This application claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Korean Application Serial No. 10-2015-0023470, which was filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Feb. 16, 2015, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a wireless power charging apparatus and, more specifically, to a wireless power charging apparatus for a portable electronic device.
With the development of portable electronic devices (e.g., smart phones, wearable electronic devices, etc.), relevant technologies have also rapidly progressed. Battery packs of portable electronic devices, which are used as power supply means, have to be periodically recharged. To this end, wired cables (e.g., charging cable, travel adapter, etc.) are directly connected to interface connector ports of the electronic devices in the related art. However, with such wired charging methods the charging cables have to be connected to the electronic devices to charge the electronic devices. Accordingly, in recent years, wireless power charging apparatuses that do not require connecting charging cables to the electronic devices have become popular. In response to this trend, device makers have made efforts to develop wireless power charging apparatuses with excellent charging efficiency.
Some wireless power charging apparatuses include a cavity where an electronic device is accommodated for the purpose of charging in order to charge small portable electronic devices such as wearable devices. The wireless power charging apparatuses may include a conductor that is disposed in the cavity such that wireless power (charging frequency) radiation is minimized outside the charging apparatus. Accordingly, the wireless power emitted from a power transmission antenna located in the cavity is received through a power reception antenna of an electronic device to efficiently charge the battery of the electronic device.
However, these wireless power charging apparatuses are completely sealed by the conductor while charging so that status information (charging, or otherwise) of the electronic device cannot be seen. In addition, an electronic device used for communication cannot perform a communication operation due to degradation in radiation efficiency of its antenna because the electronic device is sealed by the conductor while being charged.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a wireless power charging apparatus for a portable electronic device.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a wireless power charging apparatus for charging a portable electronic device, where state information of the electronic device being charged can be seen from outside of the charging apparatus.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a wireless power charging apparatus for a portable electronic device that enables the electronic device to communicate with an external device outside the wireless power charging apparatus even when the electronic device is being recharged inside the wireless power charging apparatus, thereby enhancing user convenience.
According to various embodiments, a wireless power charging apparatus may include a transparent dielectric body including a cavity for accommodating an electronic device, a transparent conductor provided on a wall of transparent dielectric configured to substantially block wireless power to outside the cavity, and at least one frequency filtering region disposed in the transparent conductor configured to perform at least one of pass a communication frequency of the electronic device and substantially block the wireless power to outside the cavity.
According to various embodiments, a wireless power charging apparatus may include a bottom plate, a side plate that has a pre-determined height along a periphery of the bottom plate and forms a cavity for accommodating an electronic device, and a cover provided on an upper portion of the side plate that is configured to be able to open and close. The cover may close to seal the cavity when the electronic device is being charged. The side plate may comprise a transparent dielectric in the shape of the side plate, a transparent conductor provided on an inner or outer wall of the transparent dielectric configured to substantially block a wireless power within the cavity from being radiated outside the cavity, and at least one frequency filtering region disposed in the transparent conductor configured to perform at least one of pass a communication frequency of the electronic device and substantially block the wireless power to outside the cavity.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings. Specific examples are illustrated in the drawings and described in the description, but those examples may be modified in various forms in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure. Moreover, the described examples are not intended to limit the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and it should be appreciated that there are many changes, equivalents and substitutions that belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. In the description of the drawings, identical or similar reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements.
The terms “include,” “comprise,” or “have” refer to the existence of a corresponding disclosed function, operation or component that can be used in various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, terms such as “include,” “comprise,” or “have” may be construed to denote a certain characteristic, number, step, operation, constituent element, component or a combination thereof, but may not be construed to exclude the existence of or a possibility of addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, components or combinations thereof.
The term “and/or” used in various embodiments of the present disclosure includes any or all of combinations of listed words. For example, the expression “A and/or B” may be just A, just B, or both A and B.
The expressions such as “first”, “second”, or the like used in various embodiments of the present disclosure may modify various component elements in the various embodiments but may not limit corresponding component elements. For example, the above expressions do not limit the sequence and/or importance of the elements. The expressions may be used to distinguish a component element from another component element. For example, a first user device and a second user device indicate different user devices although both of them are user devices. Accordingly, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
When it is described that when a first element “is connected to” or “is in contact with” a second element, it should be understood that although the first element may be directly connected to the second element, one or more other elements may be interposed therebetween. Conversely, when a first element is “directly coupled” or “directly connected” to a second element, it should be understood that there is no other element between the first element and the second element.
The terms in various embodiments of the present disclosure are used to describe a specific embodiment, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless they are definitely different in a context.
Unless defined differently, all terms used herein, which include technical terminologies or scientific terminologies, have the same meaning as that understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Such terms as those defined in a generally used dictionary are to be interpreted to have the meanings equal to the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art unless clearly defined in the present disclosure.
An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a device with a communication function. For example, the electronic device may be a smart phone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a PDA, a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), an MP3 player, a mobile medical device, a camera, a wearable device such as, for example, a Head-Mounted-Device (HMD) such as electronic glasses, electronic clothes, an electronic bracelet, an electronic necklace, an electronic appcessory, an electronic tattoo, and a smart watch.
According to some embodiments, the electronic device may be a smart home appliance with a communication function. The smart home appliances may include at least one of, for example, televisions, digital video disk (DVD) players, audio players, refrigerators, air conditioners, cleaners, ovens, microwaves, washing machines, air purifiers, set-top boxes, TV boxes (e.g., HomeSync™ of Samsung, Apple TV™, or Google TV™), game consoles, electronic dictionaries, electronic keys, camcorders, or electronic frames.
According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of various medical devices such as a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scanner, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, a computed tomography (CT) scanner, an ultrasonograph, or the like, a navigation device, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, an Event Data Recorder (EDR), a Flight Data Recorder (FDR), a vehicle infotainment device, an electronic equipment for ship (for example a ship navigation device and gyro-compass and the like), avionics, a security device, a head unit for vehicle, an industrial or household robot, ATM (automatic teller machine) in banking facilities or POS (point of sales) in stores.
According to some embodiments, the electronic device may include at least one of furniture or a part of a building/structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiving device, a projector, and various types of measuring devices (for example, a water meter, an electric meter, a gas meter, a radio wave meter, and the like), where a device may include a camera function. An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a combination of one or more of the described devices above. Also, an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be a flexible device. Some examples of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure have been listed, but the list is not exhaustive.
Referring to
According to various embodiments, the bottom plate 120 may be provided on the lower side of the body 110 to seal the cavity 1105, and the cover 130 may be provided on the upper portion of the body 110. According to an embodiment, the cover 130 may be coupled to the body 110 through a coupling member, such as a hinge, etc., so as to be able to be opened/closed. According to an embodiment, the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may form a completely sealed space, or may be formed to be electrically grounded, by the body 110, the bottom plate 120, and the cover 130 while charging. According to an embodiment, the cover 130 may also be equipped so as to be separated from the body 110.
According to various embodiments, the body 110 of the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may be formed of a transparent material. According to various embodiments, at least a part of the body 110 of the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may be formed of a transparent material. According to an embodiment, the region B or the region C of the body 110 of the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may serve as a communication frequency pass region through which the electronic device 200 can establish communication with the outside when in the cavity 1105 to be charged. According to an embodiment, although not illustrated, at least one charging power transmission antenna radiator (not shown) may be disposed at a suitable place in the cavity 1105. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a charging power reception antenna radiator (not shown) for receiving wireless power (charging frequency) transmitted by the charging power transmission antenna radiator.
According to various embodiments, the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may be formed of a substantially transparent material so that status information of the electronic device 200, which is being charged in the cavity 1105, can be seen through the wireless power charging apparatus 100. For example, a communication state, notification of a received message, notification of a received call, and the like may be seen through the electronic device 200. According to an embodiment, the wireless power charging apparatus 100 may perform filtering in order to pass a communication frequency of the electronic device 200 through the wireless power charging apparatus 100 and to prevent the wireless power transmitted by the wireless power charging apparatus 100 from being radiated to the outside, thereby efficiently using and charging the electronic device.
Referring to
The transparent dielectric 111 may be formed of a non-conductive material. According to an embodiment, the transparent dielectric 111 may be one or more of various materials such as transparent polycarbonate (PC) (e.g., transparent acrylic resin), glass, etc. According to an embodiment, the transparent conductor 112 may be of a film type and may be attached to the inner or outer surface of the transparent dielectric 111. For example, the transparent conductor 112 may be attached to the inner or outer wall of the transparent dielectric 111 by a transparent double-sided tape. The transparent conductor 112 may also be a metal mesh that includes a plurality of metal lines that are arranged on, for example, a transparent polyimide member to cross each other at a pre-determined interval. Various embodiments may have the metal lines of the metal mesh not cross each other, but closely approach each other to a pre-determined interval to form various shapes.
According to various embodiments, the wireless power charging apparatus 100 can exhibit an efficiency equivalent to that of a conventional wireless power charging apparatus in which an opaque metal material is provided on all of the inner surfaces of a cavity 1105. This can be done by adjusting the interval between the metal lines, which constitutes the metal mesh of the transparent conductor 112, and the thickness of the metal lines. In this state, communication frequency pass regions B and C may be formed in the body 110 to allow the electronic device 200, which is accommodated in the cavity 1105 for the purpose of charging, to communicate with the outside. According to an embodiment, a communication frequency cannot pass through the region A from the cavity 1105 to the outside, but can pass through the regions B and C from the cavity 1105 to the outside. According to an embodiment, the regions B and C may be placed at intervals in the body 110, and a plurality of regions B and regions C may be formed.
According to various embodiments, the region B through which a communication frequency passes may include a metal periodic structure in which a plurality of unit metal structures 1123 are arranged in a non-conductive region of the body 110. The region C through which a communication frequency passes may include a slot periodic structure in which a plurality of unit slots 1127 is formed in a conductive region of the body 110.
The metal periodic structure and the slot periodic structure will be described in more detail in reference to other figures.
Referring to
According to various embodiments, the charging efficiency of an electronic device may be controlled by adjusting the interval D between the metal lines 1121 of the transparent conductor and the thickness W of the metal lines 1121.
As illustrated in
In addition, it can be seen from Table 1 below that the air radiation efficiency changed when the interval between the lines was adjusted while keeping the same line thickness.
As listed in Table 1, when a conventional opaque conductor was tested, the air radiation efficiency was 55.5%, and according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, when metal lines with a line thickness of 0.05 mm and a line interval of 0.95 mm were applied as a transparent conductor, the air radiation efficiency was 51.9%, and when metal lines with the same line thickness of 0.05 mm and a line interval of 0.35 mm were applied as a transparent conductor, the air transmission efficiency was 54.8%. Namely, it can be seen that as the interval between the metal lines was reduced, the air radiation efficiency approached the air radiation efficiency of the conventional opaque conductor.
Referring to
As listed in Table 2, for a cylindrical body that has a diameter of 15 cm and a height of 7.5 cm, the maximum air radiation efficiency was 55%, and a rectangular body with dimensions of 12 cm×9 cm×5 cm had a maximum air radiation efficiency of 54%. Accordingly, it can be seen that excellent air radiation efficiency was exhibited for different types of body for the transparent conductor with metal lines (a metal mesh).
According to various embodiments, a non-conductive region 1122 may be formed in an area of a transparent conductor 112. The corresponding transparent conductor may be configured such that the wireless power frequency (e.g., in a band of 2.4 GHz) is blocked by the non-conductive region 1122 and metal periodic structures formed in the non-conductive region 1122.
Referring to
According to an embodiment, unit metal structures 1123 (
Referring to
Referring to
According to various embodiments, a conductive region 1126 may be formed in an area of a transparent conductor 112, and a slot periodic structure in which a plurality of unit slots 1127 are uniformly arranged may be applied to the conductive region 1126, whereby the transparent conductor 112 may be configured to pass frequencies in a specific band. According to an embodiment, the transparent conductor 112 may be configured to pass a communication frequency (e.g., in a band of 900 MHz or in a band of 1800 MHz) through the slot periodic structure region of the corresponding transparent conductor 112. According to an embodiment, the unit slots 1127 and 1128 may be formed in the conductive region 1126, which may be separately provided on the transparent conductor 112, or in an existing metal mesh.
Referring to
Referring to
According to various embodiments, the wireless power charging apparatus 700 may include the body 710, similar to that illustrated in
According to various embodiments, the communication repeater 720 may comprise a first antenna radiator 721 on the outer wall of the body 710, and a second antenna radiator 722 on the inner wall of the cavity 7015. The first and second antenna radiators 721 and 722 may be patch type radiators that have a low-profile. In this case, the first and second antenna radiators 721 and 722 may be bonded to the outer wall and the inner wall of the body 710, respectively. According to an embodiment, a spacing dielectric 7221 may be interposed for insulation between the second antenna radiator 722 and the inner wall of the cavity 7015, that is, a face of the transparent conductor 712.
According to various embodiments, the first and second antenna radiators 721 and 722 may include a transmission line 723 that passes through the body of the wireless power charging apparatus. The transmission line 723 may be electrically connected to the first and second antenna radiators 721 and 722. The transmission line 723 may be, for example, a coaxial cable that passes through the body 710, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), etc. According to an embodiment, a charging bandstop filter 724 may be provided for the transmission line 723. The charging bandstop filter 724 may block wireless power frequency signals from being transmitted to the outside through the first antenna radiator 721, and may include elements such as the inductor L, the capacitor C, etc.
As illustrated in
According to the various embodiments, the wireless power charging apparatus enables a user to see the status information of an electronic device with his/her eyes while the electronic device is being recharged, and enables the electronic device to communicate with an external device, thereby enhancing user convenience.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in the specification and the drawings are only particular examples proposed in order to easily describe the technical matters of the present disclosure and help with comprehension of the present disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, in addition to various embodiments disclosed herein, the scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be construed to include all modifications or modified forms based on the various embodiments described and teaching of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2015-0023470 | Feb 2015 | KR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20090303693 | Mao | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20120223595 | Oodachi | Sep 2012 | A1 |
20140191587 | Van Goor | Jul 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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20130000246 | Jan 2013 | KR |
2013179284 | Dec 2013 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160241077 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |