Systems, methods, and apparatus implementing hybrid symmetric and asymmetric control for soft switching in wireless power transfer applications

1. An apparatus for wirelessly transferring charging power, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless power coupler;

a driver circuit configured to drive the wireless power coupler with first and second voltage waveforms; and

a control unit configured to:

when transferring wireless charging power at less than a first percentage of a nominal power level of the driver circuit and the wireless power coupler, instruct the driver circuit to drive the wireless power coupler with the first voltage waveform including a positive portion having a first duration and a negative portion having the first duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform, and

when transferring wireless charging power at above the first percentage of the nominal power level, selectively instruct the driver circuit to drive the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform including a positive portion having a second duration and a negative portion having a third duration that is not equal to the second duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform,

wherein the first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power is greater than the second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power,

wherein the driver circuit is configured to generate the second voltage waveform based on advancing a rising edge of the positive portion and delaying a rising edge of the negative portion of the first voltage waveform.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

measure a switching angle comprising a phase angle between a zero point crossing of an output current and a zero point crossing of the second voltage waveform; and

instruct the driver circuit to advance each of the rising edge and a falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle based on the switching angle such that no output current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the advanced rising edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to instruct the driver circuit to advance a falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle such that no output current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the advanced falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control unit is further configured to instruct the driver circuit to retard the rising edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by the shifting angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the control unit is further configured to instruct the driver circuit to increase the wireless charging power transmitted to a second percentage greater than the first percentage by incrementally increasing the duration of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform from the second duration to the third duration.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to separately control a conduction angle common to each of the positive portion and the negative portion of the second voltage waveform and at least one shifting angle that may be applied to each of the rising edge and a falling edge of at least one of the positive and negative portions of the second voltage waveform.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the shifting angle comprises:

a first shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform; and

a second shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.

8. A method for wirelessly transferring charging power via a magnetic field generated by a wireless power coupler driven by a driver circuit with first and second voltage waveforms, the method comprising:

when wirelessly transferring charging power at less than a first percentage of a nominal power level of the driver circuit and the wireless power coupler, driving the wireless power coupler with the first voltage waveform including a positive portion having a first duration and a negative portion having the first duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform,

when wirelessly transferring charging power at above the first percentage of the nominal power level, selectively driving the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform including a positive portion having a second duration and a negative portion having a third duration that is not equal to the second duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform, and

generating the second voltage waveform, via the driver circuit, based on advancing a rising edge of the positive portion and delaying a rising edge of the negative portion of the first voltage waveform,

wherein the first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power is greater than the second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein driving the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform comprises advancing each of the rising edge and a falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle such that no current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the rising edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein driving the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform comprises advancing a falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle such that no current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein driving the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform comprises retarding the rising edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by the shifting angle.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising increasing the wireless charging power transmitted by incrementally increasing the duration of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform from the second duration to the third duration.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein driving the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform further comprises separately controlling a conduction angle common to each of the positive portion and the negative portion of the second voltage waveform and at least one shifting angle that may be applied to each of the rising edge and a falling edge of at least one of the positive and negative portions of the second voltage waveform.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the shifting angle comprises:

a first shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform; and

a second shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus for wirelessly transferring charging power via a magnetic field generated by a wireless power coupler driven by a driver circuit with first and second voltage waveforms to:

when transferring wireless charging power at less than a first percentage of a nominal power level of the driver circuit and the wireless power coupler, drive the wireless power coupler with the first voltage waveform including a positive portion having a first duration and a negative portion having the first duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform,

when transferring wireless charging power at above the first percentage of the nominal power level, selectively drive the wireless power coupler with the second voltage waveform including a positive portion having a second duration and a negative portion having a third duration that is not equal to the second duration, wherein the wireless power coupler transfers wireless charging power at a second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform, and

generate the second voltage waveform, via the driver circuit, based on advancing a rising edge of the positive portion and delaying a rising edge of the negative portion of the first voltage waveform,

wherein the first efficiency while utilizing the first voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power is greater than the second efficiency while utilizing the second voltage waveform at less than the first percentage of the nominal power.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to advance each of the rising edge and a falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle such that no current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the rising edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform.

17. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to advance a falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by a shifting angle such that no current circulates in the wireless power coupler at the falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to retard the rising edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform by the shifting angle.

19. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to increase the wireless charging power transmitted to a second percentage greater than the first percentage by incrementally increasing the duration of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform from the second duration to the third duration.

20. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the code, when executed, further causes the apparatus to separately control a conduction angle common to each of the positive portion and the negative portion of the second voltage waveform, and at least one shifting angle that may be applied to each of the rising edge and a falling edge of at least one of the positive and negative portions of the second voltage waveform.

21. The medium of claim 20 , wherein the shifting angle comprises:

a first shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the positive portion of the second voltage waveform; and

a second shifting angle applied to each of the rising edge and the falling edge of the negative portion of the second voltage waveform.