KR20180005421A - Foldable Wireless power transmitter and a control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable wireless power transmitter and a control method thereof. The wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a foldable connection unit which can be folded or unfolded; a plurality of charging planes for differently activating power transmission according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit; a power transmitting unit for supplying a power signal to at least any one of the plurality of charging planes; and a control unit for determining the charging plane which is an activation target according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit. Each of the plurality of charging planes includes at least one transmission coil. Accordingly, the present invention can transmit power to various kinds of wireless power receivers at once.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable wireless power transmitter and a control method,

The present invention relates to wireless power transmission, and more particularly, to a wireless power transmitter capable of folding or unfolding in detail and a control method thereof.

Portable terminals, such as mobile phones and laptops, include a battery for storing power and a circuit for charging and discharging the battery. In order for the battery of such a terminal to be charged, power must be supplied from an external charger.

2. Description of the Related Art [0002] Generally, as an example of an electrical connection between a charging device and a battery for charging electric power of a battery, a commercial electric power is supplied to a terminal for converting electric power into voltage and current corresponding to the battery, Supply method. This type of terminal supply is accompanied by the use of physical cables or wires. Therefore, when handling a lot of terminal-supplied equipment, many cables occupy considerable work space, are difficult to organize, and are not well apparent. Also, the terminal supply method may cause problems such as instantaneous discharge due to different potential difference between terminals, burnout due to foreign substances, fire, natural discharge, battery life and deterioration of performance.

In order to solve such a problem, a charging system (hereinafter referred to as a "wireless charging system") and a control method using a method of transmitting power wirelessly are proposed. In addition, since the wireless charging system has not been installed in some portable terminals in the past and the consumer has to purchase a separate wireless charging receiver accessory, the demand for the wireless charging system is low, but the wireless charging user is expected to increase rapidly. Wireless charging function is expected to be equipped basically.

Generally, a wireless charging system comprises a wireless power transmitter for supplying electric energy in a wireless power transmission mode and a wireless power receiver for receiving electric energy supplied from a wireless power transmitter to charge the battery.

Such a wireless charging system may transmit power by at least one wireless power transmission scheme (e.g., electromagnetic induction scheme, electromagnetic resonance scheme, RF wireless power transmission scheme, etc.).

For example, the wireless power transmission scheme may be based on a variety of wireless power transmission standards based on an electromagnetic induction scheme in which a magnetic field is generated in a power transmitter coil and charged using an electromagnetic induction principle in which electricity is induced in a receiver coil under the influence of its magnetic field . Here, the electromagnetic induction type wireless power transmission standard may include an electromagnetic induction wireless charging technique defined in a Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) or a Power Matters Alliance (PMA).

In another example, the wireless power transmission scheme may employ an electromagnetic resonance scheme in which the magnetic field generated by the transmission coil of the wireless power transmitter is tuned to a specific resonance frequency to transmit power to a nearby wireless power receiver . Here, the electromagnetic resonance method may include a resonance-type wireless charging technique defined in the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) standard mechanism, a wireless charging technology standard mechanism.

In another example, a wireless power transmission scheme may use an RF wireless power transmission scheme that transmits power to a wireless power receiver located at a remote location by applying low-power energy to the RF signal.

Meanwhile, the wireless charging system is classified into various wireless power transmission systems, and the same wireless power transmission system operates according to a standard defined by a plurality of wireless charging technology standard organizations.

Thus, there is a need for a wireless power transmitter that includes a plurality of charging regions that operate in accordance with various wireless charging schemes, and that also includes a plurality of charging regions that operate in accordance with standards defined by different standards organizations .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable wireless power transmitter including a plurality of coils and a control method thereof.

The present invention provides an integrated wireless power transmitter and control method that includes a charging plane that operates in accordance with various wireless power transmission schemes and a charging plane that operates in accordance with a standard defined by a different wireless power standard.

In detail, in one embodiment of the present invention, the foldable wireless power transmitter may be configured such that the charge planes operating according to different wireless power transmission schemes and standards defined by a standard mechanism are connected by foldable or unfoldable, have.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, unless further departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be possible.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless power transmitter including: a foldable connection unit capable of folding or unfolding; A plurality of charging planes for activating the power transmission according to folding or unfolding of the foldable connection portion; A power transmission unit for supplying a power signal to at least one of the plurality of charging planes; And a control unit for determining a charge plane to be activated according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit. And each of the plurality of charge planes may include at least one transmit coil.

According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of charge planes may include a respective charge pad corresponding to a configuration of at least one transmit coil included in each of the plurality of charge planes.

According to the embodiment, the control unit may activate the expanded charge plane among the plurality of charge planes, and deactivate the overlapping charge planes.

According to an embodiment, each of the charging planes may perform wireless power transmission according to any of electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic resonance, and RF wireless power transmission.

According to an embodiment, each of the charging planes may perform wireless power transmission according to any of the wireless charging schemes defined by a Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), a Power Matters Alliance (PMA), and an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) have.

According to an embodiment, each of the transmission coils may be arranged in different sizes and shapes.

According to an embodiment, the foldable connection portion may include a coil connection portion that interconnects or disconnects each transmission coil included in the charging plane adjacent to the corresponding foldable connection portion.

According to an embodiment, a sensing unit for detecting folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit; As shown in FIG.

According to an embodiment, each of the charge planes may be different in the amount of power transmitted.

Further, a method of controlling a wireless power transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes sensing a folding or unfolding of a foldable connection portion in which a sensing portion is foldable or unfoldable; The control unit determining at least any one of the plurality of charge planes for activating the power transmission according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection; And supplying power signals to the charge planes to which the power transmission unit is to be activated, and each of the plurality of charge planes may include at least one transmission coil.

According to an embodiment, each of the plurality of charge planes may include a respective charge pad corresponding to a configuration of at least one transmit coil included in each of the plurality of charge planes.

According to an embodiment, determining the charge plane to be activated may include activating an expanded charge plane of the plurality of charge planes and deactivating the overlapping charge planes; . ≪ / RTI >

According to an embodiment, each of the charging planes may perform wireless power transmission according to any of electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic resonance, and RF wireless power transmission.

According to an embodiment, each of the charging planes may perform wireless power transmission according to any of the wireless charging schemes defined by a Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), a Power Matters Alliance (PMA), and an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) have.

According to an embodiment, each of the transmission coils may be arranged in different sizes and shapes.

According to an embodiment, the foldable connection portion may include a coil connection portion that interconnects or disconnects each transmission coil included in the charging plane adjacent to the corresponding foldable connection portion.

According to an embodiment, each of the charge planes may be different in the amount of power transmitted.

According to the embodiment, the present invention can provide a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for executing the above-described method is recorded.

The effect of the present invention on a foldable wireless power transmitter and a control method will be described as follows.

First, the present invention can transmit power at a time to various types of wireless power receivers, including a charging plane operating according to various wireless power transmission schemes.

Second, the present invention can provide convenience to the user as a portable wireless power transmitter capable of folding or unfolding.

Third, the present invention can activate only the opened charge plane, thereby preventing power waste.

The effects obtained by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description will be.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the technical features of the present invention are not limited to the specific drawings, and the features disclosed in the drawings may be combined with each other to constitute a new embodiment.
1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram for explaining a sensing signal transmission procedure in a wireless charging system according to an electromagnetic induction method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a state transition diagram for explaining the wireless power transmission procedure defined in the WPC standard.
5 is a state transition diagram for explaining the wireless power transmission procedure defined in the PMA standard.
6 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a wireless power transmission system of an electromagnetic resonance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a wireless power transmission system of an electromagnetic resonance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a state transition diagram for explaining a state transition procedure in a wireless power transmitter of an electromagnetic resonance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a state transition diagram of an electromagnetic resonance type wireless power receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless charging procedure of an electromagnetic resonance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flow chart for explaining a method of controlling a foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a view for explaining a folded state of a foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a view for explaining an unfolding operation of the foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a view for explaining an unfolded state of a foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a view for explaining a foldable connection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
17 is a view for explaining the unfolding operation of the three-tiered foldable connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a view for explaining the unfolding operation of the three-tiered foldable connection according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an apparatus and various methods to which embodiments of the present invention are applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively coupled to one or more of them. In addition, although all of the components may be implemented as one independent hardware, some or all of the components may be selectively combined to perform a part or all of the functions in one or a plurality of hardware. As shown in FIG. The codes and code segments constituting the computer program may be easily deduced by those skilled in the art. Such a computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, readable and executed by a computer, thereby realizing an embodiment of the present invention. As the storage medium of the computer program, a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a carrier wave medium, or the like may be included.

In the description of the embodiment, in the case of being described as being formed on the "upper or lower", "before" or "after" of each component, (Lower) "and" front or rear "encompass both that the two components are in direct contact with each other or that one or more other components are disposed between the two components.

It is also to be understood that the terms such as " comprises, "" comprising," or "having ", as used herein, mean that a component can be implanted unless specifically stated to the contrary. But should be construed as including other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as predefined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meanings of the related art, and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal, unless expressly defined to the contrary.

In describing the components of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are intended to distinguish the constituent elements from other constituent elements, and the terms do not limit the nature, order or order of the constituent elements. When a component is described as being "connected", "coupled", or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, It should be understood that an element may be "connected," "coupled," or "connected."

In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

In the description of the embodiments, an apparatus for transmitting wireless power on a wireless power charging system includes a wireless power transmitter, a wireless power transmitter, a wireless power transmitter, a wireless power transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitter, a transmitter, , A wireless power transmission device, a wireless power transmitter, a wireless charging device, and the like. For the sake of convenience, a wireless power receiving device, a wireless power receiving device, a wireless power receiving device, a wireless power receiving device, a receiving terminal, a receiving side, a receiving device, a receiver Terminals and the like can be used in combination.

The wireless charging device according to the present invention may be configured as a pad type, a cradle type, an access point (AP) type, a small base type, a stand type, a ceiling embedded type, Power may be transmitted to the device.

As an example, a wireless power transmitter can be used not only on a desk or on a table, but also developed for automobiles and used in a vehicle. A wireless power transmitter installed in a vehicle can be provided in a form of a stand that can be easily and stably fixed and mounted.

The terminal according to the present invention may be used in a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), a navigation device, an MP3 player, (Hereinafter referred to as a " device ") capable of charging a battery by mounting a wireless power receiving means according to the present invention, but not limited thereto, can be used for a small electronic device such as a toothbrush, an electronic tag, Quot;), and the term terminal or device may be used in combination. The wireless power receiver according to another embodiment of the present invention can also be mounted on a vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle, an air drone or the like.

A wireless power receiver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include at least one wireless power transmission scheme and may simultaneously receive wireless power from two or more wireless power transmitters. Here, the wireless power transmission scheme may include at least one of the electromagnetic induction scheme, the electromagnetic resonance scheme, and the RF wireless power transmission scheme. In particular, the wireless power receiving means for supporting the electromagnetic induction method may include an electromagnetic induction wireless charging technique defined by Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA).

Generally, a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver that constitute a wireless power system can exchange control signals or information through in-band communication or Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication. Here, the in-band communication and the BLE communication can be performed by a pulse width modulation method, a frequency modulation method, a phase modulation method, an amplitude modulation method, an amplitude and phase modulation method, and the like. For example, the wireless power receiver can transmit various control signals and information to the wireless power transmitter by generating a feedback signal by switching on / off the current induced through the reception coil in a predetermined pattern. The information transmitted by the wireless power receiver may include various status information including received power intensity information. At this time, the wireless power transmitter can calculate the charging efficiency or the power transmission efficiency based on the received power intensity information.

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate a wireless charging system according to an electromagnetic induction system, and FIGS. 7 to 11 illustrate a wireless charging system according to an electromagnetic resonance system. Explain. Hereinafter, a wireless power transmitter including a plurality of charging planes interconnected by a foldable connection will be described with reference to Figs. 12-18.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the wireless charging system includes a wireless power transmitter 10 for wirelessly transmitting power, a wireless power receiver 20 for receiving the transmitted power, and an electronic device 20 Lt; / RTI >

For example, the wireless power transmitter 10 and the wireless power receiver 20 may perform in-band communication in which information is exchanged using the same frequency band as that used for wireless power transmission. In another example, the wireless power transmitter 10 and the wireless power receiver 20 may use out-of-band communication to exchange information using a separate frequency band that is different from the operating frequency used for wireless power transmission .

As an example, information exchanged between the wireless power transmitter 10 and the wireless power receiver 20 may include control information as well as status information of each other. Here, the status information and control information exchanged between the transceivers will become more apparent through the description of the embodiments to be described later.

The in-band communication and the out-of-band communication may provide bidirectional communication, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the in-band communication and the out-of-band communication may be provided.

 In one example, the unidirectional communication may be that the wireless power receiver 20 only transmits information to the wireless power transmitter 10, but the wireless power transmitter 10 is not limited to this, Lt; / RTI >

In the half duplex communication mode, bi-directional communication is possible between the wireless power receiver 20 and the wireless power transmitter 10, but information can be transmitted only by any one device at any time.

The wireless power receiver 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may acquire various status information of the electronic device 30. [ For example, the status information of the electronic device 30 may include current power usage information, information for identifying a running application, CPU usage information, battery charge status information, battery output voltage / current information, And is information obtainable from the electronic device 30 and available for wireless power control.

In particular, the wireless power transmitter 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may transmit a predetermined packet to the wireless power receiver 20, The wireless power receiver 20 can notify the electronic device 30 if the connected wireless power transmitter 10 is determined to support the fast charge mode. The electronic device 30 may indicate that fast charging is possible through a predetermined display means, which may be, for example, a liquid crystal display.

In addition, the user of the electronic device 30 may select a predetermined fast charge request button displayed on the liquid crystal display means to control the wireless power transmitter 10 to operate in the fast charge mode. In this case, the electronic device 30 may transmit a predetermined fast charge request signal to the wireless power receiver 20 when the quick charge request button is selected by the user. The wireless power receiver 20 can generate a charging mode packet corresponding to the received fast charging request signal and send it to the wireless power transmitter 10 to switch the normal low power charging mode to the fast charging mode.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless charging system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

For example, as shown in 200a, the wireless power receiver 20 may be configured with a plurality of wireless power receiving devices, wherein a plurality of wireless power receiving devices are connected to one wireless power transmitter 10, Charging may also be performed. In this case, the wireless power transmitter 10 may distribute power to a plurality of wireless power receiving apparatuses in a time division manner, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the wireless power transmitter 10 may transmit Power can be distributed and transmitted to a plurality of wireless power receiving apparatuses using different allocated frequency bands.

At this time, the number of wireless power receiving apparatuses connectable to one wireless power transmitting apparatus 10 is set to at least one of the required power amount for each wireless power receiving apparatus, the battery charging state, the power consumption amount of the electronic apparatus, Can be determined adaptively based on

As another example, as shown in FIG. 200B, the wireless power transmitter 10 may be composed of a plurality of wireless power transmission devices. In this case, the wireless power receiver 20 may be coupled to a plurality of wireless power transmission devices at the same time, and may receive power from the connected wireless power transmission devices at the same time to perform charging. At this time, the number of wireless power transmission apparatuses connected to the wireless power receiver 20 may be adaptively calculated based on the required power amount of the wireless power receiver 20, the battery charging status, the power consumption amount of the electronic apparatus, Can be determined.

3 is a diagram for explaining a sensing signal transmission procedure in a wireless charging system according to an electromagnetic induction method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As an example, the wireless power transmitter may be equipped with three transmit coils 111, 112, 113. Each transmit coil may overlap a portion of the transmit coil with a different transmit coil, and the wireless power transmitter may include a predetermined sense signal 117, 127 for sensing the presence of the wireless power receiver through each transmit coil - And sequentially transmits digital ping signals in a predefined order.

As shown in FIG. 3, the wireless power transmitter sequentially transmits the detection signal 117 through the primary sensing signal transmission procedure shown in reference numeral 110, and receives a signal strength indicator (Signal Strength Indicator 116 (or signal strength packet) may be received. Subsequently, the wireless power transmitter sequentially transmits the detection signal 127 through the secondary detection signal transmission procedure shown in the reference numeral 120, and the signal strength indicator 126 is transmitted to the transmission coils 111 and 112 It is possible to control the efficiency (or charging efficiency) - that is, the state of alignment between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil - to identify a good transmitting coil and to allow power to be delivered through the identified transmitting coil, .

As shown in FIG. 3, the reason why the wireless power transmitter performs the two detection signal transmission procedures is to more accurately identify to which transmission coil the reception coil of the wireless power receiver is well aligned.

If the signal strength indicators 116 and 126 are received at the first transmission coil 111 and the second transmission coil 112 as shown in the aforementioned numerals 110 and 120 of FIG. 3, Selects a transmission coil having the best alignment based on the received signal strength indicator 126 in each of the first transmission coil 111 and the second transmission coil 112 and performs wireless charging using the selected transmission coil .

4 is a state transition diagram for explaining the wireless power transmission procedure defined in the WPC standard.

Referring to FIG. 4, power transmission from a transmitter to a receiver according to the WPC standard is largely divided into a selection phase 410, a ping phase 420, an identification and configuration phase 430, And a power transfer phase (step 440).

The selection step 410 may be a phase transition when a specific error or a specific event is detected while initiating a power transmission or maintaining a power transmission. Here, the specific error and the specific event will become clear through the following description. Also, in a selection step 410, the transmitter may monitor whether an object is present on the interface surface. If the transmitter detects that an object is placed on the interface surface, it can transition to the step 420 (S401). In the selection step 410, the transmitter transmits an analog ping signal of a very short pulse and can detect whether an object exists in the active area of the interface surface based on the current change of the transmission coil.

In step 420, the transmitter activates the receiver when an object is sensed, and transmits a digital ping to identify whether the receiver is a WPC compliant receiver. If the transmitter does not receive a response signal for the digital ping (e.g., a signal strength indicator) from the receiver in step 420, then the transmitter may transition back to the selection step 410 (S402). Also, in step 420, the transmitter may transition to a selection step 410 when receiving a signal indicating completion of power transmission from the receiver, i.e., a charging completion signal (S403).

Once the ping stage 420 is complete, the transmitter may transition to an identification and configuration step 430 to collect receiver identification and receiver configuration and status information (S404).

In the identifying and configuring step 430, the sender may determine whether the packet is unexpected, whether a desired packet is received during a predefined period of time (time out), a packet transmission error (transmission error) (No power transfer contract), the process can be shifted to the selection step 410 (S405).

Once the identification and configuration for the receiver is complete, the transmitter may transition to power transfer step 440, which transmits the wireless power (S406).

In the power transfer step 440, the transmitter determines whether an unexpected packet is received, a desired packet is received for a predefined period of time (time out), a violation of a predetermined power transmission contract occurs transfer contract violation, and if the charging is completed, the selection step 410 can be performed (S407).

In addition, in the power transfer step 440, if the transmitter needs to reconfigure the power transfer contract according to changes in the transmitter state, etc., it may transition to the identification and configuration step 430 (S408).

The power transmission contract may be set based on the status and characteristic information of the transmitter and the receiver. For example, the transmitter status information may include information on the maximum amount of transmittable power, information on the maximum number of receivable receivers, and the receiver status information may include information on the requested power and the like.

5 is a state transition diagram for explaining a wireless power transmission procedure defined in the PMA standard;

Referring to FIG. 5, power transmission from a transmitter to a receiver according to the PMA standard is largely divided into a standby phase 510, a digital ping phase 520, an identification phase 530, A Power Transfer Phase 540, and an End of Charge Phase 550. FIG.

The waiting step 510 may be a step of performing a receiver identification procedure for power transmission or transitioning to a specific error or a specific event while sensing a power transmission. Here, the specific error and the specific event will become clear through the following description. Also, at a standby step 510, the transmitter may monitor whether an object is present on the Charging Surface. If the transmitter detects that an object has been placed on the charging surface, or if an RXID retry is in progress, the digital switching may proceed to step 520 (S501). Here, RXID is a unique identifier assigned to a PMA compatible receiver. At the standby step 510, the transmitter transmits an analog ping of a very short pulse and, based on the change in current of the transmitting coil, causes the object to move to the active surface of the interface surface-for example, It can be detected whether or not it exists.

The transmitter transited to the digital pinging step 520 sends a digital finger signal to identify whether the sensed object is a PMA compatible receiver. When sufficient power is supplied to the receiver by the digital ping signal transmitted by the transmitter, the receiver can modulate the received digital ping signal according to the PMA communication protocol and transmit a predetermined response signal to the transmitter. Here, the response signal may include a signal strength indicator indicating the strength of the power received at the receiver. At step 520, the receiver can transition to the identification step 530 if a valid response signal is received (S502).

If the response signal is not received or it is determined that it is not a PMA compliant receiver, i.e., it is a Foreign Object Detection (FOD), at step 520, the transmitter can transition to the wait step 510 (S503). As an example, a foreign object (FO) may be a metallic object including coins, keys, and the like.

In the identifying step 530, the transmitter may transition to the wait step 510 if the receiver identification procedure fails or the receiver identification procedure must be re-performed and the receiver identification procedure has not been completed for a predefined period of time S504).

If the transmitter succeeds in identifying the receiver, the transmitter may transition from the identifying step 530 to the power transfer step 540 and start charging (S505).

In the power transfer step 540, the transmitter determines if the desired signal is not received within a predetermined time (Time Out), an FO is detected, or if the voltage of the transmit coil exceeds a predefined reference value, (S506).

Also, in the power transmission step 540, if the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor provided inside the transmitter exceeds a predetermined reference value, the transmitter may transition to the completion of charging step 550 (S507).

In the charge completion step 550, if the transmitter is confirmed that the receiver has been removed from the charging surface, the transmitter can transition to the standby state 510 (S509).

If the measured temperature drops below the reference value in the over temperature state, the transmitter may transition from the charging completion step 550 to the digital charging step 520 in step S510.

In the digital ping phase 520 or the power transfer phase 540, the transmitter may transition to the charge completion phase 550 (S508 and S511) when an End Of Charge (EOC) request is received from the receiver.

6 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6, the wireless power transmitter 600 may include a power conversion unit 610, a power transmission unit 620, a communication unit 630, a control unit 640, and a sensing unit 650 . It should be noted that the configuration of the wireless power transmitter 600 described above is not necessarily an essential configuration, and may be configured to include more or less components.

As shown in FIG. 6, when power is supplied from the power supply unit 660, the power conversion unit 610 may convert the power to a predetermined intensity.

For this, the power conversion unit 610 may include a DC / DC conversion unit 611 and an amplifier 612.

The DC / DC converting unit 611 may convert DC power supplied from the power supply unit 650 into DC power having a specific intensity according to a control signal of the controller 640. [

At this time, the sensing unit 650 may measure the voltage / current of the DC-converted power and provide the measured voltage / current to the controller 640. In addition, the sensing unit 650 may measure the internal temperature of the wireless power transmitter 600 and may provide the measurement result to the controller 640 in order to determine whether overheating occurs. For example, the control unit 640 may adaptively cut off the power supply from the power supply unit 650 or block the supply of power to the amplifier 612 based on the voltage / current value measured by the sensing unit 650 . To this end, a power cutoff circuit may be further provided at one side of the power conversion unit 610 to cut off power supplied from the power supply unit 650 or to cut off power supplied to the amplifier 612.

The amplifier 612 can adjust the intensity of the DC / DC-converted power according to the control signal of the controller 640. For example, the control unit 640 may receive the power reception status information and / or the power control signal of the wireless power receiver through the communication unit 630 and may receive the power control information based on the received power reception status information and / So that the amplification factor of the amplifier 612 can be dynamically adjusted. For example, the power reception status information may include, but is not limited to, the intensity information of the rectifier output voltage, the intensity information of the current applied to the reception coil, and the like. The power control signal may include a signal for requesting power increase, a signal for requesting power reduction, and the like.

The power transmitting unit 620 may be configured to include a multiplexer 621 (or a multiplexer), a transmitting coil 622, and the like. In addition, the power transmitting unit 620 may further include a carrier generator (not shown) for generating a specific operating frequency for power transmission.

The carrier generator may generate a specific frequency for converting the output DC power of the amplifier 612 delivered via the multiplexer 621 to AC power having a specific frequency. In the above description, the AC signal generated by the carrier generator is mixed with the output of the multiplexer 621 to generate AC power. However, this is only an example, It should be noted that they may be mixed only or later.

The frequency of the AC power transmitted to each of the transmission coils according to the embodiment of the present invention may be different from each other. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transmission coil may have a function of adjusting LC resonance characteristics for different transmission coils The resonance frequencies of the respective transmission coils may be set differently using the frequency controller.

However, when the resonance frequencies generated in each of the plurality of transmission coils are different, a separate frequency controller for controlling the frequency coils may be required to increase the size of the wireless power transmitter. Accordingly, in an embodiment of the present invention, A case where power is transmitted using the same resonance frequency even though it includes the transmission coil of Fig.

6, the power transmission unit 620 includes a multiplexer 621 and a plurality of transmission coils 622 for controlling the output power of the amplifier 612 to be transmitted to the transmission coil, that is, Th to n < th > transmit coils.

The controller 640 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may transmit power through time division multiplexing for each transmission coil when a plurality of wireless power receivers are connected. For example, if the wireless power transmitter 600 has three wireless power receivers-i. E., The first through third wireless power receivers, respectively, identified through three different transmit coils, i. E., First through third transmit coils , The control unit 640 controls the multiplexer 621 so that power can be transmitted through a specific transmission coil in a specific time slot. At this time, the amount of power transmitted to the corresponding wireless power receiver may be controlled according to the length of the time slot allocated for each transmission coil, but this is only one embodiment. The power of the amplifier 612 may be controlled to control the transmission power of each wireless power receiver.

The control unit 640 may control the multiplexer 621 so that the detection signals may be sequentially transmitted through the first through n'th transmission coils 622 during the first detection signal transmission procedure. At this time, the control unit 640 can identify the time at which the sensing signal is transmitted using the timer 655. When the sensing signal transmission time arrives, the control unit 640 controls the multiplexer 621 to output a sensing signal It can be controlled to be transmitted. For example, the timer 650 can send a specific event signal to the control unit 640 at predetermined intervals during the ping transmission step. When the event signal is detected, the control unit 640 controls the multiplexer 621 to transmit the corresponding event signal It is possible to control the digital ping to be transmitted through the coil.

In addition, the control unit 640 may transmit a predetermined transmission coil identifier for identifying a signal strength indicator (Signal Strength Indicator) through a transmission coil from the demodulation unit 632 during the first detection signal transmission procedure, Lt; / RTI > received signal strength indicator. In the second sensing signal sending process, the controller 640 controls the multiplexer 621 so that the sensing signal can be transmitted only through the transmitting coil (s) on which the signal strength indicator is received during the first sensing signal sending procedure You may. In another example, when there are a plurality of transmit coils in which the signal strength indicator is received during the first differential sense signal transmission procedure, the control unit 640 transmits the received transmit coil with the signal strength indicator having the largest value as the second differential sense signal In the procedure, the detection signal may be determined as a transmission coil to be transmitted first, and the multiplexer 621 may be controlled according to the determination result.

The modulator 631 may modulate the control signal generated by the controller 640 and transmit the modulated control signal to the multiplexer 621. Here, the modulation scheme for modulating the control signal includes a frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation scheme, a Manchester coding modulation scheme, a phase shift keying (PSK) modulation scheme, a pulse width modulation scheme, A differential bi-phase modulation method, and the like.

The demodulator 632 can demodulate the detected signal and transmit the demodulated signal to the controller 640 when a signal received through the transmission coil is detected. Here, the demodulated signal may include a signal strength indicator, an error correction (EC) indicator for power control during wireless power transmission, an end of charge indicator (EOC), an overvoltage / overcurrent / overheat indicator, But is not limited to, various status information for identifying the status of the wireless power receiver.

Also, the demodulator 632 can identify which of the transmit coils the demodulated signal is received, and provide the control unit 640 with a predetermined transmit coil identifier corresponding to the identified transmit coil.

 The demodulation unit 632 can demodulate the signal received through the transmission coil 623 and transmit the demodulated signal to the control unit 640. In one example, the demodulated signal may include, but is not limited to, a signal strength indicator, and the demodulated signal may include various status information of the wireless power receiver.

In one example, the wireless power transmitter 600 may obtain the signal strength indicator through in-band communication that uses the same frequency used for wireless power transmission to communicate with the wireless power receiver.

In addition, the wireless power transmitter 600 can transmit wireless power using the transmit coil 622, as well as exchange various information with the wireless power receiver via the transmit coil 622. As another example, the wireless power transmitter 600 may further include a separate coil corresponding to each of the transmission coils 622 (i.e., the first to n < th > transmission coils) It should be noted that it may also perform in-band communication with the receiver.

Although the wireless power transmitter 600 and the wireless power receiver perform in-band communication in the description of FIG. 6, this is merely an example, and the frequency band used for the wireless power signal transmission Directional communication through different frequency bands. For example, the near-end bi-directional communication may be any one of low-power Bluetooth communication, RFID communication, UWB communication, and Zigbee communication.

In particular, the wireless power transmitter 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention may adaptively provide a fast charge mode and a general low power charge mode at the request of the wireless power receiver.

The wireless power transmitter 600 can transmit a signal of a predetermined pattern, which is called a first packet for convenience of explanation, when the fast charge mode is supported. The wireless power receiver 600 may identify that the wireless power transmitter 600 being connected is capable of fast charge when the first packet is received.

In particular, the wireless power receiver may send a first response packet to the wireless power transmitter 600 requesting fast charging if fast charging is required.

In particular, the wireless power transmitter 600 may automatically switch to the fast charge mode and initiate fast charge when a predetermined time has elapsed after the first response packet is received.

For example, when the control unit 640 of the wireless power transmitter 600 transits to the power transmission step 440 or 540 of FIGS. 4 through 5, the control unit 640 controls the first packet to be transmitted through the transmission coil 622 However, this is only one example, and another example of the present invention may be the first packet sent out in the identification and configuration step 430 of FIG. 4 or the identifying step 530 of FIG.

It should be noted that another embodiment of the present invention may transmit encoded information that can identify whether or not fast charge support is possible to the digital ring signal transmitted by the wireless power transmitter 600. [

The wireless power receiver may send a predetermined charge mode packet to the wireless power transmitter 600 where the charge mode is set to fast charge if a fast charge is needed at any point in the power transfer phase.

Of course, the wireless power transmitter 600 and the wireless power receiver can control the internal operation so that power corresponding to the fast charge mode can be sent and received when the charge mode is changed to the fast charge mode. For example, when the charging mode is changed from the normal low-power charging mode to the fast-charging mode, the overvoltage determination criterion, the over temperature criterion, the low-voltage / high- Level (Optimum Voltage Level), power control offset, and the like can be changed and set.

For example, when the charging mode is changed from the normal low-power charging mode to the fast-charging mode, the threshold voltage for determining the overvoltage may be set to be high enough to enable fast charging. As another example, the critical temperature for determining whether overheating occurs may be set high considering the temperature rise due to fast charging. As another example, the power control offset value, which means the minimum level at which the power at the transmitter is controlled, may be set to a larger value than the general low-power charging mode so that it can converge quickly to the desired target power level in the fast-charge mode.

7 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a wireless power transmission system of an electromagnetic resonance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the wireless power transmission system may be configured to include a wireless power transmitter 710 and a wireless power receiver 720.

Although the wireless power transmitter 710 is shown in FIG. 7 as transmitting wireless power to one wireless power receiver 720, this is only one embodiment, and the wireless power 720 according to another embodiment of the present invention Transmitter 710 may send wireless power to a plurality of wireless power receivers 720. It should be noted that the wireless power receiver 720 according to yet another embodiment may receive wireless power from multiple wireless power transmitters 710 at the same time.

The wireless power transmitter 710 may generate a magnetic field using a specific power transmission frequency to transmit power to the wireless power receiver 720.

The wireless power receiver 720 may be tuned to receive power at the same frequency as that used by the wireless power transmitter 710. [

As an example, the frequency for power transmission may be, but is not limited to, the 6.78 MHz band.

That is, the power transmitted by the wireless power transmitter 710 may be communicated to a wireless power receiver 720 that is in resonance with the wireless power transmitter 710.

The maximum number of wireless power receivers 720 capable of receiving power from one wireless power transmitter 710 is determined by the maximum transmission power level of the wireless power transmitter 710, the maximum power receiving level of the wireless power receiver 720, May be determined based on the physical structure of power transmitter 710 and wireless power receiver 720.

The wireless power transmitter 710 and the wireless power receiver 720 may perform bidirectional communication in a frequency band different from the frequency band for the wireless power transmission-that is, the resonant frequency band. For example, bi-directional communication may be a half-duplex Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication protocol.

The wireless power transmitter 710 and the wireless power receiver 720 may exchange their characteristics and status information, i. E., Power negotiation information, via the bidirectional communication.

In one example, the wireless power receiver 720 may transmit certain power reception state information for controlling the power level received from the wireless power transmitter 710 to the wireless power transmitter 710 via bi-directional communication, 710 may dynamically control the transmit power level based on the received power reception state information. Accordingly, the wireless power transmitter 710 not only can optimize the power transmission efficiency, but also has a function of preventing a load breakage due to an over-voltage, a function of preventing unnecessary power from being wasted due to an under-voltage And the like can be provided.

The wireless power transmitter 710 also performs functions such as authenticating and identifying wireless power receiver 720 via bi-directional communication, identifying incompatible devices or non-rechargeable objects, identifying a valid load, and the like You may.

Hereinafter, a wireless power transmission process of a resonance method will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The wireless power transmitter 710 includes a power supplier 711, a power conversion unit 712, a matching circuit 713, a transmission resonator 714, , 715, and a communication unit (communication unit) 716. The communication unit may include a data transmitter and a data receiver.

The power supply unit 711 may supply a specific supply voltage to the power conversion unit 712 under the control of the main control unit 715. At this time, the supply voltage may be a DC voltage or an AC voltage.

The power conversion unit 721 can convert the voltage received from the power supply unit 711 into a specific voltage under the control of the main control unit 715. [ For this, the power conversion unit 721 may include at least one of a DC / DC converter, an AC / DC converter, and a power amplifier.

The matching circuit 713 is a circuit that matches the impedance between the power conversion section 721 and the transmission resonator 714 in order to maximize the power transmission efficiency.

The transmission resonator 714 can transmit power wirelessly using a specific resonance frequency according to the voltage applied from the matching circuit 713. [

The wireless power receiver 720 includes a reception resonator 721, a rectifier 722, a DC-DC converter 723, a load 724, a main controller 725 And a communication unit (communication unit) 726. The communication unit may include a data transmitter and a data receiver.

The reception resonator 721 can receive the power transmitted by the transmission resonator 714 through the resonance phenomenon.

The rectifier 721 can perform a function of converting an AC voltage applied from the reception resonator 721 to a DC voltage.

The DC-DC converter 723 may convert the rectified DC voltage to a specific DC voltage required for the load 724. [

The main control unit 725 controls the operation of the rectifier 722 and the DC-DC converter 723 or generates the characteristic and status information of the wireless power receiver 720 and controls the communication unit 726 to control the wireless power transmitter 710, To transmit the characteristics and state information of the wireless power receiver 720 to the base station. The main control unit 725 can control the operation of the rectifier 722 and the DC-DC converter 723 by monitoring the intensity of the output voltage and current at the rectifier 722 and the DC-DC converter 723 have.

The monitored output voltage and current intensity information can be transmitted to the wireless power transmitter 710 in real time via the communication unit 726. [

Also, the main control unit 725 compares the rectified DC voltage with a predetermined reference voltage to determine whether it is an over-voltage state or an under-voltage state, and if a system error state is detected The wireless power transmitter 710 may transmit the detection result to the wireless power transmitter 710 through the communication unit 726. [

The main control unit 725 also controls the operation of the rectifier 722 and the DC-DC converter 723 to prevent the load from being damaged if a system error condition is detected, or a predetermined overcurrent An interrupting circuit may be used to control the power applied to the load 724.

7, the main control units 715 and 725 and the communication units 716 and 726 are shown as being composed of different modules, but this is merely one embodiment, and another embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the main control unit 715, and 725 and the communication units 716 and 726 may be configured as a single module.

8 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a wireless power transmission system of an electromagnetic resonance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In detail, Fig. 8 shows the interface points on the equivalent circuit in which the reference parameters to be described later are measured.

Hereinafter, the meaning of the reference parameters shown in FIG. 8 will be briefly described.

I _TX and I _{TX _COIL} mean the RMS (Root Mean Square) current applied to the matching circuit (or matching network) 801 of the wireless power transmitter and the RMS current applied to the transmitting resonator coil 802 of the wireless power transmitter, respectively do.

And Z and Z _{TX TX _IN _IN_COIL} means the input impedance at each input impedance of the matching circuit 801, the front end of the wireless power transmitter (Input Impedance) and the matching circuit 801 and the rear end transmission resonator coil 802 shear.

L1 and L2 denote the inductance value of the transmitting resonator coil 802 and the inductance value of the receiving resonator coil 803, respectively.

Z _{RX _IN} means the input impedance of the matching circuit 804 and the rear end filter / rectifier / load 805. The front end of the wireless power receiver.

The resonance frequency used in operation of the wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be 6.78 MHz ± 15 kHz.

In addition, a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment may provide simultaneous charging - i.e., multi-charging - for a plurality of wireless power receivers, in which case the remaining wireless power receivers Can be controlled so as not to exceed a predetermined reference value. For example, the received power variation may be +/- 10%, but is not limited thereto.

The condition for maintaining the received power variation should not overlap the existing wireless power receiver when the wireless power receiver is added to or removed from the charging area.

When the matching circuit 804 of the wireless power receiver is connected to a rectifier, the real part of the Z _{TX - - IN} may be inversely related to the load resistance of the rectifier - hereinafter referred to as R _RECT . That is, an increase in R _RECT may decrease Z _{TX_IN,} and a decrease in R _RECT may increase Z _{TX_IN} .

The resonator coupling efficiency according to the present invention is the maximum power reception ratio calculated by dividing the power transmitted from the receiving resonator coil to the load 804 by the power supplied to the resonant frequency band in the transmitting resonator coil 802 have. Resonator matching efficiency between the wireless power transmitter and wireless power receiver can be calculated if the reference port impedance (Z _{TX_IN)} and receiving a reference port impedance (Z _{_IN RX)} of the cavity resonator is a transmission that is perfectly matched.

9 is a state transition diagram for explaining a state transition procedure in a wireless power transmitter of an electromagnetic resonance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9, the state of the wireless power transmitter is largely divided into a configuration state 910, a power save state 920, a low power state 930, a power transfer state 930, 940, a Local Fault State 950, and a Latching Fault State 960.

When power is applied to the wireless power transmitter, the wireless power transmitter can transition to the configuration state 910. [ The wireless power transmitter may transition to a power saving state 920 when a predetermined reset timer expires in the configuration state 910 or the initialization procedure is completed.

In the power saving state 920, the wireless power transmitter may generate a beacon sequence and transmit it via the resonant frequency band.

Here, the wireless power transmitter can control the beacon sequence to be started within a predetermined time after entering the power saving state 920. [ For example, the wireless power transmitter may control, but is not limited to, initiating the beacon sequence within 50 ms of the power saving state transition 920.

In the power saving state 920, the wireless power transmitter periodically generates and transmits a first beacon sequence for sensing a wireless power receiver, and detects a change in impedance of the reception resonator, that is, a load variation . Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the first beacon and the first beacon sequence will be referred to as Short Beacon and Short Beacon sequences, respectively.

In particular, Short Beacon sequences are generated repeatedly with a short period (t _{SHORT _BEACON)} a predetermined time interval (t _CYCLE) to be a standby power of the wireless transmitter power saving until the wireless power receiver detection may be transmitted. For example, t _{SHORT _BEACON} is less than 30ms, t _CYCLE can be respectively set to 250ms ± 5 ms. Also, the current intensity of the short beacon is not less than a predetermined reference value, and can be gradually increased for a predetermined time period. In one example, the minimum current intensity of the Short Beacon may be set high enough such that the category 2 or higher wireless power receiver of Table 2 can be detected.

The wireless power transmitter according to the present invention may be provided with a sensing means for sensing reactance and resistance change in the reception resonator according to the short beacon.

Also, in the power saving state 920, the wireless power transmitter may periodically generate and transmit a second beacon sequence for providing sufficient power for the booting and response of the wireless power receiver. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the second beacon and the second beacon sequence will be referred to as Long Beacon and Long Beacon sequences, respectively.

That is, the wireless power receiver may broadcast a predetermined response signal over the out-of-band communication channel when booting is completed via the second beacon sequence.

In particular, the long beacon sequence may be generated and transmitted at a constant time interval (t _{LONG _BEACON_PERIOD} ) during a relatively long interval (t _{LONG_BEACON} ) compared to the Short Beacon to provide sufficient power for booting the wireless power receiver. For example, t _{LONG _BEACON} can be set to 105 ms + 5 ms, and t _{LONG _BEACON_PERIOD} can be set to ₈₅₀ ms, respectively. The current intensity of the long beacon can be relatively strong compared to the current intensity of the short beacon. In addition, the long beacon can maintain the power of a constant intensity during the transmission interval.

Thereafter, the wireless power transmitter may wait for the reception of a predetermined response signal during the long beacon transmission interval after the impedance change of the reception resonator is detected. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the response signal will be referred to as an advertisement signal. Here, the wireless power receiver may broadcast an advertisement signal over an out-of-band communication frequency band that is different from the resonant frequency band.

In one example, the advertisement signal includes message identification information for identifying a message defined in the out-of-band communication standard, a unique service for identifying whether the wireless power receiver is legitimate or compatible with the wireless power transmitter, Information on the output power of the wireless power receiver, information on the rated voltage / current applied to the load, information on the antenna gain of the wireless power receiver, information on identifying the category of the wireless power receiver, wireless power receiver authentication information, Information about whether or not the wireless power receiver is installed, and software version information mounted on the wireless power receiver.

The wireless power transmitter may establish an out-of-band communication link with the wireless power receiver after transitioning from a power saving state 920 to a low power state 930, when an advertisement signal is received. Subsequently, the wireless power transmitter may perform the registration procedure for the wireless power receiver over the established out-of-band communication link. For example, if out-of-band communication is a Bluetooth low-power communication, the wireless power transmitter may perform Bluetooth pairing with the wireless power receiver and exchange at least one of the status information, characteristic information, and control information of each other via the paired Bluetooth link have.

When the wireless power transmitter transmits a predetermined control signal for initiating charging via out-of-band communication in a low power state 930 (i.e., a predetermined control signal requesting the wireless power receiver to transmit power to the load) to the wireless power receiver , The state of the wireless power transmitter may transition from the low power state 930 to the power transfer state 940. [

If the out-of-band communication link establishment procedure or registration procedure in the low power state 930 is not completed normally, the state of the wireless power transmitter may transition from the low power state 930 to the power saving state 920. [

The wireless power transmitter may be driven with a separate Link Expiration Timer for connection to each wireless power receiver and the wireless power receiver may transmit a predetermined message indicating that it is present in the wireless power transmitter at a predetermined time period Should be sent before the link expiration timer expires. The link expiration timer is reset each time the message is received, and the out-of-band communication link established between the wireless power receiver and the wireless power receiver may be maintained if the link expiration timer does not expire.

If all of the link expiration timers corresponding to the out-of-band communication link established between the wireless power transmitter and the at least one wireless power receiver have expired in the low power state 930 or the power transfer state 940, May transition to power saving state 920. [

In addition, the wireless power transmitter in the low power state 930 may drive a predetermined registration timer when a valid ad signal is received from the wireless power receiver. At this time, if the registration timer expires, the wireless power transmitter in low power state 930 may transition to power saving state 920. [ At this time, the wireless power transmitter may output a predetermined notification signal notifying the registration failure through a notification display means provided in the wireless power transmitter, for example, an LED lamp, a display screen, a beeper, have.

Further, in the power transfer state 940, the wireless power transmitter may transition to a low power state 930 upon completion of charging all connected wireless power receivers.

In particular, the wireless power receiver may allow registration of a new wireless power receiver in states other than the configuration state 910, the local failure state 950, and the lock failure state 960. [

In addition, the wireless power transmitter can dynamically control the transmit power based on state information received from the wireless power receiver in the power transmit state 940. [

At this time, the receiver status information transmitted from the wireless power receiver to the wireless power transmitter may include information on required power information, voltage and / or current information measured at the rear end of the rectifier, charge status information, overcurrent and / or overvoltage and / Information indicating whether or not the means for interrupting or reducing the electric power delivered to the load in accordance with the information, the overcurrent, or the overvoltage is activated. At this time, the receiver status information may be transmitted at a predetermined period or transmitted every time a specific event is generated. In addition, the means for interrupting or reducing the electric power delivered to the load in accordance with the overcurrent or overvoltage may be provided using at least one of an ON / OFF switch and a zener diode.

The receiver status information transmitted from the wireless power receiver to the wireless power transmitter according to another embodiment of the present invention includes information indicating that the external power is connected to the wireless power receiver by wire, information indicating that the out-of-band communication method is changed, And may be changed from NFC (Near Field Communication) to BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a wireless power transmitter is configured to determine a power intensity to be received by a wireless power receiver based on at least one of the currently available power, the priority of each wireless power receiver, May be adaptively determined. Here, the power intensity for each wireless power receiver can be determined as to how much power should be received at a ratio of the maximum power that can be processed by the rectifier of the corresponding wireless power receiver.

The wireless power transmitter may then send a predetermined power control command to the wireless power receiver that includes information regarding the determined power strength. At this time, the wireless power receiver can determine whether power control is possible with the power intensity determined by the wireless power transmitter, and transmit the determination result to the wireless power transmitter through the predetermined power control response message.

The wireless power receiver according to another embodiment of the present invention may transmit predetermined receiver state information indicating whether wireless power control is possible according to a power control command of the wireless power transmitter before receiving the power control command.

The power transmission state 940 may be in any one of a first state 941, a second state 942 and a third state 943 depending on the power reception state of the connected wireless power receiver.

In one example, the first state 941 may indicate that the power reception state of all wireless power receivers connected to the wireless power transmitter is in a normal voltage state.

The second state 942 may mean that there is no wireless power receiver in which the power reception state of at least one wireless power receiver connected to the wireless power transmitter is in a low voltage state and in a high voltage state.

The third state 943 may mean that the power reception state of at least one wireless power receiver connected to the wireless power transmitter is in a high voltage state.

The wireless power transmitter may transition to a lock fault condition 960 if a system fault is detected in a power saving state 920 or a low power state 930 or a power transmission state 940

The wireless power transmitter of the lock fault condition 960 may transition to either a configuration state 910 or a power saving state 920 if all connected wireless power receivers are determined to have been removed from the charging area.

Further, in the lock fault condition 960, the wireless power transmitter may transition to a local fault condition 950 if a local fault is detected. Here, the wireless power transmitter, which is the local failure state 950, may transition back to the lock failure state 960 once the local failure is released.

On the other hand, when transitioning from a state of either configuration state 910, power saving state 920, low power state 930, or power transfer state 940 to local fault state 950, If released, it may transition to configuration state 910.

The wireless power transmitter may shut off the power supplied to the wireless power transmitter if it transitions to the local fault condition 950. [ For example, the wireless power transmitter may transition to a local fault condition (950) upon detection of a fault, such as overvoltage, overcurrent, or overtemperature, but is not limited thereto.

For example, the wireless power transmitter may transmit a predetermined power control command to the connected at least one wireless power receiver to reduce the strength of the power received by the wireless power receiver, if an over-current, over-voltage,

In another example, the wireless power transmitter may send a predetermined control command to the connected at least one wireless power receiver to stop the charging of the wireless power receiver if an overcurrent, overvoltage, overheating, or the like is sensed.

Through the above-described power control procedure, the wireless power transmitter can prevent the device from being damaged due to overvoltage, overcurrent, overheat or the like.

The wireless power transmitter may transition to the lock fault condition 960 if the intensity of the output current of the transmit resonator is above a reference value. At this time, the wireless power transmitter transited to the lock failure state 960 may attempt to make the intensity of the output current of the transmission resonator lower than a reference value for a predetermined time. Here, the attempt may be repeated for a predetermined number of times. If the lock failure condition 960 is not released despite repeated execution, the wireless power transmitter transmits a predetermined notification signal indicating that the lock failure state 960 is not released to the user using a predetermined notification means can do. At this time, if all of the wireless power receivers located in the charging area of the wireless power transmitter are removed from the charging area by the user, the locking failure state 960 may be released.

On the other hand, if the intensity of the output current of the transmission resonator falls below the reference value within a predetermined time, or if the intensity of the output current of the transmission resonator falls below the reference value during the predetermined repetitive execution, the lock failure state 960 is automatically released At which time the state of the wireless power transmitter may automatically transition from the lockout fault state 960 to the power saving state 920 to perform the detection and identification procedure again for the wireless power receiver.

The wireless power transmitter in the power transmission state 940 can transmit the continuous power and adaptively control the transmit power based on the state information of the wireless power receiver and the predefined optimal voltage region setting parameters have.

For example, the Optimal Voltage Region setting parameter may include at least one of a parameter for identifying the low voltage region, a parameter for identifying the optimum voltage region, a parameter for identifying the high voltage region, and a parameter for identifying the overvoltage region .

The wireless power transmitter can increase the transmission power if the power reception state of the wireless power receiver is in the low voltage region, and reduce the transmission power if it is in the high voltage region.

The wireless power transmitter may also control the transmit power to maximize the power transmission efficiency.

The wireless power transmitter may also control the transmit power so that the deviation of the amount of power required by the wireless power receiver is below a reference value.

The wireless power transmitter may also stop transmitting power when the rectifier output voltage of the wireless power receiver reaches a predetermined overvoltage range-that is, when Over Voltage is detected.

10 is a state transition diagram of an electromagnetic resonance type wireless power receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10, the state of the wireless power receiver is largely divided into a disabled state 1010, a boot state 1020, an enabled state 1030 (or an On state), and a system error state System Error State, 1040).

At this time, the state of the wireless power receiver may be determined based on the intensity of the output voltage at the rectifier end of the wireless power receiver - hereinafter referred to as V _RECT for convenience of explanation.

The activated state 1030 may be divided into an optimum voltage state 1031, a low voltage state 1032, and a high voltage state 1033 according to the value of V _RECT .

The wireless power receiver in the inactive state 1010 may transition to the boot state 1020 if the measured V _RECT value is greater than or equal to the predefined V _{RECT_BOOT} value.

The boot state 1020, the wireless power receiver may set the out-of-band communication link with a wireless power transmitter, and V _RECT And wait until the value reaches the required power at the lower end.

The wireless power receiver in the boot state 1020 receives the V _RECT When it is confirmed that the value reaches the required power at the lower stage, the charging state can be shifted to the activated state 1030 to start charging.

The wireless power receiver in the active state 1030 may transition to the boot state 1020 if it is confirmed that the charging is complete or the charging is interrupted.

In addition, the wireless power receiver in the active state 1030 may transition to a system fault state 1040 if a predetermined system fault is detected. Here, system faults may include overvoltage, overcurrent, and overheating, as well as other predefined system fault conditions.

In addition, the wireless power receiver in the active state 1030 may be a V _RECT If the value falls below the V _{RECT _BOOT} value, it may transition to the inactive state 1010.

In addition, the wireless power receiver in the boot state 1020 or the system fault state 1040 may transition to the inactive state 1010 if the V _RECT value falls below the V _{RECT_BOOT} value.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a wireless charging procedure of an electromagnetic resonance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the wireless power transmitter may generate a beacon sequence and transmit the beacon sequence through a transmission resonator when booting is completed (S1101).

When the beacon sequence is detected, the wireless power receiver can broadcast an advertisement signal including its identification information and characteristic information (S1103). It should be noted that the advertisement signal may be repeatedly transmitted at predetermined intervals until a connection request signal, which will be described later, is received from the wireless power transmitter.

When the wireless power transmitter receives the advertisement signal, it may transmit a predetermined connection request signal to the wireless power receiver to establish an out-of-band communication link (S1105).

Upon receiving the connection request signal, the wireless power receiver may establish an out-of-band communication link and transmit its static status information over the established out-of-band communication link (S1107).

Here, the static state information of the wireless power receiver includes category information, hardware and software version information, maximum rectifier output power information, initial reference parameter information for power control, information on demand voltage or power, Information about a supportable out-of-band communication method, information about a supportable power control algorithm, and preferred rectifier voltage value information initially set in the wireless power receiver.

The wireless power transmitter may transmit the static state information of the wireless power transmitter to the wireless power receiver via the out-of-band communication link when the static state information of the wireless power receiver is received (S1109).

Here, the static state information of the wireless power transmitter includes at least one of transmitter power information, class information, hardware and software version information, information on the maximum number of supportable wireless power receivers, and / or information on the number of currently connected wireless power receivers And may be configured to include one.

Thereafter, the wireless power receiver monitors its real-time power receiving and charging status and may transmit dynamic state information to the wireless power transmitter at periodic or specific event occurrence (S1111).

Here, the dynamic state information of the wireless power receiver includes information on the rectifier output voltage and current, information on the voltage and current applied to the load, information on the internal measured temperature of the wireless power receiver, reference parameter change information A rectified voltage minimum value, a rectified voltage maximum value, and an initially set preferred rectifier terminal voltage change value), charging state information, system error information, and alarm information. The wireless power transmitter may perform power adjustment by changing a set value included in the existing static state information when receiving the reference parameter change information for the power control.

In addition, the wireless power transmitter may control the wireless power receiver to initiate charging by sending a predetermined control command over the out-of-band communication link when sufficient power is available to charge the wireless power receiver (S1113).

Thereafter, the wireless power transmitter may receive dynamic state information from the wireless power receiver and dynamically control the transmit power (S1115).

The wireless power receiver may also transmit to the wireless power transmitter data to identify the system error in the dynamic state information and / or data indicating that charging is complete if an internal system error is detected or the charging is completed S1117). Here, the system error may include overcurrent, overvoltage, overheating, and the like.

The wireless power transmitter according to another embodiment of the present invention redistributes the power to be transmitted to each wireless power receiver when it can not meet the required power of all the wireless power receivers to which the available power is connected, To the corresponding wireless power receiver.

In addition, if a new wireless power receiver is registered during wireless charging, the wireless power transmitter redistributes the power to be received per connected wireless power receiver based on the current available power and transmits it to the corresponding wireless power receiver through a predetermined control command It might

In addition, the wireless power transmitter may be configured such that when the charging of an existing connected wireless power receiver during wireless charging is completed or the out-of-band communication link is released-for example, when the wireless power receiver is removed from the charging area- It may redistribute the power to be received by the wireless power receiver and transmit it to the corresponding wireless power receiver through a predetermined control command.

In addition, the wireless power transmitter may determine whether the wireless power receiver is equipped with a power control function through a predetermined control procedure. In this case, the wireless power transmitter may perform the power redistribution only for the wireless power receiver equipped with the power control function when the power redistribution condition occurs.

In one example, the power redistribution situation may include receiving a valid advertisement signal from an unconnected wireless power receiver to receive a dynamic parameter indicating a new wireless power receiver's current state or the like of a connected wireless power receiver, This may occur if an event such as no longer exists or an already connected wireless power receiver has been charged, or an alarm message is received indicating a system error condition of the connected wireless power receiver has occurred have.

Here, the system error state may include an overvoltage state, an overcurrent state, an overheated state, a network connection state, and the like.

In one example, the wireless power transmitter may transmit power redistribution related information to a wireless power receiver via a predetermined control command.

Here, the power redistribution related information includes a wireless power transmitter command for power control,

As an example, the wireless power transmitter can determine whether a new wireless power receiver is registered and can provide the amount of power required by the wireless power receiver based on its available power. As a result of the determination, if the requested amount of power exceeds the amount of available power, the wireless power transmitter can confirm whether or not the power control function is mounted on the corresponding wireless power receiver. As a result, if the power control function is implemented, the wireless power receiver may determine the amount of power that the wireless power receiver will receive within the available power amount and transmit the determined result to the wireless power receiver through a predetermined control command.

Of course, the power redistribution may be performed within a range in which the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver can operate normally and / or within a range in which normal charging is possible.

A wireless power receiver according to another embodiment of the present invention can support a plurality of out-of-band communication methods. If the currently set out-of-band communication link is to be changed in a different manner, the wireless power receiver may send a predetermined control signal to the wireless power transmitter requesting an out-of-band communication change. When the out-of-band communication change request signal is received, the wireless power transmitter can release the currently set out-of-band communication link and establish a new out-of-band communication link in the out-of-band communication mode requested by the wireless power receiver.

For example, the out-of-band communication method applicable to the present invention includes NFC (Near Field Communication) communication, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) communication, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication, WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) Term Evolution / LTE-Advance communication, and Wi-Fi communication.

As described above, the wireless charging system may vary in electromagnetic induction, electromagnetic resonance, and RF wireless power transmission. Even if power transmission is performed according to the same power transmission scheme, the wireless charging system may operate according to standards defined by different standards organizations. can be different.

In such a situation, carrying a plurality of wireless power transmission devices corresponding to each wireless power receiver may cause a lot of inconvenience to the user. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, a wireless power transmitter incorporating a plurality of wireless power transmission schemes and a plurality of wireless power transmission standard standards will be described.

12 is a flow chart for explaining a method of controlling a foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the sensing unit detects folding or unfolding of a foldable connection portion capable of folding or unfolding (S1210).

The foldable wireless power transmitter may include a foldable or foldable foldable connection. The foldable connection can interconnect a plurality of charging planes and, depending on the situation, the foldable wireless power transmitter can be deployed or folded.

When charging a terminal (e.g., a watch, a cellular phone) that includes a small-size wireless power receiver, the foldable wireless power transmitter may operate in a folded state and may include a terminal For example, tablet PCs, notebooks), the foldable wireless power transmitter can be deployed and used.

At this time, the folded filling plane may not be activated, and the sensing unit may sense folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit, and may transmit folding or unfolding information to the control unit.

The control unit determines at least one of the plurality of charge planes for activating the power transmission according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit (S1220).

Each of the plurality of charge planes may include a respective charge pad corresponding to a configuration of at least one transmit coil included in each of the plurality of charge planes. In other words, each of the plurality of charging planes may include at least one transmitting coil, and each of the transmitting coils may be arranged in the charging plane in different sizes and shapes. The charging pad may be located on the charging plane depending on the arrangement of the transmitting coil.

The control unit may determine a charge plane to transmit power wirelessly based on the spread or fold information received from the sensing unit. For example, the control unit may control to activate the expanded charge plane among the plurality of charge planes, and deactivate the overlapping charge planes.

Each of the plurality of charging planes can perform wireless power transmission according to any one of an electromagnetic induction method, an electromagnetic resonance method, and an RF wireless power transmission method. However, the present invention is not limited to these wireless power transmission schemes.

In addition, each of the plurality of charge planes may perform wireless power transmission according to any one of a wireless power consortium (WPC), a power matters Alliance (PMA), and a wireless charging scheme defined by an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) It is not limited to the wireless charging scheme defined by these standards bodies.

Each of the plurality of charge planes may have a different amount of power to be transmitted. For example, one of the plurality of charging planes may transmit an amount of power of 5W to the wireless power receiver as an output, and the other may transmit an amount of power of 15W.

The power transfer unit may supply the power signal to the charge plane to be activated (S1230).

When the control unit determines the charge plane to be activated for the power transmission, the power transfer unit may supply the power signal to the charge plane to be activated and transmit the power to the wireless power receiver.

13 is a view for explaining a folded state of a foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the foldable wireless power transmitter may include a plurality of charging planes 1300, and each charging plane 1300 may include at least one charging pad 1310.

The charging pad 1310 may be shaped differently depending on the arrangement structure of the transmission coils disposed in the charging plane 1300. [ As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission coil may have a structure in which a plurality of transmission coils are overlapped with each other to form a layer, and is not limited to the arrangement structure and the number as shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining an unfolding operation of the foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a view for explaining an unfolded state of the foldable wireless power transmitter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 14, the foldable wireless power transmitter may be configured in two stages including two charge planes 1410 and 1420.

Depending on the usage environment, only one charging plane can be used in a state as shown in FIG. 13, which is a folded state, and another charging plane can be expanded and used to charge a terminal having a large size or to charge several terminals simultaneously.

Referring to FIG. 15, the foldable wireless power transmitter may include a first charging plane 1510 and a second charging plane 1520.

Depending on the arrangement of the transmitting coils disposed in the charging plane, each charging plane may include different types of charging pads 1511, 1521.

For example, the first charging plane 1510 may transmit power in accordance with the electromagnetic induction method, and the second charging plane may transmit power in accordance with the electromagnetic resonance method. The user can unfold the foldable wireless power transmitter to simultaneously use both the electromagnetic induction type terminal and the electromagnetic resonance type terminal.

Each of the first charging plane 1510 and the second charging plane 1520 can proceed with a power transfer procedure defined in the electromagnetic induction method and the electromagnetic resonance method. In other words, the first charge plane 1510 supporting the electromagnetic induction method can generate a ping signal to continuously check whether an object exists on the charge plane, and the second charge plane 1520 supporting the electromagnetic resonance method can be used as the first charge plane 1510, A beacon signal can be generated to search for an electroluminescent receiver located in the periphery. Each of the ping signals and the beacon signals can avoid mutual interference by using different frequencies from each other.

16 is a view for explaining a foldable connection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

16, the foldable wireless power transmitter may include a first fill pad 1610 in a first fill plane and a second fill pad 1620 in a second fill plane, And a foldable connection 1630 interconnecting the first charging plane and the adjacent second charging plane.

The foldable wireless power transmitter may include a plurality of foldable connections. The foldable connection 1630 can connect adjacent charging planes at their locations. Thus, if the foldable wireless power transmitter includes N charging planes, then the number of foldable connections 1630 may be N-1.

The foldable connection portion 1630 may include a coil connection portion that interconnects or disconnects the respective transmission coils included in the charging plane adjacent to the corresponding foldable connection portion 1630. [

The foldable connection unit 1630 can interconnect the transmission coils included in the adjacent charging planes to enlarge the charging area by eliminating the area where power transmission is impossible between the charging planes. Of course, the transmitting coil to be connected may be between the transmitting coils operating according to the same power transmission scheme.

The control unit, which receives information on the spreading or folding of the filling plane from the sensing unit, can control connection or disconnection of the coil connection unit included in the foldable connection unit 1630.

In one embodiment, the coil connection may be implemented as a switch and may connect the transmit coil of an adjacent charge plane through an open or short of the switch.

The current flowing in the transmission coil of the first charging pad 1610 and the transmission coil of the second charging pad 1620 is connected by a coil connection portion and the coil connection portion can generate a magnetic field for power transmission have. Thus, wireless power transmission may also be possible at a location located between adjacent charging planes.

FIG. 17 is a view for explaining the unfolding operation of the three-tiered foldable connection according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a view for explaining the unfolding operation of the three-tiered foldable connection according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig.

Referring to FIG. 17, the foldable wireless power transmitter may be a three-stage wireless power transmitter including three charging planes.

For example, after power transmission is activated only in one charge plane operating in an electromagnetic induction manner (S1710), another folded charge plane may be unfolded (S1720, S1730) in a situation where a wider fill region is required. If it is necessary to charge the terminal of the electromagnetic resonance type in such a situation, the folded third charge plane may be unfolded and used (S1740, S1750).

Referring to FIG. 18, the user can simultaneously use the folded foldable wireless power transmitter S1810 by extending the second charge plane and the third charge plane (S1820, S1830)

The method according to the above-described embodiments may be implemented as a program to be executed by a computer and stored in a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD- , A floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet).

The computer readable recording medium may be distributed over a networked computer system so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. And, functional program, code, and code segments for implementing the above-described method can be easily inferred by programmers in the technical field to which the embodiment belongs.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.

Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A foldable connection capable of folding or unfolding;
A plurality of charging planes for activating the power transmission according to folding or unfolding of the foldable connection portion;
A power transmission unit for supplying a power signal to at least one of the plurality of charging planes; And
A control unit for determining a charge plane to be activated upon folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit; / RTI >
Each of the plurality of charge planes comprising at least one transmit coil,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein each of the plurality of charge planes comprises:
Each of said plurality of charging planes comprising a respective charging pad corresponding to a configuration of at least one transmission coil,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
Activating an expanded charge plane of the plurality of charge planes, and deactivating the overlapping charge planes,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein each of the charging planes performs wireless power transmission according to any one of an electromagnetic induction method, an electromagnetic resonance method, and an RF wireless power transmission method,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Each of the charge planes performs wireless power transmission according to any one of a wireless power consortium (WPC), a power matters Alliance (PMA), and a wireless charging scheme defined by an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP)
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Each of the transmission coils being arranged in a different size and shape,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the folder-
And a coil connection portion for interconnecting or disconnecting each of the transmission coils included in the charging plane adjacent to the corresponding foldable connection portion,
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
A sensing unit for detecting folding or unfolding of the foldable connection unit;
≪ / RTI >
Wireless power transmitter. The method according to claim 1,
Each of the filling planes
Different amounts of power to transmit,
Wireless power transmitter. Sensing a folding or unfolding of the foldable connection portion capable of folding or unfolding the sensing portion;
The control unit determining at least any one of the plurality of charge planes for activating the power transmission according to the folding or unfolding of the foldable connection; And
Wherein the power transmitting unit supplies the power signal to the charge plane to be activated,
Each of the plurality of charge planes comprising at least one transmit coil,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein each of the plurality of charge planes comprises:
Each of said plurality of charging planes comprising a respective charging pad corresponding to a configuration of at least one transmission coil,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the determining of the charge plane to be activated comprises:
Activating an expanded charge plane of the plurality of charge planes and deactivating the overlapping charge planes;
/ RTI >
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein each of the charging planes performs wireless power transmission according to any one of an electromagnetic induction method, an electromagnetic resonance method, and an RF wireless power transmission method,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Each of the charge planes performs wireless power transmission according to any one of a wireless power consortium (WPC), a power matters Alliance (PMA), and a wireless charging scheme defined by an Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP)
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Each of the transmission coils being arranged in a different size and shape,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the folder-
And a coil connection portion for interconnecting or disconnecting each of the transmission coils included in the charging plane adjacent to the corresponding foldable connection portion,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. 11. The method of claim 10,
Each of the filling planes
Different amounts of power to transmit,
A method for controlling a wireless power transmitter. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

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