Method and apparatus for network communication in wireless power transmission system

Abstract

A method of configuring a network of a power transmitting unit (PTU) includes determining whether a neighboring PTU is operating in a master mode; determining an operation mode of a PTU based on a result of the determining; and setting a network between the PTU and the neighboring PTU based on the operation mode of the PTU.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of configuring a network of a power transmitting unit (PTU), the method comprising:
 receiving wake-up power from a neighboring PTU; and   network-connecting a PTU to the neighboring PTU by setting an operation mode of the PTU to a slave mode in response to the received wake-up power satisfying a predetermined condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises either one or both of a predetermined size of the received wake-up power and a predetermined period of the received wake-up power. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information on a change of wake-up power to the neighboring PTU;
 wherein the network-connecting of the PTU to the neighboring PTU by setting the operation mode of the PTU to the slave mode comprises network-connecting the PTU to the neighboring PTU by setting the operation mode of the PTU to the slave mode in response to receiving, from the neighboring PTU, wake-up power corresponding to the information on the change of the wake-up power.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the information on the change of the wake-up power comprises either one or both of information on a period of the wake-up power and information on a size of the wake-up power. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the neighboring PTU comprises a resonator, and is configured to adjust power supplied to the resonator to generate wake-up power corresponding to the information on the change of the wake-up power. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising recognizing the neighboring PTU as operating in a master mode in response to the received wake-up power satisfying the predetermined condition. 
     
     
         7 . A power transmitting unit (PTU) comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive wake-up power from a neighboring PTU; and   a network connector configured to network-connect a PTU to the neighboring PTU by setting an operation mode of the PTU to a slave mode in response to the received wake-up power satisfying a predetermined condition.   
     
     
         8 . The PTU of  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises either one or both of a predetermined size of the received wake-up power and a predetermined period of the received wake-up power. 
     
     
         9 . The PTU of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a transmitter configured to transmit information on a change of wake-up power to the neighboring PTU;   wherein the network connector further configured to network-connect the PTU to the neighboring PTU by setting the operation mode of the PTU to the slave mode in response to receiving, from the neighboring PTU, wake-up power corresponding to the information on the change of the wake-up power.   
     
     
         10 . The PTU of  claim 9 , wherein the information on the change of the wake-up power comprises either one or both of information on a period of the wake-up power and information on a size of the wake-up power. 
     
     
         11 . The PTU of  claim 9 , wherein the neighboring PTU comprises a resonator, and is configured to adjust power supplied to the resonator to generate wake-up power corresponding to the information on the change of the wake-up power. 
     
     
         12 . The PTU of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a recognizer configured to recognize the neighboring PTU as operating in a master mode in response to the received wake-up power satisfying the predetermined condition.