RADIO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD

• US 20140159647A1
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: NISHIOKA, Shinichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,685,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

Disclosed is a radio communication apparatus that avoids useless communication to another radio communication apparatus in non-line of sight when the apparatus performs radio communication with the other apparatus while receiving electric supply from the other apparatus. In this apparatus, a radio electric reception section determines whether the electric reception level from the other apparatus is equal to or greater than a first threshold. When the electric reception level is equal to or greater than the first threshold, a radio communication control section controls a radio communication section so that radio communication with the other apparatus starts. After the start of radio communication, the radio electric reception section determines whether the electric reception level is less than a second threshold. When the electric reception level is less than the second threshold, the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication being performed stops.

Claims

1. A radio communication apparatus comprising:

a radio communication section that performs radio communication with another radio communication apparatus in line of sight;

a radio electric reception section that receive electric supply from the other radio communication apparatus, using radio; and

a radio communication control section that controls the radio communication section, wherein

the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus starts or stops based on an electric reception level of the electric supply from the other radio communication apparatus.

2. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio communication control section switches a modulation scheme and a coding rate for the radio communication based on the electric reception level.

3. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the electric reception level is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus starts; and

when the electric reception level is less than a second threshold smaller than the first threshold, the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus stops.

4. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a secondary battery that charges electric power received by the radio electric reception section, wherein:

when the electric reception level is determined to be less than the second threshold, the radio communication control section determines whether a residual quantity of the secondary battery is less than a third threshold; and

when the residual quantity of the secondary battery is less than the third threshold, the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication with the radio communication apparatus stops, and when the residual quantity of the secondary battery is not less than the third threshold, the radio communication control section controls the radio communication section so that the radio communication with the radio communication apparatus continues.

5. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the radio communication section is connected to a plurality of antennas that have different directivities; and

the radio communication control section inquires reception quality to the other radio communication apparatus when the residual quantity of the secondary battery is not less than the third threshold,

the radio communication control section selects a predetermined antenna from among the plurality of antennas based on the reception quality notified by the other radio communication apparatus, and

the radio communication control section continues the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus, using the selected antenna.

6. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus is continued, the radio communication section switches to omnidirectional radio communication that operates in a frequency band different from that of the radio communication.

7. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus is continued, the radio communication section switches to omnidirectional radio communication that operates in a frequency band different from that of the radio communication.

8. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the radio communication apparatus is connected to an external host apparatus through a wired interface, and

the radio communication apparatus charges a secondary battery of the host apparatus with electric power received by the radio electric reception section through the wired interface; and

the radio communication control section acquires a residual quantity of the secondary battery of the host apparatus through the wired interface.

9. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the radio communication apparatus is connected to an external host apparatus through a wired interface, and

the radio communication apparatus charges a secondary battery of the host apparatus with electric power received by the radio electric reception section through the wired interface; and

the radio communication control section acquires a residual quantity of the secondary battery of the host apparatus through the wired interface.

10. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

the radio communication apparatus is connected to an external host apparatus through a wired interface, and

the radio communication apparatus charges a secondary battery of the host apparatus with electric power received by the radio electric reception section through the wired interface; and

the radio communication control section acquires a residual quantity of the secondary battery of the host apparatus through the wired interface.

11. The radio communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wired interface is a USB interface.

12. A radio communication system in which, when a first radio communication apparatus and a second radio communication apparatus are located in line of sight, the second radio communication apparatus supplies electric power to the first radio communication apparatus using radio, and radio communication is performed between the first radio communication apparatus and the second radio communication apparatus, wherein

the first radio communication apparatus starts or stops the radio communication with the second radio communication apparatus based on an electric reception level of electric supply from the second radio communication apparatus.

13. A radio communication control method for a radio communication apparatus that receives electric supply using radio from another radio communication apparatus located in line of sight and that performs radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus, the radio communication control method comprising:

starting or stopping the radio communication with the other radio communication apparatus based on an electric reception level of electric supply from the other radio communication apparatus.