Power supply device

A power supply device may be capable of wirelessly transmitting power at a plurality of resonance frequencies. The power supply device may include: a power conversion unit converting input power into first power; and a wireless power supply unit varying a switching frequency for switching the first power and wirelessly transmitting the switched first power at at least one of a plurality of resonance frequencies.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2013-0104487 filed on Aug. 30, 2013 and 10-2014-0110978 filed on Aug. 25, 2014, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a power supply apparatus supplying power wirelessly or wiredly and wirelessly.

An electrical or electronic device refers to a device operated using electricity as an energy source thereof.

In order to operate an electrical or electronic device, electrical power, providing energy required for operating such a device, needs to be supplied, and unless a device generates power by itself to be self-powering, a device is inevitably provided with electrical power from an external source.

In this regard, in order for an electrical or electronic device to receive electrical power from an external source, a power supply apparatus is required to provide electrical power to the electrical or electronic device from external power supply facilities.

In general, as power supply devices, wired power supply devices directly connected to electronic devices through the medium of a connector, for example, and supplying power to a battery installed in electronic devices are largely used. However, wired power supply devices involve various restrictions due to cables for supplying power used therewith.

Thus, as disclosed in the related art document below, power may be supplied to a battery installed in an electronic device in a non-contact manner through a magnetic induction effect or a magnetic resonance effect.

However, the related art power supply device supplies power wirelessly based on either a magnetic induction effect or a magnetic resonance effect, so it cannot easily supply power to wide range of devices, and in particular, it is difficult to supply a plurality of devices with power simultaneously.

RELATED ART DOCUMENT

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may provide a power supply device capable of wirelessly transmitting power at a plurality of resonance frequencies.

According to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure, a power supply device may include: a power conversion unit converting input power into first power; and a wireless power supply unit varying a switching frequency for switching the first power and wirelessly transmitting the switched first power at at least one of a plurality of resonance frequencies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected to” another element, no intervening elements are present.

FIGS. 1A through 1Eare views illustrating utilization examples of a power supply device according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 1A through 1E, a power supply device100may be a power supply device supplying power wiredly. While supplying power to a laptop computer B and C wiredly, the power supply device100may simultaneously supply power to a cellular phone A wirelessly. In this case, the power supply device100according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may be a wireless charging pad supplying power to the cellular phone A wirelessly.

In a case in which a body B and a display C of the laptop computer (B and C) are separated, the power supply device100may supply power to the display C wirelessly, while supplying power to the body B wiredly. Also, the power supply device100may supply power to both the body B and the display C wirelessly.

Moreover, the power supply device100may supply power to the cellular phone A in a wired manner, via a magnetic resonance method or via a magnetic induction method in order to perform quick charging or to supplement insufficient power.

In a case in which a plurality of power transmission coils are provided, the plurality of power transmission coils may supply power wirelessly according to the magnetic resonance method or the magnetic induction method, and in this case, all of the plurality of power transmission coils may transmit power to the body B and the display C, as well as to the cellular phone A, according to the magnetic resonance method or the magnetic induction method.

Hereinafter, a configuration of the power supply device100will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 2A and 2Bare block diagrams illustrating schematic examples of a power supply device according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2B, the power supply device100according to the exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may include a power conversion unit110converting input power or alternating current (AC) power into first power and a wireless power supply unit120switching the first power from the power conversion unit110and wirelessly transmitting the first power. The power supply device100may further include a wired power supply unit130transmitting the first power from the power conversion unit110wiredly and a controller140controlling wireless transmission of the wireless power supply unit120.

In addition, the power supply device100may further include a DC/DC power conversion unit150performing a DC/DC conversion on power transmitted to the wired power supply unit130.

FIG. 3is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a first embodiment of a power supply device according to the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 3, the first embodiment100of a power supply device according to the present disclosure may include a power conversion unit110and a wireless power supply unit120. In addition, the power supply device100according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure may further include a wired power supply unit130and a controller140.

The power conversion unit110may include an input unit111, a power switching unit112, a transformer113, and a peripheral circuit114.

The input unit111may rectify input AC power or suppress electromagnetic interference. Rectified power may be switched by the power switching unit112. The transformer113may include a primary winding and a secondary winding which are mutually insulated and magnetically coupled. The primary winding may receive switched power, and the secondary winding may transform the switched power input to the primary winding according to a winding ratio with the primary winding and output first power. The peripheral circuit114may perform power stabilization and snubber operations when the power switching unit112switches power.

The wireless power supply unit120may include a switching unit121and a resonance unit122.

The switching unit121may include at least one switch Q1and Q2, and may be a half bridge switch having the first switch Q1and the second switch Q2.

The resonance unit122may include a first capacitor Cr, a second capacitor Cp, and a first power transmission coil Lr.

The first and second switches Q1and Q2of the half bridge switch may switch the first power from the power conversion unit110on and off complementarily, and the resonance unit122may resonate according to a switching frequency of the half bridge switch and may resonate at at least one of two resonance frequencies. Here, the resonance frequency may work together with the switching frequency of the half bridge switch.

One end of the first capacitor Cr of the resonance unit122may be connected to a node between the first switch and the second switch Q2, and the other end of the first capacitor Cr may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr. The first power transmission coil Lr may be connected between the other end of the first capacitor Cr and a ground, and the second capacitor Cp may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr in parallel. Here, the second capacitor Cp may have parasitic capacitance of the first power transmission coil Lr, rather than an actual element.

The wired power supply unit130may stabilize the first power from the power conversion unit110and supply the stabilized power to the outside wiredly.

The controller140may vary a switching frequency of the switching unit121according to a user selection, and thus, a resonance frequency of the resonance unit122may vary. The controller140may receive feedback of information regarding an output current of the wireless power supply unit120and vary the switching frequency of the switching unit121.

FIGS. 4A and 4Bare circuit diagrams schematically illustrating detailed embodiments of resonance units employed in the first embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 4A, in a resonance unit122employed in the first embodiment100of the power supply device in the present disclosure, a second capacitor Cp may be connected to a first power transmission coil Lr in parallel, and a first capacitor Cr may be connected to the second capacitor Cp and the first power transmission coil Lr in series such that one end of the first capacitor Cr is connected to one end of the second capacitor Cp and the other end of the first capacitor Cr is connected the one end of the first power transmission coil Lr.

Referring toFIG. 4B, the wireless power supply unit120of the first embodiment of the power supply device in the present disclosure may wirelessly transmit power to at least one of resonance frequencies as illustrated inFIG. 12, and thus, in the resonance unit122employed in the first embodiment100of the power supply device in the present disclosure, a plurality of capacitors including third and fourth capacitors Cr1and Cp1, in addition to the connectional relationship between the first and second capacitors Cr and Cp, may resonate with the first power transmission coil Lr to form a plurality of resonance frequencies.

FIGS. 5 and 6are circuit diagrams schematically illustrating operations of the first embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6together withFIG. 3, the controller140may control switching of the switching unit121with a first switching frequency, a low switching frequency, and a second switching frequency higher than the first switching frequency, and in a case in which the switching unit121switches the first power to the first switching frequency, the first capacitor Cr and the first power transmission coil Lr resonate to wirelessly transmit power at a first resonance frequency as illustrated inFIG. 5.

Here, the first resonance frequency fr1 may be expressed as Equation 1.

Meanwhile, in a case in which the switching unit121switches the first power to the second switching frequency, the second capacitor Cp and the first power transmission coil Lr may resonate to wirelessly transmit power at the second resonance frequency as illustrated inFIG. 6

Here, the second resonance frequency fr2 may be expressed as Equation 2.

As described above, the resonance unit122may wirelessly transmit power at the first resonance frequency and at the second resonance frequency, and may form at least two resonance frequency bands in one resonant circuit as illustrated inFIG. 12.

For example, the first resonance frequency fr1 may be formed between 110 KHz and 205 KHz according to the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) standard, and the resonance unit122may wirelessly transmit power according to a magnetic induction method.

Meanwhile, the second resonance frequency fr2 may have a frequency of 6.78 MHz according to the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), and the resonance unit122may wirelessly transmit power according to a magnetic resonance method.

In addition, a plurality of resonance frequencies fr1, fr2, and frn as described above with reference toFIG. 4.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 10are circuit diagrams schematically illustrating second to fourth embodiments of the power supply device according to the present disclosure.

First, configurations and operations of power conversion units210,310, and410and wired power supply units230,330, and430are identical to those of the power conversion unit110and the wired power supply unit130ofFIG. 3, and thus, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Referring toFIG. 7, in the second embodiment200of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, a switching unit221of a wireless power supply unit220may have first and second half bridge switches221aand221b, and the first and second half bridge switches221aand221bmay receive first power from a power conversion unit210.

The first half bridge switch221amay include first and second switches Q1and Q2, and the second half bridge switch221bmay include third and fourth switches Q3and Q4.

A resonance unit222may include first and second capacitors Cr and Cp and a first power transmission coil Lr. One end of the first capacitor Cr may be connected to a node between the first switch Q1and the second switch Q2, and the other end of the first capacitor Cr may be connected to the first power transmission coil L4. The first power transmission coil Lr may be connected to the other end of the first capacitor Cr and a node between the third and fourth switches Q3and Q4of the second half bridge switch221b. The second capacitor Cp may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr in parallel.

The first and second half bridge switches221aand221bmay form a single full bridge switch, and when the single full bridge switch is formed, a switching control operation of a controller240may be different from that when the first and second half bridge switches221aand221boperate, separately.

The controller240may control switching of the first to fourth switches Q1to Q4. The first capacitor Cr and the first power transmission coil Lr of the resonance unit222resonate according to a switching frequency of the first half bridge switch221ato wirelessly transmit power at a first resonance frequency, and the second capacitor Cp and the first power transmission coil Lr of the resonance unit222may resonate according to a switching frequency of the second half bridge switch221bto wirelessly transmit power at a second resonance frequency.

Referring toFIG. 8, in the third embodiment300of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, a switching unit321of a wireless power supply unit320may have first and second half bridge switches321aand321b, and the first and second half bridge switches321aand321bmay receive first power from a power conversion unit310.

The first half bridge switch321amay include first and second switches Q1and Q2, and the second half bridge switch321bmay include third and fourth switches Q3and Q4.

A resonance unit322may include first and second capacitors Cr-WPC and Cr-A4WP and a first power transmission coil Lr, and one end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC may be connected to a node between the first switch Q1and the second switch Q2of the first half bridge switch321a, and the other end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr. The first power transmission coil Lr may be connected to the other end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC and a ground. One end of the second capacitor Cr-A4WP may be connected to a node between the third and fourth switches Q3and Q4of the second half bridge switch321band the other end of the second capacitor Cr-A4WP may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr in series together with the other end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC.

A controller340may control switching of the first to fourth switches Q1to Q4. The first capacitor Cr-WPC and the first power transmission coil Lr of the resonance unit322may resonate according to a switching frequency of the first half bridge switch321ato wirelessly transmit power at a first resonance frequency, and the second capacitor Cr-A4WP and the first power transmission coil Lr of the resonance unit322may resonate according to a switching frequency of the second half bridge switch321bto wirelessly transmit power at a second resonance frequency.

FIGS. 9A through 9Care circuit diagrams schematically illustrating detailed embodiments of resonance units employed in the third embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure illustrated inFIG. 8.

Referring toFIGS. 9A through 9C, in the resonance unit322employed in the third embodiment300of the power supply device according to the present disclosure illustrated inFIG. 8, the second capacitor Cr-A4WP may be connected to the first power transmission coil L4in parallel (FIG. 9A), the second capacitor Cr-A4WP may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr and a node between the third and fourth switches Q3and Q4of the second half bridge switch321band the first capacitor Cr-WPC may connected to the first power transmission coil Lr in parallel (FIG. 9B), or only one of the first capacitor Cr-WPC and the second capacitor Cr-ArWP may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr, so as to resonate.

Referring toFIG. 10, in a fourth embodiment400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, a switching unit421of a wireless power supply unit420may have first and second half bridge switches421aand421b, and the first and second half bridge switches421aand421bmay receive first power from a power conversion unit410.

The first half bridge switch421amay include first and second switches Q1and Q2, and the second half bridge switch421bmay include third and fourth switches Q3and Q4.

A resonance unit422may include first and second resonance units422aand422b. The first resonance unit422amay have a first capacitor Cr-WPC and a first power transmission coil Lr-WPC, and the second resonance unit422bmay include a second capacitor Cr-A4WP and a second power transmission coil Lr-A4WP.

One end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC of the first resonance unit422amay be connected to a node between the first switch Q1and the second switch Q2of the first half bridge switch421a, and the other end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC may be connected to the first power transmission coil Lr-WPC in series. The first power transmission coil Lr-WPC may be connected the other end of the first capacitor Cr-WPC and a ground.

One end of the second capacitor Cr-A4WP of the second resonance unit422bmay be connected a node between the third and fourth switches Q3and Q4of the second half bridge switch321b, and the other end of the second capacitor Cr-A4WP may be connected to the second power transmission coil Lr-ArWP in series. The second power transmission coil Lr-A4WP may be connected between the other end of the second capacitor Cr-ArWP and a ground.

A controller440may control switching of the first to fourth switches Q1to Q4. The first capacitor Cr-WPC and the first power transmission coil Lr-WPC of the resonance unit422may resonate according to a switching frequency of the first half bridge switch421ato wirelessly transmit power at a first resonance frequency, and the second capacitor Cr-A4WP and the second power transmission coil Lr-A4WP of the resonance unit422may resonate according to a switching frequency of the second half bridge switch421bto wirelessly transmit power at a second resonance frequency.

In addition, the resonance unit422may simultaneously transmit power at first and second resonance frequencies wirelessly. Namely, the resonance unit422may wirelessly transmit power according to a magnetic induction method and a magnetic resonance method, and only may wirelessly transmit power according to the magnetic induction method or only according to the magnetic resonance method with the first and second resonance frequencies.

FIGS. 11A through 11Care circuit diagrams schematically illustrating detailed embodiments of resonance units employed in the fourth embodiment of the power supply device according to the present disclosure illustrated inFIG. 10.

Referring toFIGS. 11A through 11C, in the resonance unit422employed in the fourth embodiment400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure, the first capacitor Cr-WPC and the first power transmission coil Lr-WPC may be connected in series or in parallel, and similarly, the second capacitor Cr-A4WP and the second power transmission coil Lr-A4WP may be connected in series or in parallel.

Meanwhile, as described above, the controllers140,240,340, and440inFIGS. 2 through 5 and 7, may control the resonance units122,222,322, and422to wirelessly transmit power at at least one of the first and second resonant frequencies.

FIG. 13is a flow chart illustrating operations of the power supply device according to an exemplary embodiment in the present disclosure.

Referring toFIG. 13, first, the controllers140,240,340, and440of the first to fourth embodiments100,200,300, and400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure may control the wireless transmission of power at a first resonance frequency, for example, a resonance frequency having a frequency value ranging from 110 KHz to 205 KHz, at an initial stage of operation. Namely, the controllers140,240,340, and440of the first to fourth embodiments100,200,300, and400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure may wirelessly transmit power in a magnetic induction mode in operation S10.

Although not shown, according to circumstances, the controllers140,240,340, and440of the first to fourth embodiments100,200,300, and400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure may control wireless transmission of power at a second resonance frequency, for example, a resonance frequency of 6.78 MHz. Namely, the controllers140,240,340, and440of the first to fourth embodiments100,200,300, and400of the power supply device according to the present disclosure may wirelessly transmit power in a magnetic resonance mode.

Thereafter, when feedback of a charged current of a receiving side is detected in operation S20, the controllers140,240,340, and440may compare the charged current of the receiving side with a preset reference value. In the case that the charged current of the receiving side is lower than the reference value due to a distance between the power supply device and a device being increased, according to the comparison result, or when a request for multi-charging is received in operation S30, the controllers140,240,340, and440may control wireless transmission of power at the second resonance frequency, for example, with a resonance frequency band of 6.78 MHz. Namely, the controllers140,240,340, and440may wirelessly transmit power in a magnetic induction mode in operation S50.

As described above, according to exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, power may be transmitted wirelessly using at least two resonance frequencies, and in addition, since a wired scheme and a wireless scheme are integrated to supply power to various devices separately or simultaneously, various devices may be provided with power or charged with power and a single device may be quickly charged with power.

As set forth above, according to exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, power may be transmitted wirelessly using at least two resonance frequencies, and in addition, a wired scheme and a wireless scheme are integrated to supply power to various devices separately or simultaneously.

While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations could be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.