Power transmission control device, power transmission device, electronic instrument, and non-contact power transmission system

• US 8,204,531 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Jin, Mikimoto, Onishi, Kota
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharma, Sujatha
• Application Number:
  US12/071,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 455571-574, 4553431-3436, 455/550.1, 455/127.1, 455/41.1, 320/101, 320107-109, 320115-119, 320/162, 363/67, 363/68, 363/84, 363/89, 363/16, 363/131, 363/178, 363/21.03
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 7/00045 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/025 using non-contact coupling, e.g. inductive, capacitive

Abstract

A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device of a non-contact power transmission system includes an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information that relates to an induced voltage signal of a primary coil, an A/D conversion circuit that performs A/D conversion of the amplitude information, and a control circuit. The A/D conversion circuit performs A/D conversion of a detected voltage detected by the amplitude detection circuit at a conversion timing and determines digital data relating to a reference threshold voltage, the conversion timing being a timing after a given period has expired from a timing when the detected voltage has exceeded a provisional voltage. The control circuit performs at least one of data detection that detects data that has been transmitted from a power reception device by means of load modulation, foreign object detection, and detachment detection using the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage.

Claims

1. A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device of a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to a power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device, the power transmission control device comprising:

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an A/D conversion circuit that performs A/D conversion of the amplitude information; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device,

the A/D conversion circuit performing the A/D conversion of a detected voltage that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit at a conversion timing and determining digital data relating to a reference threshold voltage, the conversion timing being a timing after a given period has expired from a timing when the detected voltage has exceeded a provisional voltage,

by using the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage, the control circuit performing at least one of data detection, foreign object detection, and detachment detection, the data detection detecting data that has been transmitted from the power reception device by means of load modulation, and

the control circuit starting a count process using a counter from the timing when the detected voltage has exceeded the provisional voltage, and controlling the A/D conversion circuit to perform the A/D conversion at the conversion timing set based on a count value of the counter.

2. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the provisional voltage being a voltage between a detected voltage when a load modulation section of the power reception device is in a no-load state and a detected voltage when the load modulation section is in a load-connected state.

3. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit performing at least one of the data detection, the foreign object detection, and the detachment detection based on a data detection threshold voltage, a foreign object detection threshold voltage, or a detachment detection threshold voltage, the data detection threshold voltage, the foreign object detection threshold voltage, or the detachment detection threshold voltage being obtained by subtracting or adding a data detection parameter voltage, a foreign object detection parameter voltage, or a detachment detection parameter voltage from or to the reference threshold voltage.

4. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the amplitude detection circuit holding a peak voltage of the induced voltage signal of the primary coil at a hold node to detect the peak voltage that is the amplitude information,

the control circuit performing reset control that discharges the hold node toward a low-potential-side power supply at a reset timing, the reset timing being a timing after a first period has expired from a timing when the peak voltage has exceeded the provisional voltage, and

the A/D conversion circuit performing the A/D conversion of the peak voltage at a conversion timing when a second period has expired from the reset timing and determining the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage.

5. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the power transmission device including a voltage detection circuit that includes a voltage divider circuit that is provided between a node at one end of the primary coil and a low-potential-side power supply, the voltage detection circuit outputting the induced voltage signal of the primary coil to a plurality of voltage division nodes of the voltage divider circuit, and

the control circuit performing switching control so that a first induced voltage signal from a first voltage division node among the plurality of voltage division nodes is input to the amplitude detection circuit during the data detection and a second induced voltage signal from a second voltage division node among the plurality of voltage division node is input to the amplitude detection circuit during the foreign object detection or the detachment detection.

6. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 5,

when an overload has been detected by performing switching control that inputs the first induced voltage signal from the first voltage division node among the plurality of voltage division nodes to the amplitude detection circuit, the control circuit performing switching control that inputs the second induced voltage signal from the second voltage division node among the plurality of voltage division nodes to the amplitude detection circuit, and performing the foreign object detection or the detachment detection.

7. A power transmission device comprising:

the power transmission control device as defined in claim 1; and

a power transmission section that generates an alternating voltage and supplies the alternating voltage to the primary coil.

8. An electronic instrument comprising the power transmission device as defined in claim 7.

9. A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device of a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to a power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device, the power transmission control device comprising:

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an A/D conversion circuit that performs A/D conversion of the amplitude information;

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device; and

a pulse width detection circuit that detects pulse width information relating to the induced voltage signal of the primary coil,

the A/D conversion circuit performing the A/D conversion of a detected voltage that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit at a conversion timing and determining digital data relating to a reference threshold voltage, the conversion timing being a timing after a given period has expired from a timing when the detected voltage has exceeded a provisional voltage,

by using the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage, the control circuit performing at least one of data detection, foreign object detection, and detachment detection, the data detection detecting data that has been transmitted from the power reception device by means of load modulation, and

the control circuit performing the data detection based on the pulse width information that has been detected by the pulse width detection circuit, and performing the detachment detection using the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage.

10. A power transmission control device provided in a power transmission device of a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to a power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device, the power transmission control device comprising:

a pulse width detection circuit that detects pulse width information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information relating to the induced voltage signal of the primary coil; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device, the control circuit performing data detection based on the pulse width information that has been detected by the pulse width detection circuit, data to be detected by the data detection having been transmitted from the power reception device by means of load modulation, and performing detachment detection based on the amplitude information that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit.

11. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 10,

the power transmission control device further including:

a drive clock signal generation circuit that generates a drive clock signal that specifies a drive frequency of the primary coil;

a driver control circuit that generates a driver control signal based on the drive clock signal, and outputs the driver control signal to a power transmission driver that drives the primary coil; and

a waveform adjusting circuit that adjusts a waveform of the induced voltage signal of the primary coil and outputs a waveform adjusting signal,

the pulse width detection circuit receiving the waveform adjusting signal and the drive clock signal and detecting pulse width information relating to the waveform adjusting signal.

12. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 11,

the pulse width detection circuit detecting the pulse width information by measuring a pulse width period, the pulse width period being a period from a first point when the drive clock signal changes from an inactive voltage level to an active voltage level to a second point when the waveform adjusting signal changes from an active voltage level to an inactive voltage level.

13. A power transmission device comprising:

the power transmission control device as defined in claim 10; and

a power transmission section that generates an alternating voltage and supplies the alternating voltage to the primary coil.

14. An electronic instrument comprising the power transmission device as defined in claim 13.

15. A non-contact power transmission system comprising a power transmission device and a power reception device, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to the power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device,

the power reception device including:

a power reception section that converts an induced voltage in the secondary coil into a direct voltage; and

a load modulation section that variably changes a load depending on transmission data when the power reception device transmits data to the power transmission device,

the power transmission device including;

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information that relates to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an A/D conversion circuit that performs A/D conversion of the amplitude information; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device,

the A/D conversion circuit performing the A/D conversion of a detected voltage that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit at a conversion timing and determining digital data relating to a reference threshold voltage, the conversion timing being a timing after a given period has expired from a timing when the detected voltage has exceeded a provisional voltage,

the control circuit performing at least one of data detection, foreign object detection, and detachment detection using the digital data relating to the reference threshold voltage, the data detection detecting data that has been transmitted from the power reception device by means of load modulation, and

the control circuit starting a count process using a counter from the timing when the detected voltage has exceeded the provisional voltage, and controlling the A/D conversion circuit to perform the A/D conversion at the conversion timing set based on a count value of the counter.

16. A non-contact power transmission system comprising a power transmission device and a power reception device, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to the power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit power to a load of the power reception device,

the power reception device including:

a power reception section that converts an induced voltage in the secondary coil into a direct voltage; and

a load modulation section that variably changes a load depending on transmission data when the power reception device transmits data to the power transmission device,

the power transmission device including;

a pulse width detection circuit that detects pulse width information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information relating to the induced voltage signal of the primary coil; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device,

the control circuit performing data detection based on the pulse width information that has been detected by the pulse width detection circuit, data to be detected by the data detection has been transmitted from the power reception device by means of load modulation, and performing detachment detection based on the amplitude information that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit.

17. The non-contact power transmission system as defined in claim 16,

the power transmission device further including:

a drive clock signal generation circuit that generates a drive clock signal that specifies a drive frequency of the primary coil;

a driver control circuit that generates a driver control signal based on the drive clock signal, and outputs the driver control signal to a power transmission driver that drives the primary coil; and

a waveform adjusting circuit that adjusts a waveform of the induced voltage signal of the primary coil and outputs a waveform adjusting signal,

the pulse width detection circuit receiving the waveform adjusting signal and the drive clock signal and detecting pulse width information relating to the waveform adjusting signal.

18. A power transmission control device that is provided in a power transmission device that is included in a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to a power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device,

the power transmission device comprising:

an amplitude detection circuit that detects amplitude information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

an A/D conversion circuit that performs A/D conversion of the amplitude information; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission device,

the A/D conversion circuit performing the A/D conversion of a detected voltage that has been detected by the amplitude detection circuit after a timing when the detected voltage has exceeded a given voltage, and determining a reference threshold voltage that is used to perform detection of data that has been transmitted from the power reception device, foreign object detection, or detection of detachment between the power transmission device and the power reception device,

based on the reference threshold voltage, the control circuit performing at least one of the detection of data that has been transmitted from the power reception device, the foreign object detection, and the detection of detachment between the power transmission device and the power reception device, and

the control circuit starting a count process using a counter from the timing when the detected voltage has exceeded the given voltage, and controlling the A/D conversion circuit to perform the A/D conversion at the conversion timing set based on a count value of the counter.

19. A power transmission device comprising:

the power transmission control device as defined in claim 18; and

a power transmission section that generates an alternating voltage and supplies the alternating voltage to the primary coil.

20. An electronic instrument comprising the power transmission device as defined in claim 19.

21. A non-contact power transmission system comprising a power transmission device and a power reception device, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmission device to the power reception device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil to transmit the power to a load of the power reception device,

the power transmission device being the power transmission device as defined in claim 19.