TRANSMITTER, RECEIVER, NON-CONTACT POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140035391A1
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC CASIO Mobile Communications Limited (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitani, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,419,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power transmitting device includes a power transmitter (21) transmitting electric power in a contactless manner, a data communicator (22) obtaining identification information of at least one power receiving device that has become possible to receive electric power transmitted from the power transmitter (21), a power receiving device finding/separation detector (261) counting a number of state switchings between a power unreceivable state and the power receivable state during a predetermined period of time, for each power receiving device of which identification information has been obtained, and a power transmission controller (263) controlling electric power transmission performed by the power transmitter (21), on the basis of the number of state switchings counted by the power receiving device finding/separation detector (261).

Claims

1. A power transmitting device comprising:

a power transmitter that transmits electric power in a contactless manner;

a data communicator that obtains identification information of one or more power receiving devices that have become possible to receive electric power transmitted from the power transmitter;

a state switching number counter that counts a number of state switchings between a power unreceivable state and a power receivable state during a predetermined period of time, for each power receiving device of which the identification information has been obtained; and

a power transmission controller that controls electric power transmission performed by the power transmitter, on the basis of the number of state switchings, the number of state switchings being counted by the state switching number counter.

2. The power transmitting device according to claim 1 further comprising a state switching number determiner that determines whether or not the number of state switchings counted by the state switching number counter is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;

wherein after a state of at least one of the power receiving devices become the power receivable state, the power transmission controller starts electric power transmission by the power transmitter;

when the state switching number determiner determines that the number of state switchings is smaller than the predetermined value, the power transmission controller continues the electric power transmission; and

when the state switching number determiner determines that the number of state switchings is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the power transmission controller performs one of control of increasing electric power transmitted, control of changing a resonant frequency of the power transmitter, and control of stopping the electric power transmission.

3. The power transmitting device according to claim 1 further comprising one or more timers respectively associated with the one or more power receiving devices of which the identification information are obtained;

wherein each of the timers counts time from the time when a state of corresponding power receiving device becomes the power receivable state, to detect a lapse of the predetermined period of time, and

the state switching number counter counts the number of state switchings during the predetermined period of time detected by the timer, for each of the power receiving devices of which the identification information has been obtained.

4. A power receiving device comprising:

a power receiver that receives electric power transmitted from a power transmitting device in a contactless manner;

a data communicator that obtains identification information of one or more power transmitting devices from the power transmitting device that transmits the electric power, wherein the power receiver has become possible to receive the electric power;

a state switching number counter that counts a number of state switchings of a power receiving state between a power unreceivable state and a power receivable state during a predetermined period of time, wherein the power receiving state concerns electric power transmission from the power transmitting device of which identification information has been obtained; and

a power reception controller that controls electric power reception performed by the power receiver, on the basis of the number of state switchings, the number of state switchings being counted by the state switching number counter.

5. The power receiving device according to claim 4, further comprising a state switching number determiner that determines whether or not the number of state switchings counted by the state switching number counter is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;

wherein when the state switching number determiner determines that the number of state switchings is smaller than the predetermined value, the power reception controller continues the electric power reception; and

when the state switching number determiner determines that the number of state switchings is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the power reception controller performs a control of stopping the electric power reception.

6. The power receiving device according to claim 5, wherein the data communicator is capable of transmitting another signal to the power transmitting device, and

when the state switching number determiner determines that the number of state switchings is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the power reception controller performs one of a control of increasing electric power transmitted by the power transmitting device, a control of changing a resonant frequency of a power transmitting circuit of the power transmitting device, and a control of transmitting, via the data communicator, to the power transmitting device, a signal for making instruction that causes the power transmitting device to stop the electric power transmission performed by the power transmitting device, instead of performing the control of stopping the electric power reception.

7. The power receiving device according to claim 4, further comprising one or more timers respectively associated with the one or more power transmitting devices of which identification information are obtained;

wherein each of the timers counts time from the time when reception of electric power from corresponding power transmitting device is enabled, to detect a lapse of the predetermined period of time, and

the state switching number counter counts the number of state switchings during the predetermined period of time detected by the timer, for each of the power transmitting devices of which identification information have been obtained.

8. A contactless electric power transmission controlling method for electric power transmission from a power transmitting device to a power receiving device in a contactless manner, the method being performed in at least either the power transmitting device or the power receiving device, and comprising:

an identification information obtaining step that obtains identification information of the power transmitting device or the power receiving device that is the other side of electric power transmission, and with which the electric power transmission has been enabled;

a state switching number counting step that counts a number of state switchings between an electric power transmission disabled state and an electric power transmission enabled state during a predetermined period of time, for the power transmitting device or the power receiving device of which identification information has been obtained; and

a controlling step that controls the electric power transmission on the basis of the number of state switchings, the number of state switchings being counted at the state switching number counting step.

9. A computer readable non-transitory recording medium that stores a program causing a computer, to execute, that controls a power transmitting device in a contactless electric power transmitting system, in which the power transmitting device transmits electric power to a power receiving device:

an identification information obtaining step that obtains identification information of the power transmitting device or the power receiving device that is the other side of electric power transmission, and with which the electric power transmission has been enabled;

a state switching number counting step that counts a number of state switchings between an electric power transmission disabled state and an electric power transmission enabled state during a predetermined period of time, for the power transmitting device or the power receiving device of which identification information has been obtained; and

a controlling step that controls the electric power transmission on the basis of the number of state switchings, the number of state switchings being counted at the state switching number counting step.

10. A computer readable non-transitory recording medium that stores a program causing a computer, to execute, that controls a power receiving device in a contactless electric power transmitting system in which a power transmitting device transmits electric power to the power receiving device:

an identification information obtaining step that obtains identification information of the power transmitting device or the power receiving device that is the other side of electric power transmission, and with which the electric power transmission has been enabled;

a state switching number counting step that counts a number of state switchings between an electric power transmission disabled state and an electric power transmission enabled state during a predetermined period of time for the power transmitting device or the power receiving device of which identification information has been obtained; and

a controlling step that controls the electric power transmission on the basis of the number of state switchings, the number of state switchings being counted at the state switching number counting step.