WIRELESS ELECTRIC POWER TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING WIRELESS ELECTRIC POWER TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20140312708A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Naoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,667,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 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 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 7/025 using non-contact coupling, e.g. inductive, capacitive

Abstract

A wireless electric power transmission apparatus includes a communication unit configured to carry out communication for wireless electric power transmission, a restriction unit configured to restrict the wireless electric power transmission in a case in which the communication unit is unable to communicate with an object disposed within a range in which the wireless electric power transmission apparatus can transmit the wireless electric power, and a control unit configured to start the wireless electric power transmission in response to a user instruction in a case in which the communication unit is unable to communicate with the object disposed within the range in which the wireless electric power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless electric power.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission apparatus that carries out wireless power transmission, the wireless electric power transmission apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to carry out communication for a wireless electric power transmission;

a restriction unit configured to restrict a wireless power transmission in a case in which the communication unit is unable to communicate with an object disposed within a range in which a wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power; and

a control unit configured to start a wireless power transmission in response to a user instruction in a case in which the communication unit is unable to communicate with the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power.

2. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless power transmission unit configured to carry out first wireless power transmission that is based on the communication by the communication unit, and second wireless power transmission that is based on the control unit.

3. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless power transmission and the second wireless power transmission differ in terms of an electric power value.

4. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power.

5. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detection unit detects the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission is possible based on an impedance of an antenna used for the wireless power transmission.

6. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display control unit configured to cause a warning to be displayed in response to detecting of the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power.

7. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit configured to accept the user instruction in response to detecting the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power.

8. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restriction unit stops the wireless power transmission in a case in which the communication by the communication unit does not start in response to the wireless power transmission started by the control unit.

9. The wireless power transmission apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the wireless power transmission unit starts the first wireless power transmission in a case in which the communication by the communication unit starts in response to the wireless power transmission started by the control unit.

10. A method for controlling a wireless power transmission apparatus that carries out wireless power transmission, the method comprising:

communicating for a wireless power transmission;

restricting a wireless power transmission in a case in which the communicating is unable to establish communication with an object disposed within a range in which a wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power; and

performing control to start a wireless power transmission in response to a user instruction in a case in which the communicating is unable to establish the communication with the object disposed within the range in which the wireless power transmission apparatus can transmit wireless power.

11. A storage medium storing a program that, when executed, causes a computer to implement the method according to claim 10.