Power feeding unit and power feeding system

• US 10,277,281 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Group Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirabayashi, Takayuki, Yajima, Masakazu, Ichimura, Kiminobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Application Number:
  US14/301,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20150001967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power feeding unit includes: an electrode array including a plurality of power feeding electrodes arranged side by side; a power feeding section configured to supply power to a power receiving unit via the electrode array; and a setting section configured to set a power feeding condition for each of the power feeding electrodes.

Claims

1. A power feeding unit, comprising:

an electrode array including a plurality of power feeding electrodes arranged side by side;

a power feeding section configured to supply power to a power receiving unit via the electrode array;

a setting section configured to set a power feeding condition for each of the plurality of power feeding electrodes;

a plurality of antennas; and

a communication section configured to sequentially select one of the plurality of antennas to perform wireless communication with an access point,

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on a communication state between the access point and the communication section.

2. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the setting section selects one or more power feeding electrodes to be used for power feeding among the plurality of power feeding electrodes.

3. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the setting section sets power to be fed for each of the plurality of power feeding electrodes.

4. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication section is further configured to sequentially select one of the plurality of power feeding electrodes to perform the wireless communication with the access point using the selected power feeding electrode as an antenna between the wireless unit and the communication section.

5. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second communication section,

wherein the communication section and the second communication section are configured to sequentially select respective mutually-different antennas of the plurality of antennas to perform communication with each other,

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on a second communication state between the communication section and the second communication section.

6. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, further comprising a second communication section,

wherein the communication section and the second communication section are configured to sequentially select respective mutually-different power feeding electrodes of the plurality of power feeding electrodes to perform communication with each other using the selected power feeding electrodes as antennas,

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on a second communication state between the communication section and the second communication section.

7. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the setting section acquires the communication state based on one or both of field intensity and a transfer function.

8. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein while the power feeding section supplies power to the power receiving unit, the power feeding section continues or stops power supply to the power receiving unit based on the communication state.

9. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electromagnetic field sensors,

wherein the power feeding section performs pre-power feeding while sequentially selected one of the plurality of power feeding electrodes before performing a main power feeding, and

the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on detection results of the plurality of electromagnetic field sensors during the pre-power feeding.

10. The power feeding unit according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic field sensors each detect a harmonic component of an electromagnetic field.

11. The power feeding unit according to claim 10, wherein the power feeding section performs negative feedback control to allow the detected harmonic component to be decreased based on the harmonic component during performing the main power feeding.

12. The power feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the power feeding section wirelessly supplies power to the power receiving unit through electric field coupling.

13. A power feeding system, comprising:

a power feeding unit; and

a power receiving unit,

wherein the power feeding unit includes

an electrode array including a plurality of power feeding electrodes arranged side by side,

a power feeding section configured to supply power to the power receiving unit via the electrode array,

a setting section configured to set a power feeding condition for each of the plurality of power feeding electrodes, a plurality of antennas, and

a communication section configured to sequentially select one of the plurality of antennas to perform wireless communication with an access point,

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on a communication state between the access point and the communication section.

14. The power feeding system according to claim 13, wherein the power receiving unit further comprises;

a plurality of power receiving electrodes;

a second communication section configured to sequentially select one of the plurality of power receiving electrodes to perform wireless communication with the access point using the selected power receiving electrode as an antenna; and

a third communication section configured to transmit a second communication state between the access point and the second communication section to the setting section of the power feeding unit,

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on the second communication state.

15. The power feeding system according to claim 13, wherein the power feeding section performs pre-power feeding while sequentially selecting one of the plurality of power feeding electrodes before performing a main power feeding, and notifies the power receiving unit of electrode identification information corresponding to the selected power feeding electrode.

16. The power feeding system according to claim 15, wherein the power feeding section performs the pre-power feeding by supplying a power signal to the power receiving unit, the power signal being modulated based on the electrode identification information.

17. The power feeding system according to claim 15, wherein the power receiving unit comprises:

an identification information acquisition section configured to acquire the electrode identification information; and

a second communication section configured to transmit the electrode identification information to the setting section of the power feeding unit, and

wherein the setting section sets the power feeding condition based on the electrode identification information.

18. The power feeding system according to claim 13, wherein

the power feeding unit includes a predetermined number of electrode arrays,

the power receiving unit includes a predetermined number of power receiving electrodes, and

an area of each of the predetermined number of electrode arrays is larger than an area of each of the predetermined number of power receiving electrodes.