POWER RECEPTION APPARATUS, DETERMINATION METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170033613A1
• Filed: 07/20/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Naoto
• Granted Patent: US 10,236,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source

Abstract

A power reception apparatus includes a power reception unit configured to receive power wirelessly supplied from a power transmission apparatus, a voltage conversion unit configured to convert the voltage of the power receive by the power reception unit to a voltage with a particular value, a load unit configured to operate with an output from the voltage conversion unit, a first detection unit configured to detect a voltage or a current input to the voltage conversion unit, and a second detection unit configured to detect consumption power of the load unit, a determination unit configured to make a determination, based on a result of a detection performed by the first detection unit and a result of a detection performed by the second detection unit, as to whether there exists a foreign object, which is not a target object to which power is to be transmitted, in a power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.

Claims

1. A power reception apparatus comprising:

a power reception unit configured to receive power wirelessly supplied from a power transmission apparatus;

a voltage conversion unit configured to convert the voltage of the power receive by the power reception unit to a voltage with a particular value;

a load unit configured to operate with an output from the voltage conversion unit;

a first detection unit configured to detect a voltage or a current input to the voltage conversion unit;

a second detection unit configured to detect consumption power of the load unit; and

a determination unit configured to make a determination, based on a result of a detection performed by the first detection unit and a result of a detection performed by the second detection unit, as to whether there exists a foreign object, which is not a target object to which power is to be transmitted, in a power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.

2. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured, in a case where the determination unit determines that there exists a foreign object in the power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus, to notify the power transmission apparatus that a foreign object exists in the power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.

3. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an execution unit configured, in a case where the determination unit determines that there exists a foreign object in the power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus, to execute an error handling process.

4. The power reception apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the execution unit is configured to execute a process to display information indicating that there exists a foreign object in the power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus or information to prompt the foreign object to be removed.

5. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store information relating to a relationship between a change in voltage or current input to the voltage conversion unit and a change in consumption power of the load unit in a case where there is no foreign object in the power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether a foreign object exists based on a comparison between the relationship stored in the storage unit and a relationship between a result of the detection by the first detection unit and a result of the detection by the second detection unit.

6. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second detections units are configured such that the detection by the first detection unit and the detection by the second detection unit are performed substantially simultaneously.

7. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information reception unit configured to receive information in terms of transmission power from the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether a foreign object exists based on the information received via the information reception unit.

8. The power reception apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first detection unit is configured to detect a change in voltage or current input to the voltage conversion unit, and

the second detection unit is configured to detect a change in consumption power of the load unit.

9. A determination method comprising:

performing a first detection process to detect the voltage or the current associated with power as of when the voltage or the current associated with power wirelessly supplied from a power transmission apparatus and received by a power reception apparatus is converted to a voltage with a particular value;

performing a second detection process to detect consumption power of a load unit operating using power with the voltage converted to the particular value; and

making a determination, based on a result of the detection performed in the first detection process and a result of the detection performed in the second detection process, as to whether there exists a foreign object, which is not a target object to which power is to be transmitted, in a power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.

10. A storage medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a determination method, the method comprising:

performing a first detection process to detect the voltage or the current associated with power as of when the voltage or the current associated with power wirelessly supplied from a power transmission apparatus and received by a power reception apparatus is converted to a voltage with a particular value;

performing a second detection process to detect consumption power of a load unit operating using power with the voltage converted to the particular value; and

making a determination, based on a result of the detection performed in the first detection process and a result of the detection performed in the second detection process, as to whether there exists a foreign object, which is not a target object to which power is to be transmitted, in a power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.

11. A power transmission apparatus comprising:

a power transmission unit configured to transmit power wirelessly to a power reception apparatus;

a first detection unit configured to detect a voltage or a current associated with power as of when a voltage or a current associated with power wirelessly transmitted from the power transmission unit and received by the power reception apparatus is converted to a voltage with a particular value;

a second detection unit configured to detect a change in consumption power of a load unit operating using power with the voltage converted to the particular value;

determination unit configured to make a determination, based on a result of a detection performed by the first detection unit and a result of a detection performed by the second detection unit, as to whether there exists a foreign object, which is not a target object to which power is to be transmitted, in a power transmission service area covered by the power transmission apparatus.