WIRELESS POWER CHARGING METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20110221390A1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Joon-Ho, Kang, Noh-Gyoung, Won, Eun-Tae, Koh, Jun-Ho, Park, Seung-Hoon, Jung, Hee-Won
• Granted Patent: US 9,444,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/342 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

Abstract

A wireless charging method and apparatus wirelessly charges power between separate electronic appliances. The wireless charging method includes searching for at least one chargeable electronic device, receiving status information from the searched at least one electronic device, determining whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device, receiving a supply of power from the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device, and supplying the power to the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.

Claims

1. A wireless charging method comprising the steps of:

searching for at least one chargeable electronic device;

receiving status information from the searched at least one electronic device;

determining whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device based on the received status information; and

receiving a supply of power from the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device.

2. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising supplying the power to the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.

3. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the status information relates to a power state of the corresponding electronic device, and includes a residual power amount representing the current remaining power amount, a charge necessary reference value representing a power reference value for determining whether the charging is necessary, and a marginal power reference value representing a power reference value for determining whether the corresponding electronic device can provide the power to another electronic device.

4. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 3, wherein if the providable power amount of the electronic device which is calculated based on the status information of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the providable power amount of the at least one searched electronic device, the electronic device is determined as the power supply device, while if the providable power amount of the electronic device is less than the providable power amount of the at least one searched electronic device, the electronic device is determined as the power demand device.

5. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electronic device having an infinite residual power amount between the electronic appliance and the at least one searched electronic device is determined as the power supply device.

6. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electronic device which has requested a power demand between the electronic device and the at least one searched electronic device is determined as the power demand device.

7. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the search step is performed to wirelessly receive the power from another device when the residual power amount of the electronic device is less than the charge necessary reference value of the electronic device.

8. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the search step is performed to wirelessly supply the power to another device when the residual power amount of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the marginal power reference value of the electronic device.

9. A wireless charging apparatus for an electronic device, comprising:

a wireless communication unit;

a wireless charging module; and

a control unit controlling the wireless charging module to search for at least one chargeable electronic device through the wireless communication unit, to receive status information from the searched at least one electronic device, to determine whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device based on the received status information, and to receive a supply of power from the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device.

10. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the wireless charging module to supply the power to the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.

11. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the status information relates to a power state of the corresponding electronic device, and includes a residual power amount representing the current remaining power amount, a charge necessary reference value representing a power reference value for determining whether the charging is necessary, and a marginal power reference value representing a power reference value for determining whether the corresponding electronic device can provide the power to another electronic device.

12. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein if the providable power amount of the electronic device which is calculated based on the status information of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the providable power amount of the at least one searched electronic device, the electronic device is determined as the power supply device, while if the providable power amount of the electronic device is less than the providable power amount of the at least one searched electronic device, the electronic device is determined as the power demand device.

13. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronic device having an infinite residual power amount between the electronic appliance and the at least one searched electronic device is determined as the power supply device.

14. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronic device which has requested a power demand between the electronic device and the at least one searched electronic device is determined as the power demand device.

15. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control unit performs a search to wirelessly receive the power from another device when the residual power amount of the electronic device is less than the charge necessary reference value of the electronic device.

16. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control unit performs a search to wirelessly supply the power to another device when the residual power amount of the electronic device is greater than or equal to the marginal power reference value of the electronic device.

17. A wireless charging method for an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request message from at least one chargeable electronic device;

receiving status information from at least one electronic device;

determining whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device based on the received status information; and

receiving a supply of power from the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device.

18. The wireless charging method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising supplying the power to the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.

19. A wireless charging apparatus for an electronic device, comprising:

a wireless communication unit;

a wireless charging module; and

a control unit controlling the wireless charging module to receive a search request message from at least one chargeable electronic device through the wireless communication unit, to receive status information from the at least one electronic device, to determine whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device based on the received status information, and to receive a supply of power from the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device.

20. The wireless charging apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control unit controls the wireless charging module to supply the power to the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.