Power supply apparatus, method for controlling the power supply apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium

• US 8,836,279 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/050,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20110244794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

If a plurality of power receiving apparatuses are in a predetermined range, a power supply apparatus selects a power receiving apparatus to be preferentially charged based on the remaining capacities of batteries of the respective power receiving apparatuses, and stops charging of the power receiving apparatuses other than the selected power receiving apparatus until the remaining capacity of the selected power receiving apparatus reaches a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a power supply unit that supplies power to one or more power receiving apparatuses wirelessly;

a detection unit that detects one or more power receiving apparatuses;

a division unit that divides, if the detection unit detects a second power receiving apparatus before elapsing a predetermined time since the detection unit detects a first power receiving apparatus, the first power receiving apparatus and the second power receiving apparatus into a first group; and

a communication unit that (a) transmits a first command, used for causing the first power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the first power receiving apparatus if a remaining capacity of a first battery connected to the first power receiving apparatus is smaller than a remaining capacity of a second battery connected to the second power receiving apparatus after the first group is selected, and (b) transmits a second command, used for causing the second power receiving apparatus not to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the second power receiving apparatus if the remaining capacity of the first battery is smaller than the remaining capacity of the second battery,

after the first group is selected.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication unit transmits a third command, used for causing the second power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the second power receiving apparatus after the remaining capacity of the first battery reaches a predetermined remaining capacity if the remaining capacity of the first battery is smaller than the remaining capacity of the second battery.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the division unit releases the first power receiving apparatus from the first group if the first battery is in a full charge state, and wherein

the communication unit does not transmit the first command to the first power receiving apparatus released from the first group.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the detection unit detects a third power receiving apparatus after elapsing the predetermined time since the detection unit detects the first power receiving apparatus, the division unit divides the third power receiving apparatus into a second group that is different from the first group, and

wherein, if the first group is selected, the communication unit does not transmit a fourth command, used for causing the third power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the third power receiving apparatus until the second group is selected.

5. A method for controlling a power supply apparatus, the method comprising:

supplying power to one or more power receiving apparatuses wirelessly;

detecting one or more power receiving apparatuses;

dividing, if a second power receiving apparatus is detected before elapsing a predetermined time since a first power receiving apparatus is detected, the first power receiving apparatus and the second power receiving apparatus into a first group;

transmitting a first command, used for causing the first power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the first power receiving apparatus if a remaining capacity of a first battery connected to the first power receiving apparatus is smaller than a remaining capacity of a second battery connected to the second power receiving apparatus after the first group is selected; and

transmitting, a second command, used for causing the second power receiving apparatus not to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the second power receiving apparatus if a remaining capacity of the first battery is smaller than a remaining capacity of the second battery after the first group is selected.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting a third command, used for causing the second power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the second power receiving apparatus until the remaining capacity of the first battery reaches the predetermined remaining capacity after the remaining capacity of the first battery reaches a predetermined remaining capacity if the remaining capacity of the first battery is smaller than the remaining capacity of the second battery.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

releasing the first power receiving apparatus from the first group if the first battery is in a full charge state, and

not transmitting the first command to the first power receiving apparatus released from the first group.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

dividing, if a third power receiving apparatus is detected after elapsing the predetermined time since the first power receiving apparatus is detected, the third power receiving apparatus into a second group that is different from the first group and

not transmitting a fourth command, used for causing the third power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the third power receiving apparatus until the second group is selected, if the first group is selected.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program that causes a computer to execute a method for controlling a power supply apparatus, the method comprising:

supplying power to one or more power receiving apparatuses wirelessly;

detecting one or more power receiving apparatuses;

dividing, if a second power receiving apparatus is detected before elapsing a predetermined time since a first power receiving apparatus is detected, the first power receiving apparatus and the second power receiving apparatus into a first group;

transmitting a first command, used for causing the first power receiving apparatus to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the first power receiving apparatus if a remaining capacity of a first battery connected to the first power receiving apparatus is smaller than a remaining capacity of a second battery connected to the second power receiving apparatus after the first group is selected; and

transmitting, a second command, used for causing the second power receiving apparatus not to receive power from the power supply apparatus, to the second power receiving apparatus if a remaining capacity of the first battery is smaller than a remaining capacity of the second battery after the first group is selected.