Apparatus for radiative wireless power transmission and wireless power reception

• US 8,994,222 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ryu, Young Ho, Park, Eun Seok, Kwon, Sang Wook, Lee, Jung Hae, Park, Jae Hyun, Park, Byung Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/178,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20120049643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/108
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus that may control a direction of wireless power transmission. A radiative wireless power transmitter may include at least two first unit resonators to form a magnetic field with a target resonator based on an x-axis direction and a z-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator, at least two second unit resonators to form a magnetic field with the target resonator based on the x-axis direction and a y-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator, at least two third unit resonators to form a magnetic field with the target resonator based on the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator, and a feeding unit to control resonance power transmission of the at least two first unit resonators, the at least two second unit resonators, and the at least two third unit resonators.

Claims

1. A radiative wireless power transmitter, comprising:

first unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with a target resonator based on an x-axis direction and a z-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator;

second unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with the target resonator based on the x-axis direction and a y-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator;

third unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with the target resonator based on the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction, and to transmit a resonance power to the target resonator; and

a feeding unit configured to control resonance power transmission of the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators,

wherein the feeding unit comprises;

a first matcher that is placed in a plane that is parallel with the first unit resonators and that is configured to enable the at least two first unit resonators to form the magnetic field with the at resonator,

a second matcher that is placed in a plane that is parallel with the second unit resonators and that is configured to enable the second unit resonators to form the magnetic field with the tar et resonator, and

a third matcher that is placed in parallel with the third unit resonators and that is configured to enable the third unit resonators to form the magnetic field with the target resonator.

2. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the feeding unit is configured to control a predetermined matcher from among the first matcher, the second matcher, and the third matcher, to enable wireless power transmission to be performed in a predetermined direction.

3. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators each comprise:

a transmission line that comprises a first signal conducting portion, a second signal conducting portion, and a ground conducting portion corresponding to the first signal conducting portion and the second signal conducting portion;

a first conductor that is electrically connected to the first signal conducting portion and the ground conducting portion;

a second conductor that is electrically connected to the second signal conducting portion and the ground conducting portion; and

at least one capacitor inserted between the first signal conducting portion and the second signal conducting portion in series with respect to a current flowing through the first signal conducting porting and the second signal conducting portion.

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

a controller configured to generate a control signal to control the resonance power transmission of the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators, and to generate a control signal to control impedances of the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators.

5. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators are each in the shape of a square, and the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators are connected with each other to form a shape of a hexahedron.

6. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the first matcher, the second matcher, and the third matcher are each in the shape of a square.

7. A radiative wireless power transmitter, comprising:

a first unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of an x-axis and a z-axis, configured to form a magnetic field with a target resonator, and to transmit resonance power to the target resonator;

a second unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of the x-axis and a y-axis, configured to form a magnetic field with the target resonator, and to transmit resonance power to the target resonator;

a third unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of the y-axis and the z-axis, configured to form a magnetic field with the target resonator, and to transmit resonance power to the target resonator; and

a feeding unit configured to control resonance power transmission of the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator,

wherein the feeding unit comprises;

a first matcher included in the first unit resonator and configured to enable the first unit resonator to form the magnetic field with the tar et resonator;

a second matcher included in the second unit resonator and configured to enable the second unit resonator to form the magnetic field with the target resonator; and

a third matcher included in the third unit resonator and configured to enable the third unit resonators to form the magnetic field with the target resonator.

8. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein the feeding unit is configured to control a predetermined matcher from among the first matcher, the second matcher, and the third matcher, to enable wireless power transmission to be performed in a predetermined direction.

9. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein each of the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator is in the shape of a circle, and the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator are connected with each other to form a shape of a sphere.

10. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 7, wherein each of the first matcher, the second matcher, and the third matcher is in the shape of a circle.

11. The radiative wireless power transmitter of claim 7, further comprising:

a controller configured to generate a control signal to control the resonance power transmission of the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator, and to generate a control signal to control impedances of the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator.

12. A radiative wireless power receiver, comprising:

first unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with a source resonator based on an x-axis direction and z-axis direction, and to receive resonance power from the source resonator;

second unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with the source resonator based on the x-axis direction and a y-axis direction, and to receive resonance power from the source resonator;

third unit resonators configured to form a magnetic field with the source resonator based on the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction, and to receive resonance power from the source resonator; and

a feeding unit configured to control resonance power reception of the first unit resonators, the second unit resonators, and the third unit resonators,

wherein the feeding unit controls a predetermined matcher from among a first matcher, a second matcher, and a third matcher, to enable wireless power reception to be performed in a predetermined direction.

13. The radiative wireless power receiver of claim 12, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect at least one of a distance between a wireless power transmission resonator and a wireless power reception resonator, a reflection coefficient of a wave emitted from the wireless power transmission resonator to the wireless power reception resonator, a power transmission gain between the wireless power transmission resonator and the wireless power reception resonator, and a coupling efficiency.

14. A radiative wireless power receiver, comprising:

a first unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of an x-axis and a z-axis and is configured to form a magnetic field with a source resonator, and receiving resonance power from the source resonator;

a second unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of the x-axis and a y-axis and is configured to form a magnetic field with the source resonator, and receiving resonance power from the source resonator;

a third unit resonator that is placed in a plane that is parallel to a direction of the y-axis and the z-axis and is configured to form a magnetic field with the source resonator, and receiving resonance power from the source resonator; and

a feeding unit configured to control resonance power reception of the first unit resonator, the second unit resonator, and the third unit resonator,

wherein the feeding unit controls a predetermined matcher from among a first matcher a second matcher, and a third matcher to enable wireless power reception to be performed in a predetermined direction.

15. A resonator for wireless power transmission, the resonator comprising:

a first resonating unit positioned in an XZ plane and configured to transmit/receive power wirelessly in a direction that is vertical to the XZ plane and that is parallel to the y-axis;

a second resonating unit positioned in an XY plane and configured to transmit/receive power wirelessly in a direction that is vertical to the XY plane and that is parallel to the z-axis;

a third resonating unit positioned in a YZ plane and configured to transmit/receive power wirelessly in a direction that is vertical to the YZ plane and that is parallel to the y-axis;

a first matcher that is positioned in the XZ plane along a transmission path of the first resonating unit;

a second matcher that is positioned in the XY plane along a transmission path of the second resonating unit; and

a third matcher that is positioned in the YZ plane along a transmission path of the third resonating unit,

wherein the first matcher, the second matcher, and the third matcher are each configured to control a respective resonating unit to enable the respective resonating unit to perform magnetic coupling with a target device.