Charging device and method using dual-mode magnetic coupling for an automobile vehicle

• US 9,601,941 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Bouguern, Said, Cheikh, Mohamed, Kessler, Sebastien
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/464,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/114, 320/137
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A device (10) for charging a mobile terminal by magnetic coupling, includes a first charging module (11) designed to form a charging signal at a first charging frequency, a primary coil (13) composed of a set of turns, a ferromagnetic body (14), a second charging module (12) designed to form a charging signal at a second charging frequency, higher than the first charging frequency. Furthermore, the charging device includes first routing elements (150) designed to connect/disconnect the primary coil (13) to/from the first charging module (11) and to/from the second charging module (12), elements (16) for adjusting the number of turns on the primary coil (13) and elements (19) for saturating the ferromagnetic body (14) at the second charging frequency. A charging method is also described.

Claims

1. A device (10) for charging a mobile terminal by magnetic coupling, said device (10) comprising:

a first charging module (11) designed to form a charging signal at a first charging frequency (F1),

a primary coil (13) composed of a set of turns,

a ferromagnetic body (14), the ferromagnetic body optimized for an operation at the first charging frequency F1,

a second charging module (12) designed to form a charging signal at a second charging frequency (F2), the second charging frequency (F2) being higher than the first charging frequency (F1),

first routing selector circuit (150) means designed to connect/disconnect the primary coil (13) to/from the first charging module (11) and to/from the second charging module (12),

selector circuit (16) means for adjusting the number of turns (N_T, N2) of the primary coil (13) designed to activate/disable a de-activatable sub-set of turns (N1) of the primary coil (13) depending on whether i) said primary coil (13) is connected to the first charging module (11) or ii) said primary coil (13) is connected to the second charging module (12), the number of turns on the primary coil (13) being chosen to be adapted for an operation in association with the first charging module (11) and being divided into two complementary sub-sets of turns;

i) a first sub-set comprising (N1) turns that are de-activatable,

ii) a second sub-set comprising (N2) turns, being chosen to be adapted for an operation in association with the second charging module (12), and

passive resonator circuits (19) means for saturating the ferromagnetic body (14), the passive resonator circuits (19) means comprising passive resonator circuits (19) with a resonance frequency close to the second charging frequency (F2) and arranged, with respect to the ferromagnetic body (14), on an opposite side from the primary coil (13), and designed to reduce, within said ferromagnetic body (14), the magnetic field formed by the primary coil (13) when said primary coil (13) is connected to the second charging module (12).

2. The device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each passive resonator circuit (19) is formed by a saturation coil (190) and a capacitor (191).

3. The device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passive resonator circuits (19) are arranged so as to cover an entire surface of the ferromagnetic body (14).

4. The device (10) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first circuit (17) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the first charging frequency (F1), and a second circuit (18) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the second charging frequency (F2), and second routing means (151), the second routing means (151) being furthermore designed to connect/disconnect the primary coil (13) to/from the first matching circuit (17) and to/from the second matching circuit (18).

5. The device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first charging module (11) is a charging module compatible with the WPC consortium and the second charging module (12) is a module compatible with the A4WP consortium.

6. An automobile vehicle comprising a charging device (10) as claimed in claim 1.

7. A method for charging a mobile terminal by magnetic coupling by means of a charging device (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

when the mobile terminal is to be charged at the first charging frequency (F1), the primary coil (13) is connected to the first charging module (11) and the sub-set of de-activatable turns (N1) of said primary coil (13) is activated, and

when the mobile terminal is to be charged at the second charging frequency (F2), the primary coil (13) is connected to the second charging module (12) and the sub-set of de-activatable turns (N1) of said primary coil is disabled.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein,

when the mobile terminal is to be charged at the first charging frequency (F1), the primary coil (13) is connected to a first circuit (17) for matching the resonance frequency of said primary coil (13) to the first charging frequency (F1), and

when the mobile terminal is to be charged at the second charging frequency (F2), the primary coil (13) is connected to a second circuit (18) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the second charging frequency (F2).

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, the search for the presence of a mobile terminal to be charged is carried out by means of the primary coil (13) connected to the second charging module (12).

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein, the search for the presence of a mobile terminal to be charged is carried out by means of the primary coil (13) connected to the second charging module (12).

11. The device (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the passive resonator circuits (19) are arranged so as to cover an entire surface of the ferromagnetic body (14).

12. The device (10) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a first circuit (17) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the first charging frequency (F1), and a second circuit (18) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the second charging frequency (F2), and second routing means (151), the second routing means (151) being furthermore designed to connect/disconnect the primary coil (13) to/from the first matching circuit (17) and to/from the second matching circuit (18).

13. The device (10) as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a first circuit (17) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the first charging frequency (F1), and a second circuit (18) for matching the resonance frequency of the primary coil (13) to the second charging frequency (F2), and second routing means (151), the second routing means (151) being furthermore designed to connect/disconnect the primary coil (13) to/from the first matching circuit (17) and to/from the second matching circuit (18).

14. The device (10) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first charging module (11) is a charging module compatible with the WPC consortium and the second charging module (12) is a module compatible with the A4WP consortium.

15. The device (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first charging module (11) is a charging module compatible with the WPC consortium and the second charging module (12) is a module compatible with the A4WP consortium.

16. The device (10) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first charging module (11) is a charging module compatible with the WPC consortium and the second charging module (12) is a module compatible with the A4WP consortium.