POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20110234156A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujita, Shunji
• Granted Patent: US 8,766,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• 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: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

An apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect that a first power receiving apparatus is in a predetermined range and a second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, a power supply unit configured to supply power to the first and the second power apparatuses if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range, an acquisition unit configured to acquire first information and second information, and a control unit configured to select one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range, wherein the control unit controls a selected apparatus to perform a predetermined process.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect that a first power receiving apparatus is in a predetermined range and a second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range;

a power supply unit configured to supply power to the first and the second power apparatuses if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire first and second information; and

a control unit configured to select one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range,

wherein the control unit controls a selected apparatus to perform a predetermined process,

wherein the predetermined process includes a process for charging a battery,

wherein the first information includes information indicating that a first number of times it has been detected the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating that a second number of times it has been detected the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range.

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

a comparison unit configured to compare the first and the second number of times,

wherein, if the first number of times is larger the second number of times, the control unit selects the first power receiving apparatus, and

wherein, if the first power receiving apparatus is selected and the second power receiving apparatus is not selected, the control unit controls the second power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first information includes information indicating a first time that it is detected the first power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating a second time that it is detected the second power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine, if the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, whether a remaining capacity of a first battery is a predetermined value or less,

wherein, if the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, the determination unit determines whether a remaining capacity of a second battery is the predetermined value or less,

wherein, if the remaining capacity of the first battery and the remaining of the second battery are not the predetermined value or less, the control unit selects one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information,

wherein the first battery is a battery detachably attached to the first power receiving apparatus, and

wherein the second battery is a battery detachably attached to the second power receiving apparatus.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, if the remaining capacity of the first battery is not the predetermined value or less and the remaining capacity of the second battery is the predetermined value or less, the control unit selects the second power receiving apparatus, and

wherein, if the second power receiving apparatus is selected and the first power receiving apparatus is not selected, the control unit controls the second power receiving apparatus to perform the predetermined process and controls the first power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined range is a range indicating that the first and the second power receiving apparatuses can receive power supplied from the power supply apparatus.

7. A method for controlling an apparatus for supplying power to a first and a second power receiving apparatuses, the method comprising:

detecting that the first power receiving apparatus is in a predetermined range;

detecting that the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range;

supplying power to the first and the second power apparatuses if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range;

acquiring first information and second information;

selecting one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range; and

controlling a selected apparatus to perform a predetermined process,

wherein the predetermined process includes a process for charging a battery,

wherein the first information includes information indicating that a first number of times it has been detected the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating that a second number of times it has been detected the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

comparing the first and the second number of times;

selecting the first power receiving apparatus if the first number of times is larger the second number of times; and

controlling the second power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process if the first power receiving apparatus is selected and the second power receiving apparatus is not selected.

9. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the first information includes information indicating a first time that it is detected the first power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating a second time that it is detected the second power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining, if the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, whether a remaining capacity of a first battery is a predetermined value or less;

determining whether a remaining capacity of a second battery is the predetermined value or less if the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range; and

selecting one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the remaining capacity of the first battery and the remaining of the second battery are not the predetermined value or less,

wherein the first battery is a battery detachably attached to the first power receiving apparatus, and

wherein the second battery is a battery detachably attached to the second power receiving apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

selecting the second power receiving apparatus if the remaining capacity of the first battery is not the predetermined value or less and the remaining capacity of the second battery is the predetermined value or less;

controlling the second power receiving apparatus to perform the predetermined process if the second power receiving apparatus is selected; and

controlling the first power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process if the first power receiving apparatus is not selected.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined range is a range indicating that the first and the second power receiving apparatuses can receive the supplied power from the apparatus.

13. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer-executable program of instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting that a first power receiving apparatus is in a predetermined range;

detecting that a second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range;

supplying power to the first and the second power apparatuses if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range;

acquiring first and second information;

selecting one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the first and the second power receiving apparatuses are in the predetermined range; and

controlling a selected apparatus to perform a predetermined process,

wherein the predetermined process includes a process for charging a battery,

wherein the first information includes information indicating that a first number of times it has been detected the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating that a second number of times it has been detected the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range.

14. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13, further comprising:

comparing the first and the second number of times;

selecting the first power receiving apparatus if the first number of times is larger the second number of times; and

controlling the second power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process if the first power receiving apparatus is selected and the second power receiving apparatus is not selected.

15. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13,

wherein the first information includes information indicating a first time that it is detected the first power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range, and

wherein the second information includes information indicating a second time that it is detected the second power receiving apparatus is removed from the predetermined range.

16. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining, if the first power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range, whether a remaining capacity of a first battery is a predetermined value or less;

determining whether a remaining capacity of a second battery is the predetermined value or less if the second power receiving apparatus is in the predetermined range; and

selecting one of the first and the second power receiving apparatuses based on the first and the second information if the remaining capacity of the first battery and the remaining of the second battery are not the predetermined value or less,

wherein the first battery is a battery detachably attached to the first power receiving apparatus, and

wherein the second battery is a battery detachably attached to the second power receiving apparatus.

17. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 16, further comprising:

selecting the second power receiving apparatus if the remaining capacity of the first battery is not the predetermined value or less and the remaining capacity of the second battery is the predetermined value or less;

controlling the second power receiving apparatus to perform the predetermined process if the second power receiving apparatus is selected;

controlling the first power receiving apparatus to stop the predetermined process if the first power receiving apparatus is not selected.

18. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined range is a range indicating that the first and the second power receiving apparatuses can receive the supplied power.