Resonance type power transmission system, transmitting device, and power supply position control system

• US 10,028,238 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubshi Electric Engineering Company Limited (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubshi Electric Engineering Company Limited (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Akuzawa, Yoshiyuki, Ito, Yuki, Matsumori, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US15/522,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 455107, 455121, 4551932
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/48 the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations

Abstract

A transmitting device includes a transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, based on input power, plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas, a parameter detector to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameter being changed as a receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas, by using a protective function of the transmission power supply, and a switch controller to estimate the position of the receiving antenna from the result of the detection, and to perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna.

Claims

1. A resonance type power transmission system comprising:

a transmitting device including plural transmitting antennas, and a receiving device including a receiving antenna;

wherein the transmitting device comprises;

one transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector comprised of a function of preventing breakage of the transmission power supply, the function being included by the transmission power supply, to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas;

a switch controller to estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and to perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.

2. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, the parameter detector detects plural parameters.

3. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter detector includes an input detector to detect a parameter regarding the input power.

4. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter detector includes a power supply parameter detector to detect parameters regarding an inside of the transmission power supply.

5. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter detector includes an output detector to detect a parameter regarding the electric power outputted from the transmission power supply.

6. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein when estimating the position of the receiving antenna, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of all of the transmitting antennas.

7. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein when estimating the position of the receiving antenna, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the transmitting antennas in sequence.

8. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting device includes a position information acquirer to, in a learning operation, acquire pieces of information showing positions at each of which the receiving antenna is placed, and a recorder, in the learning operation, to record detection results acquired by the parameter detector, and the pieces of information showing the positions of the receiving antenna acquired by the position information acquirer while associating the detection results with the pieces of information, and wherein when estimating the position of the receiving antenna, the switch controller uses the pieces of information recorded in the recorder.

9. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply line of one of the two or more transmitting antennas in which changes in the parameters detected by the parameter detector is great.

10. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting device comprises a transmission side position estimation auxiliary unit provided for each of the transmitting antennas, to detect existence of the receiving antenna when the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antenna, and, when estimating the position of the receiving antenna, the switch controller uses a result of the detection performed by the transmission side position estimation auxiliary unit.

11. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device comprises a reception side position estimation auxiliary unit to notify existence of the receiving antenna to the transmitting device when the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas, and, when estimating the position of the receiving antenna, the switch controller uses a result of the detection performed by the reception side position estimation auxiliary unit.

12. The resonance type power transmission system according to claim 11, wherein when the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas, the reception side position estimation auxiliary unit operates with electric power supplied from the transmitting antennas.

13. A transmitting device comprising:

plural transmitting antennas;

one transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector comprised of a function of preventing breakage of the transmission power supply, the function being included by the transmission power supply, to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as a receiving antenna of a receiving device gets close to the transmitting antennas;

a switch controller to estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and to perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.

14. A power supply position control system comprising:

a transmitting device including plural transmitting antennas, and a receiving device including a receiving antenna;

wherein the transmitting device comprises;

one transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector comprised of a function of preventing breakage of the transmission power supply, the function being included by the transmission power supply, to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas;

a switch controller to use a protective function of the transmission power supply, estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.

15. A resonance type power transmission system comprising:

a transmitting device including plural transmitting antennas, and a receiving device including a receiving antenna;

wherein the transmitting device comprises;

a transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas; and

a switch controller to estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and to perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.

16. A transmitting device comprising:

plural transmitting antennas;

a transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as a receiving antenna of a receiving device gets close to the transmitting antennas;

a switch controller to estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and to perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.

17. A power supply position control system comprising:

a transmitting device including plural transmitting antennas, and a receiving device including a receiving antenna;

wherein the transmitting device comprises;

a transmission power supply to output electric power, whose frequency matches a resonance frequency of each of the transmitting antennas, on a basis of input power;

plural switches respectively provided for the transmitting antennas, the switches being switchable to connect or disconnect supply lines for supplying the electric power outputted by the transmission power supply to the transmitting antennas;

a parameter detector to detect parameters regarding the transmission power supply, the parameters being changed as the receiving antenna gets close to the transmitting antennas;

a switch controller to use a protective function of the transmission power supply, estimate a position of the receiving antenna from a result of the detection performed by the parameter detector, and perform switching control on the switches in accordance with the position of the receiving antenna; and

a matching circuit that matches impedance of the transmission power supply to that of each of the transmitting antennas, and wherein when the estimated position of the receiving antenna extends over those of two or more of the transmitting antennas, the switch controller switches the switches to connect the supply lines of the two or more of the transmitting antennas and causes the matching circuit to control a phase difference of the electric power outputted to the two or more transmitting antennas.