Electronic device, control method, and recording medium

• US 9,455,599 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Hal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US13/476,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device includes a power receiving unit that receives power wirelessly from a power supply apparatus, a first unit that transmits, in response to a command received from the power supply apparatus, first information indicating a status of the electronic device, a second unit that transmits second information indicating a status of the electronic device, and a control unit that controls the first unit or the second unit in such a way as to transmit at least one of the first information and the second information to the power supply apparatus.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a power receiving unit that receives power wirelessly from a power transmission apparatus which is different from the electronic device;

a first communication unit that transmits first information to the power transmission apparatus in response to a command received from the power transmission apparatus according to a first communication method, wherein the first information includes information relating to a wireless power transfer;

a second communication unit that transmits second information to the power transmission apparatus according to a second communication method, wherein the second information includes information relating to a wireless power transfer, and wherein the second communication method is different from the first communication method, and wherein the first communication unit is different from the second communication unit; and

a control unit that performs, according to whether power received by the power receiving unit is equal to or more than a predetermined value, one of a first process and a second process,

wherein the first process includes a process for causing the first communication unit to transmit the first information to the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the second process includes a process for causing the second communication unit to transmit the second information to the power transmission apparatus,

wherein the control unit performs the second process if power received by the power receiving unit is equal to or more than the predetermined value, and performs the first process if power received by the power receiving unit is not equal to or more than the predetermined value, and

wherein a power value required to operate the first communication unit is smaller than a power value required to operate the second communication unit.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first information includes information relating to charging of a battery connected to the electronic device, and wherein the second information includes information relating to charging of the battery.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first information includes information relating to an operation of the electronic device, and wherein the second information includes information relating to an operation of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is comparable to the power value required for operation of the second communication unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first information is used for causing the power transmission apparatus to control a wireless power transfer, and wherein the second information is used for causing the power transmission apparatus to control a wireless power transfer.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second communication method is one of a wireless LAN and Bluetooth.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit transmits third information to the power transmission apparatus according to the first communication method, and wherein the third information is used for communicating according to the second communication method.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the third information includes at least one of Service Set Identifier (SSID) and Media Access Control (MAC) address.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a storing unit that stores at least one of image data and audio data in a storage medium, wherein the control unit causes the second communication unit to transmit data stored in the storage medium and the second information to the power transmission apparatus.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the data stored in the storage medium includes data which is not transmitted to the power transmission apparatus.

16. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a communication unit used for communicating with the power transmission apparatus from the second communication unit to the first communication unit if power, which is received by the power receiving unit, is lowered than the predetermined value after the second information is transmitted to the power transmission apparatus by the second communication unit.

5. A control method for controlling a communication apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit which is different from the first communication unit, the control method comprising:

receiving power wirelessly from a power transmission apparatus which is different from the electronic device;

performing, according to whether power received from the power transmission apparatus is equal to or more than a predetermined value, one of a first process and a second process;

performing the second process if power received from the power transmission apparatus is equal to or more than the predetermined value; and

performing the first process if power received from the power transmission apparatus is not equal to or more than the predetermined value,

wherein the first process includes a process for transmitting first information via the first communication unit to the power transmission apparatus according to a first communication method,

wherein the second process includes a process for transmitting second information via the second communication unit to the power transmission apparatus according to a second communication method,

wherein the second information includes information relating to a wireless power transfer,

wherein the second communication method is different from the first communication method, and

wherein a power value required to operate the first communication unit is smaller than a power value required to operate the second communication unit.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first information includes information relating to an operation of an electronic device, and wherein the second information includes information relating to an operation of the electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined value is comparable to a power value used for communicating according to the second communication method.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first information includes information relating to charging of a battery connected to the electronic device, and wherein the second information includes information relating to charging of the battery.

17. The method according to claim 5, further comprising changing a communication method for communicating with the power transmission apparatus from the second communication method to the first communication method if power, which is received from the power transmission apparatus, is lowered than the predetermined value after the second information is transmitted to the power transmission apparatus according to the second communication method.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program wherein the program causes a computer to perform a control method for controlling a communication apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit which is different from the first communication unit, the method comprising:

receiving power wirelessly from a power transmission apparatus;

performing, according to whether power received from the power transmission apparatus is equal to or more than a predetermined value, one of a first process and a second process;

performing the second process if power received from the power transmission apparatus is equal to or more than the predetermined value; and

performing the first process if power received from the power transmission apparatus is not equal to or more than the predetermined value,

wherein the first process includes a process for transmitting first information via the first communication unit to the power transmission apparatus according to a first communication method,

wherein the first information includes information relating to a wireless power transfer,

wherein the second process includes a process for transmitting second information via the second communication unit to the power transmission apparatus according to a second communication method,

wherein the second information includes information relating to a wireless power transfer,

wherein the second communication method is different from the first communication method, and

wherein a power value required to operate the first communication unit is smaller than a power value required to operate the second communication unit.