UNIT DEVICE AND WIRELESS POWER SUPPLY INFORMATION PROVIDING SYSTEM

• US 20150381240A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, Ichiro, SAWADA, Kiyohiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/80 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: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

In a unit device, a setup unit sets arrangement information, which indicates the position of each unit device in a state where a plurality of unit devices configure a unit device group, according to a sequence that conforms to the arrangement information of adjacent devices after the aforementioned group is configured. A storage unit stores the arrangement information configured by the setup unit. A provision control unit specifies the content of the information providing command, and by collating the content of the specified information providing command with the arrangement information stored in the storage unit, provides either of at least two or more states by means of a provision unit.

Claims

1. A unit device, for providing a unit device group, which includes a combination of a plurality of unit devices, the unit device comprising:

a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives electric power from outside;

a state provision unit that selectively provides at least two states based on the electric power received by the power receiving unit;

a setup unit that sets arrangement information, indicating a position of each of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the device group, in an alignment sequence based on arrangement information about an adjacent unit device of the unit device after configuration of the unit device group;

a storage unit that stores the arrangement information set by the setup unit; and

a provision control unit that specifies a content of an information provision instruction, verifies the content of the information provision instruction with the arrangement information stored in the storage unit, and controls the state provision unit to provide one of the at least two states.

2. The unit device according to claim 1,

wherein the state provision unit includes a light-emitting unit that switches between a light-on state and a light-off state.

3. The unit device according to claim 1,

wherein the state provision unit further includes a display unit that switches between a plurality of colors to be displayed.

4. A wireless power supply information providing system comprising:

a unit device group configured by a plurality of unit devices, and

a controller,

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices including;

a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives electric power from outside;

a state provision unit that selectively provides at least two states based on the electric power received by the power receiving unit;

a setup unit that sets arrangement information, indicating a position of each of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the unit device group after configuration of the unit device group, in an alignment sequence based on arrangement information about an adjacent unit device of one of the plurality of unit devices;

a storage unit that stores the arrangement information set by the setup unit; and

a provision control unit that specifies a content of an information provision instruction, verifies the content of the information provision instruction with the arrangement information stored in the storage unit, and controls the state provision unit to provide one of the at least two states, and

wherein the controller specifies a position of one of the plurality of unit devices as a reference position, determines arrangement information about all of the plurality of unit devices in an alignment sequence of relative positions with reference to arrangement information about the one of the plurality of unit devices corresponding to the reference position, and notifies determined arrangement information to each of the plurality of unit devices, and

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices sets arrangement information for the unit device itself when the controller notifies the arrangement information to each of the plurality of unit devices.

5. The wireless power supply information providing system according to claim 4,

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices stores specific initial information;

and

wherein the controller acquires a coordinate indicating a position of one of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the unit device group, correlates the specific initial information stored in each of the plurality of unit devices with a coordinate for the one of the plurality of unit devices having notified the specific initial information, and specifies a reference position corresponding to a position where the one of the plurality of unit devices correlated with a specified coordinate is arranged.

6. The wireless power supply information providing system according to claim 5,

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices notifies the specific initial information to the controller when one of the plurality of unit devices detects a state change in an adjacent unit device of the one of the plurality of unit devices;

and

wherein the controller sequentially changes a state of one of the plurality of unit devices from a specified reference position and, based on notification of the specific initial information from the one of the plurality of unit devices adjacent to the unit device whose state is changed, determines arrangement information about all of the plurality of unit devices in an alignment sequence of relative positions with reference to arrangement information about one of the plurality of unit devices corresponding to the specific reference position.

9. The wireless power supply information providing system according to claim 5,

wherein the controller includes an imaging unit to image the unit device group, and analyzes an image imaged and acquired by the imaging unit to acquire a coordinate indicating a position of one of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the unit device group.

7. A wireless power supply information providing system comprising:

a unit device group configured by a plurality of unit devices; and

a controller,

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices including;

a power receiving unit that wirelessly receives electric power from outside;

a state provision unit that selectively provides at least two states based on the electric power received by the power receiving unit;

a setup unit that sets arrangement information, indicating a position of each of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the unit device group after configuration of the unit device group, in an alignment sequence based on arrangement information about an adjacent unit device of one of the plurality of unit devices;

a storage unit that stores the arrangement information set by the setup unit; and

a provision control unit that specifies a content of an information provision instruction, verifies the content of the information provision instruction with the arrangement information stored in the storage unit, and controls the state provision unit to provide one of the at least two states, and

wherein the controller determines arrangement information about all of the plurality of unit devices in an alignment sequence of absolute positions and notifies determined arrangement information to each of the plurality of unit devices, and

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices sets arrangement information for the unit device itself when the controller notifies of arrangement information to each of the plurality of unit devices.

8. The wireless power supply information providing system according to claim 7,

wherein each of the plurality of unit devices stores specific initial information;

and

wherein the controller acquires a coordinate indicating a position of one of the plurality of unit devices in a state where the plurality of unit devices are combined for the unit device group, correlates the specific initial information stored in each of the plurality of unit devices with a coordinate for the one of the plurality of unit devices having notified the specific initial information, and determines arrangement information about all of the plurality of unit devices in an alignment sequence of absolute positions.