Communication method for wireless power transfer compatible with WPC KI protocol and system implementing the same

Abstract

According to the present invention, a Ki protocol-compliant communication method between a small household appliance and an induction heating cooker, and a system wherein the said method is implemented, are proposed. According to the teaching of the present invention, the communication between the induction heating cooker and the small household appliance is established by means of the said communication system so as to be also compatible with the WPC Ki protocol. By means of the method proposed by the present invention, it becomes possible to power various small household appliances with different power requirements and attributes through an induction heating cooker, and by eliminating the need to use an electronic board for the communication layer in the small household appliances, a structurally simple design from an electronic standpoint can be achieved.

Description

[0001] 7.3621

[0002] DESCRIPTION COMMUNICATION METHOD FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER COMPATIBLE WITH WPC KI PROTOCOL AND SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING THE SAME TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to systems for powering corded small household appliances. In other words, the present invention relates to communication methods of systems operating within a Ki protocol for both power transfer and control, in a secure manner over a communication channel compatible with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

[0004] PRIOR ART

[0005] In recent years, cooking technologies used in kitchens have advanced and evolved to the extent of transforming the household appliance market. One of these technologies is induction heating cookers, which have increasingly come into widespread use in both domestic and professional kitchens in recent years. The principle of the said cookers is based on heating cooking vessels such as pots and pans with ferromagnetic properties, by means of electromagnetic principles.

[0006] Electric devices are typically powered by 110 volts of alternating current in North and Central America, and by 220-230 volts of alternating current in almost all other parts of the world. Traditionally, the method followed for this is that the devices receive electricity supplied from the mains via a cable assembly. However, with the developments over time, it has become possible for all such appliances to be operated by being powered through wireless power transfer, without requiring a cable. The heating technology used in the induction heating cookers is a technology based on principles similar to wireless power transfer and powering. In the induction heating cookers, the cooking vessel placed on the cooker begins to heat up under the influence of the electromagnetic field when the coil is energized. Similarly, when a suitable conversion circuit is applied instead of the cooking vessel, power can also be transmitted wirelessly.

[0007] It is known that conventional wireless power transfer setups and solutions suffer from certain problems regarding power efficiency, signal modulation, and energy conversion. These systems typically operate with limited efficiency over certain distances and cause energy loss. Current techniques generally experience a decrease in signal strength and quality during power transmission. This may result in the power receiver not being 7.3621

[0008] energized to a sufficient level and the appliances operating inefficiently. In order to improve wireless power transfer technology, it is very important to optimize the interaction between the power transmitter and receiver, to improve the energy conversion process, and to develop advanced signal modulation techniques.

[0009] By using wireless power transfer, the small household appliances can be operated wirelessly on the induction heating cooker. For this purpose, as a community developing wireless power transfer standards in various fields and publishes application directives, the international technology consortium Wireless Power Consortium, which came together in 2008, develops the Ki standards, which define the universal standards for the said wireless power transfer. Among the two different standards developed by the WPC, Qi corresponds to the international wireless charging standard, while Ki represents the wireless kitchen standard.

[0010] In the state of the Application Document No. JP2006102055A, a structure capable of functioning as a socket through wireless power transfer is disclosed. In this use case, the countertop is placed near the socket. However, if the cable is not long enough, an extension cable is used. This situation restricts the movement range of the kitchen appliance. Furthermore, being close to the cooking area may cause the cable to heat up or even become deformed. In current techniques, when required to be operated, the kitchen appliance occupies space on the countertop and therefore limits the countertop area. In this context, the said document presents a wireless power transfer system which can be placed on the countertop and is capable of power transfer via electromagnetic induction.

[0011] In another state of the art document No. EP3652838B1, which is a Philips patent, the communication layer of the system performing wireless power transfer with NFC technology is established, and is made suitable for power transfer by adding a coil on the receiving side. In another state of the art document No. WO2023148078A1, RFID sensors are disclosed, which are used for positioning wirelessly-powered small household appliances.

[0012] As can be understood from these documents, in the state of the art, there is a need for a solution which ensures the compatibility of small household appliances with the Ki standard, and in this context, optimizes wireless powering, ensures its security, and generally increases its applicability to include more small household appliances and facilitate life in the kitchen. 7.3621

[0013] AIMS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0014] An aim of the present invention is the realization of a suitable communication method for wirelessly powering various small household appliances.

[0015] Another aim of the present invention is the realization of a communication method comprising a communication layer based on near-field communication and radio frequency identification for power transfer and control of small household appliances operating under constant load.

[0016] Yet another aim of the present invention is to ensure controlled powering by means of the new communication layer to be established in the power transfer to small household appliances.

[0017] Yet another aim of the present invention is to perform transfer over power profiles to provide the appropriate amount of power to the desired appliance to be powered, based on the recognition of each other by the appliances, by means of the communication method in power transfer to small household appliances.

[0018] Yet another aim of the present invention is to eliminate the need for an external control board in the Ki-standard communication established between a small household appliance and an induction device, thereby eliminating the need for structural modifications.

[0019] BRIEF EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

[0020] The figures explained below aim to exemplify a communication method compliant with the Ki standard and a system making use of this method, of which the advantages against the state of the art have already been summarized and will be explained in detail later.

[0021] The figures should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection defined in the claims, and should not be used separately to interpret the scope in the claims without referring to the technique in the description.

[0022] Figure 1 - is the isometric view of a small household appliance related to an induction heating cooker in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 - is the simplified schematic view of the wireless communication method compliant with the WPC Ki-protocol in an embodiment of the present invention. 7.3621

[0024] Figure 3 - is the schematic view of the system applying the wireless communication method compliant with the WPC Ki-protocol in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 - is a diagram showing the relation between the implementation steps of the communication method realized in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 - is a box diagram showing the memory format of the smart magnetic card realized in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

[0029] 10) Induction device

[0030] 11) Small household appliance

[0031] 12) Receiving coil

[0032] 13) Smart magnetic card

[0033] 14) Transmitting coil

[0034] 15) Transmitting antenna

[0035] 20) Power transmitter

[0036] 22) Transmitting coil

[0037] 23) Transmitting antenna

[0038] 24) Power transmission control unit

[0039] 25) Power transmission circuit

[0040] 26) Power transmission user interface

[0041] 30) Smart magnetic card

[0042] 31) Card memory

[0043] 32) Data read-write area

[0044] The present invention generally relates to a communication method for use in wireless power transfer compatible with the WPC Ki standard and to a system which comprises the structural components performing the actions corresponding to the steps of the said 7.3621

[0045] communication method. The indirect heating technology available in the induction heating cookers is a technology based on principles similar to wireless power / energy transfer, and in the induction heating cookers, the metal cooking vessel begins to heat up under the influence of the electromagnetic field when a coil is energized. Through a suitable converter, wireless energy transfer also becomes possible.

[0046] The wireless power transfer takes place between a transmitter and a receiver, and in different embodiments, an induction heating cooker may serve as a transmitter. The transfer of power through the magnetic field established between this transmitter and receiver and the conversion thereof back into electrical power realize in accordance with electromagnetic laws. For the electromagnetic field to be established between the coils associated with the said transmitter and receiver, a time-varying current is first applied to a primary coil, and the said current creates a varying magnetic field intensity. When the secondary coil is exposed to the said varying magnetic field, a voltage is induced on the conductor in accordance with Faraday’s law. Thus, the power transfer and the wireless energy transfer are realized, which is induction.

[0047] By utilizing the wireless power transfer method, for example, a small household appliance can be operated wirelessly on the induction heating cooker. For this purpose, an international organization called the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) introduced the Ki standard, which defines the universal standards for the said wireless power transfer. Another standard is the Qi standard. The Qi standard corresponds to the international wireless charging standard, while Ki corresponds to the wireless kitchen standard.

[0048] The Qi protocol concerns the magnetic induction technology which enables only smartphones and other related mobile devices to be wirelessly charged. The Qi protocol is currently in use and is becoming increasingly widespread. The Ki protocol, on the other hand, is still being newly developed and is responsible for regulating the standards necessary for the wireless operation of the small household appliances. According to the Ki protocol, a minimum of three systems is required to perform the power transfer to the small household appliances. The first of these is a power transmission unit (transmitter), the second is a power receiving unit (receiver), and the third is a communication layer established between the two for control. The power transmission unit is the unit which wirelessly transfers the energy. The said power transmission unit may be disposed, depending on the embodiment, inside an induction heating cooker, under a countertop, or within an external stand / apparatus. The power transmission unit comprises a coil and a near- 7.3621

[0049] field communication unit which provides the communication layer. On the side of the small household appliance, a power transmission circuit comprising a secondary coil for energy conversion and a communication unit is provided. On both the power- sending and powerreceiving sides, the control of the power transfer is achieved by means of a communication layer.

[0050] With the Ki protocol, typically up to 2200 watts of power transfer can be achieved. With this value, it becomes possible to wirelessly operate almost all small household appliances. By means of the near-field communication unit, it is ensured that energy is not transferred to foreign objects and appliances which do not fall within the definition of a small household appliance, thereby preventing serious safety problems.

[0051] Due to the universality of the Ki protocol, all products and appliances can communicate with each other. Thus, products from different companies and manufacturers can communicate and operate with each other. Moreover, with the infrastructure of this technology, both induction heating and wireless power transfer are made possible on the same burner or socket.

[0052] As mentioned earlier, when it is desired to power the small household appliances through wireless power transfer, an additional communication layer is required to enable the controlled power transfer between the small household appliance and the induction heating cooker. In the state of the art, a suitable induction coil is added to enable the power transfer to the small household appliances. Moreover, to establish communication, an electronic board comprising an NFC integrated circuit and antenna is added to both the induction heating cooker and the small household appliance so as to form the communication layer. Thus, the power transfer and the control thereof are securely managed through the said communication channel.

[0053] In this case, when the small household appliances are desired to be operated with wireless energy, the cost of an electronic board is added in addition to the cost of the coil. Regarding the wireless power transfer from the induction heating cookers to the small household appliances, two different scenarios exist: One of these is the power transfer to the small household appliances which operate with variable load and different power levels (such as a blender or air fryer), while the other is the power transfer to the small household appliances which operate with a constant load and constant power (such as a kettle or sandwich maker). In the small household appliances operating with a constant load, the communication phase 7.3621

[0054] is only required for starting and stopping the power transfer, and using an electronic board for the communication layer increases the cost and necessitates the use of an electronically complex structure.

[0055] To overcome this problem, according to the teaching of the present invention, RFID cards operating with near-field communication, i.e., NFC, are integrated into the small household appliances which operate under constant load and can be used for power transfer by being read by the induction heating cooker. With the said method, during the communication phase with the RFID cards, the necessary information such as product and power data is conveyed to the induction heating cookers, and the power transfer can be performed. The RFID cards can retain the information required for power transfer in the memory thereof, and when the induction heating cookers read from the relevant memory block, can provide the necessary information to the induction heating cookers.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present invention, a communication method is proposed, which can be established between a small household appliance (11) and an induction device (10). According to the teaching of the present invention, the communication between the induction device (10) and the small household appliance (11) is provided within the scope of the said communication method. By means of the communication method proposed by the present invention, it becomes possible to safely power various small household appliances (11) with different power requirements and characteristics through an induction device (10) such as an induction heating cooker.

[0057] In an embodiment of the present invention, an induction device (10) is proposed. Depending on different embodiments, the said induction device (10) may be an induction heating cooker. The said induction device (10) comprises a transmitting coil (14), and an NFC transmitting antenna (15) associated with the said transmitting coil (14). Moreover, by means of a smart magnetic card (13) which can be positioned under a small household appliance receiving coil (12) provided in a small household appliance (11) desired to be powered, product identification can be made using information regarding the appliance to be powered.

[0058] For the information flow required for product identification, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a smart magnetic card (13) provided in a small household appliance (11) is used. The transmitting coil (14) in the said induction device (10) to be used for induction and the receiving coil (12) in the small household appliance (11) are implemented 7.3621

[0059] in accordance with WPC standards, and may operate within the scope of the Ki protocol, which is the protocol of the WPC regulating household appliances. The said smart magnetic card (13) comprises a memory, and at least information related to one product and data such as power transfer characteristics and attributes thereof can be prerecorded in the memory. In an embodiment of the present invention, when the smart magnetic card (13) is positioned at the desired physical location relative to the induction device (10), the data present therein is read by means of the NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15). The said data enables the transmission of information, requests, and instructions regarding the desired powering attributes to the induction device (10), and after being read by means of the NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15), is processed by a power transmission control unit (24) provided in the induction device (10), and based on the content of the processed data, the power transmission circuit (25) provided in the induction device (10) is activated. The transmitting coil (14) provided in the induction device (10) is thus energized, and according to the power level attributes stored in the smart magnetic card (13), the power transfer process is initiated toward the receiving coil (12) provided in the small household appliance (11).

[0060] In addition to being subject to general magnetic principles, the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) may also be configured according to a standard supported by the WPC protocols Ki and Qi, which have international validity, to ensure compatibility with the said protocols. For example, in an embodiment, the operation of the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) is configured to function within a specific near-field communication protocol, such as NFC-A (ISO 14443A). In at least one embodiment, the data structure of the smart magnetic card (13, 30) is designed to comprise a card memory (31) having at least one fixed NDEF-formatted field and a data read-write area (32). The said fixed NDEF-formatted field can be configured according to the NFC requirements.

[0061] In an embodiment, for the smart magnetic card (13, 30) technology considered to establish communication between the small household appliance (11) to be powered and the induction device (10) which supplies energy through induction, NFC-A (ISO 14443 A) is used, although any form of near-field communication supported by the WPC Ki protocol can be employed. In an embodiment, in the said smart magnetic card (13, 30), a specific group of memory addresses can be designated to store attributes related to the power transfer and the associated profile. By examining the read-write addresses of the Ki protocol messages required for the power transfer, appropriate addressing is performed within the tag so that the addresses specified in the command are directly directed to the relevant area. 7.3621

[0062] In the system proposed in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the induction device (10) comprises at least one NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15) and a transmitting coil (14) for the power transfer. Communication is established with the smart magnetic card (13, 30) provided in the small household appliance (11) desired to be powered via the said at least one NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15), and thus, the information about the attributes of the power required by the small household appliance (11) can be transferred to the induction device (10) within a profile. The powering operation performed based on the electromagnetic principles is between a power receiving coil (12) provided on the small household appliance (11) side and the power transmitting coil (14). In various embodiments of the present invention, the induction device (10) also comprises a power transmission control unit (24) connected to the NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15), to which the data obtained through communication with the NFC-compatible transmitting antenna (15) is directed, and in this case, the said power transmission circuit (25) can be adjusted so as to regulate certain characteristics and operating modes of the induction system. To this end, the power transmission control unit (24) is configured to operate in connection with a power transmission circuit (25) to monitor the attributes of the power to be transferred to the small household appliance (11).

[0063] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the induction device (10) comprises a power transmission user interface (26). The said power transmission user interface (26) is configured to operate in connection with the power transmission circuit (25) and is designed to possess the equipment required to regulate the operating regime of the larger induction device (10) and the system of which the same is a part.

[0064] In the system proposed in at least one embodiment, there is a smart magnetic card (13, 30), a power transmitter (20), and a set of power receiving components. To use the Ki protocol in wireless energy transfer, it is necessary to establish communication between the power receiving part and the power transmitter (20). Thus, the power to be transferred, device information, and protocol compatibility can be controlled. In an embodiment, the protocol used is configured to operate based on NFC and in compliance with ISO 14443-A standards. According to the teaching of the present invention, communication is successfully established with the solution characterized by the proposed smart magnetic card (13, 30). In the proposed communication method, NDEF records are stored in the card memory (31) of the smart magnetic cards (13, 30), and product communication can be maintained without interruption. Thus, the communication management which is required to be carried out by a 7.3621

[0065] microcontroller in the state of the art can now be performed by passive smart magnetic cards.

[0066] In the present invention, a wireless power transfer system suitable for powering a small household appliance (11) is proposed, comprising an induction device (10), a transmitting coil (14, 22), and a transmitting antenna (15, 23). It is proposed that the said small household appliance (11) comprises a receiving coil (12) and a smart magnetic card (13) designed to work together with the said receiving coil (12); that the said induction device (10) comprises a power transmission circuit (25); and that the said induction device (10) is configured such that the transmitting antenna (15) thereof communicates with the smart magnetic card (13, 30) and receives the information required for at least one attribute of the power to be delivered to the small household appliance (11), and accordingly powers the small household appliance (11) via the power transmission circuit (25) in accordance with the said at least one attribute.

[0067] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said transmitting antenna (15, 23) is a near-field communication antenna.

[0068] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said induction device (10) comprises a power transmission control unit (24) associated with the transmitting antenna (15) and the power transmission circuit (26).

[0069] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said power transmission control unit (24) is configured to control the said power transmission circuit (25) based on the said at least one attribute obtained by means of the communication between the said transmitting antenna (15) and the smart magnetic card (13, 30).

[0070] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) comprises at least one card memory (31) and a data read- write area (32).

[0071] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said power transmission control unit (26) is arranged to configure at least one attribute of the power to be delivered so as to control the said power transmission circuit (25).

[0072] In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) is configured such that the at least card memory (31) and the data read- write area (32) contain information relating to at least one attribute of the energy requirements of the said small household appliance (11). 7.3621

[0073] According to the teaching of the present invention, a communication method is proposed in accordance with the WPC Ki protocol between an induction device (10), which comprises a transmitting coil (14, 22) and an antenna (15, 23), and a small household appliance (11), which comprises a smart magnetic card (13, 30). As the first step of the said method, the card provided in the small household appliance (11) is detected; if the card is detected to be WPC -compliant, the settings thereof are read; and for a card which is not WPC-compliant, either the previous step is repeated and the card is read again, or the address thereof is attempted to be read directly. If the read settings of a card determined to be WPC-compliant are not compatible with the Ki protocol, the first step is repeated to read the card again; however, if the read settings of the card are compatible with the Ki protocol, the step of locating the address contained in the card is performed. If the address cannot be found, the first step is repeated to read the card again; if the address is found, the memory provided in the card is read, and the powering is performed based on at least one attribute present in the information stored in the memory.

Claims

7.3621CLAIMS1) A wireless power transfer system suitable for powering a small household appliance (11), comprising an induction device (10), a transmitting coil (14, 22), and a transmitting antenna (15, 23), characterized in thatthe said small household appliance (11) comprises a receiving coil (12) and a smart magnetic card (13) designed to work together with the said receiving coil (12);that the said induction device (10) comprises a power transmission circuit (25); and that the said induction device (10) is configured such that the transmitting antenna (15) thereof communicates with the smart magnetic card (13, 30) and receives the information required for at least one attribute of the power to be delivered to the small household appliance (11), and accordingly powers the small household appliance (11) via the power transmission circuit (25) in accordance with the said at least one attribute.2) A wireless power transfer system as in Claim 1, characterized in that the said transmitting antenna (15, 23) is a near-field communication antenna.3) A wireless power transfer system as in Claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the said induction device (10) comprises a power transmission control unit (24) associated with the transmitting antenna (15) and the power transmission circuit (26).4) A wireless power transfer system as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the said power transmission control unit (24) is configured to control the said power transmission circuit (25) based on the said at least one attribute obtained by means of the communication between the said transmitting antenna (15) and the smart magnetic card (13, 30).5) A wireless power transfer system as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) comprises at least one card memory (31) and a data read-write area (32).6) A wireless power transfer system as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the said power transmission control unit (26) is arranged to configure at least one attribute of the power to be delivered so as to control the said power transmission circuit (25).7) A wireless power transfer system as in any one of the above claims, characterized in that the said smart magnetic card (13, 30) is configured such that the at least card memory7.3621(31) and the data read- write area (32) contain information relating to at least one attribute of the energy requirements of the said small household appliance (11).8) A communication method in accordance with the WPC Ki protocol between an induction device (10), which comprises a transmitting coil (14, 22) and an antenna (15, 23), and a small household appliance (11), which comprises a smart magnetic card (13, 30), comprising the steps of:detecting the card,if the card is not WPC -compliant, either returning to the previous step or attempting to locate the address,- if the card is WPC-compliant, reading the settings of the card,if the read settings of the card are not compatible with the Ki protocol, returning to the first step,if the read settings of the card are compatible with the Ki protocol, locating the address present in the card,- if the address cannot be found, returning to the first step,if the address is found, reading the memory provided in the card and performing the powering operation based on at least one attribute from the information stored in the memory.

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