Electronic device, method, and storage medium

• US 9,331,517 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIBENEDETTO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US13/303,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 320107-115, 320/103, 307/23, 307/66, 307/67
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection

Abstract

An electronic device includes a first unit that wirelessly receives power from a power supply apparatus, and a control unit that executes control, if an external apparatus, including a second unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and the electronic device are connected, to select at least one of the first unit and the second unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first power receiving unit for wirelessly receiving power from a power supply apparatus;

an interface unit that connects to a battery device, wherein the battery device includes a second power receiving unit for wirelessly receiving power from the power supply apparatus; and

a control unit that

selects the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than a predetermined value,

charges a battery included in the battery device by using the first power receiving unit without using the second power receiving unit if the first power receiving unit is selected, and

charges the battery included in the battery device by using the second power receiving unit without using the first power receiving unit if the second power receiving unit is selected.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first power receiving unit, or the second power receiving unit, by using first information relating to the first power receiving unit and second information relating to the second power receiving unit, when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first power receiving unit when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and when power received by the first power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than power received by the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the second power receiving unit when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and when power received by the first power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is not higher than power received by the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first power receiving unit

when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and

when a power receiving efficiency of the first power receiving unit is higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second power receiving unit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the second power receiving unit

when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and

when a power receiving efficiency of the first power receiving unit is not higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second power receiving unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, if the battery device and the electronic device are not connected, the battery included in the battery device is charged by using the second power receiving unit without using the first power receiving unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the first power receiving unit is configured to receive power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance, and

wherein the second power receiving unit is configured to receive power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance.

18. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a resonance circuit that causes the first power receiving unit to resonate with the power supply apparatus so that the first power receiving unit can wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus.

9. A method comprising:

selecting a first power receiving unit, for wirelessly receiving power from a power supply apparatus, or a second power receiving unit, for wirelessly receiving power from the power supply apparatus, when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than a predetermined value, wherein an electronic device includes the first power receiving unit and an interface unit that connects to a battery device, wherein the battery device includes the second power receiving unit;

causing the electronic device to charge a battery included in the battery device by using the first power receiving unit without using the second power receiving unit if the first power receiving unit is selected; and

causing the electronic device to charge the battery included in the battery device by using the second power receiving unit without using the first power receiving unit if the second power receiving unit is selected.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein selecting includes selecting the first power receiving unit, or the second power receiving unit, by using first information relating to the first power receiving unit and second information relating to the second power receiving unit, when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein selecting includes selecting the first power receiving unit when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and when power received by the first power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than power received by the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein selecting includes selecting the second power receiving unit when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and when power received by the first power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is not higher than power received by the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein selecting includes selecting the first power receiving unit

when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and

when a power receiving efficiency of the first power receiving unit is higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second power receiving unit.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein selecting includes selecting the second power receiving unit

when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than the predetermined value and

when a power receiving efficiency of the first power receiving unit is not higher than a power receiving efficiency of the second power receiving unit.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein, if the battery device and the electronic device are not connected, causing the electronic device to charge the battery includes using the second power receiving unit without using the first power receiving unit.

16. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the first power receiving unit is configured to receive power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance, and

wherein the second power receiving unit is configured to receive power from the power supply apparatus by magnetic field resonance.

19. The method according to claim 9, further comprising using a resonance circuit to cause the first power receiving unit to resonate with the power supply apparatus so that the first power receiving unit can wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus.

17. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program to cause a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

selecting a first power receiving unit, for wirelessly receiving power from a power supply apparatus, or a second power receiving unit, for wirelessly receiving power from the power supply apparatus, when power that can be received by the first power receiving unit and the second power receiving unit from the power supply apparatus is higher than a predetermined value, wherein an electronic device includes the first power receiving unit and an interface unit that connects to a battery device, wherein the battery device includes the second power receiving unit;

causing the electronic device to charge a battery included in the battery device by using the first power receiving unit without using the second power receiving unit if the first power receiving unit is selected; and

causing the electronic device to charge the battery included in the battery device by using the second power receiving unit without using the first power receiving unit if the second power receiving unit is selected.