Contactless power supply apparatus, contactless power receiving apparatus, and associated methodology of priority display

• US 8,461,800 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kozakai, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US12/826,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A contactless power supply for charging at least one device using magnetic field resonance includes an AC power supply, at least one circuit, a charging surface and at least one indicator to indicate a charging priority relative to the charging surface according to magnetic field strength. Devices placed near a region of the charging surface indicated as having a high priority by the indicators will charge more rapidly than an external device placed near a region of the charging surface indicated by the indicators as having a lower charging priority. Indication of the charging priority regions on the charging surface may be indicated by differing materials, patterns, shapes or offsets. In addition, the contactless power supply may have more than one region of high charging priority.

Claims

1. A contactless power supply apparatus that emits AC power using magnetic field resonance, comprising:

an AC power supply to generate an AC current;

at least one circuit to generate a magnetic field from the AC current generated by the AC power supply;

a charging surface to charge at least one device in physical proximity thereto using magnetic field resonance according to the magnetic field generated by the at least one circuit; and

a plurality of predetermined shapes concentrically arranged on the charging surface to indicate a charging priority relative to a center of the charging surface according to a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field.

2. The contactless power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an innermost predetermined shape of the plurality of predetermined shapes indicates a highest charging priority.

3. The contactless power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outermost predetermined shape of the plurality of shapes indicates a highest charging priority.

4. The contactless power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined shapes are a same shape.

5. The contactless power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined shapes are one of circles and squares.

6. The contactless power supply according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of predetermined shapes include a plurality of color regions concentrically arranged on the charging surface.

7. The contactless power supply according to claim 6, wherein an innermost color region indicates a highest charging priority.

8. The contactless power supply according to claim 6, wherein an outermost color region indicates a highest charging priority.

9. The contactless power supply according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of predetermined shapes include vertically offset regions arranged on the charging surface, the charging priority being indicated based on a vertical offset of the vertically offset regions.

10. The contactless power supply according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of predetermined shapes include at least a first region of the charging surface formed of a first material and a second region of the charging surface formed of a second material, the charging priority being indicated based on a region material.

11. The contactless power supply according to claim 1, wherein the at least one circuit includes

a resonance element to output the magnetic field corresponding to an induced AC current induced therein;

and

an excitation element coupled to the resonance element by electromagnetic induction, the excitation element inducing the induced AC current in the resonance element based on the AC current generated by the AC power supply.

12. A contactless power supply apparatus that emits AC power using magnetic field resonance, comprising:

means for generating an AC current;

means for generating a magnetic field based on the AC current;

means for charging at least one device using magnetic field resonance according to the generated magnetic field; and

means for concentrically indicating a charging priority relative to the means for charging according to a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field.

13. The contactless power supply according to claim 12, wherein the means for indicating includes means for indicating the charging priority based on color.

14. The contactless power supply according to claim 12, wherein the means for indicating includes means for indicating the charging priority on a display of the at least one device.

15. The contactless power supply according to claim 12, wherein the means for indicating includes means for indicating the charging priority based on a material.

16. The contactless power supply according to claim 12, wherein the means for indicating includes means for indicating the charging priority based on vertical offset.

17. A charging system that charges by magnetic field resonance, comprising:

a contactless power supply including

an AC power supply to generate an AC current,

a circuit to generate a magnetic field based on the AC current, and

a charging surface to charge at least one device in physical proximity thereto using magnetic field resonance according to the magnetic field; and

a device to be charged including

at least one indicator, displayed on a display of the device, to concentrically indicate a charging priority relative to a center of the charging surface according to a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field generated by the circuit.