POWER-SUPPLYING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME, AND POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM

• US 20120040613A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,543,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power-supplying device supplies the power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, without interfering with communication between the power-supplying device and power-supplied device. More specifically, the power-supplying device supplies the power to the power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, such that the error rate of wireless communication does not increase.

Claims

1. A power-supplying device comprising:

power supply unit configured to supply power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner;

communicating unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device;

detecting unit configured to detect an error rate of communication performed by the communicating unit; and

control unit configured to control said power supply unit to supply the power to said power-supplied device, such that the error rate detected by the detecting unit does not increase.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power supply unit such that a difference between the error rate before and after the power supply unit starts supplying the power is smaller than a predetermined value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit controls the power supply unit to gradually increase the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device, and

if a difference between the error rate before and after the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device is increased is smaller than the predetermined value, the control unit controls the power supply unit to further increase the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit controls the power supply unit to gradually decrease the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device, and

if a difference between the error rate before and after the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device is decreased is larger than the predetermined value, the control unit controls the power supply unit to further decrease the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein when the communicating unit starts communication while the power supply unit is supplying the power to the power-supplied device, the control unit controls the power supply unit to stop supplying the power to the power-supplied device.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein if a difference between the error rate before and after the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device is stopped is smaller than the predetermined value, the control unit controls the power supply unit to resume supplying the power to the power-supplied device.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply unit is able to supply the power to a plurality of power-supplied devices arranged in a power supply range,

the control unit controls the power supply unit to stop supplying the power to a first power-supplied device, while the power supply unit is supplying the power to the first power-supplied device, if a second power-supplied device communicating with the communicating unit enters the power supply range, and

if a difference between the error rate before and after the power to be supplied to the first power-supplied device is stopped is smaller than the predetermined value, the control unit controls the power supply unit to resume supplying the power to the first power-supplied device.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply unit is able to supply the power to a plurality of power-supplied devices arranged in a power supply range, and

if a second power-supplied device communicating with the communicating unit enters the power supply range while the power supply unit is supplying the power to a plurality of power-supplied devices, the control unit controls the power supply unit to stop supplying the power to one of the plurality of power-supplied devices, which is closest to the second power-supplied device.

9. A method of controlling a power-supplying device including communicating unit for wirelessly communicating with an external device, and a power supply unit for supplying power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, the method comprising:

a supply step of supplying the power to a power-supplying device by the power supply unit;

a detection step of detecting an error rate of communication performed by the communicating unit; and

a control step of controlling the power supply unit to supply the power to the power-supplied device, such that the detected error rate does not increase.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the control step, the power supply unit is controlled such that a difference between the error rate before and after supplying the power is started in the supply step is smaller than a predetermined value.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the control step,

the power supply unit is controlled to gradually increase the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device, and

if a difference between the error rate before and after the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device is increased is smaller than the predetermined value, the power supply unit is controlled to further increase the power to be supplied to the power-supplied device.

12. A power supply system comprising a power-supplied device and a power-supplying device, wherein

the power-supplying device comprises:

power supply unit for configured to supply power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner;

communicating unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device;

detecting unit configured to detect an error rate of communication performed by the communicating unit; and

control unit configured to control the power supply unit to supply the power to the power-supplied device, such that the error rate detected by the detecting unit does not increase, and

the power-supplied device comprises power receiving unit for configured to receive power from the power supply unit.