Non-contact power supply system

• US 20050068009A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Fumihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/205
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/70 Regulating power factor; Regulating reactive current or power

Abstract

A power supply system capable of supplying power from a power transmitter to a power receiver in an electrically non-contact manner, in which a power transmission module is attached to the power transmitter and a power reception module is attached to the power receiver. The power transmission module has a plurality of transmission-side coils for transmitting power and a plurality of transmission-side switches for turning on/off operation of the transmission-side coils. The power reception module has a plurality of reception-side coils for receiving power, a plurality of reception-side switches for turning on/off operation of the reception-side coils and, further, has a determination circuit for performing control so as to operate any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils in a combination realizing highest power transmission efficiency.

Claims

1. A power supply system capable of supplying power from a power transmitter to a power receiver in an electrically non-contact manner, comprising:

a power transmission module attached to the power transmitter; and

a power reception module attached to the power receiver, wherein

the power transmission module includes a plurality of transmission-side coils for transmitting power,

the power reception module includes a plurality of reception-side coils for receiving power, and

any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils are operated in a combination realizing highest power transmission efficiency.

6. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the power transmission module has a sheet shape and flexibility.

7. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the power reception module has a sheet shape and flexibility.

8. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the power reception module has a sheet shape and flexibility and is attached to the power receiver so as to partially or completely cover the power receiver.

9. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

the power transmission module has a sheet shape and flexibility,

the power reception module has a sheet shape and flexibility,

the power transmitter includes a housing in which the power transmission module is adhered to or buried in a whole or part of an inner face, and

the power reception module is provided inside the power receiver.

10. The power supply system according to claim 9, wherein

the housing includes an openable/closable cover, and

the housing is shielded by being entirely or partially covered with a conductive material or made of a conductive material.

12. The power supply system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notifying device for notifying the user of the power supply system of the power transmission efficiency.

15. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein

power transmitted from each of the plurality of transmission-side coils can be switched.

2. A power supply system capable of supplying power from a power transmitter to a power receiver in an electrically non-contact manner, comprising:

a power transmission module attached to the power transmitter; and

a power reception module attached to the power receiver, wherein

the power transmission module includes a plurality of transmission-side coils for transmitting power, a plurality of transmission-side switches for turning on/off operation of the transmission-side coils, respectively, and a transmission-side switch change-over circuit for selectively turning on one of the transmission-side switches, and

the power reception module includes a plurality of reception-side coils for receiving power, a plurality of reception-side switches for turning on/off operation of the reception-side coils, respectively, a reception-side switch change-over circuit for selectively turning on one of the reception-side switches, a memory for recording a value of power energy received by each of the plurality of reception-side coils, and a determination circuit for outputting an instruction signal to the transmission-side switch change-over circuit and the reception-side switch change-over circuit so as to operate any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils in a combination realizing the highest power transmission efficiency on the basis of the values of power energy recorded on the memory.

3. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

the power reception module includes a signal transmission coil for transmitting the instruction signal, and

the power transmission module includes a signal reception coil for receiving the instruction signal.

4. The power supply system according to claim 3, wherein

the signal transmission coil is wound around a core around which one of the reception-side coils is wound, and

the signal reception coil is wound around a core around which one of the transmission-side coils is wound.

5. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

a lead wire is provided between one end and another end of at least one each of the plurality of reception-side coils and the plurality of transmission-side coils,

the instruction signal is transmitted in a part between the one end or the other end of the reception-side coil for which the lead wire is provided and the lead wire, and

the instruction signal is received in a part between the one end or the other end of the transmission-side coil for which the lead wire is provided and the lead wire.

11. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

the memory records the value of the power energy only when the value of power energy to be recorded is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

13. The power supply system according to claim 2, further comprising:

an input device for receiving a signal which makes the determination circuit output the instruction signal, wherein

when the signal is received, the determination circuit determines a combination of any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils realizing the highest power transmission efficiency and outputs the instruction signal to the transmission-side switch change-over circuit and the reception-side switch change-over circuit so as to operate the transmission-side coil and the reception-side coil in the combination realizing the highest power transmission efficiency.

14. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

when a state where the power transmission efficiency is equal to or lower than predetermined efficiency continues for a predetermined time or longer, the determination circuit determines a combination of any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils realizing the highest power transmission efficiency and outputs the instruction signal to the transmission-side switch change-over circuit and the reception-side switch change-over circuit so as to operate the transmission-side coil and the reception-side coil in the combination realizing the highest power transmission efficiency.

16. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein

as the power reception module, a plurality of power reception module are provided so as to be attached to a plurality of power receivers of which one is the power receiver,

power can be supplied simultaneously to the plurality of power receivers, and

the determination circuit of each of the power reception modules determines a combination of any of the transmission-side coils and any of the reception-side coils realizing the highest power transmission efficiency and outputs the instruction signal to the transmission-side switch change-over circuit and the reception-side switch change-over circuit so as to operate the transmission-side coil and the reception-side coil in the combination realizing the highest power transmission efficiency.