Communication system using wireless power

• US 9,213,932 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Ui Kun, Kim, Sang Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Poos, John
• Application Number:
  US13/433,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 327/58, 375/224, 375/355, 375/322
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0712 the arrangement being capable of triggering distinct operating modes or functions dependent on the strength of an energy or interrogation field in the proximity of the record carrier active means for hindering electromagnetic reading or writing G06K19/07336

Abstract

Provided is a device and system for performing communication using wireless power, and a communication device using wireless power. The device may calculate a slope of an envelope in a waveform of energy stored in a target resonator through mutual resonance with a source resonator, and estimate a point placed within a predetermined interval around a point at which the slope reaches a maximum as a starting point of the mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.

Claims

1. A communication device using wireless power, the communication device comprising:

a calculator configured to calculate a slope of a line connecting points on an envelope of a waveform, the waveform representing energy stored in a target resonator as a result of mutual resonance between a source resonator and the target resonator;

an estimation unit configured to estimate a first point on the envelope, placed within a predetermined interval around a second point on the envelope at which the slope reaches a maximum, the first point representing a starting point of the mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.

2. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

an envelope detector configured to detect an envelope of a waveform, the waveform representing a current or a voltage applied to the target resonator.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the calculator is further configured to calculate a slope between two points on the envelope, the two points having a predetermined interval on the detected envelope.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the calculator is further configured to calculate a slope of a tangent at each of a plurality of points on the detected envelope.

5. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a frame detector configured to detect a frame transmitted from the source resonator, by measuring a magnitude of a signal applied to the target resonator during a predetermined sliding window period.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the frame comprises:

a preamble region used to detect the frame transmitted from the source resonator, to estimate the starting point of the mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator, and to detect a capture point of the energy stored in the target resonator, and

a body region used to transmit energy, and transmit data, from the source resonator to the target resonator.

7. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to maintain the target resonator in an activated state, so that the target resonator promptly receives energy as a result of mutual resonance, in response to the source resonator transmitting energy.

8. The communication device of claim 5, further comprising:

a signal accumulation unit configured to accumulate signals applied to the target resonator, during a predetermined period including the predetermined sliding window period.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the calculator is further configured to calculate a slope of a line connecting points on an envelope, the envelope detected from the accumulated signals.

10. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the envelope detector is configured to acquire the envelope from an output of an analog circuit configured to detect an envelope, in response to an input of the current or the voltage.

11. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the envelope detector comprises:

a down conversion unit configured to generate a down-converted signal, by multiplying a predetermined signal waveform representing a resonant frequency with a signal that is analog-digital conversion (ADC) sampled from the current or the voltage;

a transformer configured to transform the down-converted signal into a frequency domain signal using the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) or the fast Fourier transform (FFT);

a filtering unit configured to generate a signal from which a harmonic component is removed, by applying low-pass filtering to the frequency domain signal; and

an inverse transformer configured to transform the signal from which a harmonic component is removed, into a time domain signal using the inverse DFT or the inverse FFT.

12. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the envelope detector comprises:

a transformer configured to transform a signal that is ADC sampled from the current or the voltage into a frequency domain signal using the DFT or the FFT;

a circular shifter configured to perform a circular shift of the frequency domain signal, by a predetermined frequency;

a filtering unit configured to generate a signal from which a harmonic component is removed, by applying low-pass filtering to the circular-shifted signal; and

an inverse transformer configured to transform the signal from which a harmonic component is removed, into a time domain signal using the inverse DFT or the inverse FFT.

13. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the envelope detector comprises:

a down conversion unit configured to generate a down-converted signal, by multiplying a predetermined signal waveform representing a resonant frequency with a signal that is ADC sampled from the current or the voltage; and

a filtering unit configured to generate a signal from which a harmonic component is removed, by applying low-pass filtering to the down-converted signal using convolution in a time domain.

14. The communication device of claim 2, further comprising:

a peak point detector configured to detect a peak point on the envelope, corresponding to a point at which an amplitude of the detected envelope reaches a maximum value; and

a capturing unit configured to capture the energy stored in the target resonator at the detected peak point.

15. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive energy transmitted from the source resonator, by activating a self-resonance of the target resonator, based on the starting point of the mutual resonance;

a demodulator configured to demodulate information transmitted by the source resonator, based on an amount of energy received; and

a modulator configured to modulate information transmitted to the source resonator, based on a mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.

16. A communication method using wireless power, the communication method comprising:

calculating a slope of a line connecting points on an envelope of a waveform, the waveform representing energy stored in a target resonator as a result of mutual resonance between a source resonator and the target resonator;

estimating a first point on the envelope, placed within a predetermined interval around a second point on the envelope at which the slope reaches a maximum, the first point representing a starting point of the mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator; and

storing at least one of the first point and the second point in a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

17. The communication method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting an envelope, in a waveform representing a current or a voltage applied to the target resonator.

18. The communication method of claim 17, wherein the calculating comprises calculating a slope between two points on the envelope, the two points having a predetermined interval on the detected envelope.

19. The communication method of claim 16, further comprising:

maintaining the target resonator in an activated state, so that the target resonator promptly receives energy as a result of mutual resonance, in response to the source resonator transmitting energy.

20. The communication method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting a peak point on the envelope, corresponding to a point at which an amplitude of the detected envelope reaches a maximum value; and

capturing the energy stored in the target resonator at the detected peak point.

21. A communication system using wireless power, the communication system comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit energy stored in a source resonator to a target resonator, as a result of mutual resonance;

an envelope detector configured to detect an envelope of a waveform representing energy stored in the target resonator, the energy being stored as a result of the mutual resonance;

a calculator configured to calculate a slope of a line connecting points on the detected envelope;

an estimation unit configured to estimate a first point on the envelope, placed within a predetermined interval around a second point on the envelope at which the slope reaches a maximum, the first point representing a starting point of the mutual resonance between the source resonator and the target resonator.