Contactless battery charger, electronic device, battery pack, and contactless charging system

• US 9,407,109 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hiroyuki, Oku, Hiroyuki, Oshimi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US13/667,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/132, 320/133, 320/134, 320/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/448 End of discharge regulating measures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A contactless charging system is made up of an electronic device and a contactless charger 200 that recharges the electronic device in a contactless manner. The electronic device transmits a full charge command indicating completion of charge. Upon receipt of the full charge command, the contactless charger shifts to a charge stop state in which charge of the electronic device is not performed. In the charge stop state, the contactless charger generates a load check signal for checking whether or not the electronic device is placed in the contactless charger in a rechargeable state, and transmits the signal. Further, the contactless charger also generates a charge restart check command for checking whether or not the electronic device requests recharge in a charge stop state, and transmits the command.

Claims

1. A contact-less charger which, in operation, charges, in a contact-less manner, an electronic device using a secondary battery as a power source, the contact-less charger comprising:

a driver circuit;

a controller coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the controller, in operation, controls the driver circuit to intermittently transmit a load check signal for checking whether or not the electronic device is placed on the charger, while the contact-less charger is in a charge stop state in which the charger does not charge the electronic device;

wherein the controller checks a load in response to the load check signal, and controls the driver circuit to intermittently transmit an authentication request command for requesting an authentication of the electronic device;

wherein, in a case that the controller authenticates the electronic device based on a signal received in response to the transmission of the authentication request command, the controller controls the driver circuit to start charging to the electronic device;

and

wherein a transmission interval of the load check signal is larger than a transmission interval of the authentication request command.

2. The contact-less charger according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the authentication request command is independent from transmission of the load check signal.

3. The contact-less charger according to claim 1, further comprising a coil coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the coil, in operation, transmits a power for charging, and

wherein the load check signal and the authentication request command are transmitted via the coil, and the signal is received via the coil.

4. The contact-less charger according to claim 2, further comprising a coil coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the coil, in operation, transmits a power for charging, and

wherein the load check signal and the authentication request command are transmitted via the coil, and the signal is received via the coil.

5. The contact-less charger according to claim 1, wherein the contact-less charger is incorporated in a contact-less charging system that includes the electronic device, and wherein the contact-less charger, in operation, charges the electronic device.

6. The contact-less charger according to claim 2, wherein the contact-less charger is incorporated in a contact-less charging system that includes the electronic device, and wherein the contact-less charger, in operation, charges the electronic device.