CONTACTLESS CELL APPARATUS

• US 20110018495A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Komiyama, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A cell apparatus that emits and receives AC power via magnetic field resonance includes a cell interface and a circuit to generate a magnetic field when emitting the AC power and to generate an AC current when exposed to a magnetic field from an external device. The cell apparatus also includes a switch or sensor to determine whether a charging mode or a discharging mode is active. Because the cell apparatus emits and receives AC power via magnetic field resonance, it can be charged and discharge without electrical contact with another device.

Claims

1. A cell apparatus which emits and receives AC power via magnetic field resonance coupling to an external device, comprising:

a cell interface to interface with a cell;

a first circuit to generate, in a discharging mode, a magnetic field to induce an AC current in the external device, and to generate, in a charging mode, an AC current from a magnetic field received from the external device;

a conversion circuit to generate, in the charging mode, a charge signal from the AC current generated in the first circuit, the conversion circuit supplying the charge signal to the cell interface; and

a frequency generator to generate, in the discharging mode, an AC current from a discharge signal received from the cell interface, the frequency generator supplying the AC current to the first circuit.

2. The cell apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device to receive a selection of the charging mode and the discharging mode;

a control section to generate a control signal based on the selection; and

a switching circuit to couple, based on the control signal, the cell interface to the conversion circuit and the conversion circuit to the first circuit in the charging mode, and to couple the cell interface to the frequency generator and the frequency generator to the first circuit in the discharging mode.

3. The cell apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input device is a slide switch.

4. The cell apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input device is a magnetic sensor to receive the selection based on detection of another magnetic field.

5. The cell apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first circuit includes a resonance element coupled to an excitation element, the excitation element being coupled to the switching circuit.

6. The cell apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the resonance element and the excitation element are air-core coils having a same self-resonance frequency, and the frequency generator generates the AC current at the self-resonance frequency.

7. The cell apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input device is a sensor.

8. The cell apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frequency generator is a Kollwitz oscillator circuit.

9. The cell apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frequency generator is a Hartley oscillator circuit.

10. The cell apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input device is a micro switch to receive the selection based on mechanical engagement with the external device.

11. The cell apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion circuit is a rectifier circuit.

12. The cell apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cell is a secondary cell.

13. The cell apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

14. A cell apparatus which emits and receives AC power via magnetic field resonance coupling to an external device, comprising:

a cell to store an electric charge;

a first circuit to generate, in a discharging mode, a magnetic field to induce an AC current in the external device, and to generate, in a charging mode, an AC current from a magnetic field received from the external device;

a conversion circuit to generate, in the charging mode, a charge signal from the AC current generated in the first circuit, the conversion circuit supplying the charge signal to the cell; and

a frequency generator to generate, in the discharging mode, an AC current from a discharge signal received from the cell, the frequency generator supplying the AC current to the first circuit.

15. The cell apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

an input device to receive a selection of the charging mode and the discharging mode;

a control section to generate a control signal based on the selection; and

a switching circuit to couple, based on the control signal, the cell to the conversion circuit and the conversion circuit to the first circuit in the charging mode, and to couple the cell to the frequency generator and the frequency generator to the first circuit in the discharging mode.

16. The cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the input device is a slide switch.

17. The cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the input device is a magnetic sensor to receive the selection based on detection of another magnetic field.

18. The cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first circuit includes a resonance element coupled to an excitation element, the excitation element being coupled to the switching circuit.

19. The cell apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the resonance element and the excitation element are air-core coils having a same self-resonance frequency, and the frequency generator generates the AC current at the self-resonance frequency.

20. The cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the input device is a sensor.

21. The cell apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the frequency generator is a Kollwitz oscillator circuit.

22. The cell apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the frequency generator is a Hartley oscillator circuit.

23. The cell apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the input device is a micro switch to receive the selection based on mechanical engagement with the external device.

24. The cell apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the conversion circuit is a rectifier circuit.

25. The cell apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cell is a secondary cell.

26. A cell apparatus which emits and receives AC power via magnetic field resonance coupling to an external device, comprising:

means for interfacing with a cell;

means for generating, in a discharging mode, a magnetic field to induce an AC current in the external device;

means for generating, in a charging mode, a first AC current from a magnetic field received from the external device;

means for generating, in the charging mode, a charge signal from the first AC current generated, the charge signal being supplied to the means for interfacing; and

means for generating, in the discharging mode, a second AC current from a discharge signal received via the means for interfacing, the second AC current being supplied to the means for generating a magnetic field.

27. The cell apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising:

means for receiving a selection of the charging mode and the discharging mode;

means for generating a control signal based on the selection;

means for coupling, based on the control signal, the means for interfacing to the means for generating the charge signal and the means for generating the charge signal to the means for generating the first AC current in the charging mode; and

means for coupling, based on the control signal, the means for interfacing to the means for generating the second AC current and the means for generating the second AC current to the means for generating the magnetic field in the discharging mode.

28. The cell apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the means for receiving receives the selection via mechanical actuation.

29. The cell apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the means for receiving receives the selection via detection of another magnetic field.

30. The cell apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the means for receiving receives the selection via mechanical engagement with the external device.

31. The cell apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the means for receiving receives the selection via a sense signal.

32. The cell apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the cell is a secondary cell.

33. A cell apparatus which emits and receives AC power via contactless coupling to an external device, comprising:

a cell interface to interface with a cell;

a first circuit to generate, in a discharging mode, an AC current in the external device, and to generate, in a charging mode, an AC current via contactless coupling to the external device;

a conversion circuit to generate, in the charging mode, a charge signal from the AC current generated in the first circuit, the conversion circuit supplying the charge signal to the cell interface; and

a frequency generator to generate, in the discharging mode, an AC current from a discharge signal received from the cell interface, the frequency generator supplying the AC current to the first circuit.