Current signal sensing method for supplying-end module of induction type power supply system

• US 9,671,444 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fu Da Tong Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fu Da Tong Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsai, Ming-Chiu, Chan, Chi-Che
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US14/251,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 307 3, 307 80, 307 66, 307 64, 320106, 320108, 375259, 323299
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2611 Measuring inductance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33573 Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53871 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A current signal sensing method for a supplying-end module of an induction type power supply system, wherein the supplying-end module includes a supplying-end coil and a resonant capacitor, includes serially connecting a current sensing element between the supplying-end coil and the resonant capacitor to obtain a current signal corresponding to a current of the supplying-end coil; and interpreting the current signal to retrieve data of a receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system.

Claims

1. A current signal sensing method for a supplying-end module of an induction type power supply system, the supplying-end module comprising a supplying-end coil and a resonant capacitor, the method comprising:

serially connecting a current sensing element between the supplying-end coil and the resonant capacitor to obtain a current signal corresponding to a current of the supplying-end coil; and

interpreting the current signal to retrieve data of a receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system;

wherein the current signal obtained by the current sensing element is used for determining a time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of interpreting the current signal to retrieve the data of the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system comprises:

not filtering the current signal before retrieving the data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises load information for indicating a load status of the induction type power supply system or whether there is a metal object in a load terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of interpreting the current signal to retrieve the data of the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system comprises:

determining the load status of the induction type power supply system according to a time difference between the time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero and a time point of switching driving signals in two terminals of the supplying-end coil, in order to retrieve the data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining the load status of the induction type power supply system according to the time difference between the time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero and the time point of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil in order to retrieve the data comprises:

starting a timer when the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil are switched;

stopping the timer when the current of the supplying-end coil approaches zero; and

determining the load status of the induction type power supply system according to the time difference obtained by the timer and a cycle of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the load status of the induction type power supply system is no-load when the time difference is substantially equal to a quarter of the cycle of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the load status of the induction type power supply system is full-load when the time difference is substantially equal to zero.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a modulated signal generated from the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of interpreting the current signal to retrieve the data of the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system comprises:

amplifying a forward part and a backward part of the current signal, respectively, and converting the forward part and the backward part of the current signal into a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal, respectively;

setting a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage;

comparing the positive voltage signal with the first reference voltage to generate a positive half-cycle part of the modulated signal; and

comparing the negative voltage signal with the second reference voltage to generate a negative half-cycle part of the modulated signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a magnitude of the first reference voltage is adjusted according to a ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage during a specific period in which no modulate signals are generated in the receiving-end module, and a magnitude of the second reference voltage is adjusted according to a ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage during the specific period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

increasing the magnitude of the first reference voltage when the ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage is greater than a first threshold value during the specific period; and

decreasing the magnitude of the first reference voltage when the ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage is smaller than a second threshold value during the specific period.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

increasing the magnitude of the second reference voltage when the ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage is greater than a third threshold value during the specific period; and

decreasing the magnitude of the second reference voltage when the ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage is smaller than a fourth threshold value during the specific period.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

utilizing a half-wave signal modulation method in the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system to generate the modulated signal; and

generating the current signal corresponding to the modulated signal in the supplying-end coil, and separating the current signal into a positive half-cycle current signal and a negative half-cycle current signal according to direction of the current in the supplying-end coil.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of interpreting the current signal to retrieve the data of the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system comprises:

retrieving the data via a difference between variations of the positive half-cycle current signal and the negative half-cycle current signal.

15. A supplying-end module for an induction type power supply system comprising:

a supplying-end coil;

a resonant capacitor;

a current sensing element, serially connected between the supplying-end coil and the resonant capacitor, for obtaining a current signal corresponding to a current of the supplying-end coil; and

a control unit, coupled to the current sensing element, for interpreting the current signal to retrieve data of a receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system;

wherein the current signal obtained by the current sensing element is used for determining a time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero.

16. The supplying-end module of claim 15, wherein the current signal is not filtered before the control unit retrieves the data.

17. The supplying-end module of claim 15, wherein the data comprises load information for indicating a load status of the induction type power supply system or whether there is a metal object in a load terminal.

18. The supplying-end module of claim 17, wherein the control unit determines the load status of the induction type power supply system according to a time difference between the time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero and a time point of switching driving signals in two terminals of the supplying-end coil, in order to retrieve the data.

19. The supplying-end module of claim 18, wherein the control unit comprises:

a timer, for calculating the time difference between the time point of the current of the supplying-end coil approaching zero and the time point of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil;

wherein the control unit determines the load status of the induction type power supply system according to the time difference obtained by the timer and a cycle of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil.

20. The supplying-end module of claim 18, wherein the load status of the induction type power supply system is determined to be no-load when the time difference is substantially equal to a quarter of the cycle of switching the driving signals in the two terminals of the supplying-end coil.

21. The supplying-end module of claim 18, wherein the load status of the induction type power supply system is determined to be full-load when the time difference is substantially equal to zero.

22. The supplying-end module of claim 15, wherein the data comprises a modulated signal generated from the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system.

23. The supplying-end module of claim 22, further comprising a signal interpretation circuit, the signal interpretation circuit comprising:

a first amplifier and a second amplifier, for amplifying a forward part and a backward part of the current signal, respectively, and converting the forward part and the backward part of the current signal into a positive voltage signal and a negative voltage signal, respectively;

a first voltage generator and a second voltage generator, for respectively setting a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage;

a positive half-cycle comparator, for comparing the positive voltage signal with the first reference voltage to generate a positive half-cycle part of the modulated signal; and

a negative half-cycle comparator, for comparing the negative voltage signal with the second reference voltage to generate a negative half-cycle part of the modulated signal.

24. The supplying-end module of claim 23, wherein a magnitude of the first reference voltage is adjusted according to a ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage during a specific period in which no modulate signals are generated in the receiving-end module, and a magnitude of the second reference voltage is adjusted according to a ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage during the specific period.

25. The supplying-end module of claim 24, wherein the magnitude of the first reference voltage is increased when the ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage is greater than a first threshold value during the specific period, and the magnitude of the first reference voltage is decreased when the ratio of the positive voltage signal being greater than the first reference voltage is smaller than a second threshold value during the specific period.

26. The supplying-end module of claim 24, wherein the magnitude of the second reference voltage is increased when the ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage is greater than a third threshold value during the specific period, and the magnitude of the second reference voltage is decreased when the ratio of the negative voltage signal being greater than the second reference voltage is smaller than a fourth threshold value during the specific period.

27. The supplying-end module of claim 22, wherein the receiving-end module of the induction type power supply system utilizes a half-wave signal modulation method to generate the modulated signal.

28. The supplying-end module of claim 27, further utilized for generating the current signal corresponding to the modulated signal, and the control unit separates the current signal into a positive half-cycle current signal and a negative half-cycle current signal according to direction of the current of the supplying-end coil.

29. The supplying-end module of claim 28, wherein the control unit retrieves the data via a difference between variations of the positive half-cycle current signal and the negative half-cycle current signal.