Methods, transmission devices and transmission control system for transmitting power wirelessly

• US 9,735,583 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: van Wageningen, Andries, Hilgers, Achim, Staring, Antonius Adriaan Maria, Waffenschmidt, Eberhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US13/201,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,743 Days
• Field of Search: 307 91, 307104, 307149, 320101, 320104, 320253, 320163, 320103, 320108, 320124, 3405391, 4553431, 174268, 361 18, 439884
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

This invention proposes a method of and a device for transmitting power via electromagnetic coupling from a transmission device to a set of reception devices, said method comprising a step of calculating by the transmission device, a first sum of given power levels defined by each reception device of said set of reception devices; if a maximum power that can be transmitted by the transmission device to said set of reception devices is less than said first sum, then performing a step of determining by said transmission device, based on said first sum and according to a set of criteria, a subset of reception devices among said set of reception devices, to which the transmission device transmits power.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting power via electromagnetic coupling from a transmission charging device to a set of reception devices, wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the method comprising:

calculating by the transmission charging device, a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices; and

when a maximum power that can be transmitted by the transmission charging device to the set of reception devices is less than the first sum,

identifying, among the set of reception devices, whether there are any reception devices defining a second given power level which is lower than its first given power level; and

determining by the transmission charging device, according to the identifying and a predetermined criteria, a subset of reception devices among the set of reception devices, to which the transmission charging device transmits power.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subset of reception devices is further determined according to at least one of the following:

a priority level of each reception device of the set of reception devices, the priority level defining the priority to receive power from the transmission charging device;

a time sequence in which the transmission charging device detects each reception device of the set of reception devices; and

a maximum number of reception devices to which the transmission charging device can transmit power simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises reserving power for each reception device of the subset of reception devices according to the second given power level for each reception device of the subset of reception devices respectively.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second given power level defined by at least one reception device of the set of reception devices is a minimum workable power level of the at least one reception device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting power by the transmission charging device to the subset of reception devices, wherein,

when an actual power level needed by a first reception device among the subset of reception devices is below the second given power level defined by the first reception device, power is transmitted to the first reception device according to the actual power level; and

when the actual power level needed by a second reception device among the subset of reception devices is above the second given power level defined by the second reception device, power is transmitted to the second reception device according to the second given power level defined by the second reception device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein when a first power amount defined as the maximum power minus a second sum of the second given power levels defined by each reception device of the subset of reception devices is positive, and when there is at least one of the second reception devices, power is transmitted to the at least one of the second reception devices according to the second given power level defined by the at least one of the second reception devices and the first power amount.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein when the actual power level needed by the second reception device among the subset of reception devices is above the second given power level defined by the second reception device, periodically obtaining, by the transmission charging device, the actual power level needed by the first reception device, so as to update a value of a second power amount according to the obtained actual power level, the second power amount being defined as the second given power level defined by the first reception device minus the actual power level needed by the first reception device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one reception device of the set of reception devices sends information of the second given power level related to the at least one reception device, and wherein the second given power level is a minimum workable power level of the at least one reception device.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information related to the first given power level from each reception device; and

receiving information related to the second given power level from each reception device that defines the second given power level.

9. A transmission control system for controlling a transmission charging device transmitting power to a set of reception devices via electromagnetic coupling, wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the transmission control system comprising:

a first processing circuit configured to calculate, by the transmission charging device, a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices;

a second processing circuit configured to identify, among the set of reception devices, whether there are any reception devices defining a second given power level which is lower than that reception device'"'"'s first given power level; and

a third processing circuit configured to determine, according to the identifying, a subset of reception devices among the set of reception devices to which the transmission charging device transmits power.

10. The transmission control system according to claim 9, wherein the third processing circuit is further configured to determine the subset of reception devices according to at least one of the following:

a priority level of each reception device of the set of reception devices, the priority level defining the priority to receive power from the transmission charging device;

a time sequence in which the transmission charging device detects each reception device of the set of reception devices; and

a maximum number of reception devices to which the transmission charging device can transmit power simultaneously.

11. The transmission control system according to claim 9, wherein the transmission charging device further comprises a transmission element for transmitting power to the subset of reception devices, wherein,

when an actual power level needed by a first reception device among the subset of reception devices is below the second given power level defined by the first reception device, the transmission element transmits power to the first reception device according to the actual power level;

and

when an actual power level needed by a second reception device among the subset of reception devices is above the second given power level defined by the second reception device, the transmission element transmits power to the second reception device according to the second given power level defined by the second reception device.

12. The transmission control system according to claim 9, wherein when a first power amount defined as the maximum power minus a second sum of the second given power levels defined by each reception device of the subset of reception devices is positive, and when there is at least one of the second reception devices, the transmission charging device transmits power to the at least one of the second reception devices according to the second given power level defined by the at least one of the second reception devices and the first power amount.

13. A transmission charging device to transmit power to a set of reception devices via electromagnetic coupling wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the transmission charging device comprising:

a first circuit configured to calculate a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices wherein

when a maximum power that can be transmitted by the transmission charging device to the set of reception devices is less than the first sum,

identifying, among the set of reception devices, whether there are any reception devices defining a second given power level which is lower than that reception device'"'"'s first given power level, and

a second circuit configured to determine, according to the identifying and a predetermined criteria, a subset of reception devices among the set of reception devices to which the transmission charging device transmits power.

14. The transmission charging device of claim 13, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive from at least one reception device of the set of reception devices information of the second given power level related to the at least one reception device, and wherein the second given power level is at least one of a minimum workable power level of the at least one reception device.