Communication apparatus and method for data communication and power transmission

• US 8,971,799 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDIFORD, DEVAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/864,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20100311327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

The object of the invention is to achieve stable operation of a communication device which includes an information transmission means and a power transmission means while maintaining communication quality. A mobile device of the invention has an information transmission means for executing non-contact transmission, a power transmission means, a first control means for controlling the information transmission means to repeat an active period and a sleep period, and a second control means for controlling the power transmission means to transmit a power during the sleep period.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit constructed to request image data stored in another communication apparatus and acquire the image data;

a calculation unit constructed to calculate a first sleep period by calculating a difference between a transmission period and a time period for acquisition of the image data, wherein the first sleep period, which corresponds to a time period where power transfer can take place without interfering with the acquisition of the image data, is a time period in which the communication apparatus is not allocated the transmission period for communication of the image data;

a transmission unit constructed to wirelessly transmit, to the other communication apparatus, first information which indicates a first time for the first sleep period before the first sleep period begins; and

a wireless power unit constructed to wirelessly transmit power to the other communication apparatus in the first sleep period.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmission unit transmits the first information in the course of a communication phase in which a wireless power transmission by the wireless power transmission unit is not executed, and

wherein the first sleep period starts after the communication phase.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit constructed to control the first sleep period in which a communication by the transmission unit is not executed and a communication phase in which a wireless power transmission by the wireless power transmission unit is not executed to repeat their phases.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transmission unit transmits the first information in a case that the acquisition unit acquires the image data.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus calculates the first time in accordance with a power supply of the communication apparatus or a power supply of the other communication apparatus.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus calculates the first time in accordance with a battery capacity of the communication apparatus or a battery capacity of the other communication apparatus.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless power unit transmits the power in accordance with a state of a battery.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmission unit transmits the power in accordance with a remaining level of a battery, an electromotive force of a battery, or a temperature of a battery.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a coil serves as all of a coil configuring the transmission unit, and a coil configuring the wireless power unit.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a switching unit constructed to switch the coil to function as the transmission unit or the wireless power unit.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first time indicates the first sleep period.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the first information via NFC (Near Field Communication).

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a receiving unit constructed to wirelessly receive, from the other communication apparatus, second information which indicates a second time for a second sleep period before the second sleep period begins,

wherein the wireless power unit is constructed to wirelessly transmit power to the other communication apparatus in the course of the second sleep period.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the transmission unit transmits the first information in the course of a data transmission by the acquisition unit, which is performed over a period in which a power transmission by the wireless power unit is not executed, and the receiving unit receives the second information in the course of a data transmission from the other communication apparatus, which is performed over a period in which the power transmission by wireless power unit is not executed, and

wherein the wireless power unit executes the power transmission in the course of the first time and the second time.

15. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first time indicates a period.

16. A control method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

requesting image data stored in another communication apparatus and acquiring the image data;

calculating a first sleep period by calculating a difference between a transmission period and a time period for acquisition of the image data, wherein the first sleep period, which corresponds to a time period where power transfer can take place without interfering with the acquisition of the image data, is a time period in which the communication apparatus is not allocated the transmission period for communication of the image data;

wirelessly transmitting, to the other communication apparatus, first information which indicates a first time for the first sleep period before the first sleep period begins; and

wirelessly transmitting power to the other communication apparatus in the first sleep period.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute the control method according to claim 16.

18. A communication apparatus comprising:

a data transmission unit constructed to transmit image data stored in the communication apparatus to another communication apparatus;

a receiving unit constructed to wirelessly receive, from the other communication apparatus, first information of a first time which indicates a first sleep period before the first sleep period begins, wherein the first sleep period is determined by calculating a difference between a transmission period and a time period for transmission of the image data, wherein the first sleep period, which corresponds to a time period where power transfer can take place without interfering with the transmission of the image data, is a time period in which the communication apparatus is not allocated the transmission period for communication of the image data; and

a wireless power receiving unit constructed to wirelessly receive power from the other communication apparatus in the first sleep period.

19. The communication apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the receiving unit receives the first information in the course of a communication phase in which a wireless power reception by the wireless power receiving unit is not executed, and

wherein the first sleep period starts after the communication phase.

20. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a control unit constructed to control a sleep period in which a communication by the receiving unit is not executed and a communication phase in which a wireless power transfer by the wireless power receiving unit is not executed, to repeat their phases.

21. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the receiving unit receives the first information in a case that the data transmission unit performs the image data transmission.

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a transmission unit constructed to wirelessly transmit, to the other communication apparatus, second information which indicates a second time for a second sleep period before the second sleep period begins.

23. The communication apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the transmission unit transmits the second information in accordance with a power supply of the communication apparatus.

24. The communication apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the transmission unit transmits the second information in accordance with a battery capacity of the communication apparatus.

25. The communication apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the transmission unit transmits the second information in the course of a data transmission to the other communication apparatus, which is performed over a period in which a power reception by the wireless power receiving unit is not executed, and the receiving unit receives the first information in the course of a data transmission by the data transmission unit, which is performed over a period in which the power reception by the wireless power receiving unit is not executed, and

wherein the wireless power receiving unit executes the power reception in the course of the first time or the second time.

26. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the wireless power receiving unit receives the power in accordance with a state of a battery.

27. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the wireless power receiving unit receives the power in accordance with a remaining level of a battery, an electromotive force of a battery, or a temperature of a battery.

28. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a coil serves as all of, a coil configuring the receiving unit and a coil configuring the wireless power receiving unit.

29. The communication apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a switching unit configured to switch the coil to function as the receiving unit or the wireless power receiving unit.

30. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first time indicates a period of the first sleep period.

31. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the receiving unit receives the first information via NFC (Near Field Communication).

32. The communication apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first time indicates a period.

33. A control method for a communication apparatus, comprising:

transmitting image data stored in the communication apparatus to another communication apparatus;

wirelessly receiving, from the other communication apparatus, first information which indicates a first time for a first sleep period before the first sleep period begins, wherein the first sleep period is determined by calculating a difference between a transmission period and a time period for transmission of the image data, wherein the first sleep period, which corresponds to a time period where power transfer can take place without interfering with the transmission of the image data, is a time period in which the communication apparatus is not allocated the transmission period for communication of the image data; and

wirelessly receiving power from the other communication apparatus the first sleep period.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute the control method according to claim 33.