POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, POWER SUPPLY METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140223204A1
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Haraguchi, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes a charging mode information receiving unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses each including a secondary battery, charging mode information indicating whether each of the power receiving apparatuses requests normal charging of the secondary battery or fast charging of the secondary battery, wherein the fast charging charges faster than the normal charging, a power supply order determination unit configured to determine a power supply order of the power receiving apparatuses based on the charging mode information, and a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving apparatuses in the order determined by the power supply order determination unit.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a charging mode information receiving unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses each including a secondary battery, charging mode information indicating whether each of the power receiving apparatuses requests normal charging of the secondary battery or fast charging of the secondary battery, wherein the fast charging charges faster than the normal charging;

a power supply order determination unit configured to determine a power supply order of the power receiving apparatuses based on the charging mode information; and

a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving apparatuses in the order determined by the power supply order determination unit.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a remaining battery capacity information receiving unit configured to receive, from each of the power receiving apparatuses, remaining battery capacity information of the secondary battery of each of the power receiving apparatuses,

wherein the power supply order determination unit further uses the remaining battery capacity information to determine the power supply order.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply time determination unit configured to determine a first time as a power supply time of the power receiving apparatus as a target of the normal charging, and determines a second time longer than the first time as the power supply time of the power receiving apparatus as a target of the fast charging,

wherein the power supply order determination unit further uses the power supply time to determine the power supply order.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power supply unit supplies power to the power receiving apparatus during the power supply time determined by the power supply time determination unit.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a supplied power determination unit configured to determine first power as supplied power of the power receiving apparatus as a target of the normal charging, and determines second power larger than the first power as the supplied power of the power receiving apparatus as a target of the fast charging,

wherein the power supply unit supplies the supplied power determined by the supplied power determination unit.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a charging mode information receiving unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses each including a secondary battery, charging mode information indicating whether each of the power receiving apparatuses requests normal charging of the secondary battery or fast charging of the secondary battery, wherein the fast charging charges faster than the normal charging;

a power supply order determination unit configured to determine a power supply order of the power receiving apparatuses based on the charging mode information; and

a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving apparatuses in the power supply order determined by the power supply order determination unit.

7. A power supply method performed by a power supply apparatus, the power supply method comprising:

receiving, from each of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses each including a secondary battery, charging mode information indicating whether each of the power receiving apparatuses requests normal charging of the secondary battery or fast charging of the secondary battery, wherein the fast charging charges faster than the normal charging;

determining a power supply order of the power receiving apparatuses based on the charging mode information; and

wirelessly supplying power to the power receiving apparatuses in the power supply order determined by the power supply order determination unit.

8. A storage medium storing therein a program to cause a computer to function as:

a charging mode information receiving unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of power receiving apparatuses each including a secondary battery, charging mode information indicating whether each of the power receiving apparatuses requests normal charging of the secondary battery or fast charging of the secondary battery, wherein the fast charging charges faster than the normal charging;

a power supply order determination unit configured to determine a power supply order of the power receiving apparatuses based on the charging mode information; and

a power supply control unit configured to wirelessly supply power to the power receiving apparatuses in the power supply order determined by the power supply order determination unit.