Charging apparatus, and charge control method

• US 8,941,362 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Junko, Kawashima, Hiroshi, Yamashita, Kei, Ono, Tomoyuki, Kimura, Masaya, Tanaka, Kayoko, Noma, Hideki, Pan, Jin, Hirose, Yukiyoshi, Honjo, Ryoki, Kawakami, Itaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US13/168,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20120007565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 320/155, 320/133
• US Class Current: 320/155
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

There is provided a charging apparatus including a connection unit to which a device is to be connected, a charging unit for charging the device connected to the connection unit, a history acquisition unit for acquiring a history of content use stored in the device, a timing prediction unit for predicting a timing of use of the device based on the history of content use acquired by the history acquisition unit, and a charge control unit for controlling the charging unit such that the device connected to the connection unit becomes fully charged at a timing suitable for the timing predicted by the timing prediction unit.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus comprising:

a connection unit to which a device is to be connected;

a charging unit configured to charge the device connected to the connection unit;

a history acquisition unit configured to acquire a history of content use stored in the device;

a removal time range holding unit configured to hold a time range during which the device connected to the connection unit is removed;

an information acquisition unit configured to;

identify first information directly from an information source on a network, the first information being related to an event; and

acquire the identified first information directly from the information source;

a timing prediction unit configured to;

predict a first timing of use of the device based on the history of content use acquired by the history acquisition unit;

determine a first timing of full charge based on the predicted first timing of use;

detect second information related to a use of the device from the acquired first information;

predict a second timing of use of the device based on the detected second information;

determine a second timing of full charge based on the predicted second timing of use;

predict a timing of removal of the device from the connection unit, based on a history of time range held by the removal time range holding unit; and

determine a third timing of full charge based on the predicted timing of removal;

and

a charge control unit configured to;

compare the first timing of full charge, the second timing of full charge, and the third timing of full charge, and

control the charging unit such that the device becomes full charged at the earliest of the first timing of full charge, the second timing of full charge, and the third timing of full charge.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge control unit is further configured to control, when the device is connected to the connection unit, the charging unit to charge the device to a predetermined amount of charge that is less than full charge, regardless of the timings predicted by the timing prediction unit.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing device determination unit configured to determine whether the device connected to the connection unit is an image capturing device;

wherein the acquired first information includes weather forecast information, and

wherein the charge control unit is further configured to;

predict whether the device will be used at the predicted first or second timings of use, based on the determination of the image capturing device determination unit and the weather forecast information;

upon predicting that the device will not be used at the predicted first or second timings of use, receive a fourth timing, and control the charging unit such that the device becomes fully charged at or before the fourth timing.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first information acquired by the information acquisition unit includes information about an event schedule, and

wherein the predicted second timing of use is at a predetermined time before a start time of the event schedule.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a demand prediction acquisition unit configured to acquire a power demand prediction,

wherein the timing prediction unit is configured to determine a fifth timing based on the acquired power demand prediction, and

wherein the charge control unit is configured to control the charging unit such that the device connected to the connection unit becomes fully charged at the fifth timing.

6. A charge control method comprising:

connecting a device to a charging apparatus;

acquiring a history of content use stored in the device;

acquiring a history of time range during which the device is removed;

identifying, directly from an information source on a network, first information related to an event;

acquiring the identified first information directly from the information source on the network;

predicting a first timing of use of the device based on the acquired history of content use;

determining a first timing of full charge based on the predicted first timing of use;

detecting second information related to a use of the device from the acquired first information;

predicting a second timing of use of the device based on the detected second information;

determining a second timing of full charge based on the predicted second timing of use;

predicting a timing of removal of the device based on the acquired history of time range;

determining a third timing of full charge based on the predicted timing of removal;

comparing the first timing of full charge, the second timing of full charge, and the third timing of full charge; and

controlling the charging apparatus such that the device becomes full charged at the earliest of the first timing of full charge, the second timing of full charge, and the third timing of full charge.

7. The charge control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the device connected to the charging apparatus is an image capturing device;

wherein the acquired first information includes weather forecast information, and

wherein the charge control method further comprises;

predicting whether the device will be used at the predicted first or second timings of use, based on the determination of whether the device is an image capturing device, and the weather forecast information;

upon predicting that the device will not be used at the predicted first or second timings of use, receiving a fourth timing, and controlling the charging apparatus such that the device becomes fully charged at or before the fourth timing.