils;

a temperature sensing unit configured to sense temperature of the first mobile terminal; and

a processor configured to;

acquire model information of the first mobile terminal based on detected frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal;

control the power transmitter to adjust parameters of the power transmitted to the first mobile terminal based on the model information of the first mobile terminal;

acquire detected frequency characteristic data of power transmitted from each transmitter coil of the plurality of transmitter coils;

based on the model information of the first mobile terminal, receive stored frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal stored in the memory from the stored frequency response characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models;

detect a foreign object located in an area corresponding to one of the transmitter coils of the plurality of transmitter coils, by comparing both (1) the stored frequency response characteristic data of the first mobile terminal for the plurality of mobile terminal models and the detected frequency characteristic data of the power transmitted from said each transmitter coil of the plurality of transmitter coils, and (2) based on gradient data which indicates a degree of increase in temperature over time where the gradient data is acquired by the temperature sensing unit; and

control operation of at least one of the indicators based on information about whether the foreign object is detected and information about the area from which the foreign object is detected,

wherein the stored frequency characteristic data comprises a lookup table of spatial frequency characteristic data for the plurality of mobile terminal models based on location information relative to the wireless charger.

10. The wireless charger according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of transmitter coils of the power transmitter comprises a first transmitter coil and a second transmitter coil, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire model information of a second mobile terminal;

wirelessly transmit power, which the parameters are adjusted based on the model information of the first mobile terminal, to the first mobile terminal via the first transmitter coil; and

wirelessly transmit power, which second parameters are adjusted based on the model information of the second mobile terminal, to the second mobile terminal via the second transmitter coil.