Power receiver, method of controlling power receiver, and program

• US 9,716,532 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US13/759,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

User convenience is reduced if vibration of a power receiver is inhibited when the power receiver is receiving power through a cable or when the power transmitting region is large and vibration of the power receiver does not cause the power receiver to deviate from a power transmitting region of a power transmitter. It is desired to selectively inhibit the vibration of the power receiver during power reception, depending on the power reception status. The power receiver includes a vibrating unit, and includes a power receiving unit configured to receive power, an identifying unit configured to identify a power reception technique used in the power receiving unit when the power receiving unit receives the power, and an inhibiting unit configured to inhibit the vibrating unit from vibrating in accordance with the identification by the identifying unit.

Claims

1. A power receiver including a vibrating unit, the power receiver comprising:

a power receiving unit configured to receive power;

a hardware processor configured to function as;

a determining unit configured to determine whether the power receiver exists within a vicinity area of a center of a wireless power transmitting region of a power transmitter; and

a controlling unit configured to control the vibrating unit according to a determining result by the determining unit such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is not inhibited in a case where the determining unit determines that the power receiver exists within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless power transmitting region of a power transmitter and such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is inhibited while the power receiving unit receives power wirelessly from the power transmitter in a case where the determining unit determines that the power receiver does not exist within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless power transmitting region of the power transmitter.

2. The power receiver according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor further functions as an identifying unit configured to identify a power reception method of the power receiver, and wherein the controlling unit does not inhibit the vibrating unit from vibrating in a case where the identifying unit identifies that the method of receiving power with a wire is set for the power receiver.

3. The power receiver according to claim 2, wherein the method for receiving power wirelessly includes an electromagnetic induction method and a magnetic resonance method.

4. The power receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a speaker that outputs sound,

wherein the controlling unit controls the vibrating unit according the determining result by the determining unit when the power receiver does not output the sound using the speaker, and the controlling unit inhibits the vibrating unit from vibrating when the power receiver outputs the sound using the speaker.

5. The power receiver according to claim 1, wherein, when the power reception by the power receiving unit is completed, the controlling unit removes the inhibition of the vibration of the vibrating unit.

6. The power receiver according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor further functions as a notifying unit that provides a user with notification using sound or indication instead of the vibration by the vibrating unit when the controlling unit inhibits the vibrating unit from vibrating.

7. The power receiver according to claim 1, wherein the power receiving unit is configured to receive power according to control by the hardware processor.

8. A method of controlling a power receiver including a vibrating unit and a power receiving unit, the method comprising:

a determining step of determine whether the power receiver exists within a vicinity area of a center of a wireless power transmitting region of a power transmitter; and

a controlling step of controlling the vibrating unit according to a determining result by the determining step such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is not inhibited in a case where the determining step determines that the power receiver exists within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless a power transmitting region of a power transmitter and such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is inhibited while the power receiving unit receives power wirelessly from the power transmitter in a case where the determining unit determines that the power receiver does not exist within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless power transmitting region of the power transmitter.

9. The method of controlling the power receiver according to claim 8, wherein, in a case where the method of receiving power with a wire is identified in the identifying step, the vibrating unit is not inhibited from vibrating.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium for causing a computer to execute instructions including controlling a power receiving unit for receiving power and a vibrating unit, comprising the steps of:

determining whether the power receiver exists within a vicinity area of a center of a wireless power transmitting region of a power transmitter; and

controlling the vibrating unit according to a determining result such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is not inhibited in a case where the power receiving unit exists within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless power transmitting region of a power transmitter and such that the vibrating by the vibrating unit is inhibited while the power receiving unit receives power wirelessly from the power transmitter in a case where it is determined that the power receiver does not exist within the vicinity area of the center of the wireless power transmitting region of the power transmitter.

11. The medium according to claim 10, wherein, in a case where the method of receiving power with a wire is identified in the identifying step, the vibrating unit is not inhibited from vibrating.