METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING INTERFERENCE IN WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20150022016A1
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Nam Yun, Kwon, Sang Wook, Kim, Ki Young, Kim, Bong Chul, Park, Yun Kwon, Park, Jae Hyun, Ryu, Young Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences

Abstract

An interference control method of a power transmitting unit (PTU) includes determining whether the PTU is in an interference environment in which interference by a neighbor PTU occurs, and controlling a communication parameter of either one or both of the neighbor PTU and a power receiving unit (PRU) in response to a result of the determining being that the PTU is in the interference environment.

Claims

1. An interference control method of a power transmitting unit (PTU), the method comprising:

determining whether the PTU is in an interference environment in which interference by a neighbor PTU occurs; and

controlling a communication parameter of either one or both of the neighbor PTU and a power receiving unit PRU in response to a result of the determining being that the PTU is in the interference environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication parameter comprises any one or any combination of a communication time, a transmission power, and a communication frequency.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling comprises controlling a magnitude of the transmission power.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission power comprises a wake-up power.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the controlling comprises controlling a frequency hopping interval of the communication frequency.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the PTU and the neighbor PTU are in a network that has been arbitrarily configured;

and

any one or any combination of a communication time, a transmission power, and a communication frequency of the neighbor PTU is preset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

detecting a communication error rate in communication between the PTU and the neighbor PTU; and

determining whether the PTU is in the interference environment based on the detected communication error rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

detecting a number of neighbor PTUs; and

determining whether the PTU is in the interference environment based on the detected number of the neighbor PTUs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

detecting a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the neighbor PTU or the PRU; and

determining whether the PTU is in the interference environment based on the detected RSSI.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

detecting a frequency channel being used by the neighbor PTU; and

determining whether the PTU is in the interference environment based on the detected frequency channel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a network comprising the PTU and the neighbor PTU.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the PTU is configured to operate in a master mode.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a network comprising the PTU;

wherein the neighbor PTU is configured to configure the network comprising the PTU.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a network comprising the PTU;

wherein the neighbor PTU is configured to configure a network that is different from the network comprising the PTU.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises controlling an interval of a report signal to be received from the PRU.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the report signal comprises any one or any combination of information on power received by the PRU, information on a state of the PRU, and information on a temperature of the PRU.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises controlling either one or both of a transmission interval and a transmission start time of a signal transmitted by the neighbor PTU.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the signal transmitted by the neighbor PTU comprises a beacon signal.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing information on the communication parameter with the neighbor PTU.

20. A power transmitting unit (PTU) comprising:

an interference environment determiner configured to determine whether the PTU is in an interference environment in which interference by a neighbor PTU occurs; and

a communication parameter controller configured to control a communication parameter of either one or both of the neighbor PTU and a power receiving unit (PRU) in response to the interference environment determiner determining that the PTU is in the interference environment.

21. An interference control method of a power transmitting unit (PTU), the method comprising:

determining whether a neighbor PTU is interfering with the PTU or has a potential to interfere with the PTU; and

controlling either one or both of the neighbor PTU and a power receiving unit (PRU) to prevent the neighbor PTU from interfering with the PTU in response to a result of the determining being that the neighbor PTU is interfering with the PTU or has a potential to interfere with the PTU.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the PTU is configured to operate as a master device in a network;

and

the neighbor PTU is configured to operate as a slave device in the network.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the PTU and the neighbor PTU are connected to a network that has been arbitrarily configured under authorization of a host;

and

at least one communication parameter of each of the PTU and the neighbor PTU are preset by the host.