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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9735583-B2
Application number	US-201013201660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2010
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

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

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of transmitting power via electromagnetic coupling from a transmission charging device to a set of reception devices, wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the method comprising:
calculating by the transmission charging device, a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices; and
when a maximum power that can be transmitted by the transmission charging device to the set of reception devices is less than the first sum,
identifying, among the set of reception devices, whether there are any reception devices defining a second given power level which is lower than its first given power level; and
determining by the transmission charging device, according to the identifying and a predetermined criteria, a subset of reception devices among the set of reception devices, to which the transmission charging device transmits power.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the subset of reception devices is further determined according to at least one of the following:
a priority level of each reception device of the set of reception devices, the priority level defining the priority to receive power from the transmission charging device;
a time sequence in which the transmission charging device detects each reception device of the set of reception devices; and
a maximum number of reception devices to which the transmission charging device can transmit power simultaneously.

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

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

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting power by the transmission charging device to the subset of reception devices, wherein,
when an actual power level needed by a first reception device among the subset of reception devices is below the second given power level defined by the first reception device, power is transmitted to the first reception device according to the actual power level; and
when the actual power level needed by a second reception device among the subset of reception devices is above the second given power level defined by the second reception device, power is transmitted to the second reception device according to the second given power level defined by the second reception device.

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

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

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

9. A transmission control system for controlling a transmission charging device transmitting power to a set of reception devices via electromagnetic coupling, wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the transmission control system comprising:
a first processing circuit configured to calculate, by the transmission charging device, a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices;
a second processing circuit configured to identify, among the set of reception devices, whether there are any reception devices defining a second given power level which is lower than that reception device's first given power level; and
a third processing circuit configured to determine, according to the identifying, a subset of reception devices among the set of reception devices to which the transmission charging device transmits power.

10. The transmission control system according to claim 9 , wherein the third processing circuit is further configured to determine the subset of reception devices according to at least one of the following:
a priority level of each reception device of the set of reception devices, the priority level defining the priority to receive power from the transmission charging device;
a time sequence in which the transmission charging device detects each reception device of the set of reception devices; and
a maximum number of reception devices to which the transmission charging device can transmit power simultaneously.

11. The transmission control system according to claim 9 , wherein the transmission charging device further comprises a transmission element for transmitting power to the subset of reception devices, wherein,
when an actual power level needed by a first reception device among the subset of reception devices is below the second given power level defined by the first reception device, the transmission element transmits power to the first reception device according to the actual power level; and
when an actual power level needed by a second reception device among the subset of reception devices is above the second given power level defined by the second reception device, the transmission element transmits power to the second reception device according to the second given power level defined by the second reception device.

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

13. A transmission charging device to transmit power to a set of reception devices via electromagnetic coupling wherein each reception device defines a first given power level specifying a power requirement required by each reception device, the transmission charging device comprising:
a first circuit configured to calculate a first sum of the first given power levels defined by each reception device of the set of reception devices wherein
when a maximum power th

Assignees

• Van Wageningen Andries
• Staring Antonius Adriaan Maria
• Hilgers Achim
• Waffenschmidt Eberhard
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Van Wageningen Andries
• Staring Antonius Adriaan Maria
• Hilgers Achim
• Waffenschmidt Eberhard

Classifications

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J50/80

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

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title