POWER FEEDING APPARATUS, POWER RECEIVING APPARATUS, POWER FEEDING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING POWER FEEDING

• US 20160248279A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Hiroaki, Terashima, Toru, Bunsen, Keigo, Kozakai, Osamu, Fujimaki, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,882,437 B2
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/028 Arrangements specific to the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03343 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03878 Line equalisers; line build-out devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4917 using multilevel codes

Abstract

A power feeding apparatus is provided. The power feeding apparatus includes a power feeding unit configured to supply electric power to a power receiving apparatus through a magnetic field; a measuring unit configured to measure an electric characteristic value and to generate a measurement value; a power receiving unit configured to provide a set value; and a foreign substance detection unit configured to detect a foreign substance in the magnetic field based on the set value and the measurement value. A power receiving apparatus, a power feeding system, and a method of controlling power feeding are also provided.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A power transmitting device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

electronically perform a measurement on a resonance circuit to obtain a quality factor of the resonance circuit,

electronically use a reference value from a power receiving device to obtain a threshold value, and

electronically use the quality factor and the threshold value to detect an absence of a foreign object in a magnetic field or a presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field.

21. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the resonance circuit wirelessly emits the magnetic field.

22. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the quality factor is an electric characteristic value related to power transmission efficiency between the power transmitting device and the power receiving device.

23. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry performs the measurement when the power receiving device is on a surface of the power transmitting device.

24. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry detects the absence of the foreign object in the magnetic field or the presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field by comparing the threshold value with the quality factor.

25. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry detects the presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field when the quality factor is less than the threshold value.

26. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry detects the presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field when the quality factor is equal to the threshold value.

27. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry detects the absence of the foreign object in the magnetic field when the quality factor is not less than the threshold value.

28. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the threshold value is less than the reference value.

29. The power transmitting device according to claim 20, wherein the threshold value is calculated from the reference value.

30. A power receiving device comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a request for a foreign object detection from a power transmitting device and send a reference value to the power transmitting device based on the request for the foreign object detection.

31. The power receiving device according to claim 30, wherein the reference value is a quality factor value.

32. The power receiving device according to claim 31, wherein the circuitry is configured to send a request for communication with the power transmitting device to the power transmitting device.

33. A power system comprising:

a power transmitting device that has a resonance circuit, the power transmitting device is configured to obtain a quality factor of the resonance circuit; and

a power receiving device configured to output a reference value, the power transmitting device is configured to use the reference value to obtain a threshold value,

wherein the power transmitting device is configured to use the quality factor and the threshold value to detect an absence of a foreign object in a magnetic field or a presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field.

34. The power system according to claim 33, wherein the power transmitting device detects the absence of the foreign object in the magnetic field when the quality factor is not less than the threshold value.

35. The power system according to claim 33, wherein the power transmitting device detects the presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field when the quality factor is less than the threshold value.

36. The power system according to claim 33, wherein the power transmitting device is configured to inhibit a wireless transfer of electric power from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device when the quality factor is lower than the threshold value.

37. The power system according to claim 33, wherein the power transmitting device is configured to inhibit a wireless transfer of electric power from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device when the quality factor is equal to the threshold value.

38. A power transmitting method comprising:

performing a measurement on a resonance circuit to obtain a quality factor of the resonance circuit;

receiving a reference value from a power receiving device;

using the reference value to determine a threshold value; and

using the quality factor and the threshold value to detect an absence of a foreign object in a magnetic field or a presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field.

39. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, further comprising:

terminating a wireless transfer of electric power from a power transmitting device to the power receiving device when the quality factor is lower than the threshold value.

40. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, further comprising:

wirelessly transferring electric power from a power transmitting device to the power receiving device when the quality factor is not less than the threshold value.

41. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, wherein the measurement is performed before electric power is added to the magnetic field.

42. The power transmitting method according to claim 41, further comprising:

terminating an addition of the electric power into the magnetic field after determining the presence of the foreign object in the magnetic field.

43. The power transmitting method according to claim 41, further comprising:

adding the electric power to the magnetic field after determining the absence of the foreign object in the magnetic field.

44. The power transmitting method according to claim 43, wherein the electric power is added to the magnetic field before the magnetic field is wirelessly emitted.

45. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, wherein the resonance circuit is configured to wirelessly emit the magnetic field.

46. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, wherein the threshold value is equal to the reference value.

47. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, wherein the threshold value is smaller than the reference value.

48. The power transmitting method according to claim 38, wherein the threshold value is calculated from the reference value.