Wireless power supply device, wireless power receiving device, wireless power transfer system, and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a wireless power supply device, a wireless power receiving device, a wireless power transfer system, and a manufacturing method thereof. The wireless power supply device includes a first circuit coupled to a DC power source and configured to convert a DC voltage of the DC power source into an AC voltage to enable wireless power transfer between the wireless power supply device and a power receiving device; a pulse signal receiver configured to receive a first pulse signal from the power receiving device and generate a second pulse signal based on the first pulse signal, the first pulse signal being generated based on a feedback signal of the power receiving device, the feedback signal indicating information associated with a received power of the power receiving device; and a first control unit coupled to the first circuit and the pulse signal receiver and configured to control conversion of the first circuit based on the second pulse signal. In this way, low cost and high quality dynamic response and output regulation can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to wireless power supply devices, wireless power receiving devices, wireless power transmission systems, and methods of manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, wireless power supply devices, such as wireless power converters or wireless power chargers, require high-quality output regulation and therefore good dynamic response. Due to the wireless architecture, achieving these performance characteristics becomes complex.

[0003] Traditionally, in the primary side of a wireless power charger, an inverter converts DC voltage to high-frequency AC voltage, and then a separable high-frequency transformer with a compensation network transmits the high-frequency AC voltage to the secondary side. The high-frequency AC voltage is then converted into a DC output voltage or DC output current by a rectifier circuit. The signal data associated with the DC output voltage or DC output current is transmitted from the secondary side to the primary side via a wireless communication module.

[0004] Wireless communication modules typically use communication technologies such as RFID, Bluetooth, and Zigbee. The advantage of these communication methods is that they are insensitive to the relative positions of the transmitter and receiver. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a wireless power supply device, a wireless power receiving device, a wireless power transmission system, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0006] In a first aspect, a wireless power supply device is provided. The wireless power supply device includes: a first circuit coupled to a DC power supply and configured to convert a DC voltage of the DC power supply to an AC voltage to enable wireless power transfer between the wireless power supply device and a powered device; a pulse signal receiver configured to receive a first pulse signal from the powered device and generate a second pulse signal based on the first pulse signal, the first pulse signal being generated based on a feedback signal from the powered device indicating information related to the power received by the powered device; and a first control unit coupled to the first circuit and the pulse signal receiver and configured to control the switching of the first circuit based on the second pulse signal.

[0007] In the wireless power supply scheme proposed in this disclosure, a pulse signal is transmitted from the powered device to the wireless power supply device to provide information related to the power received by the powered device, thereby adjusting the wireless power supply. This improves the speed of feedback response in the system, thus enhancing system performance.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first pulse signal is an optical pulse signal, and the pulse signal receiver includes a photodiode configured to receive the optical pulse signal and convert it into an electrical pulse signal as a second pulse signal.

[0009] For pulse signal transmission, a photodiode is placed at the wireless power supply device to enable optical communication between the pulse signal receiver of the wireless power supply device and the pulse signal transmitter of the powered device. Since the cost of optical components is far lower than the cost of chips in traditional communication modules, costs can be reduced. Furthermore, because the rapid transmission of high-frequency pulse signals is independent of specific communication protocols, dynamic response speed can be accelerated.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first circuit includes an inverter that includes a plurality of switching elements to invert DC voltage into AC voltage.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first control unit is configured to: recover a feedback signal from a second pulse signal; determine information associated with the power received by the powered device based on the feedback signal; and generate a drive signal based on the information to control the operation of a plurality of switching elements.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wireless power supply device further includes a signal amplifier coupled between the first control unit and the pulse signal receiver, and configured to amplify the first electrical signal.

[0013] The first control unit of the wireless power supply device in this disclosure can recover a feedback signal intended to be transmitted from the powered device based on the received pulse signal, and determine the operation of the inverter based on the information indicated in the feedback signal to achieve high-quality output regulation.

[0014] In a second aspect, a wireless power receiving device is provided. The wireless power receiving device includes: a second circuit configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power supply device; a second control unit coupled to the second circuit and configured to generate a feedback signal based on an output signal from the second circuit, the feedback signal indicating information associated with the power received by the power receiving device; and a pulse signal transmitter coupled to the second control unit and configured to generate a first pulse signal from a third pulse signal generated based on the feedback signal and transmit the first pulse signal to a pulse signal receiver of the wireless power supply device.

[0015] On the receiving device side, the output signal of the receiving device's circuitry can help generate a feedback signal for dynamic response. To reliably transmit the feedback signal, it can be converted into a pulse signal, thereby improving system performance.

[0016] In some embodiments, the third pulse signal is an electrical pulse signal, wherein the pulse signal transmitter includes an infrared emitting diode configured to convert the electrical pulse signal into an optical pulse signal as the first pulse signal and transmit the optical pulse signal to the pulse signal receiver.

[0017] In some embodiments, the third pulse signal is an electrical pulse signal, and the pulse signal transmitter includes a light-emitting diode configured to convert the electrical pulse signal into an optical pulse signal as the first pulse signal and transmit the optical pulse signal to a pulse signal receiver.

[0018] For pulse signal transmission, optical elements are provided at the wireless power supply device to enable optical communication between the pulse signal receiver of the wireless power supply device and the pulse signal transmitter of the powered device. Since the cost of optical elements is far lower than the cost of chips in traditional communication modules, costs can be reduced. Simultaneously, because the rapid transmission of high-frequency pulse signals is independent of specific communication protocols, dynamic response speed can be accelerated.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second control unit further includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation circuit configured to generate a third pulse signal based on a feedback signal, the pulse width of the third electrical signal being modulated in relation to the received power.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second control unit further includes a voltage-frequency conversion circuit configured to generate a third pulse signal based on a feedback signal, the frequency of which is converted in relation to the received power.

[0021] In some embodiments, the second control unit further includes a drive signal generation unit configured to generate a third pulse signal based on a feedback signal, the third pulse signal indicating a power-related adjustment mode of the wireless power supply device.

[0022] There are different ways to convert feedback signals into pulse signals, depending on the type of feedback signal. Thus, various types of feedback signals can be used to indicate information associated with the power received at the powered device, providing a dynamic response to the power supply and increasing system flexibility.

[0023] In a third aspect, a wireless power transmission system is provided. The wireless power transmission system includes the wireless power supply device of the first aspect and the wireless power receiving device of the second aspect.

[0024] In a fourth aspect, a method for manufacturing a wireless power transmission system is provided. The method includes providing a wireless power supply device (as described in the first aspect) and a wireless power receiving device (as described in the second aspect).

[0025] It should be understood that the summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals generally represent the same parts.

[0027] Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a wireless power transmission system having a wireless power supply device and a wireless power receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] Figure 2 An example of a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated;

[0029] Figures 3A to 3C Different application scenarios of a wireless power transmission system according to embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated; and

[0030] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and not to imply any limitation on the scope of the subject matter.

[0033] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variations are to be understood as open terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be understood as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be understood as "at least one other embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc., can refer to different or the same objects. Other definitions (explicit and implicit) may be included below. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the definitions of terms are consistent throughout the description.

[0034] Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “installation,” “connection,” “support,” and “coupling,” and their variations, are widely used and cover both direct and indirect installation, connection, support, and coupling. Furthermore, “connection” and “coupling” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. In the following description, the same reference numerals and labels are used to describe the same, similar, or corresponding parts in the figures. Other definitions (explicit and implicit) may be included below.

[0035] As mentioned above, wireless power supply devices, such as wireless power converters or wireless power chargers, generally require high-quality output regulation and therefore good dynamic response. Due to the wireless architecture, achieving these performance characteristics becomes complex.

[0036] Traditionally, in the primary side of a wireless power charger, an inverter converts DC voltage to high-frequency AC voltage. Then, a separable high-frequency transformer with a compensation network transmits the high-frequency AC voltage to the secondary side. The high-frequency AC voltage is then converted into a DC output voltage or DC output current by a rectifier circuit. The signal data associated with the DC output voltage or DC output current is transmitted from the secondary side to the primary side via a wireless communication module.

[0037] Wireless communication modules typically use communication technologies such as RFID, Bluetooth, and Zigbee. The advantage of these communication methods is that they are insensitive to the relative positions of the transmitter and receiver.

[0038] However, traditional systems still have some problems. For example, the chips typically used in communication modules are expensive and require complex programming and extensive development work. High-speed communication is not permitted in certain electromagnetic interference environments, therefore the converter's bandwidth is very narrow.

[0039] Moreover, only a limited number of communication channels can be used in the same location, which means that a limited number of wireless power supply devices can be allowed to work simultaneously in the same location.

[0040] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a wireless power supply device and a wireless power receiving device that can transmit feedback signals between them at high speed, thereby achieving low-cost and high-quality dynamic response and output regulation.

[0041] The following text combines Figures 1 to 3B The principles and implementation of this invention will be described in detail. Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of a wireless power transmission system having a wireless power supply device and a wireless power receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] like Figure 1As shown, the wireless power transmission system 100 may include a wireless power supply device 110 and a wireless power receiving device 120. The wireless power supply device 110 may also be referred to as the primary side of the wireless power transmission system 100, and the wireless power receiving device 120 may also be referred to as the secondary side of the wireless power transmission system 100. The wireless power supply device 110 may include a first circuit 210. The first circuit 210 may be configured to convert a DC voltage from a DC power source into an AC voltage. The wireless power receiving device 120 may include a second circuit 240, which may be coupled to the first circuit 210 and receive AC voltage from the first circuit 210.

[0043] Based on the power received from the wireless power supply device 110, the second circuit 240 can generate an output signal. The wireless power receiving device 120 also includes a second control unit 250 coupled to the second circuit 240. The second unit 250 can generate a feedback signal based on the output signal, which indicates information related to the power received at the wireless power receiving device 120.

[0044] For further transmission of the feedback signal, the second control unit 250 can convert the feedback signal into a pulse signal. The wireless powered device 120 also includes a pulse signal transmitter 260 coupled to the second control unit 250. The wireless powered device 110 may also include a pulse signal receiver 230. The pulse signal transmitter 260 can transmit the pulse signal generated in the second control unit 250 to the pulse signal receiver 230 of the wireless powered device 110.

[0045] The wireless power supply device 110 may further include a first control unit 220. The first control unit 220 may be coupled to the pulse signal receiver 230 and configured to process the received pulse signal. The first control unit 220 may recover a feedback signal intended to be transmitted from the wireless power receiving device 120 and control the power supply of the first circuitry 210 based on information associated with the power received at the wireless power receiving device 120, which is indicated in the feedback signal.

[0046] Figure 2 An example of a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. Reference Figure 2 The feedback process of the wireless power transmission system is described in further detail.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the first circuit 210 of the wireless power supply device 110 is coupled to a DC source 270. The first circuit 210 may include an inverter 211. The inverter 211 may be composed of, for example, Figure 2The inverter 211 is composed of multiple switching elements such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). It should be understood that the inverter 211 may also include other types of switching elements. The inverter 211 can invert the DC voltage from the DC source 270 into an AC voltage.

[0048] The first circuit 210 may further include a primary-side transformer 212. The second circuit 240 of the wireless power receiving device 120 may include a secondary-side transformer 213. The primary-side transformer 212 and the secondary-side transformer 213 may interact to deliver a high-frequency AC voltage to the rectifier circuit 214 of the second circuit 240. The rectifier circuit 214 may then convert the high-frequency AC voltage into a DC output voltage or DC output current, which may be supplied to the load 215.

[0049] As mentioned above, the second circuit 240 can generate an output signal based on the power received from the first circuit 210. It should be understood that the output signal can be generated based on the current or voltage of the second circuit 240. That is, the output signal can be a DC signal or a low-frequency signal. For example, the output signal can be a sampled signal of the output voltage or output current.

[0050] The second circuit 250 can then generate a feedback signal based on the output signal, indicating information associated with the received power. Depending on the output signal, the feedback signal can be a DC signal, a low-frequency signal, or a high-frequency signal. For example, the feedback signal can be a sampled signal of the output voltage or output current, a loop compensation network output signal, or a drive pulse. This is the signal at any node of the second controller 250. Furthermore, the feedback signal can also indicate the expected amount of compensation for the received power. Alternatively, the feedback signal can also indicate the operation used to achieve the expected regulation of the power supply.

[0051] The feedback signal can be a high-frequency signal, a DC signal, or a low-frequency signal. To ensure transmission reliability, the feedback signal can be converted into a high-frequency electrical pulse signal. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the pulse signal transmitter 260 can be implemented using optical elements such as infrared light-emitting diodes (IREDs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The pulse signal transmitter 260 can convert electrical pulse signals into optical pulse signals.

[0052] Correspondingly, the pulse signal receiver 230 can also be implemented using an optical element such as a photodiode (PD). After receiving an optical pulse signal, the photodiode can convert the optical pulse signal transmitted from the pulse signal transmitter 260 into an electrical pulse signal.

[0053] For pulse signal transmission, optical components are provided to enable optical communication between the pulse signal receiver of the wireless power supply device and the pulse signal transmitter of the powered device. Since the cost of optical components is far lower than the cost of chips in traditional communication modules, costs can be reduced. Furthermore, because the rapid transmission of high-frequency pulse signals is independent of specific communication protocols, dynamic response speed can be accelerated.

[0054] Then, the first control unit 220 can recover the feedback signal from the electrical pulse signal and generate a drive signal based on the feedback signal to control the operation of the inverter 211. For example, the drive signal can control the switching elements of the inverter 211 to turn on / off.

[0055] As mentioned above, the feedback signal can indicate different information depending on the output signal. Furthermore, the feedback signal can be referred to as a DC signal, a low-frequency signal, or a high-frequency signal. Therefore, different conversions can be achieved for different types of feedback signals. Figures 3A to 3C Different application scenarios of a wireless power transmission system according to embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. References Figures 3A to 3C The different processes used to transmit feedback signals are described in detail.

[0056] When the feedback signal is a DC signal or a low-frequency signal, the feedback signal can be generated at the feedback signal generation circuit 251 of the second control unit 250 and can be converted into a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal or a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) signal.

[0057] For example, such as Figure 3A As shown, the second control unit 250 may include a PWM signal generation circuit 252 to generate a PWM signal from the feedback signal. The PWM signal may be converted into an optical pulse signal by a pulse signal transmitter 260 and transmitted to a pulse signal receiver 230. The pulse signal receiver 230 may convert the optical pulse signal back into an electrical pulse signal and transmit the electrical pulse signal to a signal amplifier 280, which is coupled between the pulse signal receiver 230 and the first control unit 220 and configured to amplify the first electrical signal. The first control unit 220 may include a filter 221. The amplified pulse signal can be recovered into the feedback signal through the filter 221.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3BAs shown, the second control unit 250 may include a voltage-to-frequency conversion circuit 253 to generate a PFM signal from the feedback signal. Alternatively, the voltage-to-frequency conversion circuit 253 may be replaced by a PFM modulator, which can also generate a PFM signal. The PFM signal can be converted into an optical pulse signal by a pulse signal transmitter 260 and transmitted to a pulse signal receiver 230. The pulse signal receiver 230 can convert the optical pulse signal back into an electrical pulse signal and transmit the electrical pulse signal to a signal amplifier 280, which is coupled between the pulse signal receiver 230 and the first control unit 220 and configured to amplify the first electrical signal. The first control unit 220 may include a frequency-to-voltage conversion circuit 222. The amplified pulse signal can be recovered into a feedback signal by the frequency-to-voltage conversion circuit 222.

[0059] When the feedback signal is a high-frequency signal, the feedback signal can be generated at the feedback signal generation circuit 251 of the second control unit 250 and can be converted into a drive signal.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3C As shown, the second control unit 250 may include a drive signal generation circuit 254 to generate a drive signal from the feedback signal. The drive signal may be converted into an optical pulse signal by a pulse signal transmitter 260 and transmitted to a pulse signal receiver 230. The pulse signal receiver 230 may convert the optical pulse signal back into an electrical pulse signal and transmit the electrical pulse signal to a signal amplifier 280, which is coupled between the pulse signal receiver 230 and the first control unit 220 and configured to amplify the first electrical signal. The first control unit 220 may include a drive circuit 223. The amplified pulse signal may be recovered into a feedback signal by the drive circuit 223.

[0061] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a wireless power transmission system. Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a wireless power transmission system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0062] At location 410, a wireless power supply device 110 as mentioned above is provided. And at location 420, a wireless power receiving device 120 as mentioned above is provided.

[0063] According to the wireless power supply scheme proposed in this disclosure, a pulse signal is transmitted from the powered device to the wireless power supply device to provide information related to the power received at the powered device, so as to adjust the wireless power supply. This improves the speed of feedback response in the system, thereby enhancing system performance.

[0064] It should be understood that the detailed embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and scope of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this invention. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the claims or their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply device (110), comprising: A first circuit (210) is coupled to a DC power supply (270) and configured to convert the DC voltage of the DC power supply to an AC voltage to enable wireless power transfer between the wireless power supply device (110) and the wireless power receiving device (120); A pulse signal receiver (230) is configured to receive a first pulse signal from the wireless power receiving device (120) and generate a second pulse signal based on the first pulse signal. The first pulse signal is generated based on a feedback signal from the wireless power receiving device (120), which indicates an expected compensation amount for the power received by the wireless power receiving device (120) and is converted into an electrical pulse signal. The first pulse signal is an optical pulse signal converted from the electrical pulse signal. The pulse signal receiver (230) and the wireless power receiving device (120) transmit the first pulse signal through optical communication. as well as A first control unit (220) is coupled to the first circuit (210) and the pulse signal receiver (230) and is configured to control the switching of the first circuit (210) based on the second pulse signal.

2. The wireless power supply device (110) according to claim 1, wherein the pulse signal receiver (230) includes a photodiode configured to receive the optical pulse signal and convert the optical pulse signal into an electrical pulse signal as the second pulse signal.

3. The wireless power supply device (110) according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit (210) includes an inverter (211) including a plurality of switching elements to invert the DC voltage into the AC voltage.

4. The wireless power supply device (110) according to claim 3, wherein the first control unit (220) is configured to: The feedback signal is recovered from the second pulse signal; Information related to the power received by the wireless power receiving device (120) is determined based on the feedback signal; and Based on the information, drive signals are generated to control the operation of the plurality of switching elements.

5. The wireless power supply device (110) according to claim 1 further includes: A signal amplifier is coupled between the first control unit (220) and the pulse signal receiver (230) and is configured to amplify the first electrical signal.

6. A wireless power receiving device (120), comprising: The second circuit (240) is configured to receive power wirelessly from the wireless power supply device (110); A second control unit (250), coupled to the second circuit (240) and configured to generate a feedback signal based on an output signal from the second circuit (240), the feedback signal indicating an expected amount of compensation for the power received by the wireless power receiving device (120); as well as A pulse signal transmitter (260), coupled to the second control unit (250) and configured to generate a first pulse signal from a third pulse signal generated based on the feedback signal, and to transmit the first pulse signal via optical communication to a pulse signal receiver (230) of the wireless power supply device (110), wherein the third pulse signal is an electrical pulse signal, and the pulse signal transmitter (260) is configured to convert the electrical pulse signal into an optical pulse signal as the first pulse signal.

7. The wireless power receiving device (120) according to claim 6, wherein the pulse signal transmitter (260) includes an infrared emitting diode configured to convert the electrical pulse signal into the optical pulse signal as the first pulse signal and transmit the optical pulse signal to the pulse signal receiver (230).

8. The wireless power receiving device (120) according to claim 6, wherein the pulse signal transmitter (260) includes a light-emitting diode configured to convert the electrical pulse signal into the optical pulse signal as the first pulse signal and to transmit the optical pulse signal to the pulse signal receiver (230).

9. The wireless power receiving device (120) of claim 6, wherein the second control unit (250) further comprises a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation circuit configured to generate the third pulse signal based on the feedback signal, the pulse width of the third pulse signal being modulated in relation to the received power.

10. The wireless power receiving device (120) of claim 6, wherein the second control unit (250) further comprises a voltage-frequency conversion unit configured to generate the third pulse signal based on the feedback signal, the frequency of the third pulse signal being converted in relation to the received power.

11. The wireless power receiving device (120) according to claim 6, wherein the second control unit (250) further comprises a drive signal generation unit configured to generate the third pulse signal based on the feedback signal, the third pulse signal indicating a power-related adjustment mode of the wireless power supply device (110).

12. A wireless power transmission system (100), comprising: The wireless power supply device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. as well as The wireless power receiving device (120) according to any one of claims 6 to 11.

13. A method for manufacturing a wireless power transmission system (100), comprising: A wireless power supply device (110) is provided according to any one of claims 1 to 5. as well as Provide a wireless power receiving device (120) according to any one of claims 6 to 11.

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