Power transmitting apparatus, control method, and storage medium

• US 10,211,684 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagamine, Kazuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US14/733,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20150364926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power transmitting apparatus, which has a capability of wirelessly transmitting power to a power receiving apparatus, obtains time information indicating a time for starting of the power transmission to the power receiving apparatus and controls a timing of power transmission based on the time information.

Claims

1. A power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving apparatus;

a receiving unit configured to receive schedule information that defines a process performed by the power receiving apparatus and a time at which the process is performed; and

a control unit configured to determine a power amount to be transmitted to the power receiving apparatus in accordance with the process to be performed by the power receiving apparatus and control the power transmitting unit to transmit the determined power amount at a time at which the process is to be performed by the power receiving apparatus, based on the schedule information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives the schedule information from the power receiving apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the schedule information includes a first time at which the process is to be started and a second time at which the process is to be ended, and

the control unit causes the power transmitting unit to start power transmission at a time corresponding to the first time and to end power transmission at a time corresponding to the second time.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine, based on a transmittable power amount of the power transmitting unit, whether it is possible to transmit power to a second power receiving apparatus, when a power request is received from the second power receiving apparatus while the power transmitting unit transmits power to the power receiving apparatus based on the schedule information,

wherein if the determination unit determines that it is possible to transmit power to the second power receiving apparatus, the control unit controls the power transmitting unit to transmit power to the second power receiving apparatus, and

if the determination unit determines that it is not possible to transmit power to the second power receiving apparatus, the control unit notifies the second power receiving apparatus that it is not possible to transmit power.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify the second power receiving apparatus of a time when it is possible to transmit power to the second power receiving apparatus, based on the time, at which the process is performed, included in the schedule information, if the determination unit determines that it is not possible to transmit power to the second power receiving apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit further determines a power amount that can be transmitted to the second power receiving apparatus, and

the control unit notifies the second power receiving apparatus of the power amount that can be transmitted to the second power receiving apparatus, and causes the power transmitting unit to transmit the determined power amount to the second power receiving apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if an amount of power to be transmitted by the power transmitting unit to the second power receiving apparatus is smaller than an amount of power requested by the second power receiving apparatus, and power transmission to the power receiving apparatus is complete during power transmission to the second power receiving apparatus by the power transmitting unit, the control unit increases the amount of power to be transmitted to the second power receiving apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the schedule information includes a plurality of pieces of information indicating a date and a time when the power receiving apparatus starts requesting power and a date and a time when the power receiving apparatus ends requesting power.

9. A method of controlling a power transmitting apparatus including a power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving schedule information that defines a process performed by the power receiving apparatus and a time at which the process is performed;

determining a power amount to be transmitted to the power receiving apparatus in accordance with the process to be performed by the power receiving apparatus; and

controlling the power transmitting unit to transmit the determined power amount at the time at which the process is to be performed by the power receiving apparatus, based on the schedule information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the schedule information includes a first time at which the process is to be started and a second time at which the process is to be ended, and

the power transmitting unit is caused to start power transmission at a time corresponding to the first time and to end power transmission at a time corresponding to the second time.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by a processor of a power transmitting apparatus including a power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving apparatus, the program causes, when executed by the processor, the power transmitting apparatus to:

receive schedule information that defines a process performed by the power receiving apparatus and a time at which the process is performed;

determine a power amount to be transmitted to the power receiving apparatus in accordance with the process to be performed by the power receiving apparatus; and

control the power transmitting unit to transmit the determined power amount at a time at which the process is to be performed by the power receiving apparatus, based on the schedule information.

12. The medium according to claim 11, wherein the schedule information includes a first time at which the process is to be started and a second time at which the process is to be ended, and

the power transmitting unit is caused to start power transmission at a time corresponding to the first time and to end power transmission at a time corresponding to the second time.

13. A power transmitting apparatus, comprising:

a power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiving apparatus;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain information that is based on a process that the power receiving apparatus executes using power transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus and received by the power receiving apparatus, wherein the information relates to a temporal change in power demand due to a process performed by the power receiving apparatus;

a control unit configured to control the power transmitting unit to change a power amount to be transmitted prior to the change in the power demand and to execute power transmission, based on the information about the temporal change in the power demand.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the obtaining unit obtains information indicating a power amount that will be requested at each of one or more time points by the power receiving apparatus for executing the process, as the information relating to the temporal change in the power demand, and

the control unit controls the power transmitting unit in accordance with the information indicating power amounts that will be requested.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the obtaining unit obtains information indicating an operating mode of the power receiving apparatus at each of one or more time points, as the information relating to the temporal change in the power demand, and

the control unit controls the power transmitting unit based on power demand corresponding to the operating mode.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the power transmitting unit based on a time point at which the power demand changes.