Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0130309, filed on Dec. 17, 2010, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data capable of wirelessly transferring electrical energy and performing large capacity and high efficiency communication by using a resonant structure. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A technique of wirelessly transferring energy is similar to telecommunication using an antenna in a broad sense. However, when energy is wirelessly transferred within a short distance, since energy is transmitted within a very short distance in a wavelength, energy transmission efficiency, as well as directivity and a radiation pattern, is very significant. 
         [0004]    Recently, a technique of transferring a large capacity energy such as charging of an electrical vehicle, as well as a technique of wirelessly (or in a non-contact manner) transferring energy to an electronic product consuming a small amount of power, such as mobile phones, notebook computers, or the like, to operate the product, has come to prominence. Furthermore, various products that can perform both energy transmission and communication are anticipated to be developed in the future. Subsequently, a receiving device that is able to be provided with power from a transmission unit and performs a communication function, even without a power source, is the next generation in electronics, and this will possibly result in a reduction in the size of the receiving device. 
         [0005]    US Patent Publication No. 2010/0190436 A1 entitled “Concurrent wireless power transmission and near-field communication” discloses a similar technique of performing both energy transmission and communication. This document proposes a system for performing wireless power transmission and communication. 
         [0006]    However, the technique presented in the above document performs communication limited to a near field by using the same frequency as that of wireless power transmission, and uses a low frequency, having disadvantages in that it is very vulnerable to large capacity data transmission. 
         [0007]    Thus, a technique which is able to transmit large capacity data with high efficiency while simultaneously performing wireless power transmission and communication is required. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide an apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data having both an energy transmission function for effectively transmitting electrical energy wirelessly and a communication function for transmitting large capacity data at a high speed by using a resonant structure. 
         [0009]    An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting energy and data, including: a signal generator generating a first frequency signal for power transmission; a first matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency signal generated by the signal generator; an oscillator outputting a second frequency signal, a carrier frequency, by using the first frequency signal generated by the signal generator, as a reference frequency; a mixer modulating a data signal output from a communication module by using the second frequency signal; a second matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving a modulated signal by using the second frequency signal; a resonator resonating an output signal from the first matching circuit to a reception side apparatus; and a radiator radiating an output signal from the second matching circuit to the reception side apparatus. 
         [0010]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for wirelessly receiving energy and data, including: a resonator resonating a first frequency power signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus; a radiator receiving a second frequency data signal transmitted from the transmission apparatus; a first matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency power signal; a rectifier rectifying an impedance-matched power signal from the first matching circuit into a DC current; a second matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving the second frequency data signal; an oscillator outputting a second frequency signal by using a first frequency signal output from the resonator as a reference frequency; and a mixer mixing impedance-matched data signal from the second matching circuit with a signal output from the oscillator to restore a baseband data signal. 
         [0011]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for wirelessly transmitting energy and data, including: a signal generation operation of generating a first frequency signal for power transmission; a first matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency signal generated at the signal generation operation; an oscillation operation of outputting a second frequency signal, a carrier frequency, by using the first frequency signal, generated at the signal generation operation, as a reference frequency; a modulation operation of modulating a data signal output from a communication module by using the second frequency signal; a second matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the signal modulated by using the second frequency signal; a resonation operation of resonating a signal output from the first matching operation to a reception side apparatus; and a radiation operation of radiating a signal output from the second matching operation to the reception side apparatus. 
         [0012]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for wirelessly receiving energy and data, including: a resonation operation of resonating a first frequency power signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus; a reception operation of receiving a second frequency data signal transmitted from the transmission apparatus; a first matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency power signal; a rectification operation of rectifying impedance-matched power signal from the first matching operation into a DC current; a second matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the second frequency data signal; an oscillation operation of outputting a second frequency signal by using the first frequency signal output from the resonation operation, as a reference frequency; and a frequency mixing operation of mixing the impedance-matched data signal from the second matching operation with the signal output from the oscillation operation to restore a baseband data signal. 
         [0013]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting energy and data, including: a signal generator generating a first frequency signal for power transmission; a first matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency signal from the signal generator; a frequency multiplier multiplying the first frequency signal generated by the signal generator into a second frequency signal of an integer multiple; a mixer modulating a data signal output from a communication module by using the second frequency signal; a second matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving a modulated signal by using the second frequency signal; a resonator resonating an output signal from the first matching circuit to a reception side apparatus; and a radiator radiating an output signal from the second matching circuit to the reception side apparatus. 
         [0014]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an apparatus for wirelessly receiving energy and data, including: a resonator resonating a first frequency power signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus; a radiator receiving a second frequency data signal obtained by integer-multiplying the first frequency signal; a first matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first frequency power signal resonated by the resonator; a frequency multiplier multiplying the first frequency power signal resonated by the resonator into a second frequency signal of an integer multiple; a rectifier rectifying the impedance-matched power signal from the first matching circuit into a DC current; a second matching circuit matching input/output impedance upon receiving second frequency data signal received from the radiator; and a mixer mixing the impedance-matched data signal from the second matching circuit and a signal output from the frequency multiplier to restore a baseband data signal. 
         [0015]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for wirelessly transmitting energy and data, including: a signal generation operation of generating a first frequency signal for power transmission; a first matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the first signal generated at the signal generation operation; a frequency multiplication operation of multiplying the first frequency signal generated at the signal generation operation into a second frequency signal of an integer multiple; a modulation operation of modulating a data signal output from a communication module by using the second frequency signal; a second matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the signal modulated by using the second frequency signal; and a resonation and radiation operation of resonating and radiating the signals output from the first and second matching operations to a reception side apparatus, respectively. 
         [0016]    Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for wirelessly receiving energy and data, including: a resonation and reception operation of resonating and receiving a first frequency power signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus and a second frequency data signal obtained by integer-multiplying the frequency signal; a first matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the resonated first frequency power signal; a rectification operation of rectifying the impedance-matched power signal from the first matching operation into a DC current; a frequency multiplication operation of multiplying the resonated first frequency power signal into a second frequency signal of an integer multiple; a second matching operation of matching input/output impedance upon receiving the received second frequency data signal; and a frequency mixing operation of mixing the impedance-matched data signal from the second matching operation with the signal multiplied at the frequency multiplication operation to restore a baseband data signal. 
         [0017]    According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a function of simultaneously performing wireless power transmission and communication is implemented in a single system. In particular, the system simultaneously uses a radio frequency, which is used for power transmission, as a reference frequency of a sub-system for communication, so the system can be simplified, and because various modules and operations required for determining a reference signal in a transmission and reception system are not required, the system performance can be improved. 
         [0018]    Since the frequency, which is multiplied by a few or tens of times a power transmission frequency, is used for far field communication, a resonator and a radiator can be integrally implemented, reducing the size of the system and transmitting large quantity data at a high speed. 
         [0019]    The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for transmitting and receiving wireless energy and data according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawing, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. 
         [0024]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, unlike a power transmission frequency f 0 , a frequency of a few to hundreds of times greater than f 0  is used as a communication frequency. For example, when a power transmission frequency used in the current technology is smaller than 10 MHz, the communication frequency may be tens of GHz. Thus, a power transmission distance may be a few centimeters to tens of centimeters, which mostly belongs to a near field. However, for a frequency used for communication which works in a far field, an antenna using a radiation phenomenon, not a resonance phenomenon, is applied. 
         [0025]    The reason why there is a wide difference between the power transmission frequency and the communication frequency is because when large capacity data is transmitted at a high speed, it is better to use a high frequency, including interference between the identical frequencies. In particular, the use of a millimeter-wave band can be quite advantageous because of a small attenuation at a relative short distance. 
         [0026]    Meanwhile, in the related art, a resonator and a radiator are separately used for power transmission (i.e., energy transmission) and data transmission, but in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a resonator and radiator member is implemented as a single component which plays the roles of both the resonator and the radiator. Such can be implemented in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure because a communication frequency is raised to be a multiple of a power transmission frequency for a transmission. 
         [0027]    Namely, in general, a resonator and a radiator largely use a basic resonant state, and here, a similar resonant or radiative phenomenon occurs at a multiple of the frequency in which the basic resonant takes place. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a frequency, which is multiplied a few or tens of times as the power transmission frequency, is used for communication, a resonator and a radiator can be integrally configured, reducing the size of a system. 
         [0028]    Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, since wireless energy transmission is made at a low frequency while communication is made at a high frequency concurrently, the distance between a transmitter and receiver is a short distance (i.e., a near field) in terms of power transmission and is a long distance (i.e., a far field) in terms of communication. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy and data according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a transmission apparatus  102  may be configured to include a signal generator  200 , a power amplifier  202 , a first matching circuit  204 , a resonator  206 , a communication module  208 , a local oscillator  210 , a mixer  212 , a signal amplifier  214 , a second matching circuit  216 , and a radiator  218 . In  FIG. 1 , f 0  refers to a frequency for power transmission and f 1  refers to frequency used for communication. 
         [0031]    As for an energy transmission process, energy having frequency f 0  is generated by signal generator  200  and transmitted to resonator  206  through power amplifier  202  and first matching circuit  204 . The energy transmitted to resonator  206  is transferred to a reception side resonator  300  by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load or a communication module of a reception apparatus  104 . 
         [0032]    As for a data transmission process, a data signal generated by communication module  208  is mixed with a carrier frequency signal provided from local oscillator  210  through frequency mixer  212 , and amplified through signal amplifier  214 . And then, the amplified signal is transmitted to radiator  218  through second matching circuit  216 . Radiator  218  follows an operational principle of a general antenna, and is received by a reception side radiator  308  (e.g., an antenna). 
         [0033]    Reception apparatus  104  may be configured to include a resonator  300 , a first matching circuit  302 , a rectifier  304 , a load  306 , a radiator  308 , a second matching circuit  310 , an amplifier  312 , a mixer  314 , a local oscillator  316 , a communication module  318 , and the like. 
         [0034]    As for an energy reception process of reception apparatus  104 , energy of frequency f 0  is transferred to resonator  300  of reception apparatus  104  through a resonance phenomenon with resonator  206  of transmission apparatus  102 , and the transferred energy passes through reception side first matching circuit  302  and is rectified into a DC current by rectifier  304 . The rectified current is used as power for load  306  or communication module  318  which can be replaced with a charger or a battery. 
         [0035]    As for a data reception process of reception apparatus  104 , a signal, i.e., (f 1 )m, which has been modulated by using data signal f 1  frequency of frequency f 1  transmitted through radiator  218  or an antenna of transmission apparatus  102 , is received through radiator  308  or an antenna of reception apparatus  104 , and then transferred to signal amplifier  312  through second matching circuit  310 . Signal amplifier  312  amplifies the reception signal. Local oscillator  316  generates a carrier frequency signal by using frequency f 0  provided from resonator  300  or first matching circuit  302 , and transfers the generated carrier frequency signal to frequency mixer  314 . Frequency mixer  314  mixes an output signal from signal amplifier  312  and an output from local oscillator  316  to restore an original data signal. The restored data signal is provided to communication module  318 . 
         [0036]    Meanwhile, the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction. Namely, the data signal transmitted from communication module  318  of reception apparatus  104  is transmitted to transmission apparatus  102  through mixer  314 , amplifier  312 , second matching circuit  310 , and radiator  308 , and upon receiving the data transmitted from reception apparatus, transmission apparatus  102  restores the data signal. 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy data according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0038]    In the second exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , likewise as in the first exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 1 , frequency for power transmission is generated by a signal generator  400 , the same signal source. However, the frequency generated by signal generator  400  is output as an integer multiple frequency through a frequency multiplier  410 . 
         [0039]    Energy and a data signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus  106  are received through a resonator  500  and a radiator  508  of a reception apparatus  108 . The energy is transferred to a first matching circuit  502 , and the data signal is transferred to a second matching circuit  510 . Matching circuits  502  and  510  are previously designed to be matched to different frequencies. 
         [0040]    In detail, transmission apparatus  106  according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include a signal generator  400 , a power amplifier  402 , a first matching circuit  404 , a resonator  406 , a communication module  408 , frequency multiplier  410 , a mixer  412 , a signal amplifier  414 , a second matching circuit  416 , a radiator  418 , and the like. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 2 , f 0  is frequency for power transmission, nf 0  is a frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency for power transmission by an integer multiple, and (nfD)m refers to frequency used for communication as a modulation signal. 
         [0042]    As for an energy transmission process, energy having frequency f 0  is generated by signal generator  400  and transmitted to resonator  406  through power amplifier  402  and first matching circuit  404 . The energy transmitted to resonator  406  is transferred to reception side resonator  500  by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load  506  and a communication module  518  of reception apparatus  108 . 
         [0043]    As for a data transmission process, frequency multiplier  410  multiplies a signal of frequency f 0 , generated by signal generator  400 , by an integer (n) multiple. Mixer  412  mixes a data signal generated by communication module  408  and the frequency-multiplied signal to modulate the data signal. The modulated signal is amplified by signal amplifier  414  and transmitted to radiator  418  through second matching circuit  416 . Radiator  418  follows an operational principle of a general antenna, and the data signal transmitted through radiator  406  is received by reception side radiator  508 . 
         [0044]    Meanwhile, reception apparatus  108  may be configured to include resonator  500 , first matching circuit  502 , a rectifier  504 , load  506 , radiator  508 , second matching circuit  510 , a signal amplifier  512 , a mixer  514 , a frequency multiplier  516 , and communication module  518 . 
         [0045]    First, as for an energy reception process of reception apparatus  108 , energy of frequency f 0  is transferred to resonator  500  of reception apparatus  108  through a resonance phenomenon with resonator  406  of transmission apparatus  106 , and the transferred energy passes through first matching circuit  501  and is rectified into a DC current by rectifier  504 . The rectified current is used as power for load  506  or communication module  518 . 
         [0046]    As for a data reception process of reception apparatus  108 , a data signal of a frequency nf 0  transmitted through radiator  418  of transmission apparatus  106  is received by radiator  508  of reception apparatus  108  and transferred to signal amplifier  512  through second matching circuit  510 . Signal amplifier  512  amplifies the received data signal. Mixer  514  mixes a carrier frequency signal provided from frequency multiplier  516  and the data signal output from signal amplifier  512  to restore the original data signal. The restored data signal is provided to communication module  518 . Here, a reference frequency of frequency multiplier  516  is input from resonator  500  or first matching circuit  502 . 
         [0047]    Meanwhile, the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction. Namely, a data signal transmitted from communication module  518  of reception apparatus  108  is modulated into the data signal of frequency nf 0  in mixer  514  and transmitted to transmission apparatus  106  through signal amplifier  512 , second matching circuit  510 , and radiator  508 . Transmission apparatus  106  receives the data signal transmitted from reception apparatus  108  and restores the data signal. 
         [0048]      FIG. 3  is a view showing the configuration of an apparatus for wirelessly transmitting and receiving energy data according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0049]    In the third exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , similar to the second exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the frequency for power transmission is generated by a signal generator  600 , the same signal source. The frequency generated by signal generator  600  is output as an integer multiple frequency through a frequency multiplier  610 . 
         [0050]    Energy and a data signal transmitted from a transmission apparatus  110  are transferred to a resonator and radiator  700  of a reception apparatus  112 . Here, the energy is transferred through a first matching circuit  702 , and the data signal is transferred through a second matching circuit  710 . The matching circuits  702  and  710  are previously designed to be matched to different frequencies. 
         [0051]    In detail, transmission apparatus  110  according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured to include signal generator  600 , a power amplifier  602 , a first matching circuit  604 , a resonator and radiator  606 , a communication module  608 , frequency multiplier  610 , a mixer  612 , a signal amplifier  614 , a second matching circuit  616 , and the like. In  FIG. 3 , ID is a frequency for power transmission, and nf 0  is frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency for power transmission by an integer multiple, which is used for communication. 
         [0052]    First, as for an energy transmission process, energy having frequency ID is generated by signal generator  600  and transmitted to resonator and radiator  606  through power amplifier  602  and first matching circuit  604 . The energy transmitted to resonator and radiator  606  is transferred to reception side resonator and radiator  700  by using a resonance phenomenon so as to be used as power for a load  706  and a communication module  718  of reception apparatus  112 . 
         [0053]    As for a data transmission process, frequency multiplier  610  multiplies a signal of frequency f 0 , generated by signal generator  600 , by an integer (n) multiple. Mixer  612  modulates a data signal generated by communication module  608  by using the frequency-multiplied signal. The modulated signal is amplified by signal amplifier  614  and transmitted through second matching circuit  616  to the identical resonator and radiator  606  which was used for the energy transmission. Resonator and radiator  606  follows an operational principle of a general antenna, and the data signal transmitted through the antenna of resonator and radiator  606  is received through an antenna of reception side resonator and radiator  700 . 
         [0054]    Meanwhile, reception apparatus  112  may be configured to include resonator and radiator  700 , first matching circuit  702 , a rectifier  704 , load  706 , second matching circuit  710 , a signal amplifier  712 , a mixer  714 , a frequency multiplier  716 , a communication module  718 , and the like. 
         [0055]    First, as for an energy reception process of reception apparatus  112 , resonator and radiator  700  of reception apparatus  112  receives energy from frequency f 0  through a resonance phenomenon with resonator and radiator  606  of transmission apparatus  110 . 
         [0056]    The transferred energy passes through first matching circuit  702  and is rectified into a DC current by rectifier  704 . The rectified current is used as power for load  706  or communication module  718 . 
         [0057]    Next, as for a data reception process of reception apparatus  112 , a data signal of a frequency nf 0  transmitted through resonator and radiator  606  (i.e., an antenna) of transmission apparatus  110  is received by resonator and radiator  700  (i.e., an antenna) of reception apparatus  112  and transferred to signal amplifier  712  through second matching circuit  710 . Signal amplifier  712  amplifies the received signal, and the amplified signal is mixed with a carrier frequency signal provided from frequency multiplier  716  through frequency mixer  714  so as to be restored into the original data signal. The restored data signal is provided to communication module  718 . Here, a reference frequency of frequency multiplier  716  is input from resonator  700  or first matching circuit  702 . 
         [0058]    Meanwhile, the data signal can be transmitted in a reverse direction. Namely, the data signal transmitted from communication module  718  of reception apparatus  112  is modulated into the data signal of frequency nf 0  through mixer  714  and frequency multiplier  716  of reception apparatus  112  and transmitted to transmission apparatus  110  through signal amplifier  712 , second matching circuit  710 , and resonator and radiator  700 . Transmission apparatus  110  receives the data signal transmitted from reception apparatus  112  and restores the data signal. 
         [0059]    In this manner, in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the system designing and performance can be improved by utilizing the power transmission frequency as a reference frequency of the communication frequency, and an energy transmission and data transmission can be implemented by using a single resonator and radiator by using the fact that a resonant and radiative phenomenon occurs by a multiple of a fundamental frequency. To this end, as described above, the frequency signal used for energy transmission is multiplied by an integer multiple by using the frequency multiplier and re-used for data transmission, whereby effective energy transmission and data transmission can be simultaneously implemented. 
         [0060]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Technology Category: 5