Power reception device, power transmission device, and wireless power transmission system

• US 10,027,378 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Umeda, Toshiyuki, Kasami, Hideo, Ueno, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/266,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a power reception device includes: a power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power transmission device; a power storage that stores the power received by the power receiver; and a signal transmitter configured to transmit a detection signal, the signal transmitter being independent of a power system operating with power fed from the power storage.

Claims

1. A power reception device, comprising:

a power receiver configured to wirelessly receive power from a power transmission device;

a power storage configured to store the power received by the power receiver;

a signal transmitter configured to transmit a detection signal, the signal transmitter being independent of a power system operating with power fed from the power storage;

an environmental power generator configured to generate environment power, the generated environment power being stored in the power storage;

a power transmission controller configured to output a control signal to control power transmission from the power transmission device, based on power data of at least the environmental power generator among the power receiver, the power storage, and the environmental power generator; and

a wireless communicator configured to transmit the control signal to the power transmission device,

wherein when a generated power quantity of the environmental power generator is larger than an average power consumption of the power reception device, the power transmission controller is configured to output a suspension signal for suspending the power transmission from the power transmission device.

2. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein the detection signal transmitted by the signal transmitter is a reflected wave obtained by reflecting a radio wave transmitted from the power transmission device.

3. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter includes an RFID tag.

4. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein the detection signal contains identification information of the power reception device.

5. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter and the power receiver include a common antenna.

6. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter and the power receiver are adjacent to each other.

7. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein when charged energy of the power storage is equal to or smaller than a minimally charged energy, the power transmission controller is configured to output a suspension signal for suspending the power transmission from the power transmission device.

8. The power reception device according to claim 1, wherein when charged energy of the power storage is larger than a fully charged energy, the power transmission controller is configured to output a suspension signal for suspending the power transmission from the power transmission device.

9. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

a plurality of power reception devices, a power transmission device, and a control device,

each of the power reception devices comprising;

a power receiver configured to wirelessly receive power from the power transmission device;

a power storage configured to store the power received by the power receiver;

a signal transmitter configured to transmit a detection signal, the signal transmitter being independent of a power system operating with power fed from the power storage; and

an environmental power generator configured to generate environment power, the generated environment power being stored in the power storage,

the power transmission device comprising;

a power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to the power reception devices;

a power transmission decider configured to (i) decide, based on the detection signal, which is received from the respective power reception devices, whether the respective power reception devices exist in a power transmittable area in which the respective power reception devices are able to receive an average consumption power thereof from the power transmitter, and (ii) when deciding that a power reception device of the power reception devices exists in the power transmittable area, cause the power transmitter to perform power transmission; and

a directivity controller configured to control a radio wave directivity of the power transmitter, and

the control device comprising;

a power transmission controller configured to output a control signal to control the power transmission from the power transmission device, based on power data of at least the environmental power generator among the power receiver, the power storage, and the environmental power generator of the power reception devices; and

a wireless communicator configured to receive the power data from the power reception devices and transmit the control signal to the power transmission device,

wherein the power transmission controller is configured to output a directivity control signal to control the radio wave directivity of the power transmitter in order to increase a received power of one of the power reception devices in which the environmental power generator has a smallest generated power quantity among the power reception devices and in which the power storage has a charged energy smaller than a threshold.

10. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 9, wherein:

the power transmission controller is configured to output a directivity control signal to control the radio wave directivity of the power transmitter in order to increase a received power of one of the power reception devices in which the power receiver has a lowest received power, the power storage has a lowest charged energy, or the environmental power generator has a smallest generated power quantity, among the power reception devices.

11. The wireless power transmission system according to claim 9, wherein:

the power transmission controller is configured to output a directivity control signal to control the radio wave directivity of the power transmitter in order to increase a received power of one of the power reception devices in which the power receiver has a received power lower than a first threshold, the power storage has a charged energy lower than a second threshold, or the environmental power generator has a generated power quantity smaller than a third threshold.