Wireless power receiver and control method thereof

Abstract

A wireless power receiver according to an embodiment wirelessly receives power from a wireless power transmitter. The wireless power receiver includes a printed circuit board having a reception space in a predetermined area, a receiving coil disposed in the reception space of the printed circuit board for receiving power from the wireless power transmitter, and a short-range communication antenna disposed on the printed circuit board while surrounding the receiving coil.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A wireless power receiver comprising:
 a receiving induction coil configured to wirelessly receive power from a wireless power transmitter;   a short-range communication antenna electrically coupled to the receiving induction coil to receive a current output from the receiving induction coil;   a switch for setting a conducting state of the short-range communication antenna to either an open state or a short state; and   a controller coupled to the switch,   wherein the controller is configured to control the switch according to reception of power at the receiving induction coil.   
     
     
         22 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to open the switch to the open state when the power is received and short the switch to the short state when the power is not received. 
     
     
         23 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 22 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine, when the power is received, whether the amount of the received power at the wireless power receiver is more than a threshold value, and to control the switch to be in a short state when the amount of the received power is more than the threshold and to be in an open state when the amount of the received power is less than the threshold value. 
     
     
         24 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a wireless charging circuit coupled to the receiving induction coil; and   a short-range communication module configured to wireless communicate with another device, wherein the switch is coupled in series between the short-range communication antenna and the short-range communication module, and when the controller opens the switch to the open state, current is not provided to the short-range communication antenna and a magnetic field generated during charging of the wireless charging circuit may not interfere with communication between the short-range communication module and the another device.   
     
     
         25 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 24 , wherein the short-range communication antenna comprises an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna and the short-range communication module is configured to perform wireless Near Field Communication. 
     
     
         26 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 24 , wherein the short-range communication module is configured to perform wireless communication in a short-range in a bandwidth including about 13.56 MHz. 
     
     
         27 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 24 , further comprising a protecting unit coupled between the switch and the short-range communication module, the protecting unit being configured to inhibit an overcurrent from flowing into the short-range communication module. 
     
     
         28 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 27 , further comprising a shielding unit configured to shield a magnetic field generated by the receiving coil. 
     
     
         29 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 28 , wherein the short-range communication antenna surrounds the receiving coil, and wherein the shielding unit has a reception space and the wireless charging circuit is disposed in the reception space of the shielding unit to transfer rectified power to a load by rectifying power received from the receiving coil. 
     
     
         30 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 21 , wherein the switch is connected to the short-range communication antenna and receives an open or short control signal from the controller. 
     
     
         31 . A wireless power receiver which wirelessly receives power from a wireless power transmitter and operates in a charging mode or a communication mode, the wireless power receiver comprising:
 a receiving coil disposed on a printed circuit board;   a wireless charging circuit coupled to the receiving coil;   the receiving coil configured to receive power from the wireless power transmitter in a charging mode;   a short-range communication antenna disposed on the printed circuit board surrounding the receiving coil,   the short-range communication antenna configured to transmit and receive information in a communication mode;   a controller configured to change an operating mode of the wireless power receiver into the charging mode or the communication mode; and   a switch coupled to the short-range communication antenna and configured to receive an open signal from the controller corresponding to the charging mode or to receive a short signal from the controller corresponding to the communication mode.   
     
     
         32 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 31 , wherein the controller opens the switch when the power is received from the wireless power transmitter and shorts the switch when the power is not received from the wireless power transmitter. 
     
     
         33 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 31 , wherein the controller configured to determine, when the power is received from the wireless power transmitter, whether the amount of the received power is more than a threshold value, to control to the switch to be short when the amount of the received power is more than the threshold, and to control to the switch to be open when the amount of the received power is less than the threshold. 
     
     
         34 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 31 , wherein the short-range communication antenna includes an NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna. 
     
     
         35 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 31 , further comprising a short-range communication module coupled to the short-range communication antenna; wherein the switch is coupled in series between the short-range communication antenna and a short-range communication module. 
     
     
         36 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 35 , further comprising a shielding unit configured to shield a magnetic field generated by the receiving coil. 
     
     
         37 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 36 , wherein the short-range communication antenna surrounds the receiving coil, and wherein the shielding unit has a reception space and the wireless charging circuit is disposed in the reception space of the shielding unit to transfer rectified power to a load by rectifying power received from the receiving coil. 
     
     
         38 . The wireless power receiver of  claim 37 , further comprising a protecting unit coupled between the switch and the short-range communication module, the protecting unit being configured to inhibit an overcurrent from flowing into the short-range communication module. 
     
     
         39 . A method of controlling a wireless power receiver which includes a short-range communication antenna for wireless communicating with another device in a communication mode and a wireless charging circuit for charging the receiver in a charging mode according to power received at a receiving induction coil, the method comprising:
 determining whether power is received at the receiving induction coil from a transmitting coil through electromagnetic induction;   opening a switch to an open state when the power is received to inhibit current from flowing through the short-range communication antenna while power is received at the receiving induction coil from the transmitting coil through electromagnetic induction in a charging mode;   determining whether an amount of received power at the wireless power receiver in the charging mode is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and   closing the switch to a short state when the amount of the received power is equal to or greater than the threshold value to allow current to flow through the short-range communication antenna in a communication mode.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising changing a flowing direction of a current when the current flowing through the short-range communication antenna in a short state is equal to or greater than a threshold current value to inhibit an overcurrent from flowing into a short-range communication module coupled to the short-range communication antenna.