PROCESSING DEVICE, PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20160218567A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hiroaki, Kozakai, Osamu, Komiyama, Shinji, Fujimaki, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,929,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for detecting the presence of undesirable foreign matter in a region between a wireless power transmission apparatus and a power reception apparatus are described. First and second detection methods, based on different detection schemes, may be used to detect and distinguish the presence of foreign matter from misalignment during power transfer operation method may be used while power is supplied to the load.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A device comprising:

circuitry configured to perform a first foreign object detection method before a wireless power transfer is performed,

wherein the circuitry is configured to perform a second foreign object detection method during the wireless power transfer.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first foreign object detection method is different from the second foreign object detection method.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a presence of a foreign object affecting the wireless power transfer as a result of the first foreign object detection method and the second foreign object detection method or as a result of either the first foreign object detection method or the second foreign object detection method.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the first foreign object detection method uses a quality value of a coil for the wireless power transfer.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the second foreign object detection method is determined based an efficiency of the wireless power transfer.

26. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first foreign object detection method determines an absence of a foreign object in the wireless power transfer or a presence of the foreign object in the wireless power transfer.

27. The device according to claim 21, wherein the second foreign object detection method determines an amount of electric power that has been lost during the wireless power transfer.

28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the wireless power transfer based on a result of the second foreign object detection method.

29. The device according to claim 21, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the wireless power transfer based on a result of the first foreign object detection method.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the wireless power transfer to the power device when the quality value is not less than the first threshold.

31. The device according to claim 29, wherein the circuitry is configured to terminate the wireless power transfer based on the result of the second foreign object detection method.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein the circuitry is configured to terminate the wireless power transfer when an amount of electric power that has been lost during the wireless power transfer is not less than a threshold value.

33. A system comprising:

circuitry configured to;

measure a quality value of a coil;

wirelessly receive a reference value from a power device;

determine a first threshold based on the reference value;

compare the quality value with the first threshold;

perform a wireless power transfer to the power device;

wirelessly receive power information from the power device;

obtain a power loss based on the power information; and

compare the power loss to a second threshold to detect a foreign object that affects the wireless power transfer.

34. The system according to claim 33, wherein the power device is a power transmitting device or a power receiving device.

35. The system according to claim 33, wherein the power loss indicates an amount of electric power that has been lost during the wireless power transfer.

36. The system according to claim 33, wherein the circuitry is configured to terminate the wireless power transfer when the power loss during the wireless power transfer is not less than the second threshold.

37. The system according to claim 33, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform a first foreign object detection method before a wireless power transfer is performed and to perform a second foreign object detection method during the wireless power transfer.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the wireless power transfer based on a result of the first foreign object detection method.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein the first foreign object detection method determines an absence of a foreign object in the wireless power transfer or a presence of the foreign object in the wireless power transfer.

40. The system according to claim 37, wherein the first foreign object detection method uses the quality value.

41. The system according to claim 37, wherein the first foreign object detection method is different from the second foreign object detection method.

42. The system according to claim 37, wherein the second foreign object detection method is determined based an efficiency of the wireless power transfer.

43. The system according to claim 37, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a presence of a foreign object affecting the wireless power transfer as a result of the first foreign object detection method and the second foreign object detection method or as a result of either the first foreign object detection method or the second foreign object detection method.

44. The system according to claim 37, wherein the second foreign object detection method determines an amount of electric power that has been lost during the wireless power transfer.

45. The system according to claim 37, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the wireless power transfer based on a result of the second foreign object detection method.

46. The system according to claim 37, wherein the circuitry is configured to terminate the wireless power transfer based on the result of the second foreign object detection method.

47. A method of transmitting power, the method comprising:

performing a first wireless object detection method before wireless power transfer,

performing the wireless power transfer based on the first wireless object detection method, and

performing a second wireless object detection method during the power transfer.

48. A method of transmitting power, the method comprising:

measuring a quality value of a coil;

wirelessly receiving a reference value from a power device;

determining a first threshold based on the reference value;

comparing the quality value with the first threshold;

performing a wireless power transfer to the power device;

wirelessly receiving power information from the power device;

obtaining a power loss based on the power information; and

comparing the power loss to a second threshold to detect a foreign object that affects a transfer of the power.