Electric power charge and discharge system

• US 7,808,206 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kimura, Akihiro, Nagatsuka, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/976,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/107, 320/108, 320/112, 320/114, 320/116, 320/132, 320/149
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electric power charge and discharge system for an electronic device having a battery, by which the electronic device can be used for a long period of time. In a wireless communication device including a wireless driving portion including a first battery and a wireless charging portion including a second battery, the first battery is charged by electric power from a fixed power supply and the second battery is charged by using electromagnetic waves existing in an external space. Further, the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and during a period in which the first battery is discharged, the second battery is charged.

Claims

1. A method of charging and discharging an electric power comprising:

charging a first battery in a wireless driving portion using an electric power from a fixed power supply; and

charging a second battery in a wireless charging portion using an electromagnetic wave from an external space,

wherein the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and

wherein the second battery is charged at least during a period in which the first battery is discharged.

5. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 1, wherein charging of the first battery is controlled by a charge controlling circuit in the wireless driving portion.

9. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 1, wherein an electric power is supplied to an internal circuit from either the first battery or the second battery selected by a power supply switching circuit in the wireless driving portion.

13. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 1, wherein the wireless charging portion is provided with a wireless charge controlling circuit for controlling charging of the second battery.

17. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 1, wherein charging of the second battery using the electromagnetic wave is switched to charging using the fixed power supply by a charge switching circuit during a period in which the wireless driving portion is connected to the fixed power supply.

2. A method of charging and discharging an electric power comprising:

charging a first battery in a wireless driving portion using an electric power from a fixed power supply; and

charging a second battery in a wireless charging portion using an electromagnetic wave from an external space,

wherein an antenna for receiving the electromagnetic wave in the wireless charging portion is an antenna for transmitting and receiving an external signal in the wireless driving portion;

wherein the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and

wherein the second battery is charged at least during a period in which the first battery is discharged.

6. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 2, wherein charging of the first battery is controlled by a charge controlling circuit in the wireless driving portion.

10. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 2, wherein an electric power is supplied to an internal circuit from either the first battery or the second battery selected by a power supply switching circuit in the wireless driving portion.

14. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 2, wherein the wireless charging portion is provided with a wireless charge controlling circuit for controlling charging of the second battery.

18. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 2, wherein charging of the second battery using the electromagnetic wave is switched to charging using the fixed power supply by a charge switching circuit during a period in which the wireless driving portion is connected to the fixed power supply.

3. A method of charging and discharging an electric power comprising:

charging a first battery in a wireless driving portion using an electric power from a fixed power supply;

wherein the wireless driving portion includes a first antenna which transmits and receives an external signal; and

charging a second battery in a wireless charging portion using an electromagnetic wave from an external space received by a second antenna in the wireless charging portion,

wherein the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and

wherein the second battery is charged at least during a period in which the first battery is discharged.

7. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 3, wherein charging of the first battery is controlled by a charge controlling circuit in the wireless driving portion.

11. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 3, wherein an electric power is supplied to an internal circuit from either the first battery or the second battery selected by a power supply switching circuit in the wireless driving portion.

15. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 3, wherein the wireless charging portion is provided with a wireless charge controlling circuit for controlling charging of the second battery.

19. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 3, wherein charging of the second battery using the electromagnetic wave is switched to charging using the fixed power supply by a charge switching circuit during a period in which the wireless driving portion is connected to the fixed power supply.

4. A method of charging and discharging an electric power comprising:

charging a first battery in a wireless driving portion using an electric power from a fixed power supply; and

charging a second battery in a wireless charging portion using an electromagnetic wave from an external space,

wherein an external antenna for receiving the electromagnetic waves in the wireless charging portion is an external antenna for transmitting and receiving an external signal in the wireless driving portion,

wherein the first battery and the second battery are discharged alternately, and

wherein the second battery is charged at least during a period in which the first battery is discharged.

8. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 4, wherein charging of the first battery is controlled by a charge controlling circuit in the wireless driving portion.

12. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 4, wherein an electric power is supplied to an internal circuit from either the first battery or the second battery selected by a power supply switching circuit in the wireless driving portion.

16. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 4, wherein the wireless charging portion is provided with a wireless charge controlling circuit for controlling charging of the second battery.

20. A method of charging and discharging an electric power according to claim 4, wherein charging of the second battery using the electromagnetic wave is switched to charging using the fixed power supply by a charge switching circuit during a period in which the wireless driving portion is connected to the fixed power supply.

21. A wireless communication device comprising:

a wireless driving portion which includes an antenna adapted to transmit and receive an external signal supplied to an internal circuit, a first battery connected to a charge controlling circuit and to a power supply switching circuit, and a connector adapted to connect to an external fixed power supply, wherein the charge controlling circuit is adapted to control an electric power received by the connector for charging the first battery; and

a wireless charging portion which includes the antenna further connected to a wireless charge controlling circuit, and a second battery, wherein the wireless charge controlling circuit is adapted to control an electromagnetic wave received by the antenna to charge the second battery,

wherein the power supply switching circuit is adapted to select an electric power from either the first battery or the second battery for operating the internal circuit.

22. A wireless communication device according to claim 21, wherein the wireless driving portion includes the antenna as a first antenna adapted to transmit and receive the external signal, and the wireless charging portion includes a second antenna adapted to receive the electromagnetic wave from an external space for charging the second battery.

23. A wireless communication device according to claim 21, wherein the wireless charging portion further includes a plurality of wireless charge controlling circuits and a plurality of batteries.

24. A wireless communication device according to claim 21, wherein an electric power storage capacity of the second battery is smaller than an electric power storage capacity of the first battery.

25. A wireless communication device according to claim 21, wherein the wireless charging portion includes a charge switching circuit adapted to switch charging of the second battery from charging using the electromagnetic wave to charging using the external fixed power supply during a period in which the wireless driving portion is connected to the external fixed power supply.