Power supply system

• US 8,723,367 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Atsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US13/011,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 323/355, 323/258, 323/247, 323/251, 323/255, 323/256, 323/358, 323/359, 363/20, 363/21.01, 363/21.04, 363/95, 363/97, 363/131, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

In a power supply system, reducing influence of a noise etc., optimal electric power is supplied corresponding to power consumption of a receiving side load, and power consumption is decreased greatly. When a potential difference detector 12 detects that a power supply voltage of the receiving side load is decreased lower than a lower limit voltage threshold or increased higher than an upper limit voltage threshold, a burst interval setting unit sets up a burst signal of a pulse width corresponding to the detection result. A burst signal generator generates a burst signal based on the setup, and excites a control primary inductor. A burst signal detector generates a pulse signal in response to electromotive force of a control secondary inductor. A pulse width controller determines increase or decrease of the voltage value of the receiving side load from a no-signal period of a pulse signal, measured by a no-signal period measuring unit, and modifies and outputs a signal outputted by a alternating current generator so as to change a period or the number of times to excite a power primary inductor.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

a power transmitting unit operable to transmit electric power; and

a power receiving unit operable to receive the electric power transmitted from the power transmitting unit, and to supply the electric power to a receiving side load,

wherein the electric power transmitted from the power transmitting unit is received in a noncontact manner and supplied to the receiving side load coupled to the power receiving unit,

wherein the power receiving unit generates a repeat of burst signals notifying that the electric power is short or surplus when the electric power of the receiving side load becomes short or surplus, and

wherein the power transmitting unit controls the increase and decrease of the electric power to be transmitted to the power receiving unit, based on a length of intervals between the burst signals generated by the power receiving unit.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1,

wherein the power receiving unit comprises:

a power secondary inductor operable to generate electromotive force in response to a magnetic field change;

a rectifier operable to convert into a DC (direct current) voltage an AC (alternating current) voltage induced across both ends of the power secondary inductor;

a power-receiver voltage controller operable to measure a level of the voltage outputted from the rectifier and supplied to the receiving side load, and operable to output the burst signal after controlling an interval at which the burst signal is outputted depending on the measured voltage level; and

a control primary inductor operable to be excited based on the burst signal generated by the power-receiver voltage controller, and

wherein the power transmitting unit comprises;

a power primary inductor operable to be excited based on an AC signal;

a control secondary inductor operable to generate electromotive force in response to a magnetic field change of the control primary inductor; and

a power-transmitter voltage controller operable to detect the burst signal from an AC signal induced across both ends of the control secondary inductor, operable to determine whether the electric power of the receiving side load is short or surplus by measuring an output interval from the detected burst signal, and operable to control the increase and decrease of the power to be transmitted to the power receiving unit by controlling the AC signal to be supplied to the power primary inductor.

3. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein the power-receiver voltage controller comprises:

a voltage detector operable to detect whether the voltage level outputted from the rectifier and supplied to the receiving side load is lower than a lower limit voltage threshold, or higher than an upper limit voltage threshold higher than the lower limit voltage threshold, or within the limits of a reference voltage between the lower limit voltage threshold and the upper limit voltage threshold;

a burst interval setting unit operable to set up an interval at which the burst signal is outputted, based on the voltage level detected by the voltage detector; and

a burst signal generator operable to generate and output the burst signal at the interval set up by the burst interval setting unit, and

wherein the power-transmitter voltage controller comprises;

a burst signal detector operable to detect transmission of the burst signal, based on an AC signal induced across both ends of the control secondary inductor;

an interval measuring unit operable to measure an output interval of the burst signal detected by the burst signal detector; and

a controller operable to determine whether the electric power of the receiving side load is short or surplus, based on the output interval of the burst signal measured by the interval measuring unit, operable to control the AC signal to be supplied to the power primary inductor by changing a period or the number of times to excite the power primary inductor.

4. The power supply system according to claim 1,

wherein the power receiving unit comprises:

a power secondary inductor operable to generate electromotive force in response to a magnetic field change;

a rectifier operable to convert into a DC voltage an AC voltage induced across both ends of the power secondary inductor;

a power-receiver voltage controller operable to measure a level of the voltage outputted from the rectifier and supplied to the receiving side load, and operable to output the burst signal after controlling an interval at which the burst signal is outputted depending on the measured voltage level; and

a switching unit coupled between one end of the power secondary inductor and the rectifier, and operable to change series impedance of the power secondary inductor by performing an ON/OFF operation based on the burst signal generated by the power-receiver voltage controller, and

wherein the power transmitting unit comprises;

a power primary inductor operable to be excited based on an AC signal;

a filter unit operable to filter out a resonance frequency produced by the power primary inductor and a parasitic capacitance; and

a power-transmitter voltage controller operable to detect the burst signal from a signal outputted from the filter unit, operable to determine whether the electric power of the receiving side load is short or surplus by measuring an output interval from the detected burst signal, and operable to control the increase and decrease of the power to be transmitted to the power receiving unit by controlling the AC signal to be supplied to the power primary inductor.

5. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein the power-receiver voltage controller comprises:

a voltage detector operable to detect whether the voltage level outputted from the rectifier and supplied to the receiving side load is lower than a lower limit voltage threshold, or higher than an upper limit voltage threshold higher than the lower limit voltage threshold, or within the limits of a reference voltage between the lower limit voltage threshold and the upper limit voltage threshold;

a burst interval setting unit operable to set up an interval at which the burst signal is outputted, based on the voltage level detected by the voltage detector; and

a burst signal generator operable to generate the burst signal at the interval set up by the burst interval setting unit, and operable to control motion of the switching unit, and

wherein the power-transmitter voltage controller comprises;

a burst signal detector operable to detect a burst signal from a combined signal of the burst signal outputted from the filter unit and the excitation signal of the power primary inductor;

an interval measuring unit operable to measure an output interval of the burst signal detected by the burst signal detector; and

a controller operable to determine whether the electric power of the receiving side load is short or surplus, based on the output interval of the burst signal measured by the interval measuring unit, and operable to control the AC signal to be supplied to the power primary inductor by changing a period or the number of times to excite the power primary inductor.