POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE, POWER TRANSMISSION AND RECEIVING DEVICE, METHOD FOR DETECTING POWER RECEIVING DEVICE, POWER RECEIVING DEVICE DETECTION PROGRAM, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20160226311A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dexerials Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dexerials Corporation
• Inventors: KANNO, Masayoshi
• Application Number:
  US14/777,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

To provide a power transmission device that can accurately discriminate a device or apparatus placed on a secondary side from a foreign object placed on the secondary side without adding a complex circuit. The power transmission device includes a control unit that sets a drive frequency of a signal for driving a resonance circuit, an inverter unit that drives the resonance circuit at three or more drive frequencies on the basis of a setting of the control unit, and a waveform monitor unit that detects a drive waveform of the resonance circuit. The control unit sets three or more drive frequencies according to a procedure of a program stored in a storage unit, compares signal data at the drive frequencies detected by a drive waveform detecting unit with each other, and detects a power receiving device on the basis of the comparison result.

Claims

1. A power transmission device which transmits an electric power to a power receiving device in a noncontact state by using a resonance circuit, comprising:

a control unit that sets a drive frequency of a signal for driving the resonance circuit;

a drive unit that drives the resonance circuit at three or more drive frequencies on the basis of a setting of the control unit; and

a drive waveform detecting unit that detects a drive waveform of the resonance circuit, wherein

the control unit sets the three or more drive frequencies, compares signal data at the drive frequencies detected by the drive waveform detecting unit with each other, and detects the power receiving device on the basis of the comparison result.

2. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit includes

a power transmission mode that transmits an electric power on the basis of a request from the power receiving device, and

a detection mode that detects the presence/absence of the power receiving device, and

in the detection mode, the electric power is not transmitted.

3. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the detected signal data is a current value or a voltage value of the resonance circuit.

4. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit sets a plurality of resonance frequencies of the resonance circuit, and

the resonance frequencies are set to correspond to the three or more drive frequencies, respectively.

5. The power transmission device according to claim 4, wherein

the control unit compares the maximum values of the currents or the voltages at the resonance frequencies with each other to detect the power receiving device.

6. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit sequentially sets three frequencies as the drive frequencies and measures the signal data,

a first drive frequency is a frequency higher than a second drive frequency and lower than a third drive frequency,

the first drive frequency is set after the second and third drive frequencies are set and the signal data is measured, and the corresponding signal data is measured.

9. The power transmission and receiving device according to claim 27, wherein

the detected signal data is a current value or a voltage value of the resonance circuit.

10. The power transmission and receiving device according to claim 27 wherein

the control unit sets a plurality of resonance frequencies of the resonance circuit, and

the resonance frequencies are set to correspond to the three or more drive frequencies, respectively.

11. The power transmission and receiving device according to claim 10, wherein

the control unit compares the maximum values of the currents or the voltages at the resonance frequencies with each other to detect the power receiving device.

12. The power transmission and receiving device according to claim 27 wherein

the control unit sequentially sets three frequencies as the drive frequencies and measures the signal data,

a first drive frequency is a frequency higher than a second drive frequency and lower than a third drive frequency,

the first drive frequency is set after the second and third drive frequencies are set and the signal data is measured, and the corresponding signal data is measured.

27. The power transmission device according to claim 6, wherein

when signal data measured by setting the first drive frequency is smaller than signal data measured by setting the second and third drive frequencies, the device is authenticated as a communication target.

28. The power transmission device according to claim 6, wherein

a first maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies, a second maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies lower by predetermined frequencies, respectively, and a third maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies higher by predetermined frequencies, respectively, are compared with each other, the device is not authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are equal to each other, and the device is authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are not equal to each other.

29. The power transmission device according to claim 12, wherein

when signal data measured by setting the first drive frequency is smaller than signal data measured by setting the second and third drive frequencies, the device is authenticated as a communication target.

30. The power transmission device according to claim 12, wherein

a first maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies, a second maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies lower by predetermined frequencies, respectively, and a third maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies higher by predetermined frequencies, respectively, are compared with each other, the device is not authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are equal to each other, and the device is authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are not equal to each other.

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. A method for detecting power receiving device that detects, when an electric power is transmitted from a power transmission device to a power receiving device in a noncontact state by using a resonance circuit, the presence/absence of the power receiving device,

a control unit sets a drive frequency of a signal for driving the resonance circuit,

a drive unit, on the basis of a setting of the control unit, drives the resonance circuit at three or more drive frequencies,

a drive waveform detecting unit detects a drive waveform of the resonance circuit, and

the control unit sets three or more drive frequencies, compares signal data at the drive frequencies detected by the drive waveform detecting unit with each other, and detects the power receiving device on the basis of the comparison result.

14. The method for detecting power receiving device according to claim 13, wherein

the control unit includes

a power transmission mode that transmits an electric power on the basis of a request from the other power receiving device or a power transmission and receiving device, and a detection mode that detects the other power receiving device or the power transmission and receiving device, and

in the detection mode, the electric power is not transmitted.

15. The method for detecting power receiving device according to claim 13, wherein

the detected signal data is a current value or a voltage value of the resonance circuit.

16. The method for detecting power receiving device according to claim 13, wherein

the control unit sets a plurality of resonance frequencies of the resonance circuit, and

the resonance frequencies are set to correspond to the three or more drive frequencies, respectively.

17. The method for detecting power receiving device according to claim 16, wherein

the control unit compares the maximum values of the currents or the voltages at the resonance frequencies with each other to detect the power receiving device.

18. The method for detecting power receiving device according to claim 13, wherein

the control unit sequentially sets three frequencies as the drive frequencies and measures the signal data,

a first drive frequency is a frequency higher than a second drive frequency and lower than a third drive frequency,

the first drive frequency is set after the second and third drive frequencies are set and the signal data is measured, and the corresponding signal data is measured.

31. The power transmission device according to claim 18, wherein

when signal data measured by setting the first drive frequency is smaller than signal data measured by setting the second and third drive frequencies, the device is authenticated as a communication target.

32. The power transmission device according to claim 18, wherein

a first maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies, a second maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies lower by predetermined frequencies, respectively, and a third maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies higher by predetermined frequencies, respectively, are compared with each other, the device is not authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are equal to each other, and the device is authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are not equal to each other.

19. A power receiving device detection program for noncontact charging including a storage unit in which a program is stored and a control unit having a processing unit that develops and executes the stored program, when an electric power is transmitted from a power transmission device to a power receiving device in a noncontact state by using a resonance circuit, the power receiving device detecting program detecting the presence/absence of the power receiving device comprising:

the step of setting a drive frequency of a signal for driving a resonance circuit by the control unit;

the step of driving the resonance circuit at three or more drive frequencies on the basis of a setting of the control unit by a drive unit;

the step of detecting a drive waveform of the resonance circuit by a drive waveform detecting unit, wherein

the control unit sets three or more drive frequencies, compares signal data at the drive frequencies detected by the drive waveform detecting unit with each other, and detects the power receiving device on the basis of the comparison result.

20. The power receiving device detecting program according to claim 19, wherein

the control unit includes

a power transmission mode that transmits an electric power on the basis of a request from the other power receiving device or a power transmission and receiving device, and a detection mode that detects the other power receiving device or the power transmission and receiving device, and

in the detection mode, the electric power is not transmitted.

21. The power receiving device detection program according to claim 19, wherein

the detected signal data is a current value or a voltage value of the resonance circuit.

22. The power receiving device detection program according to claim 19, wherein

the control unit sets a plurality of resonance frequencies of the resonance circuit, and

the resonance frequencies are set to correspond to the three or more drive frequencies, respectively.

23. The power receiving device detection program according to claim 22, wherein

the control unit compares the maximum values of the currents or the voltages at the resonance frequencies with each other to detect the power receiving device.

24. The power receiving device detection program according to claim 19, wherein

the control unit sequentially sets three frequencies as the drive frequencies and measures the signal data,

a first drive frequency is a frequency higher than a second drive frequency and lower than a third drive frequency,

the first drive frequency is set after the second and third drive frequencies are set and the signal data is measured, and the corresponding signal data is measured.

first, second, and third maximum values are not equal to each other.

25. A semiconductor device comprising

a storage unit in which the power receiving device detection program according to claim 19 is stored.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, further comprising

a control unit that develops and executes the received power adjustment program.

33. The power transmission device according to claim 24, wherein

when signal data measured by setting the first drive frequency is smaller than signal data measured by setting the second and third drive frequencies, the device is authenticated as a communication target.

34. The power transmission device according to claim 24, wherein

a first maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies, a second maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies lower by predetermined frequencies, respectively, and a third maximum value which is largest in signal data measured by setting the first, second, and third drive frequencies to frequencies higher by predetermined frequencies, respectively, are compared with each other, the device is not authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are equal to each other, and the device is authenticated as a communication target when the first, second, and third maximum values are not equal to each other.