Wireless power transmitter and wireless power transmission method

• US 9,184,635 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Woo Kil
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/325,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20140319924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A wireless power transmitter which wirelessly transmits a power to a wireless power receiver. The wireless power transmitter includes a transmission resonance coil configured to wirelessly transmit a power; a power source configured to supply the power to the transmission resonance coil; and a detector configured to detect an existence state of the wireless power receiver. Further, the power source supplies the power with a transmission pattern which is discrete at a predetermined time interval for a specific time to detect the existence state of the wireless power receiver and minimize a loss of the power, and the power source continuously supplies the power if the wireless power receiver exists.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmitter which wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiver, the wireless power transmitter comprising:

a transmission resonance coil capable of generating a magnetic field and transmitting the power using resonance to the wireless power receiver that has a resonant frequency value equal to that of the wireless power transmitter;

a power source configured to supply the power to the transmission resonance coil;

a detector configured to detect an existence state of the wireless power receiver; and

a controller configured to determine an existence state of the wireless power receiver, and to control a transmission pattern of the magnetic field according to the determined existence state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein the controller controls to generate the transmission pattern of the magnetic field that is pulsed at a predetermined time interval for a specific time if the wireless power receiver does not exists

and to generate the transmission pattern of the magnetic field that is continuous if the wireless power receiver exits,

wherein the controller determines that the wireless power receiver does not exist if an intensity of the magnetic field detected by the detector is greater than or equal to a preset reference value,

wherein the controller determines that the wireless power receiver does exist if the intensity of the magnetic field detected by the detector is less than the preset reference value, and

wherein the controller adjusts an intensity of the power based on a variation of the intensity of the magnetic field while the transmission pattern of the magnetic field is continuous.

2. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the power based on a comparative result while the transmission pattern of the magnetic field is continuous.

3. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1, wherein the controller re-determines the existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the comparative result while the transmission pattern of the magnetic field is continuous and controls to generate the transmission pattern of the magnetic field that is pulsed if the wireless power receiver does not exist.

4. The wireless power transmitter of claim 1,

wherein the detector comprising:

a first power detector configured to measure the intensity of the power supplied through the power source;

a detection coil configured to detect the magnetic field from the transmission resonance coil;

a second power detector configured to measure the intensity of the detected magnetic field; and

a comparator configured to compare the measured intensity of the power with the measured intensity of the detected magnetic field, and to transmit a comparative result to the controller,

wherein the controller determines the existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the comparative result.

5. A wireless power transmission method for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:

supplying, at a power source, the power with a transmission pattern which is pulsed at a predetermined time interval for a specific time if a detected wireless power receiver does not exist;

generating, at a transmission resonance coil, a magnetic field for transmitting the power using resonance to the wireless power receiver that has a resonant frequency value equal to that of the wireless power transmitter;

detecting, at a detector, a variation of an intensity of the magnetic field;

determining, at a controller, an existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the variation of the intensity of the magnetic field; and

supplying, at the power source, the power continuously if the wireless power receiver exists;

adjusting, at the controller, an intensity of the power which is continuously supplied based on the variation of the intensity of the magnetic field.

6. The wireless power transmission method of claim 5, further comprising:

re-determining the existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the intensity of the magnetic field while the power source continuously supplies the power, and stopping supplying of the power if the wireless power receiver does not exist.

7. The wireless power transmission method of claim 5, further comprising:

re-determining the existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the intensity of the magnetic field while the power source continuously supplies the power, and

generating the power with the transmission pattern which is pulsed at the predetermined time interval for the specific time when the wireless power receiver does not exist.

8. A wireless power transmitter which wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiver, the wireless power transmitter comprising:

a transmission resonance coil configured to wirelessly transmit the power;

a power source configured to supply the power to the transmission resonance coil; and

a detector configured to detect an existence state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein the power source supplies the power with a transmission pattern which is pulsed at a predetermined time interval for a specific time to detect the existence state of the wireless power receiver and minimize a loss of the power,

wherein the detector detects the existence state of the wireless power receiver based on an intensity of a magnetic field generated from the transmission resonance coil,

wherein the power source continuously supplies the power if the wireless power receiver exists,

wherein the power source supplies the power with the transmission pattern which is pulsed at the predetermined time interval for the specific time if the detector detects that the wireless power receiver does not exist when the power source continuously supplies the power, and

wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the power based on a comparative result while the transmission pattern of the magnetic field is continuous.

9. A wireless power transmission method for wirelessly transmitting a power to a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:

supplying the power with a transmission pattern which is pulsed at a predetermined time interval for a specific time;

generating a magnetic field using the supplied power;

detecting a variation of an intensity of the magnetic field; and

determining an existence state of the wireless power receiver based on the variation of the intensity of the magnetic field,

wherein the power is generated with the transmission pattern which is continuous if the wireless power receiver exists, and the transmission pattern of the power is pulsed at the predetermined time interval for the specific time if the existence state of the wireless power receiver is changed while the transmission pattern of the power is continuous,

wherein an intensity of the power is adjusted with the transmission pattern which is continuous if the wireless power receiver exists, and

wherein the intensity of the power is adjusted based on a variation of the intensity of the magnetic field while the transmission pattern of the magnetic field is continuous.