Wireless module and wireless communication apparatus

• US 9,319,494 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakatani, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US14/378,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20150045091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/556.1, 455/573, 455/572, 455/69, 455/522, 455/557
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03

Abstract

Non-contact charging is performed with an opposing apparatus and wireless communication is performed at a high speed with the opposing apparatus by a simple configuration, without performing a highly accurate alignment with the opposing apparatus. The wireless communication apparatus includes a non-contact charging unit and a wireless communication unit. The non-contact charging unit transmits power to the opposing apparatus through a coil in a non-contact manner. The wireless communication unit includes a plurality of antennas. A plurality of antennas are arranged at substantially regular intervals from a center of a central axis of the coil. The wireless communication unit transmits data from the respective antennas by wireless communication when the non-contact charging unit transmits power to the opposing apparatus.

Claims

1. A wireless module comprising:

a non-contact charging unit, configured to transmit power to an opposing apparatus through a coil in a non-contact manner; and

a wireless communication unit including a plurality of wireless communication antennas,

wherein the plurality of wireless communication antennas are arranged at substantially regular intervals from a center of a central axis of the coil, and

wherein the wireless communication unit transmits data from the respective wireless communication antennas by wireless communication when the non-contact charging unit transmits power to the opposing apparatus.

2. The wireless module according to claim 1, wherein

the non-contact charging unit receives power transmitted from the opposing apparatus through the coil, and

wherein the wireless communication unit receives data transmitted from the opposing apparatus in the respective wireless communication antennas when the non-contact charging unit receives power which is output by the opposing apparatus.

3. The wireless module according to claim 2, wherein

the non-contact charging unit further includes a detection unit, configured to detect a shift between central axes of the coil and a coil of the opposing apparatus, and

wherein the wireless communication unit further includes a control unit, configured to give different phase differences to transmission signals which are outputs of the respective wireless communication antennas depending on the shift, and to form a beam in a predetermined direction to a transmission signal which is an output of the wireless communication unit.

4. The wireless module according to claim 3, wherein

the control unit gives different phase differences to reception signals which are received by the respective wireless communication antennas depending on the shift, and forms directivity of a reception signal in a direction opposite to a direction of a beam of a transmission signal which is an output of the opposing apparatus.

5. The wireless module according to claim 4, wherein

in a case where the opposing apparatus includes a plurality of coils, the non-contact charging unit receives power transmitted from any one of the coils of the opposing apparatus, and

in a case where the opposing apparatus includes a plurality of wireless communication units, the wireless communication unit receives data transmitted from the respective wireless communication units of the opposing apparatus.

6. The wireless module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wireless communication antennas include antennas for transmission and antennas for reception.

7. A wireless communication apparatus comprising

a wireless module that includes:

a non-contact charging unit, configured to transmit power to an opposing apparatus through a coil in a non-contact manner; and

a wireless communication unit including a plurality of wireless communication antennas,

wherein the plurality of wireless communication antennas are arranged at substantially regular intervals from a center of a central axis of the coil, and

wherein the wireless communication unit transmits data from the respective wireless communication antennas by wireless communication when the non-contact charging unit transmits power to the opposing apparatus.