Method, apparatus and recording medium for detecting change of position of wirelessly chargeable electronic device

• US 9,829,942 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Levin, Naum B
• Application Number:
  US14/300,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20140365807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power supply apparatus includes a wireless power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to an electronic device, a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the electronic device, a detection unit that detects a change of a position of the electronic device, and a control unit that controls, based on a result detected by the detection unit, a frequency of a communication between the wireless communication unit and the electronic device.

Claims

1. A power supply apparatus comprising:

a wireless power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to an electronic device;

a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the electronic device;

a detection unit that detects a change of a position of the electronic device; and

a control unit that sets a predetermined time for supplying power to the electronic device,

wherein the control unit sets, regardless of a direction of the change of the position of the electronic device, the predetermined time to a first time in a case where the detection unit detects the change of the position of the electronic device,

wherein the control unit sets the predetermined time to a second time in a case where the detection unit does not detect the change of the position of the electronic device,

wherein the control unit controls the wireless power supply unit to wirelessly supply power to the electronic device for the set predetermined time, and

wherein the first time is shorter than the second time.

2. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a remaining capacity detection unit that detects a remaining capacity of a battery connected to the electronic device,

wherein the control unit sets the predetermined time to the first time in a case where the remaining capacity detection unit detects that the remaining capacity of the battery connected to the electronic device is more than a predetermined remaining capacity,

wherein the control unit sets the predetermined time to the second time in a case where the remaining capacity detection unit detects that the remaining capacity of the battery connected to the electronic device is not more than the predetermined remaining capacity.

3. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the detection unit detects the change of the position of the electronic device repeatedly until charging of the battery ends since the charging of the battery is started.

4. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit wirelessly communicates with the electronic device to obtain status data of the electronic device.

5. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a supply of power and the communication between the wireless communication unit and the electronic device are performed alternately, and wherein the supply of power is performed to cause the electronic device to perform at least one of a charging process and a predetermined process.

6. The power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the wireless communication unit to communicate with the electronic device after the set predetermined time for supplying the power to the electronic device has elapsed.

7. A power supply method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with an electronic device;

detecting a change of a position of the electronic device;

wirelessly supplying power to the electronic device for a predetermined time;

setting, regardless of a direction of the change of the position of the electronic device, the predetermined time to a first time in a case where the change of the position of the electronic device is detected; and

setting the predetermined time to a second time in a case where the change of the position of the electronic device is not detected,

wherein the first time is shorter than the second time.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

wirelessly communicating with an electronic device;

detecting a change of a position of the electronic device;

wirelessly supplying power to the electronic device for a predetermined time;

setting regardless of a direction of the change of the position of the electronic device, the predetermined time to a first time in a case where the change of the position of the electronic device is detected; and

setting the predetermined time to a second time in a case where the change of the position of the electronic device is not detected,

wherein the first time is shorter than the second time.