Non-contact charging system

• US 8,400,105 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Kondo, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, SON T
• Application Number:
  US13/052,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a power transmission terminal, a charging control unit outputs an alternating current signal having a charging control voltage based on a charging control signal. A power transmission unit excites a near-electromagnetic field. A primary-side signal processing unit acquires a reception signal on the basis of a voltage at the power transmission unit at the time of load modulation communication and sets the charging control signal on the basis of reference information included in the reception signal. In a power receiving terminal, a power receiving unit is couplable to the near-electromagnetic field excited by power transmission unit. A charging voltage generating unit generates a charging voltage for a rechargeable battery. A load modulation unit changes the load impedance of the power receiving unit as viewed from the power transmission unit by performing load modulation at the time of load modulation communication. A secondary-side signal processing circuit controls the load modulation unit at the time of load modulation communication using the acquired reference information.

Claims

1. A non-contact charging system comprising:

a power transmission terminal; and

a power receiving terminal,

the power transmission terminal including a charging control unit configured to output an alternating current signal having a voltage based on a charging control signal, a power transmission unit configured to excite a near-electromagnetic field in accordance with the alternating current signal, and a primary-side signal processing unit configured to, when load modulation communication is performed, acquire a reception signal on the basis of a voltage at the power transmission unit and set the charging control signal on the basis of reference information included in the reception signal,

the power receiving terminal including a power receiving unit couplable to the near-electromagnetic field, a charging voltage generation unit configured to rectify an alternating current signal outputted by the power receiving unit, a load modulation unit configured to, when the load modulation communication is performed, change a load impedance of the power receiving unit as viewed from the power transmission unit by performing load modulation, an information acquisition unit configured to acquire the reference information including a predetermined optimum charging pattern related to the rechargeable battery, and a secondary-side signal processing unit configured to, when the load modulation communication is performed, control the load modulation unit using the reference information acquired by the information acquisition unit as a transmission signal, wherein

the charging voltage generating unit controls a voltage value of the alternating current signal such that a charging voltage for the rechargeable battery is substantially equal to the predetermined optimum charging pattern for the rechargeable battery on the basis of the reference information included in the reception signal, and

a charging control function is performed at a power transmission terminal side.

2. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary-side signal processing unit uses the reference information and an identifier unique to the power receiving terminal as the transmission signal.

3. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the reference information includes a voltage set value of the alternating current signal output by the charging control unit.

4. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein the reference information includes a voltage set value of the alternating current signal output by the charging control unit.

5. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the reference information includes timely information acquired by the information acquisition unit while the rechargeable battery is charged.

6. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein the reference information includes timely information acquired by the information acquisition unit while the rechargeable battery is charged.

7. The non-contact charging system according to claim 3, wherein the reference information includes timely information acquired by the information acquisition unit while the rechargeable battery is charged.

8. The non-contact charging system according to claim 4, wherein the reference information includes timely information acquired by the information acquisition unit while the rechargeable battery is charged.

9. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

10. The non-contact charging system according to claim 2, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

11. The non-contact charging system according to claim 3, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

12. The non-contact charging system according to claim 4, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

13. The non-contact charging system according to claim 5, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

14. The non-contact charging system according to claim 6, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

15. The non-contact charging system according to claim 7, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

16. The non-contact charging system according to claim 8, wherein the reference information includes characteristic information of the rechargeable battery stored in advance in the information acquisition unit.

17. The non-contact charging system according to claim 1, wherein the reference information includes a processing program for the primary-side signal processing unit, the processing program controlling the charging control unit on the basis of a type of the rechargeable battery.