Power transmitting apparatus, power transmission method, program, and power transmission system

• US 8,290,531 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakamatsu, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, James H
• Application Number:
  US12/430,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

There is provided a power transmitting apparatus including a power transmission side communication unit for communicating with one or more power receiving apparatus for receiving transmitted power; a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner; an allocating unit for dividing transmission of power from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the one or more power receiving apparatus to one of the dividing periods; and a power transmission control unit for selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating unit.

Claims

1. A power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a power transmission side communication unit for communicating with one or more power receiving apparatus for receiving transmitted power in a non-contact manner;

a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner;

an allocating unit for dividing transmission of power from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the one or more power receiving apparatus to one of the dividing periods; and

a power transmission control unit for selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating unit.

2. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on a power transmission request desiring for power transmission transmitted from each power receiving apparatus received by the power transmission side communication unit.

3. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

a transmission power information deriving unit for increasing discretely a first transmission power to transmit from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus, which transmitted the power transmission request, and deriving, for every power receiving apparatus, information related to power transmission defining a state related to transmission of power with the power receiving apparatus based on reception at the power transmission side communication unit of received power information transmitted from the power receiving apparatus, indicating that a received power level meet a predetermined level, wherein

the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on information related to power transmission for every power receiving apparatus derived by the transmission power information deriving unit.

4. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmission power information deriving unit derives a coupling coefficient with the power receiving apparatus as information related to power transmission.

5. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus, which value of the coupling coefficient is within a predetermined range, to the same dividing period.

6. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on a total power transmission amount transmittable for every dividing period, and a requesting power transmission amount which transmission is requested by the power receiving apparatus.

7. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the power transmission request further includes drive information indicating whether or not to directly use the received power;

and

the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus in the dividing period further based on the drive information.

8. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power transmission side communication unit transmits power transmission request accepting information requesting for transmission of the power transmission request in one of the dividing periods within the predetermined period.

9. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission side communication unit transmits information of the allocation result in the allocating unit to the one or more power receiving apparatus.

13. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmitting power in a non-contact manner is selected from transmitting power using electromagnetic induction, transmitting power using an electric wave, transmitting power using an electric field, and transmitting power using magnetic field resonance.

10. A power transmission method comprising the steps of:

transmitting power transmission request accepting information requesting for transmission of a power transmission request desiring for power transmission to one or more power receiving apparatus;

receiving the power transmission request transmitted from the power receiving apparatus in response to the power transmission request accepting information;

dividing the transmission of power to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the power receiving apparatus to one of the dividing periods based on the power transmission request received in the receiving step; and

selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating step.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of:

transmitting power transmission request accepting information requesting for transmission of a power transmission request desiring for power transmission to one or more power receiving apparatus;

receiving the power transmission request transmitted from the power receiving apparatus in response to the power transmission request accepting information;

dividing the transmission of power to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the power receiving apparatus to one of the dividing periods based on the power transmission request received in the receiving step; and

selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating step.

12. A power transmission system comprising:

a power transmitting apparatus for transmitting power; and

one or more power receiving apparatus for receiving power transmitted by the power transmitting apparatus, wherein

the power transmitting apparatus includes,

a power transmission side communication unit for communicating with the power receiving apparatus,

a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner,

an allocating unit for dividing transmission of power from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on a power transmission request desiring for power transmission transmitted from each power receiving apparatus received by the power transmission side communication unit, and

a power transmission control unit for selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating unit; and

the power receiving apparatus includes,

a power receiving side communication unit for communicating with the power transmitting apparatus,

a power reception unit for receiving power transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus in a non-contact manner, and

a control unit for transmitting the power transmission request to the power transmitting apparatus via the power receiving side communication unit.

14. A power transmitting apparatus comprising:

a power transmission side communication unit for communicating with one or more power receiving apparatus for receiving transmitted power;

a power transmission unit for transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus in a non-contact manner;

an allocating unit for dividing transmission of power from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus to a plurality of dividing periods for every predetermined period, and allocating the one or more power receiving apparatus to one of the dividing periods; and

a power transmission control unit for selectively transmitting power to the one or more power receiving apparatus for every dividing period based on the allocation result in the allocating unit,

wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on a power transmission request desiring for power transmission transmitted from each power receiving apparatus received by the power transmission side communication unit,

wherein the power transmission request further includes drive information indicating whether or not to directly use the received power; and

wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus in the dividing period further based on the drive information.

15. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising

a transmission power information deriving unit for increasing discretely a first transmission power to transmit from the power transmission unit to the power receiving apparatus, which transmitted the power transmission request, and deriving, for every power receiving apparatus, information related to power transmission defining a state related to transmission of power with the power receiving apparatus based on reception at the power transmission side communication unit of received power information transmitted from the power receiving apparatus, indicating that a received power level meet a predetermined level, wherein

the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on information related to power transmission for every power receiving apparatus derived by the transmission power information deriving unit.

16. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the transmission power information deriving unit derives a coupling coefficient with the power receiving apparatus as information related to power transmission.

17. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus, which value of the coupling coefficient is within a predetermined range, to the same dividing period.

18. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the allocating unit allocates the power receiving apparatus to the dividing period based on a total power transmission amount transmittable for every dividing period, and a requesting power transmission amount which transmission is requested by the power receiving apparatus.

19. The power transmitting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the power transmission side communication unit transmits power transmission request accepting information requesting for transmission of the power transmission request in one of the dividing periods within the predetermined period.