Physical-quantity receiving device and physical-quantity supplying device with payment receiving feature

• US 9,230,248 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Washiro, Takanori, Serita, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US13/945,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/412, 705/400, 705/63, 705/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/00 Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity

Abstract

A physical-quantity receiving device includes: a receiving section that receives a predetermined physical quantity from a physical-quantity supplying device; a notification section that provides a user with a notification that the user is under obligation to make payment for the received physical quantity; an input section that receives a user'"'"'s input that indicates whether to receive the physical quantity; a display section that displays the notification from the notification section and the user'"'"'s input to the input section; and a payment section that makes payment for the physical quantity per a unit time by electronic money after a lapse of the unit time, or makes payment for a unit physical quantity by electronic money after receipt of the unit physical quantity.

Claims

1. A physical-quantity receiving device, comprising an accounting unit including:

a receiving section receiving a predetermined physical quantity from a physical-quantity supplying device, the physical quantity allowing the physical-quantity receiving device to be driven;

a notification section providing, during receipt of the physical quantity, a user with a notification that the user is under obligation to make payment for the received physical quantity, and providing the user with an inquiry about whether to continue receiving the physical quantity;

an input section receiving a user'"'"'s input that indicates whether to receive the physical quantity, and whether to continue receiving the physical quantity;

a display section displaying the notification from the notification section and the user'"'"'s input to the input section; and

a payment section making payment for the physical quantity per a unit time by electronic money after a lapse of the unit time, or making payment for a unit physical quantity by electronic money after receipt of the unit physical quantity,

wherein the physical quantity is electric power.

2. The physical-quantity receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the physical-quantity supplying device includes a supply section to be engaged with the receiving section, and is exclusive to the physical-quantity receiving device.

3. The physical-quantity receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power-line transmit-receive section; and

a communication filter disposed between the receiving section and the power-line transmit-receive section,

wherein;

the communication filter blocks at least a signal having a frequency of the electric power, without blocking a first high frequency signal having a frequency higher than the frequency of the electric power and a second high frequency signal serving as identification information, and

the power-line transmit-receive section receives the first high frequency signal from the physical-quantity supplying device via the communication filter and the supply section, generates the electric power based on the first high frequency signal, generates the second high frequency signal through load modulation, and then sends the second high frequency signal to the physical-quantity supplying device via the communication filter and the receiving section.

4. The physical-quantity receiving device according to claim 1, wherein

the physical quantity is configured of a packet structure including a header section and a payload, the header section including information about the physical-quantity receiving device, and

the physical-quantity receiving device determines, based on the information about the physical-quantity receiving device included in the header section, whether to allow receipt of the physical quantity.

5. The physical-quantity receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the physical-quantity receiving device is a device selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a smartphone, a car navigation device, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, a mobile video player, a mobile game console, a personal computer, and an electric car.

6. A physical-quantity supplying device, comprising an accounting unit including:

a supply section supplying a predetermined physical quantity to a physical-quantity receiving device, the physical quantity allowing the physical-quantity receiving device to be driven;

a notification section providing, during supply of the physical quantity, a user with a notification that the user is under obligation to make payment for the received physical quantity, and providing the user with an inquiry about whether to continue supplying the physical quantity; and

a settlement section requesting the physical-quantity receiving device to make payment for the physical quantity per a unit time by electronic money after a lapse of the unit time, or requesting the physical-quantity receiving device to make payment for a unit physical quantity by electronic money after supply of the unit physical quantity,

wherein the physical quantity is electric power.

7. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, further comprising an input section receiving a user'"'"'s input that indicates whether to accept supply of the physical quantity and whether to continue supplying the physical quantity.

8. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 7, further comprising a display section displaying the notification from the notification section and the user'"'"'s input to the input section.

9. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, further comprising a communication section sending the notification from the notification section to the physical-quantity receiving device, and receiving a user'"'"'s input in the physical-quantity receiving device that indicates whether to accept supply of the physical quantity and whether to continue supplying the physical quantity.

10. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, wherein the physical-quantity supplying device is exclusive to the physical-quantity receiving device, the physical-quantity receiving device including a receiving section to be engaged with the supply section.

11. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a power-line transmit-receive section; and

a communication filter disposed between the supply section and the power-line transmit-receive section,

wherein;

the communication filter blocks at least a signal having a frequency of the electric power, without blocking a first high frequency signal having a frequency higher than the frequency of the electric power and a second high frequency signal serving as identification information, and

the power-line transmit-receive section sends the first high frequency signal to the physical-quantity receiving device via the communication filter and the supply section, and receives, from the physical-quantity receiving device via the supply section and the communication filter, the second high frequency signal generated through load modulation, based on the electric power that is generated based on the first high frequency signal, in the physical-quantity receiving device.

12. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, wherein

the physical quantity is configured of a packet structure including a header section and a payload, the header section including information about the physical-quantity receiving device, and

the physical-quantity supplying device sends the payload and the header section including the information about the physical-quantity receiving device to the physical-quantity receiving device.

13. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 12, wherein the physical-quantity supplying device receives, from the physical-quantity receiving device, determination as to whether to allow supply of the physical quantity to the physical-quantity receiving device, the determination being based on the information about the physical-quantity receiving device included in the header section, and supplies the physical quantity when supply of the physical quantity is allowed in the determination.

14. The physical-quantity supplying device according to claim 6, wherein the physical-quantity receiving device receiving the predetermined physical quantity is a device selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a smartphone, a car navigation device, a tablet terminal, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, a mobile video player, a mobile game console, a personal computer, and an electric car.