ELECTRONIC DEVICE, METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120133335A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,331,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first unit that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus, and a control unit that executes control, if an external apparatus, including a second unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and the electronic device are connected, to select at least one of the first unit and the second unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first unit that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus; and

a control unit that executes control, if an external apparatus, including a second unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and the electronic device are connected, to select at least one of the first unit and the second unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes control for charging a battery by using at least one of the first unit and the second unit if the external apparatus and the electronic device are connected.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects at least one of the first unit and the second unit by using first information relating to the first unit and second information relating to the second unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first unit if power received by the first unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than power received by the second unit from the power supply apparatus.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the second unit if power received by the first unit from the power supply apparatus is not higher than power received by the second unit from the power supply apparatus.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first unit if a power receiving efficiency of the first unit is higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the second unit if a power receiving efficiency of the first unit is not higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, if the external apparatus and the electronic device are not connected, a battery included in the external apparatus is charged by using the second unit without using the first unit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first unit wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance, and the second unit wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance.

10. A method for controlling an electronic device including a first unit that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus, the method comprising:

executing control, if an external apparatus, including a second unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and the electronic device are connected, to select at least one of the first unit and the second unit.

11. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising executing control for charging a battery by using at least one of the first unit and the second unit if the external apparatus and the electronic device are connected.

12. The method according to claim according to claim 10, the method further comprising selecting at least one of the first unit and the second unit by using first information relating to the first unit and second information relating to the second unit.

13. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising selecting the first unit if power received by the first unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than power received by the second unit from the power supply apparatus.

14. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising selecting the second unit if power received by the first unit from the power supply apparatus is not higher than power received by the second unit from the power supply apparatus.

15. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising selecting the first unit if a power receiving efficiency of the first unit is higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second unit.

16. The method according to claim 10, the method further comprising selecting the second unit if a power receiving efficiency of the first unit is not higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second unit.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein, if the external apparatus and the electronic device are not connected, the battery included in the external apparatus is charged by using the second unit without using the first unit.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first unit wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance, and the second unit wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program executed by a computer, wherein the program for using the computer to perform a method for controlling an electronic device including a first unit that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus, the method comprising:

executing control, if an external apparatus, including a second unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and the electronic device are connected, to select at least one of the first unit and the second unit.