Multi-coil based wireless power transmission device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11271436-B2
Application number	US-201816627200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A multi-coil based wireless power transmission device is disclosed that includes a primary coil array forming a magnetic coupling with a secondary coil provided in a wireless power reception device to transmit wireless power to the wireless power reception device; a plurality of inverters connected to a plurality of primary coils one-to-one to selectively drive each of the plurality of primary coils; a communication and control unit controlling the plurality of inverters and communication with the wireless power reception device such that at least one primary coil is driven based on the degree of magnetic coupling formed by each primary coil and the secondary coil, thereby determining output, which can be provided by the primary coil array, within a value obtained by summing all the maximum outputs individually set to the respective primary coils.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power transmission device for transmitting wireless power to a wireless power reception device, the device comprising:
a primary coil array forming magnetic coupling with a secondary coil provided in the wireless power reception device to transmit wireless power to the wireless power reception device, wherein the primary coil array includes a plurality of primary coils each having an individually set maximum output;
a plurality of inverters connected to the plurality of primary coils, respectively, to selectively drive the plurality of primary coils; and
a controller configured to control communication with the wireless power reception device and the plurality of inverters such that at least one primary coil is driven based on a degree of magnetic coupling formed by each primary coil with the secondary coil, thereby determining an output, which can be provided to the wireless power reception device by the primary coil array, within a value obtained by adding all the maximum outputs individually set to the plurality of primary coils,
wherein the plurality of primary coils for transmitting wireless power include four primary coils arranged horizontally in a 2×2 matrix form and vertically overlapping with each other.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein
all the individually set maximum outputs of the plurality of primary coils are equal, and
the output which can be provided by the primary coil array is determined according to the number of the plurality of primary coils included in the primary coil array.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein
when the individually set maximum output is 15 W, a providable output is 15 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving one of the four primary coils, the providable output is 30 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving two of the four primary coils, the providable output is 45 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving three of the four primary coils, and the providable output is 60 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving the four primary coils.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to perform communication with the wireless power reception device based on an amplitude shift keying (ASK) scheme.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is a size of a modulation depth, and a size of the modulation depth of the at least one primary coil is changed over a predetermined range.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is a size of a voltage profile of each of the primary coils, and a voltage profile of the at least one primary coil is changed over a predetermined range.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is the presence or absence of a resonance voltage at each of the primary coil, and the at least one primary coil generates the resonance voltage.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one second cell if the primary coil array is defined as one first cell,
wherein one inverter is connected to one of one primary coil included in the first cell and one primary coil included in the second cell through a switch.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of parallel feedback resistors providing a variable charging voltage.

10. A method for transmitting wireless power to a wireless power reception device, the method comprising:
selectively driving a plurality of primary coils each having an individually set maximum output using a plurality of inverters respectively connected to the plurality of primary coils;
controlling communication with a wireless power reception device and the plurality of inverters such that at least one primary coil is driven based on a degree of magnetic coupling formed by each primary coil with a secondary coil provided in the wireless power reception device;
determining an output which can be provided to the wireless power reception device by a primary coil array including the plurality of primary coils within a value obtained by adding all the maximum outputs individually set to the plurality of primary coils; and
transmitting wireless power to the wireless power reception device through the at least one driven primary coil within the determined output,
wherein the plurality of primary coils for transmitting wireless power include four primary coils arranged horizontally in a 2×2 matrix form and vertically overlapping with each other.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein
all the individually set maximum outputs of the plurality of primary coils are equal, and the output which can be provided by the primary coil array is determined according to the number of the plurality of primary coils included in the primary coil array.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein
when the individually set maximum output is 15 W, a providable output is 15 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving one of the four primary coils, the providable output is 30 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving two of the four primary coils, the providable output is 45 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving three of the four primary coils, and the providable output is 60 W or less based on the plurality of inverters driving the four primary coils.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein
communication with the wireless power reception device is performed based on an amplitude shift keying (ASK) scheme.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is a size of a modulation depth, and a size of the modulation depth of the at least one primary coil is changed over a predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is a size of a voltage profile of each of the primary coils, and a voltage profile of the at least one primary coil is changed over a predetermined range.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the degree of magnetic coupling is the presence or absence of a resonance voltage at each of the primary coil, and the at least one primary coil generates the resonance voltage.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein
at least one second cell is further provided if the primary coil array is defined as one first cell,
wherein one inverter is connected to one of one primary coil included in the first cell and one primary coil included in the second cell through a switch.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Sungkyu
• Seo Jeongkyo
• Park Jinmoo
• Lee Seonghun
• Kwak Bongsik
• Lee Jaesung
• Lee Jihyun
• Yook Gyunghwan
• Park Joonho
• Cho Youngchan

Classifications

• H02J50/12

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H01F38/14

  Inductive couplings {(for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10)} · CPC title

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title

• H02J50/60

  responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title