POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL DEVICE, POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE, ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT, AND NON-CONTACT POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20090127936A1
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KAMIJO, Takahiro, YODA, Kentaro, KAMIYAMA, Masayuki, ONISHI, Kota, SHIOZAKI, Nobutaka, SOGABE, Haruhiko, HASEGAWA, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A power transmission control device provided in a power transmitting device of a non-contact power transmission system includes a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives a primary coil, a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state, and a control circuit that controls the driver control circuit. The control circuit performs a foreign object detection process based on load state detection information from the load state detection circuit after receiving ID authentication information from a power receiving device, and starts normal power transmission to the power receiving device after performing the foreign object detection process.

Claims

1. A power transmission control device that controls power transmission of a power transmitting device of a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmitting device to a power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil and supplying the power to a load of the power receiving device, the power transmission control device comprising:

a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives the primary coil;

a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state; and

a control circuit that controls the driver control circuit,

the control circuit performing a foreign object detection process based on load state detection information from the load state detection circuit after receiving ID authentication information from the power receiving device, and starting normal power transmission to the power receiving device after performing the foreign object detection process.

2. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit transmitting permission information to the power receiving device before starting the normal power transmission after performing the foreign object detection process, the permission information corresponding to the ID authentication information from the power receiving device.

3. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit performing the foreign object detection process in a period in which the power receiving device does not supply power to the load.

4. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit setting a drive frequency of the power transmitting driver at a foreign object detection frequency when performing the foreign object detection process, the foreign object detection frequency differing from a normal power transmission frequency.

5. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 4,

the control circuit setting the drive frequency at the foreign object detection frequency when performing the foreign object detection process, the foreign object detection frequency being a frequency between the normal power transmission frequency and a coil resonance frequency.

6. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 4,

the control circuit performing a removal detection of the power receiving device after the drive frequency has been returned to the normal power transmission frequency from the foreign object detection frequency.

7. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit performing a primary foreign object detection process as the foreign object detection process before starting the normal power transmission, and performing a secondary foreign object detection process based on the load state detection information from the load state detection circuit after starting the normal power transmission.

8. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 7,

the control circuit performing the primary foreign object detection process by comparing the load state detection information from the load state detection circuit with a first threshold value for a load-state-detection, and performing the secondary foreign object detection process by comparing the load state detection information from the load state detection information with a second threshold value for the load-state-detection, the second threshold value being set on a load-connected side value with respect to the first threshold value.

9. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the load state detection circuit including a pulse width detection circuit that detects pulse width information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

and

the control circuit receiving the pulse width information as the load state detection information, and performing the foreign object detection process based on the pulse width information.

10. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

a drive clock signal generation circuit that generates and outputs a drive clock signal that specifies a drive frequency of the primary coil,

the load state detection circuit including a first pulse width detection circuit that measures a first pulse width period to detect first pulse width information, the first pulse width period being a period between a first edge timing of the drive clock signal and a first timing, the first timing being a timing when a first induced voltage signal of the primary coil that has changed from a low-potential-side power supply voltage exceeds a first threshold voltage; and

the control circuit receiving the first pulse width information as the load state detection information, and performing the foreign object detection process based on the first pulse width information.

11. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 10,

the load state detection circuit including a first waveform adjusting circuit that adjusts a waveform of the first induced voltage signal and outputs a first waveform-adjusted signal;

and

the first pulse width detection circuit measuring the first pulse width period based on the first waveform-adjusted signal and the drive clock signal.

12. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 11,

the first pulse width detection circuit including a first counter that increments or decrements a count value in the first pulse width period, and measures the first pulse width period based on the resulting count value.

13. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 12,

the first pulse width detection circuit including a first enable signal generation circuit that receives the first waveform-adjusted signal and the drive clock signal, and generates a first enable signal that becomes active in the first pulse width period;

and

the first counter incrementing or decrementing the count value when the first enable signal is active.

14. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 10,

the load state detection circuit including a second pulse width detection circuit that measures a second pulse width period and detects second pulse width information, the second pulse width period being a period between a second edge timing of the drive clock signal and a second timing, the second timing being a timing when a second induced voltage signal of the primary coil that has changed from a high-potential-side power supply becomes lower than a second threshold voltage;

and

the control circuit performing a primary foreign object detection process before starting the normal power transmission based on the first pulse width information, and performing a secondary foreign object detection process after starting the normal power transmission based on the second pulse width information.

15. A power transmitting device comprising:

the power transmission control device as defined in claim 1; and

a power transmitting section that generates an alternating-current voltage and supplies the alternating-current voltage to the primary coil.

16. An electronic instrument comprising the power transmitting device as defined in claim 15.

17. A non-contact power transmission system comprising a power transmitting device and a power receiving device, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil, and supplying the power to a load of the power receiving device,

the power receiving device including:

a power receiving section that converts an induced voltage of the secondary coil into a direct-current voltage; and

a load modulation section that variably changes a load corresponding to data transmitted to the power transmitting device from the power receiving device; and

the power transmitting device including;

a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives the primary coil;

a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state; and

a control circuit that controls the driver control circuit,

the control circuit performing a foreign object detection process based on load state detection information from the load state detection circuit after receiving ID authentication information from the power receiving device, and starting normal power transmission to the power receiving device after performing the foreign object detection process.