Electronic apparatus and electronic apparatus charging system

• US 8,629,653 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochida, Norihito, Hayakawa, Haruo, Oshimi, Masanori, Yamada, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US13/254,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/08 with current supply sources at the substations generating ringing current H04M19/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a housing having a predetermined face; a power receiver that receives electric power in a contactless manner by way of the predetermined face; a secondary battery that is charged by electric power received by the power receiver; a front-back detection unit that detects whether or not the predetermined face faces a charger; and an alarm unit that notifies that the predetermined face is situated at a position inappropriate for charging when the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a predetermined face;

a power receiver that receives electric power in a contactless manner by way of the predetermined face;

a secondary battery that is charged by electric power received by the power receiver;

a front-back detection unit that detects whether or not the predetermined face faces a charger; and

an alarm unit that notifies that the predetermined face is situated at a position inappropriate for charging when the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger, wherein

the housing has a first surface serving as the predetermined face and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface,

an acceleration detection unit is provided as the front-back detection unit,

the acceleration detection unit detects gravity of +1 when the first surface is situated down, whereas the acceleration detection unit detects gravity of −

1 when the second surface is situated down, and

the first surface is detected not to face the charger when the acceleration detection unit has detected a predetermined gravity from −

1 to 0.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein

the housing is taken as a first housing,

the electronic apparatus further includes a second housing rotatably connected to the first housing,

the first housing and the second housing overlap each other in a closed state, whereas, in an open state, the first housing and the second housing forms a predetermined angle α

that is smaller than 180°

, and

where gravitational acceleration is taken as G, the predetermined gravity is calculated by −

1G·

cos((180°

−

α

)/2).

3. An electronic apparatus charging system, comprising:

the electric apparatus as defined in claim 1, and

the charger.

4. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a predetermined face;

a power receiver that receives electric power in a contactless manner by way of the predetermined face;

a secondary battery that is charged by electric power received by the power receiver;

a front-back detection unit that detects whether or not the predetermined face faces a charger; and

an alarm unit that notifies that the predetermined face is situated at a position inappropriate for charging when the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger, wherein

the power receiver is a power receiving coil for receiving electric power by utilization of electromagnetic induction,

the housing has a first surface serving as the predetermined face and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface,

the power receiving coil is laid along the first surface,

the electronic apparatus includes;

a magnetic shield unit interposed between the power receiving coil and the second surface for shielding magnetism; and

a magnetic sensor that is interposed between the magnetic shield unit and the second surface, the magnetic sensor serving as the front-back detection unit to sense intensity of magnetism, and

the front-back detection unit detects that the first surface does not face the charger when the magnetic sensor has sensed magnetism of predetermined intensity or more.

5. An electronic apparatus charging system, comprising:

the electric apparatus as defined in claim 4, and

the charger.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a predetermined face;

a power receiver that receives electric power in a contactless manner by way of the predetermined face;

a secondary battery that is charged by electric power received by the power receiver;

a front-back detection unit that detects whether or not the predetermined face faces a charger; and

an alarm unit that notifies that the predetermined face is situated at a position inappropriate for charging when the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger, wherein

the power receiver is a power receiving coil for receiving electric power by utilization of electromagnetic induction,

the housing has a first surface serving as the predetermined face and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface,

the power receiving coil is laid along the first surface,

the electronic apparatus includes;

a magnetic shield unit that is interposed between the power receiving coil and the second surface for shielding magnetism; and

a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor serving as the front-back detection section, the first magnetic sensor being interposed between the magnetic shield unit and the first surface for detecting intensity of magnetism, and the second magnetic sensor being interposed between the magnetic shield unit and the second surface for detecting intensity of magnetism, and

the front-back detection unit detects that the first surface does not face the charger when the intensity of magnetism sensed by the second magnetic sensor is greater than intensity of the magnetism sensed by the first magnetic sensor.

7. An electronic apparatus charging system, comprising:

the electric apparatus as defined in claim 6, and

the charger.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a predetermined face;

a power receiver that receives electric power in a contactless manner by way of the predetermined face;

a secondary battery that is charged by electric power received by the power receiver;

a front-back detection unit that detects whether or not the predetermined face faces a charger; and

an alarm unit that notifies that the predetermined face is situated at a position inappropriate for charging when the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger, wherein

the power receiver is a power receiving coil for receiving electric power by utilization of electromagnetic induction,

the electronic apparatus includes a first communication unit establishes communication with the charger by use of the power receiving coil and a second communication unit that establishes wireless communication with the charger, the first communication unit and the second communication unit serving as the front-back detection unit, and

the front-back detection unit detects that the predetermined face does not face the charger when the first communication unit cannot establish communication with the charger and when the second communication unit can establish communication with the charger.

9. An electronic apparatus charging system, comprising:

the electric apparatus as defined in claim 8, and

the charger.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the housing has a first surface serving as the predetermined face and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface,

the power receiving coil is laid along the first surface,

a magnetic shield unit is interposed between the power receiving coil and the second surface for shielding magnetism, and

the second communication unit is exposed on the first surface and the second surface than the magnetic shield unit is.