POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS, POWER RECEIVING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHODS THEREFOR, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20150091386A1
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Published: 04/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagamine, Kazuhide, Hokyo, Tomoaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,263,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A power transmitting apparatus supporting a plurality of wireless power transmission methods, acquires information about at least one wireless power transmission method supported by a power receiving apparatus from the power receiving apparatus, decides, based on the acquired information, a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus, and transmits power to the power receiving apparatus by the decided wireless power transmission method.

Claims

1. A power transmitting apparatus supporting a plurality of wireless power transmission methods, comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about at least one wireless power transmission method supported by a power receiving apparatus from the power receiving apparatus;

a decision unit configured to decide, based on the information acquired by said acquisition unit, a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus; and

a power transmitting unit configured to transmit power to the power receiving apparatus by the wireless power transmission method decided by said decision unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless power transmission methods include a first wireless power transmission method, and a second wireless power transmission method whose communicable distance of control communication for power transmission is longer than that of the first wireless power transmission method.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decision unit decides to transmit power to the power receiving apparatus by the wireless power transmission method by which a larger amount of power is transmissible among the wireless power transmission methods indicated by the information acquired by said acquisition unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to acquire information about a wireless power transmission method supported by another power receiving apparatus by using control communication for power transmission,

wherein said decision unit decides, based on the information acquired by said communication unit, a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said decision unit decides, based on history information about a wireless power transmission method used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus, a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect a position of the power receiving apparatus existing within a power transmission range of said power transmitting unit,

wherein based on the position of the power receiving apparatus detected by said detection unit, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein based on a wireless power transmission method already used for power transmission to another power receiving apparatus, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein based on power transmission efficiency, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein based on designation of a user, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after said power transmitting unit ends power transmission to the power receiving apparatus, processes by said acquisition unit, said decision unit, and said power transmitting unit are executed for a second power receiving apparatus different from the power receiving apparatus.

11. A control method for a power transmitting apparatus supporting a plurality of wireless power transmission methods, comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring information about at least one wireless power transmission method supported by a power receiving apparatus from the power receiving apparatus;

a decision step of deciding, based on the information acquired in the acquisition step, a wireless power transmission method to be used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus; and

a power transmitting step of transmitting power to the power receiving apparatus by the wireless power transmission method decided in the decision step.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a computer to execute respective steps of claim 11.

13. A power receiving apparatus capable of receiving power wirelessly transmitted from a power transmitting apparatus, comprising:

a decision unit configured to decide a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus from a plurality of wireless power transmission methods supported by said power receiving apparatus;

a communication unit configured to notify the power transmitting apparatus of the wireless power transmission method decided by said decision unit, and receive, from the power transmitting apparatus, a notification indicating that power transmission is possible by the wireless power transmission method; and

a power receiving unit configured to, when said communication unit receives from the power transmitting apparatus the notification indicating that power transmission is possible, receive power transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus by the wireless power transmission method decided by said decision unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of wireless power transmission methods include a first wireless power transmission method, and a second wireless power transmission method whose communicable distance of control communication for power transmission is longer than that of the first wireless power transmission method.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said decision unit decides, as a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus, a wireless power transmission method by which an amount of transmissible power is larger among the plurality of wireless power transmission methods.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said communication unit acquires information about a wireless power transmission method supported by another power receiving apparatus by using control communication for power transmission by the power transmitting apparatus, and

based on the information acquired by said communication unit, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein based on history information about a wireless power transmission method used for power transmission to the power receiving apparatus, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein based on a wireless power transmission method already used for power transmission to another power receiving apparatus, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus.

19. The apparatus according claim 13, wherein based on designation of a user, said decision unit decides a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein after a second power reception apparatus different from said power receiving apparatus ends power reception from the power transmitting apparatus, processes by said decision unit, said communication unit, and said power receiving unit are executed.

21. A control method for a power receiving apparatus capable of receiving power wirelessly transmitted from a power transmitting apparatus, comprising:

a decision step of deciding a wireless power transmission method to be used by the power transmitting apparatus from a plurality of wireless power transmission methods supported by the power receiving apparatus;

a communication step of notifying the power transmitting apparatus of the wireless power transmission method decided in the decision step, and receiving, from the power transmitting apparatus, a notification indicating that power transmission is possible by the wireless power transmission method; and

a power receiving step of, when the notification indicating that power transmission is possible is received from the power transmitting apparatus in the communication step, receiving power transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus by the wireless power transmission method decided in the decision step.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for controlling a computer to execute respective steps of claim 21.