Systems, apparatus and method for adaptive wireless power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046659-B2
Application number	US-201514863231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmitter is provided. The apparatus comprises an active switching rectifier operably connected to a coupler and configured to operate in a first bridge mode and a second bridge mode. The apparatus comprises a controller configured to adjust an input resistance of the rectifier to a first value that provides a first wireless power transfer efficiency when the rectifier operates in the first bridge mode. The controller is configured to adjust the input resistance of the rectifier to a second value that provides a second wireless power transfer efficiency less than the first wireless power transfer efficiency while operating within one or more operating limitations when the rectifier operates in the second bridge mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmitter, the apparatus comprising:
an active switching rectifier operably connected to a coupler and configured to operate in a first bridge mode and a second bridge mode; and
a controller configured to:
adjust an input resistance of the rectifier to a first value that provides a first wireless power transfer efficiency in response to configuring the rectifier in the first bridge mode, and
adjust the input resistance of the rectifier to a second value that provides a second wireless power transfer efficiency less than the first wireless power transfer efficiency while operating within one or more operating limitations in response to configuring the rectifier in the second bridge mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bridge mode is a half bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is greater than the first value if the coupler is series tuned.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bridge mode is a full bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is less than the first value if the coupler is parallel tuned.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a switching duty cycle of the rectifier based on a current in the wireless power transmitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to select one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of the rectifier and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to select one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of a rectifier in the wireless power transmitter and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless power transfer efficiency is a substantially maximum attainable wireless power transfer efficiency when the input resistance of the rectifier has the first value and the rectifier is operating in the first bridge mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a ratio between a current circulating in the apparatus and a current circulating in the wireless power transmitter in order to adjust the input resistance of the rectifier.

9. A method for wirelessly receiving power from a wireless power transmitter, the method comprising:
adjusting an input resistance of an active switching rectifier operably connected to a coupler to a first value that provides a first wireless power transfer efficiency in response to configuring the rectifier in a first bridge mode,
adjusting the input resistance of the rectifier to a second value that provides a second wireless power transfer efficiency less than the first wireless power transfer efficiency while operating within one or more operating limitations in response to configuring the rectifier in a second bridge mode, and
receiving the wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first bridge mode is a half bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is greater than the first value if the coupler is essentially series tuned.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first bridge mode is a full bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is less than the first value if the coupler is essentially parallel tuned.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising adjusting a switching duty cycle of the rectifier based on a current in the wireless power transmitter.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of the rectifier and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising selecting one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of a rectifier in the wireless power transmitter and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first wireless power transfer efficiency is a substantially maximum attainable wireless power transfer efficiency when the input resistance of the rectifier has the first value and the rectifier is operating in the first bridge mode.

16. The method of claim 9 , comprising adjusting a ratio between a current circulating in the coupler and a current circulating in the wireless power transmitter in order to adjust the input resistance of the rectifier.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power transmitter to:
adjust an input resistance of an active switching rectifier operably connected to a coupler to a first value that provides a first wireless power transfer efficiency in response to configuring the rectifier in a first bridge mode,
adjust the input resistance of the rectifier to a second value that provides a second wireless power transfer efficiency less than the first wireless power transfer efficiency while operating within one or more operating limitations in response to configuring the rectifier in a second bridge mode, and
receive the wireless power from the wireless power transmitter.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the first bridge mode is a half bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is greater than the first value if the coupler is essentially series tuned.

19. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the first bridge mode is a full bridge mode and the second value of the input resistance of the rectifier is less than the first value if the coupler is essentially parallel tuned.

20. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to adjust a switching duty cycle of the rectifier based on a current in the wireless power transmitter.

21. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to select one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of the rectifier and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

22. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to select one of the first bridge mode and the second bridge mode of the rectifier based on a comparison between a switching duty cycle of a rectifier in the wireless power transmitter and one or both of an associated maximum allowable duty cycle and an associated minimum allowable duty cycle.

23. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the first wireless power transfer efficiency is a substantially maximum attainable wireless power transfer efficiency when the input resistance of the rectifier has the first value and the rectifier is operating in the first bridge mode.

24. The medium of claim 17

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Bucher Roman
• Fischer Marcel
• Widmer Hans Peter

Classifications

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• B60L53/12 Primary

  Inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60L2210/30

  AC to DC converters · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title