Network-based wireless power control method, and wireless power control device and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018091002-A1
Application number	US-201615568112-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention relates to a network-based wireless power control method, and a device and a system therefor. A wireless power control method, in a wireless power transmission device which wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power reception device, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: transmitting a first signal via a first frequency band when a power source is applied; when a second signal corresponding to the first signal is received via a second frequency band, measuring the first reception sensitivity of the second signal; receiving second to n-th reception sensitivities corresponding to the second signal from at least one other wireless power transmission device connected via a network; and determining whether power has been wirelessly transmitted to the wireless power reception device, on the basis of the first to n-th reception sensitivities. As such, the present invention has an advantage of being capable of more effectively transmitting power wirelessly by using a wireless power transmission device connected via a network.

First claim

1 . A method for controlling wireless power by a wireless power transmission apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus, the method comprising:
transmitting a first signal through a first frequency band when power is applied; measuring, when a second signal corresponding to the first signal is received through the second frequency band, a first reception sensitivity of the second signal, receiving second to n-th reception sensitivities corresponding to the second signal from at least one other wireless power transmission apparatus connected to a network, a reception sensitivity; and determining whether to transmit wireless power to the wireless power reception apparatus based on the first to n-th reception sensitivities.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when transmission of the wireless power to the wireless power reception apparatus is determined, the wireless power is transmitted through the first frequency band.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a target wireless power transmission apparatus when the first reception sensitivity falls below a reference value during transmission of the wireless power, wherein a handover request message including characteristics and state information about the wireless power reception apparatus is transmitted to the determined target wireless power transmission apparatus over the network.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a target wireless power transmission apparatus when efficiency of power transmission to the wireless power reception apparatus falls below a reference value during transmission of the wireless power, wherein a handover request message including characteristics and state information about the wireless power reception apparatus is transmitted to the determined target wireless power transmission apparatus over the network.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the characteristics and state information about the wireless power reception apparatus comprises at least one of reception sensitivity information about the second signal, identification information about the wireless power reception apparatus, information about a current and a voltage required by the wireless power reception apparatus, information about a charging state of the wireless power reception apparatus, information about a version of software installed on the wireless power reception apparatus, authentication and security information about the wireless power reception apparatus, neighboring and/or candidate wireless power transmission apparatus list information corresponding to the wireless power reception apparatus, sub-in-band channel allocation information allocated to the wireless power reception apparatus, and connection information about the second frequency band corresponding to the wireless power reception apparatus.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein, when the handover request message is received by the target wireless power transmission apparatus, the target wireless power transmission apparatus initiates transmission of the wireless power to the wireless power reception apparatus without performing a separate identification procedure for the wireless power reception apparatus.

7 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
generating a list of candidate wireless power transmission apparatuses based on the first to n-th reception sensitivities, wherein the target wireless power transmission apparatus is determined from the list of candidate wireless power transmission apparatuses.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least one wireless power transmission apparatus included in the list of candidate wireless power transmission apparatuses is controlled to simultaneously supply the wireless power to the wireless power reception apparatus.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the first reception sensitivity to the at least one other wireless power transmission apparatus connected to the network.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first frequency band is a resonance frequency band, the second signal is an advertisement signal broadcast by the wireless power reception apparatus.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first frequency band is a radio frequency band, the second signal is received on an uplink shared channel defined in the second frequency band.

12 . A method for controlling wireless power by a wireless power transmission controller operatively connected with first to n-th wireless power transmission apparatuses, the method comprising:
receiving reception sensitivity information for each of wireless power reception apparatuses connected to the first to n-th wireless power transmission apparatuses; determining at least one wireless power transmission apparatus to transmit power to the wireless power reception apparatus, using the reception sensitivity information; calculating the power to be transmitted to the wireless power reception apparatus by each of the determined at least one wireless power transmission apparatus; and transmitting a power transmission request message including the calculated power information to the determined wireless power transmission apparatus.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving state information about the first to n-th wireless power transmission apparatuses, wherein the determining of the at least one wireless power transmission apparatus is performed further using the state information.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the state information comprises at least one of information about a maximum transmission power intensity, information about the number of currently connected wireless power reception apparatuses, information about a maximum number of serviceable wireless power reception apparatuses, information about the available transmission power, and sub-in-band allocation information allocated for each of the connected wireless power reception apparatuses.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the determining of the at least one wireless power transmission apparatus comprises:
allocating at least one wireless power transmission apparatus having the reception sensitivity greater than or equal to a first reference value for each of the wireless power reception apparatuses to a list of candidate wireless power transmission apparatuses; and extracting a wireless power transmission apparatus having the reception sensitivity greater than or equal to a second reference value from the list of candidate wireless power transmission apparatuses, wherein the power transmission request message is transmitted to the extracted wireless power transmission apparatus.

16 . A wireless power control system comprising:
first to n-th wireless power transmission apparatuses configured to transmit a first signal when power is applied, measure a reception sensitivity of a second signal corresponding to the first signal, and exchange information about the measured reception sensitivity over a network; and a wireless power reception apparatus configured to broadcast the second signal when the first signal is sensed, wherein the first to n-th wireless power transmission apparatuses determine whether to transmit power to the wireless power reception apparatus based on the exchanged reception sensitivity.

17 . The system according to claim 16 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are transmitte

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Su Bin
• Park Soo Young
• Lee Jong Heon

Classifications

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H02J50/80 Primary

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

• H04W36/302

  due to low signal strength · CPC title