APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RESONANCE POWER TRANSMISSION AND RESONANCE POWER RECEPTION

• US 20120049642A1
• Filed: 06/06/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun, Kwon, Sang Wook
• Granted Patent: US 10,103,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/502 the energy repeater being integrated together with the emitter or the receiver
• 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: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method that may select a target for a wireless power transmission. A resonance power transmitter may include a source resonance unit including a plurality of source resonators that are each configured to transmit AC power to a resonance power receiver; a path-multiplexer configured to supply the AC power to each of the plurality of source resonators; a detector configured to transmit a wake-up signal to at least one resonance power receiver; and a source controller configured to control the path-multiplexer in order to transmit the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

Claims

1. A resonance power transmitter comprising:

a source resonance unit including a plurality of source resonators that are each configured to transmit AC power to a resonance power receiver;

a path-multiplexer configured to supply the AC power to each of the plurality of source resonators;

a detector configured to transmit a wake-up signal to at least one resonance power receiver; and

a source controller configured to control the path-multiplexer in order to transmit the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

2. The resonance power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the source controller controls a switching signal in order to sequentially transmit the wake-up signal from each of the plurality of source resonators to the at least one resonance power receiver during a predetermined time period, and controls the source resonators based on the signal received from the at least one resonance power receiver during the predetermined time period.

3. The resonance power transmitter of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one resonance power receiver is detected, the source controller controls an impedance of at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver in order to perform impedance matching between the at least one of the plurality of source resonators and the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

4. The resonance power transmitter of claim 1, wherein, when the at least one resonance power receiver is detected, the source controller controls a switching signal to select at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver in order to transmit the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

5. The resonance power transmitter of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver transmits the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver during a predetermined time period.

6. The resonance power transmitter of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive, from the at least one detected resonance power receiver, the signal received in response to the wake-up signal, information associated with an identification (ID) of at least one resonator included in the at least one resonance power receiver, and information associated with an ID of the at least one resonance power receiver.

7. The resonance power transmitter of claim 6, wherein the communication unit obtains, from the at least one detected resonance power receiver, information for impedance matching between at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver and the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

8. The resonance power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the source resonance unit includes an array of the multiple source resonators, with each of the plurality of source resonators configured to transmit a resonance power to a predetermined area of a target resonator of the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

9. A resonance power receiver comprising:

a target resonance unit configured to receive, from a resonance power transmitter, an a wake-up signal;

a power determining unit configured to determine whether a target resonator of the resonance power receiver is awakened by the wake-up; and

a target controller configured to control an impedance of the awakened target resonator to perform impedance matching between a source resonator of the resonance power transmitter and the awakened target resonator.

10. The resonance power receiver of claim 9, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive an ID of the resonance power transmitter and an ID of a source resonator included in the resonance power transmitter, and to transmit a signal in response to the wake-up signal, a charging request signal, information associated with an ID of an awakened target resonator, and information associated with an ID of an awakened resonance power receiver.

11. The resonance power receiver of claim 9, wherein the target resonance unit receives, from the resonance power transmitter, AC power during a predetermined time period.

12. The resonance power receiver of claim 9, further comprising:

an inductive coupling configured to receive AC power, the wake-up signal, or both.

13. The resonance power receiver of claim 9, wherein the power determining unit is configured to determine whether the resonance power receiver is to be charged.

14. A method of transmitting resonance power comprising:

supplying AC power from a power supply to each of a plurality of source resonators;

generating a wake-up signal for each of the plurality of source resonators;

transmitting the wake-up signals to at least one resonance power receiver;

detecting the at least one resonance power receiver by receiving from the at least one resonance power receiver a signal in response to one of the wake-up signals; and

transmitting the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling at least one of the plurality of sources resonator corresponding to the at least one resonance power receiver, based on the signal received from the at least one resonance power receiver during a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling an impedance of at least one of the source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver to perform impedance matching between the at least one of the plurality of source resonators and the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling switching of at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to the at least one detected resonance power receiver in order to transmit the AC power to the at least one detected resonance power receiver during a predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the at least one resonance power receiver, a signal in response to at least one of the wake-up signals;

transmitting an information request signal that requests information associated with the at least one resonance power receiver, and transmitting an ID of the source resonator that receives the signal from the at least one resonance power receiver in response to one of the wake-up signals; and

receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) signal with respect to the information request signal, information associated with an ID of at least one resonator included in the at least one resonance power receiver, and information associated with an ID of at least one resonance power receiver.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining, from the at least one detected resonance power receiver, information for impedance matching between at least one of the plurality of source resonators corresponding to that at least one detected resonance power receiver and the at least one detected resonance power receiver.

20. A method of receiving a resonance power comprising:

receiving, from a resonance power transmitter, a wake-up signal;

determining whether a target resonator of a resonance power receiver is awakened by the wake-up signal; and

controlling an impedance of the awakened target resonator to perform impedance matching between a source resonator of the resonance power transmitter and the awakened target resonator.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving the wake-up signal comprises receiving, from the resonance power transmitter, AC power via an inductive coupling.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether the resonance power receiver is to be charged.

21. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an ID of the resonance power transmitter and an ID of a source resonator included in the resonance power transmitter, and transmitting a signal in response to the wake-up signal, a charging request signal, information associated with an ID of an awakened target resonator, and information associated with an ID of an awakened resonance power receiver.

24. A resonance power transmitter comprising:

a source resonator configured to transmit the resonance power to a resonance power receiver;

a controller configured to transmit a wake-up signal to at least one resonance power receiver; and

a path-multiplexer configured to supply AC power to the resonance power receiver in response to the wake-up signal from the plurality of resonators.