Power supply apparatus, battery pack, method, and storage medium

• US 9,343,921 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• 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:
  US13/303,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20120146577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 320107-115, 320/103, 307/23, 307/66, 307/67
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 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 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes a power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to an electronic device including a first unit that wirelessly receives power from the power supply apparatus, and a control unit that execute control, if an external apparatus, including a battery, and the electronic device are connected, to select the first unit to charge the battery by the first unit.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a power supply unit configured to wirelessly supply power to an electronic device and a battery device, wherein the electronic device includes a first power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus, and the battery device includes a second power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus; and

a control unit that (a) 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, (b) controls the electronic device so as 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 (c) controls the battery device so as 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.

2. The power supply apparatus 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 power supply apparatus 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 power supply apparatus 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 power supply apparatus 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 power supply apparatus 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 power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the electronic device and the battery 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.

16. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit supplies power to the electronic device and the battery device by magnetic field resonance, electric field resonance, or electric field coupling.

17. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a resonance circuit configured to resonate with the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit so that the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit can wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus.

8. A method comprising:

wirelessly supplying power from a power supply apparatus to an electronic device and a battery device, wherein the electronic device includes a first power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus, and the battery device includes a second power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus;

selecting 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;

controlling the electronic device so as 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

controlling the battery device so as 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.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit is selected, 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.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first power receiving unit is selected 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.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second power receiving unit is selected 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.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first power receiving unit is selected 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.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second power receiving unit is selected 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.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein, if the electronic device and the battery 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.

18. The method according to claim 8, further comprising causing a power supply unit to supply power to the electronic device and the battery device by magnetic field resonance, electric field resonance, or electric field coupling.

19. The method according to claim 8, further comprising causing a resonance circuit to resonate with the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit so that the first power receiving unit or the second power receiving unit can wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus.

15. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

wirelessly supplying power from a power supply apparatus to an electronic device and a battery device, wherein the electronic device includes a first power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus, and the battery device includes a second power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from the power supply apparatus;

selecting 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;

controlling the electronic device so as 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

controlling the battery device so as 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.