In-vehicle charging device, automobile and charging system

• US 9,508,246 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okano, Sohtaro, Iwanaga, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US14/417,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20150248830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 340/539.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

During charging of a mobile device by a charging coil, a charge controller acquires information of the seating position of the owner of the mobile device, through a short-range wireless communicating section, and therefore issues an alarm when a person who causes the mobile device to be charged performs an operation of leaving from the seating position. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the mobile device from being left in a vehicle.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle charging device comprising:

a charging coil that charges a rechargeable battery of a mobile device;

a charge controller that is connected to the charging coil; and

a first short-range wireless communicating section that is connected to the charge controller,

wherein during charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device by the charging coil, the charge controller acquires information of a seating position of an owner of the mobile device through the first short-range wireless communicating section, and outputs an alarm when;

(i) it is determined that a vehicle door associated with the seating position information of the owner of the mobile device is opened, (ii) the owner of the mobile device is not in the seat, and (iii) the mobile device is still engaged with the charging coil.

2. An automobile comprising:

an automobile body;

a vehicle controller on the automobile body;

a seating detector that is connected to the vehicle controller;

an alarm outputting section that is connected to the vehicle controller;

a charging coil that charges a rechargeable battery of a mobile device;

a charge controller that is connected to the charging coil; and

a first short-range wireless communicating section that is connected to the charge controller,

wherein during charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device by the charging coil, the charge controller acquires information of a seating position of an owner of the mobile device through the first short-range wireless communicating section, and outputs an alarm via the alarm outputting section when;

(i) it is determined that a vehicle door associated with the seating position information of the owner of the mobile device is opened, (ii) the seating detector indicates that the owner of the mobile device is not in the seat, and (iii) the mobile device is still engaged with the charging coil.

3. The automobile according to claim 2, wherein the automobile body has a plurality of doors for the cabin, and a seating position setting section disposed in each of the doors.

4. The automobile according to claim 3, wherein the seating position setting section is disposed in a knob portion of each of the doors.

5. The automobile according to claim 4, wherein the seating position setting section comprises a tag.

6. A charging system comprising:

a mobile device having a rechargeable battery;

an automobile having an automobile body;

a vehicle controller on the automobile body;

a seating detector that is connected to the vehicle controller;

an alarm outputting section that is connected to the vehicle controller;

a charging coil that charges the rechargeable battery of the mobile device;

a charge controller that is connected to the charging coil; and

a first short-range wireless communicating section that is connected to the charge controller,

wherein during charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device by the charging coil, the charge controller acquires information of a seating position of an owner of the mobile device through the first short-range wireless communicating section, and outputs an alarm via the alarm outputting section when;

(i) it is determined that a vehicle door associated with the seating position information of the owner of the mobile device is opened, and (ii) the seating detector indicates that the owner of the mobile device is not in the seat, while the mobile device is still engaged with the charging coil;

wherein the mobile device has a second short-range wireless communicating section that acquires the seating position information; and

wherein the mobile device transmits the seating position information to the vehicle controller through the second short-range wireless communicating section, the first short-range wireless communicating section, and the charge controller of the in-vehicle charging device.