Wireless power transmitter and control method thereof

• US 11,025,101 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 06/01/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chung, Hyung-Koo, Yeo, Sung-Ku, Kim, Ki-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Henze-Gongola, David V
• Application Number:
  US15/230,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter for charging a wireless power receiver is provided. The wireless power transmitter includes a power transmission unit configured to transmit power for charging the wireless power receiver, by using a current applied to the power transmission unit, a communication module configured to receive out-of-band communication signal from the wireless power receiver and a controller configured to apply the current to the power transmission unit to transmit power in response to receiving the out-of-band communication signal from the wireless power receiver.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a power supply;

a power transmission unit configured to wirelessly transmit power for charging a wireless power receiver, by using a current applied from the power supply;

a communication module comprising a plurality of communication sub-modules sharing a first coil, wherein each of the plurality of communication sub-modules is associated with a corresponding communication scheme among a plurality of communication schemes, wherein the plurality of communication sub-modules comprises a near-field communication sub-module, wherein the first coil is shared by the near-field communication sub-module and the power transmission unit, wherein a first input of each of the near-field communication sub-module and the power transmission unit is connected to a first point of the first coil and a second input of the near-field communication sub-module and a second input of the power transmission unit are connected to different points of the first coil, so that a length of the first oil corresponding to the near-field communication sub-module and a length of the first coil corresponding to the power transmission unit are different, and wherein a width of a trace in the first coil corresponding to the power transmission unit and a width of a trace in the first coil corresponding to the near-field communication sub-module are different; and

a controller configured to;

in response to receiving a communication signal from the wireless power receiver, identify one of the plurality of communication sub-modules corresponding to a communication scheme associated with the received communication signal,

control the identified one of the plurality of communication sub-modules to establish a pairing with the wireless power receiver, and

based on the established pairing with the wireless power receiver, control the power supply to apply the current to the power transmission unit to wirelessly transmit power to the wireless power receiver.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the near-field communication sub-module is configured to receive the communication signal in an active mode.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the near-field communication sub-module is configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) field in a passive mode, and receive the communication signal generated from the RF field.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the near-field communication sub-module is configured to release the pairing after the power supply applies the current.

5. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to avoid applying the current to the power transmission unit before receiving the communication signal.

6. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication sub-modules is connected to two points of the first coil so that each of the plurality of communication sub-modules is associated with an appropriate length of the first coil for its corresponding communication scheme.

7. The wireless power transmitter of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches disposed between the first coil and a corresponding one of the plurality of communication sub-modules,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the plurality of switches based on the communication scheme associated with the received communication signal.

8. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit includes a plurality of sub-power transmission units that share the first coil.

9. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of sub-power transmission units operates based on a different wireless charging standard.

10. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of switches, each of which is disposed between the first coil and a corresponding, one of the plurality of sub-power transmission units,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the plurality of switches based on a wireless charging standard to be used.

11. The wireless power transmitter of claim 8, wherein a first input of each of the plurality of sub-power transmission units is connected to the first point of the first coil and a second input of each of the plurality of sub-power transmission units is connected to a different point of the first coil, so that a length of the first coil corresponding, to each of the plurality of sub-power transmission units is different.

12. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch disposed between the power transmission unit and the first coil; and

a second switch disposed between the near-field communication sub-module and the first coil,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

close the first switch while the wireless power transmitter is charging the wireless power receiver, and

open the first switch and close the second switch while the wireless power transmitter is in a standby mode.

13. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the width of the trace in the length of the first coil corresponding to the power transmission unit is greater than the width of the trace in the length of the first coil corresponding to the near-field communication sub-module.