Wireless charging power receiving unit, coil alignment method and implantable medical device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wireless charging power receiving unit, a coil alignment method and an implantable medical device. The power receiving unit includes: a fixed disk; a coil group, which is rotatably connected to the fixed disk through a connecting rod; a driving device, which is arranged on the fixed disk and drives the connecting rod to rotate relative to the fixed disk; and a controller, which is connected to the driving device signal and controls the operation of the driving device. The wireless charging power receiving unit of the present invention and the coil alignment method applicable to the power receiving unit can adjust the coil of the power receiving unit to the optimal position and realize efficient wireless power transmission with the power transmitting coil. The implantable medical device with the power receiving unit can realize efficient charging of the medical device in the body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wireless charging, and in particular to a power receiving unit, a coil alignment method and an implantable medical device for wireless charging. Background Art

[0002] A common technical solution for wireless charging is to use two coils to achieve wireless transmission of electrical energy through the principles of electromagnetic induction and electromagnetic resonance. One of the two coils is the power supply coil, and the other is the power receiving coil. In order to ensure the efficiency of power transmission, the two coils need to be aligned.

[0003] When wireless charging is used on mobile phones, watches and other devices, the position can be manually adjusted to ensure that the two coils are aligned. However, for some devices that are not easy to move, when using wireless charging, the problem is how to align the coils to improve power supply efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a wireless charging power receiving unit, a coil alignment method and an implantable medical device to achieve automatic coil alignment and ensure charging efficiency. For implantable medical devices, the charging efficiency requirements can be met.

[0005] The wireless charging power receiving unit of the present invention comprises: a fixed disk; a coil group, which is rotatably connected to the fixed disk through a connecting rod; a driving device, which is arranged on the fixed disk and drives the connecting rod to rotate relative to the fixed disk; and a controller, which is connected to the driving device signal and controls the operation of the driving device.

[0006] Preferably, the coil group consists of a first power receiving coil and a second power receiving coil, and the coil plane of the first power receiving coil and the coil plane of the second power receiving coil are perpendicular to each other.

[0007] Preferably, the first power receiving coil and the second power receiving coil are respectively fixedly connected to the connecting rod; or, the first power receiving coil and the second power receiving coil are connected to each other, and one of them is fixedly connected to the connecting rod.

[0008] Preferably, the coil group is composed of a plurality of power receiving coils, and the plurality of power receiving coils form a spherical structure, or the plurality of power receiving coils form an arc structure.

[0009] Preferably, the driving device includes: a first electromagnet, a second electromagnet and a magnetic pendulum; the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are arranged on the fixed plate at intervals, and the angle between the two is less than 180 degrees; the magnetic pendulum is fixedly connected to the connecting rod, and the magnetic pendulum is located between the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet, and is driven by the magnetic force of the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet; the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are also respectively connected to the controller.

[0010] Preferably, the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet are arranged at 90 degrees.

[0011] Preferably, the driving device comprises: a gear plate and a gear rod; the gear plate is fixedly arranged on the connecting rod, the gear rod is meshed with the gear plate and driven by a motor, and the motor is also connected to the controller.

[0012] The coil alignment method of the present invention comprises: constantly detecting the electrical parameter value of the coil group, when the electrical parameter value does not meet the predetermined value, the driving device drives the coil group to rotate in a first direction; when the electrical parameter value changes toward the predetermined value, the coil group continues to rotate in the first direction until it meets the predetermined value; when the electrical parameter value changes away from the predetermined value, the coil group rotates in a second direction until it meets the predetermined value.

[0013] The implantable medical device of the present invention comprises: a housing, a working piece arranged in the housing, and the above-mentioned wireless charging power receiving unit, wherein the power receiving unit is arranged in the housing.

[0014] The wireless charging power receiving unit of the present invention and the coil alignment method applicable to the power receiving unit can adjust the coil of the power receiving unit to the optimal position and realize efficient wireless power transmission with the power transmitting coil. The implantable medical device with the power receiving unit can realize efficient charging of the medical device in the body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a power receiving unit for wireless charging of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 Another structural schematic diagram of the power receiving unit for wireless charging of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the power receiving unit for wireless charging of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of an implantable medical device of the present invention.

[0019] Reference numerals:

[0020] Fixed plate 1, coil group 2, connecting rod 3, driving device 4, first power receiving coil 21, second power receiving coil 22, first electromagnet 41, second electromagnet 42, magnetic swing rod 43, gear plate 44, gear rod DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be interpreted as limiting the present invention.

[0022] The present invention provides a wireless charging power receiving unit, hereinafter referred to as the power receiving unit. The power receiving unit is a working unit in the charged device during wireless charging. Its function is to receive electric energy through wireless power transmission.

[0023] The power receiving unit includes: a fixed disk 1, a coil group 2, a connecting rod 3, a driving device 4 and a controller. Of course, it should also have other necessary components, such as a connecting circuit, a compensation network, a capacitor, etc. For technicians in the field of wireless charging, they know how to set up other necessary components, and this application will not elaborate on them.

[0024] The following is a description of each component.

[0025] The fixing plate 1 can be understood as a bearing unit, which can realize the fixing of the connecting rod 3. Of course, the driving device 4 and the controller can also be arranged on the fixing plate 1. Other components not described in detail herein can also be arranged on the fixing plate 1. For example, the battery for wireless charging can be arranged on the fixing plate 1.

[0026] The coil group 2 includes a coil. The coil group 2 mentioned here is a collection of power receiving coils, that is, one or more power receiving coils constitute the coil group 2. When charging is required, the power receiving coil in the coil group 2 and the power transmitting coil on the power supply device perform wireless power transmission.

[0027] The coil assembly 2 is rotatably connected to the fixed disk 1 via a connecting rod 3. Generally, the coil assembly 2 and the connecting rod 3 are fixedly connected, and the connecting rod 3 and the fixed disk 1 are rotatably connected to realize the rotation of the coil assembly 2. The controller controls the driving device 4 to work, and the driving device 4 is used to drive the connecting rod 3 to rotate, thereby driving the coil assembly 2 to move.

[0028] The purpose of the movement of the coil group 2 is to adjust the orientation of the power receiving coil included therein to meet the position correspondence requirements between the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil. The position correspondence between the two (the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil) generally refers to the situation where the coil planes face each other and the effective working area is the largest. The coil plane mentioned in this article can be understood as the equivalent working surface of the coil. When the working surfaces are set to face each other, the transmission efficiency of wireless energy is the highest.

[0029] In addition, it should be noted that the purpose of the connecting rod 3 is to connect the coil group 2 and to enable rotation, so the connecting rod 3 can be a part of the coil group 2, or the connecting rod 3 can be a part of the power receiving coil, directly drawn out from the winding of the power receiving coil and used as the connecting rod 3. It is not ruled out that the connecting rod 3 and the coil group 2 are two independent components fixed together by injection welding, bonding, etc.

[0030] The controller is connected to the drive device 4 by signal to control the operation of the drive device 4. The connection can be wired or wireless, as long as signal transmission can be achieved.

[0031] The reason why the coil group 2 needs to be rotated to adjust the direction is that in some special equipment, such as robots that can be implanted in the human body, such as gastroscope robots, endoscopes, etc., their working directions are not fixed. When charging them, the direction of the coil group 2 can be adjusted to make the wireless power supply more efficient. The robot implanted in the human body is only used as an example to illustrate the reason for the rotation of the coil group 2. It is not limited to this field. In other fields, when the position of a similar power receiving unit may not be fixed, or the power transmitting unit is not easy to move, etc., it can also be used to explain the reason for the rotation of the coil group 2.

[0032] The following describes several ways of arranging the power receiving coil in the coil assembly 2.

[0033] The first form of coil group 2:

[0034] It can be composed of a first power receiving coil 21 and a second power receiving coil 22, and the coil planes of the first power receiving coil 21 and the coil planes of the second power receiving coil 22 are perpendicular to each other. For the convenience of description, taking the direction shown in the figure as an example, it is divided into a vertically arranged coil and a horizontally arranged coil. As for which of the first power receiving coil 21 and the second power receiving coil 22 is specifically arranged horizontally and which is arranged vertically, it has no necessary influence on the implementation of the scheme of the present application, and those skilled in the art can make adjustments according to the actual setting requirements. In this specification, for the convenience of description, the power receiving coil closer to the fixed disk 1 is called the first power receiving coil 21, and the power receiving coil relatively far away from the fixed disk 1 is called the second power receiving coil 22.

[0035] See also Figure 1It can be seen that the first power receiving coil 21 is arranged vertically, and the second power receiving coil 22 is arranged horizontally. Figure 2 and Figure 1 In contrast, the first power receiving coil 21 is disposed horizontally, and the second power receiving coil 22 is disposed vertically.

[0036] In this arrangement, the horizontally arranged power receiving coil can correspond to the position of the vertically arranged power sending coil, that is, the power sending coils arranged above and below can achieve more efficient wireless power transmission with the horizontally arranged power receiving coil. The power sending coil is in the circumferential direction (with the connecting rod 3 as the central axis), so the vertically arranged power receiving coil can be rotated by the rotation of the connecting rod 3, and the vertical power receiving coil and the power sending coil can be made to correspond to each other through rotation, so as to achieve more efficient wireless power transmission.

[0037] For the coil group 2 having the first power receiving coil 21 and the second power receiving coil 22, the first power receiving coil 21 and the second power receiving coil 22 can be fixedly connected to the connecting rod 3 respectively, such as Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the first power receiving coil 21 and the second power receiving coil 22 are connected to the connecting rod 3 respectively. Figure 1 As shown, the first power receiving coil 21 and the second power receiving coil 22 are connected to each other, and one of them is fixedly connected to the connecting rod 3 .

[0038] The second form of coil group 2:

[0039] The coil group 2 is composed of a plurality of power receiving coils, and the plurality of power receiving coils can form a spherical structure. In this way, the power receiving coil is arranged in a spherical structure, which makes the working surface of the power receiving coil have more directions. When charging, the power transmitting coil is arranged at any position, and the corresponding power receiving coil can be at the highest working efficiency.

[0040] The third form of coil group 2:

[0041] The coil group 2 is composed of a plurality of power receiving coils, and the plurality of power receiving coils form an arc structure. Figure 3 In the form shown in , this arc structure can be a group of power receiving coils connected in series, and the direction of each power receiving coil has an angle deviation. In combination with the drive of the connecting rod 3, multi-directional adjustment can be achieved. This structure of multiple coils forming an arc is similar to the principle of two vertically arranged power receiving coils in the first method. Through the arc setting of multiple power receiving coils, more directions can be covered and the coordination with the power transmission coil is more precise.

[0042] The driving device 4 is described below. The function of the driving device 4 is to drive the connecting rod 3 to rotate, so the driving device 4 can have a variety of structures. The simplest mechanism is to use a motor, the output shaft of the motor is connected to the driving connecting rod 3, and the driving rod 3 is directly driven by the rotation of the motor. In addition to being directly connected to the connecting rod 3 for driving, the motor can also be connected to the connecting rod 3. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a gear plate 44 and a gear rod 45 are used. The gear plate 44 is fixedly arranged on the connecting rod 3, and the gear rod 45 is meshed with the gear plate 44 and driven by a motor, which is also connected to the controller.

[0043] The setting of the driving device 4 must also be combined with consideration of the use location of the power receiving unit. For example, if the power receiving unit is used on large-sized, easily movable equipment such as a car, then the driving device 4 can be driven by a motor, which is more convenient, faster and easier to maintain.

[0044] When used on some smaller devices, such as capsule robots, minimizing the size of the device is one of the requirements. Therefore, the following describes a structure of a smaller driving device 4 that uses electromagnetic adsorption drive.

[0045] The drive device 4 includes a first electromagnet 41 , a second electromagnet 42 and a magnetic rocker 43 .

[0046] The first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42 are arranged on the fixed plate 1 at intervals, and the angle between the two is less than 180 degrees; the magnetic swing rod 43 is fixedly connected to the connecting rod 3, and the magnetic swing rod 43 is located between the first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42, and is driven by the magnetic force of the first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42; the first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42 are also respectively connected to the controller.

[0047] The first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42 are turned on and off by the controller. The controller controls one of the electromagnets to be energized, thereby generating a magnetic field to adsorb the magnetic swing rod 43 and drive the connecting rod 3.

[0048] Preferably, the first electromagnet 41 and the second electromagnet 42 are arranged at 90 degrees. Combining the first and third coil assemblies 2, the coil assembly 2 only needs to rotate 90 degrees to realize the orientation of the power receiving coil in all directions on the circumferential square, and the power receiving coil is already fixed in the vertical direction.

[0049] A coil alignment method is described below, which is used in the above-mentioned wireless charging power receiving unit, that is, adjusting the direction of the power receiving coil in the above-mentioned coil group 2 so that it is aligned with the power transmitting coil.

[0050] The method is to constantly detect the electrical parameter value of the coil group and compare the electrical parameter value with the predetermined value. The electrical parameter here refers to some parameters in the electromagnetic effect that can help determine the efficiency of the receiving coil receiving electrical energy, such as inductance, quality factor (Q value), power, etc. When the positions of the receiving coil and the generating coil correspond well, these values ​​will be within the predetermined values. For example, when the positions of the receiving coil and the generating coil are completely aligned, the power on the receiving coil side is greater than the power when the two are not aligned.

[0051] The predetermined value of the electrical parameter can be a numerical point or a range value. When the coil group 2 is rotated by the above-mentioned driving device 4 to achieve alignment, the electrical parameter value will change in a manner close to the predetermined value during the rotation and alignment process. It cannot be directly described as "increasing" or "decreasing" here, because when the positions of the receiving coil and the generating coil are completely corresponding, some electrical parameters are at the maximum value, and some electrical parameters are at the minimum value. For example, the power on the receiving coil side is at the maximum value, and the power difference between the receiving coil side and the transmitting coil side is at the minimum value. Therefore, the adjustment is based on "approaching" or "moving away" from the predetermined value as the adjustment process. The above-mentioned electrical parameters refer to the reaction to the mutual inductance coefficient. The more the two coils are aligned, the higher the mutual inductance coefficient will be.

[0052] If the electrical parameter value of the coil group detected at any time is the same as the predetermined value or is within the range of the predetermined value, it is considered that the power transmission coil and the power receiving coil are aligned and no adjustment is required.

[0053] When the electrical parameter value does not meet the predetermined value, the driving device drives the coil group to rotate in the first direction. While rotating in the first direction, the electrical parameter value is also detected from time to time. If the electrical parameter value changes toward the predetermined value at this time, it continues to rotate in the first direction until it meets the predetermined value. In other words, when rotating in the first direction, it is a process in which the receiving coil is gradually aligned with the transmitting coil. When rotating in the first direction, if the electrical parameter value changes away from the predetermined value, it changes to rotating in the second direction until it meets the predetermined value. This shows that rotation in the first direction makes the alignment between the two coils worse, and rotating in the second direction can achieve better alignment. The first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.

[0054] An implantable medical device is described below. Figure 4 The implantable medical device includes a shell, a working piece arranged in the shell, and a wireless charging power receiving unit as described above. Of course, the power receiving unit uses the above-mentioned coil alignment method, and the power receiving unit is arranged in the shell.

[0055] This type of implantable medical device is generally a capsule robot, such as a capsule gastroscope, a swallowable endoscope, etc. It can also be a pacemaker or a hearing aid. Figure 4 The housing is shown as an example, but its specific structure is not limited.

[0056] They used a power receiving unit that can be charged wirelessly, thus reducing the number of times the battery needs to be replaced. Compared with the need to replace the battery, the use of charging technology can appropriately reduce the battery size, and thus reduce the size of the device. Because when it cannot be charged, in order to ensure sufficient working power, the battery size may have to be increased, and the ability to charge solves the problem of battery size.

[0057] At the same time, using wireless charging can reduce the connection of some wires. For example, a pacemaker requires a connecting wire that penetrates the skin, but using wireless charging can reduce the number of wires that penetrate the skin.

[0058] However, it should be noted that the implantable medical device mentioned in this application is to achieve its wireless charging and coil alignment during wireless charging through the power receiving unit and coil alignment method. In the medical field, how specific medical devices are implanted in the human body for use and the working principle of implantable medical devices are not the problems to be solved by this application.

[0059] The working part disposed in the housing refers to the working portion of the implantable medical device. For example, in an endoscope, the working part includes a camera and the like.

[0060] It should be understood that the power receiving unit can be used in implantable medical devices because the volume can be small enough to be used in tiny components. For example, the above-mentioned coil group can be formed on a PCB board by etching. At the same time, the above-mentioned power receiving unit of the present application can also be used in large equipment, in which case the coil group and other components can be selected according to actual needs.

[0061] The above describes in detail the structure, features and effects of the present invention based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of implementation shown in the drawings. Any changes made according to the concept of the present invention, or modifications to equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes, which still do not exceed the spirit covered by the description and drawings, should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wireless charging power receiving unit, characterized in that: include: Fixed plate (1); The coil assembly (2) is rotatably connected to the fixed disk (1) via a connecting rod (3); A driving device (4) is arranged on the fixed disk (1) and drives the connecting rod (3) to rotate relative to the fixed disk (1); A controller, connected to the drive device (4) by signals, for controlling the operation of the drive device (4); The coil group (2) is composed of a first power receiving coil (21) and a second power receiving coil (22), the coil plane of the first power receiving coil (21) and the coil plane of the second power receiving coil (22) are perpendicular to each other; the first power receiving coil (21) and the second power receiving coil (22) are respectively fixedly connected to the connecting rod (3); or, the first power receiving coil (21) and the second power receiving coil (22) are connected to each other, and one of them is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (3); Alternatively, the coil group (2) is composed of a plurality of power receiving coils, and the plurality of power receiving coils form a spherical structure, or the plurality of power receiving coils form an arc structure; The driving device (4) comprises: a first electromagnet (41), a second electromagnet (42) and a magnetic swing rod (43); The first electromagnet (41) and the second electromagnet (42) are arranged on the fixed plate (1) at intervals, and the angle between the two is less than 180 degrees; The magnetic swing rod (43) is fixedly connected to the connecting rod (3), and the magnetic swing rod (43) is located between the first electromagnet (41) and the second electromagnet (42), and is driven by magnetic attraction of the first electromagnet (41) and the second electromagnet (42); The first electromagnet (41) and the second electromagnet (42) are also respectively connected to the controller; The first electromagnet (41) and the second electromagnet (42) are arranged at 90 degrees; The driving device (4) comprises: a gear plate (44) and a gear rod (45); The gear plate (44) is fixedly arranged on the connecting rod (3), the gear rod (45) is meshed with the gear plate (44) and driven by a motor, and the motor is also connected to the controller.

2. A coil alignment method for a power receiving unit for wireless charging according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: The electrical parameter value of the coil group is detected at all times, and when the electrical parameter value does not meet the predetermined value, the driving device drives the coil group to rotate in a first direction; When the electrical parameter value changes toward a predetermined value, the rotation continues in the first direction until it meets the predetermined value; When the electrical parameter value changes away from the predetermined value, it rotates in the second direction until it meets the predetermined value.

3. An implantable medical device, characterized in that: include: A housing, a working piece arranged in the housing, and a wireless charging power receiving unit according to claim 1, wherein the power receiving unit is arranged in the housing.

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