Power supply apparatus configured to wirelessly supply power

• US 10,085,110 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Akihiro, Tsukamoto, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US14/858,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• 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

A power supply apparatus includes a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to an electronic apparatus, a communication unit configured to receive information regarding the electronic apparatus from the electronic apparatus, and a control unit configured to control whether to perform a process for detecting a foreign object according to whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to an electronic apparatus;

a communication unit configured to receive information regarding the electronic apparatus from the electronic apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control whether to perform a process for detecting a foreign object according to whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus,

wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so as to supply first power to the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so as to supply second power, which is set based on the information, to the electronic apparatus according to non-detection of the foreign object, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the process for detecting the foreign object, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit refrains from performing the process for detecting the foreign object, if the information is determined to be not updated by the electronic apparatus.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so as to supply first power to the electronic apparatus even when the foreign object is detected, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so as to refrain from supplying second power, which is set based on the information, to the electronic apparatus according to detection of the foreign object before the power is supplied to the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first power is lower than the second power.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit so as to refrain from supplying higher power than the first power to the electronic apparatus until the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

7. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to issue a notification indicating that the power supply apparatus supplies the power to the electronic apparatus, in a case where any one of the first power and the second power is supplied from the power supply unit to allow the electronic apparatus to charge a battery.

8. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus with use of information received from the electronic apparatus by the communication unit.

9. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of information indicating whether an error occurs in the electronic apparatus, information regarding a battery of the electronic apparatus, information regarding charging of the battery of the electronic apparatus, information indicating whether the electronic apparatus requests the power supply apparatus to supply the power, and information used for the electronic apparatus to request the power supply apparatus to increase or reduce the power.

10. A method for controlling a power supply apparatus, the method comprising:

supplying power wirelessly to an electronic apparatus;

receiving information regarding the electronic apparatus from the electronic apparatus; and

controlling whether to perform a process for detecting a foreign object according to whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus,

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to supply first power to the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to supply second power, which is set based on the information, to the electronic apparatus according to non-detection of the foreign object, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

11. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the process for detecting the foreign object is performed, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

12. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the process for detecting the foreign object is refrained from performing, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

13. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to supply first power to the electronic apparatus even when the foreign object is detected, if the information is determined to be not updated by the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to refrain from supplying second power, which is set based on the information, to the electronic apparatus according to detection of the foreign object before the power is supplied to the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

14. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first power is lower than the second power.

15. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to refrain from supplying higher power than the first power to the electronic apparatus until the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus.

16. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising issuing a notification indicating that the power supply apparatus supplies the power to the electronic apparatus, when any one of the first power and the second power is supplied to allow the electronic apparatus to charge a battery.

17. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it is determined whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus with use of information received from the electronic apparatus.

18. The method for controlling the power supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the information includes at least one of information indicating whether an error occurs in the electronic apparatus, information regarding a battery of the electronic apparatus, information regarding charging of the battery of the electronic apparatus, information indicating whether the electronic apparatus requests the power supply apparatus to supply the power, and information used for the electronic apparatus to request the power supply apparatus to increase or reduce the power.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a power supply apparatus to execute a method, the method comprising:

supplying power wirelessly to an electronic apparatus;

receiving information regarding the electronic apparatus from the electronic apparatus; and

controlling whether to perform a process for detecting a foreign object according to whether the information is updated by the electronic apparatus,

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to supply first power to the electronic apparatus, if the information is determined not to be updated by the electronic apparatus, and

wherein the wireless power supply is controlled so as to supply second power, which is set based on the information, to the electronic apparatus according to non-detection of the foreign object, if the information is determined to be updated by the electronic apparatus.