Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing system

• US 20110181239A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kadoyama, Takahide
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0053 with common antenna for more than one band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power charging system is provided. The power charging system may have an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit and a power receiving unit, and an external apparatus having a second communication unit and a power transmission unit. The second communication unit may be configured to wirelessly communicate with the first communication unit using a first carrier wave having a first frequency and the power transmission unit may be configured to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving unit using a second carrier wave having a second frequency, the second frequency being different from the first frequency.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to wirelessly communicate with an external apparatus using a first carrier wave having a first frequency; and

a power receiving unit to wirelessly receive power from the external apparatus using a second carrier wave of a second frequency, the second frequency being different from the first frequency.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, in which the second frequency is a harmonic or a sub-harmonic of the first frequency.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, in which the first frequency is approximately 13.56 MHz.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, in which the second frequency is approximately 3.39 MHz or approximately 6.78 MHz.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, in which the second frequency is a sub-harmonic of a third frequency, the third frequency being approximately 27.12 MHz.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, in which the second frequency is a sub-harmonic of a third frequency, the second frequency being 4.8 MHz and the third frequency being 19.2 MHz.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an integrated circuit chip and a filter arranged and configured so as to suppress the second carrier wave from being applied to the integrated circuit chip.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a setting unit to set the second frequency based on frequency information communicated to or from the external apparatus.

9. A method for use in a first apparatus which is operable with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a power transmit request signal from the external apparatus;

transmitting to the external apparatus a response signal to permit a start of power transmission in response to the detected power transmit request signal;

receiving from the external apparatus a frequency change request signal to request a change of a resonant frequency of a resonance circuit in the first apparatus from a first frequency to a second frequency, in which a communication carrier wave having the first frequency is utilized for communication with the external apparatus;

changing the resonant frequency of the resonance circuit from the first frequency to the second frequency in response to the frequency change request signal from the external apparatus; and

receiving power by way of a power transmission carrier wave having the second frequency.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the second frequency is a harmonic or a sub-harmonic of the first frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the first frequency is approximately 13.56 MHz.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the second frequency is approximately 3.39 MHz or approximately 6.78 MHz.

13. The method of claim 9, in which the second frequency is a sub-harmonic of a third frequency, the third frequency being approximately 27.12 MHz.

14. The method of claim 9, in which the first apparatus includes an integrated circuit chip and further comprising suppressing the power transmission carrier wave from being applied to the integrated circuit chip.

15. The method of claim 9, in which at least one of the power transmit request signal, the response signal, and the frequency change request signal have the first frequency.

16. The method of claim 9, in which the same resonant circuit is utilized for receiving communication by way of the communication carrier wave and for receiving power by way of the power transmission carrier wave.

17. A power charging system comprising:

an information processing apparatus having a first communication unit and a power receiving unit; and

an external apparatus having a second communication unit and a power transmission unit,

in which the second communication unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the first communication unit using a first carrier wave having a first frequency and the power transmission unit is configured to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving unit using a second carrier wave having a second frequency, the second frequency being different from the first frequency.

18. The power charging system of claim 17, in which the second frequency is a harmonic or a sub-harmonic of the first frequency.

19. The power charging system of claim 18, in which the first frequency is approximately 13.56 MHz and the second frequency is approximately 3.39 MHz or approximately 6.78 MHz.

20. The power charging system of claim 17 further comprising an integrated circuit chip and a filter arranged and configured to suppress the second carrier wave from being applied to the integrated circuit chip.

21. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing a first apparatus to perform an operation method, said method comprising:

detecting a power transmit request signal from an external apparatus;

transmitting to the external apparatus a response signal to permit a start of power transmission in response to the detected power transmit request signal;

receiving from the external apparatus a frequency change request signal to request a change of a resonant frequency of a resonance circuit in the first apparatus from a first frequency to a second frequency, in which a communication carrier wave having the first frequency is utilized for communication with the external apparatus;

changing the resonant frequency of the resonance circuit from the first frequency to the second frequency in response to the frequency change request signal from the external apparatus; and

receiving power by way of a power transmission carrier wave having the second frequency.