ENERGY RECEIVER, DETECTION METHOD, POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, DETECTION DEVICE, AND ENERGY TRANSMITTER

• US 20140125287A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hiroaki, Fukuda, Shinichi, Murayama, Yuji, Fujimaki, Kenichi, Murakami, Tomomichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,530,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/101 by measuring the impedance of the search coil; by measuring features of a resonant circuit comprising the search coil measuring impedance or characteristics derived therefrom G01R27/00, e.g. quality factor G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An energy receiver includes: a power receiver coil configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from a power transmitter; a detection section configured to detect a foreign object; and a power storage section configured to supply power to the detection section during detection of the foreign object.

Claims

1. An energy receiver comprising:

a power receiver coil configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from a power transmitter;

a detection section configured to detect a foreign object; and

a power storage section configured to supply power to the detection section during detection of the foreign object.

2. The energy receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a Q-value detection circuit connected to the power receiver coil,

wherein the detection section is configured to measure a quality factor related to the Q-value detection circuit.

3. The energy receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a control section configured to activate the detection section during suspension of power transmission to the power receiver coil using power stored in the power storage section.

4. The energy receiver of claim 3, wherein the control section includes an arithmetic processing section and a determination section, the arithmetic processing section configured to (i) calculate a quality factor related to the power receiver coil, and (ii) output the quality factor to the determination section, the determination section configured to compare the quality factor with a threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within a range of the power receiver coil.

5. The energy receiver of claim 4, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within the range of the power receiver coil,

wherein,

the memory is non-volatile memory in communication with the control section, and

the threshold value is obtained when the power receiver coil is substantially isolated from the foreign object.

6. The energy receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch in communication with the power storage section, the switch configured to (i) connect the power storage section and the detection section to provide power for detection of the foreign object during suspension of power transmission, and (ii) disconnect the power storage section and the detection section when the foreign object is not being detected.

7. A detection method comprising:

charging a power storage section using power wirelessly received from a power receiver coil;

detecting whether a foreign object is within a range of the power receiver coil using a detection section; and

powering the detection section during detection of the foreign object using the power storage section.

8. The detection method of claim 7, further comprising:

activating the detection section during suspension of power transmission to the power receiver coil using power stored in the power storage section.

9. The detection method of claim 7, wherein,

the power receiver coil includes a Q-value detection circuit, and

the detecting whether the foreign object is within the range of the power receiver coil is based on a measurement by the detection section of a quality factor related to the Q-value detection circuit.

10. The detection method of claim 9, wherein the charging of the power section includes receiving power wirelessly from a power transmitter based on power consumed during measurement of the quality factor.

11. The detection method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining a threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within the range of the receiver coil when the power receiver coil is isolated from the foreign object;

storing the threshold value in a non-volatile memory in communication with a control section;

calculating a quality factor using an arithmetic processing section of the control section; and

comparing the quality factor with the threshold value using a determination section of the control section.

12. The detection method of claim 7, wherein the powering of the detection section includes (i) connecting the detection section to the power storage section using a switch so that power is provided to the power storage section during suspension of power transmission for detection of the foreign object, and (ii) disconnecting the power storage section and the detection section when the foreign object is not being detected.

13. A power transmission system comprising:

a power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiver,

wherein,

the power transmitter includes (i) a power transmission coil configured to transmit power to the power receiver, (ii) a power transmission section configured to supply an AC signal to the power transmission coil, and (iii) a power transmitter control section configured to control the supply of the AC signal from the power transmission section in response to a signal transmitted from the power receiver, and

the power receiver includes (i) a power receiver coil configured to wirelessly receive power from the power transmitter, (ii) a detection section configured to detect a foreign object, (iii) a power storage section configured to store the power received from the power transmitter, the power storage section operable to supply the power received to the detection section during detection of the foreign object, and (iv) a power receiver control section configured to operate the detection section and determine whether the foreign object is within a range of the power transmission coil.

14. The power transmission system of claim 13, wherein,

the power receiver includes a Q-value detection circuit connected to the power receiver coil, and

the detection section is configured to measure a quality factor related to the Q-value detection circuit.

15. The power transmission system of claim 13, wherein the power receiver control section is configured to activate the detection section during suspension of power transmission between the power transmitter and the power receiver using power stored in the power storage section.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein,

the power receiver includes a memory configured to store a threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is between the power transmission coil and the power receiver coil, and

the memory is non-volatile memory in communication with the power receiver control section.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the power receiver includes a switch in communication with the power storage section, the switch configured to (i) connect the power storage section and the detection section to provide power during suspension of power transmission between the power transmitter and the power receiver during activation of the detection section, and (ii) disconnect the power storage section and the detection section when the detection section is not activated.

18. A detection device comprising:

a power receiver coil configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from a power transmitter;

a detection section configured to detect whether a foreign object is within a range of the power receiver coil; and

a power storage section configured to supply power to the detection section during detection of the foreign object.

19. The detection device of claim 18, wherein,

the power receiver coil includes a Q-value detection circuit, and

the detection section is configured to measure a quality factor related to the Q-value detection circuit.

20. The detection device of claim 18, further comprising:

a control section configured to activate the detection section during suspension of power transmission to the power receiver coil using power stored in the power storage section.

21. The detection device of claim 19, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a threshold value obtained when the power receiver coil is isolated from the foreign object; and

a control section in communication with the memory, the control section configured to (i) calculate the quality factor using an arithmetic processing section of the control section, and (ii) compare the quality factor with the threshold value using a determination section of the control section.

22. The detection method of claim 18, further comprising:

a switch configured to (i) connect the power storage and the detection section to provide power during suspension of power transmission to the power receiver coil during activation of the detection section, and (ii) disconnect the power storage section and the detection section when the detection section is not activated.

23. An energy transmitter comprising:

a power transmission coil configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power receiver;

a detection section configured to detect a foreign object; and

a power storage section configured to supply power to the detection section during detection of the foreign object.

24. The energy transmitter of claim 23, wherein the detection section is configured to measure a quality factor to determine whether the foreign object is within a range of the power transmission coil.

25. The energy transmitter of claim 23, further comprising:

a control section configured to activate the detection section during suspension of power transmission from the power transmission coil using power stored in the power storage section.

26. The energy transmitter of claim 24, further comprising:

a memory configured to store a threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within the range of the power transmission coil,

wherein,

the memory is non-volatile memory in communication with the control section, and

the threshold value is obtained when the power transmission coil is substantially isolated from the foreign object.

27. The energy transmitter of claim 23, further comprising:

a switch in communication with the power storage section, the switch configured to (i) connect the power storage section and the detection section to provide power during suspension of power transmission from the power transmission coil when the detection section is activated, and (ii) disconnect the power storage section and the detection section when the detection section is not activated.

28. An energy receiver comprising:

a power receiver coil configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from a power transmitter;

a detection section configured to detect a foreign object; and

a control section configured to activate the detection section during suspension of power transmission to the power receiver coil.

29. The energy receiver of claim 28, further comprising:

a power storage section configured to supply power to the detection section during detection of the foreign object.

30. The energy receiver of claim 28, further comprising:

a Q-value detection circuit connected to the power receiver coil,

wherein the detection section is configured to measure a quality factor related to the Q-value detection circuit.

31. The energy receiver of claim 28, wherein the control section includes an arithmetic processing section and a determination section, the arithmetic processing section configured to (i) calculate a quality factor related to the power receiver coil, and (ii) output the quality factor to the determination section, the determination section configured to compare the quality factor with a threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within a range of the power receiver coil.

32. The energy receiver of claim 28, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the threshold value for determining whether the foreign object is within the range of the power receiver coil,

wherein,

the memory is non-volatile memory in communication with the control section, and

the threshold value is obtained when the power receiver coil is substantially isolated from the foreign object.

33. The energy receiver of claim 29 further comprising:

a switch in communication with the power storage section, the switch configured to (i) connect the power storage section and the detection section to provide power for detection of the foreign object during suspension of power transmission, and (ii) disconnect the power storage section and the detection section when the foreign object is not being detected.