Non-contact electric power feeding system, terminal device, non-contact electric power feeding device, and non-contact electric power feeding method

• US 10,003,216 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kozakai, Osamu, Nakano, Hiroaki, Fukuda, Shinichi, Tanaka, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Hal
• Application Number:
  US14/426,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H02M 1/0048 Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1566 with means for compensating against rapid load changes, e.g. with auxiliary current source, with dual mode control or with inductance variation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Provided is a non-contact electric power feeding system including an electric power feeding device, and an electric power receiving device configured to receive electric power fed from the electric power feeding device. The electric power feeding device includes a primary-side coil, a driver, a primary-side control unit, and a primary-side communication unit. The electric power receiving device includes a secondary-side coil, a rectifier unit, a regulator, a secondary-side communication unit, and a secondary-side control unit.

Claims

1. A non-contact electric power feeding system, comprising:

an electric power feeding device; and

an electric power receiving device configured to receive electric power fed from the electric power feeding device,

wherein the electric power feeding device includes;

a primary-side coil,

a driver configured to supply transmission electric power to the primary-side coil,

a primary-side control unit configured to control the transmission electric power to a plurality of levels, and

a primary-side communication unit configured to communicate with a side that receives the electric power fed from the primary-side coil,

wherein the electric power receiving device includes;

a secondary-side coil configured to receive the electric power transmitted from the primary-side coil,

a rectifier unit configured to rectify reception electric power obtained by the secondary-side coil,

a regulator configured to convert the reception electric power to electric power of a voltage,

a secondary-side communication unit configured to communicate with the primary-side communication unit, and

a secondary-side control unit configured to control voltage conversion conducted by the regulator, based on first information of transmission electric power communicated between the secondary-side communication unit and the primary-side communication unit.

2. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein the primary-side control unit is further configured to determine the first information of transmission electric power, wherein the first information of transmission electric power is transmitted from the primary-side communication unit to the secondary-side communication unit, and

wherein the secondary-side control unit is further configured to determine, based on the transmitted first information of transmission electric power, a method of the conversion conducted by the regulator.

3. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 2, wherein communication between the primary-side communication unit and the secondary-side communication unit superimposes a transmission signal on the electric power transmitted from the primary-side coil to the secondary-side coil, and

the first information of transmission electric power is transmitted from the primary-side communication unit to the secondary-side communication unit, while small electric power for startup is transmitted from the primary-side coil to the secondary-side coil, and thereafter the primary-side control unit is further configured to set the transmission electric power indicated by the first information of transmission electric power.

4. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 3, wherein the primary-side control unit is further configured to determine the transmission electric power based on second information transmitted from the secondary-side communication unit to the primary-side communication unit.

5. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 2, wherein communication between the primary-side communication unit and the secondary-side communication unit superimposes a transmission signal on the electric power transmitted from the primary-side coil to the secondary-side coil, and

wherein second information transmitted from the secondary-side communication unit to the primary-side communication unit corresponds to information of load electric power, while small electric power for startup is transmitted from the primary-side coil to the secondary-side coil, and thereafter the secondary-side control unit is further configured to set the transmission electric power indicated by the information of the load electric power.

6. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 5, wherein the secondary-side control unit is further configured to determine the load electric power based on the first information transmitted from the primary-side communication unit to the secondary-side communication unit.

7. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein the electric power receiving device includes a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a vicinity of the secondary-side coil, and the secondary-side control unit is further configured to control the voltage conversion by the regulator, based on the detected temperature.

8. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary-side control unit is further configured to control the voltage conversion by the regulator, based on efficiency in reception of the transmission electric power.

9. The non-contact electric power feeding system according to claim 1, wherein the regulator includes at least a series regulator and a switching regulator.

10. A terminal device, comprising:

a secondary-side coil configured to receive electric power transmitted from a primary-side coil of an electric power feeding device;

a rectifier unit configured to rectify reception electric power obtained by the secondary-side coil;

a regulator configured to convert the reception electric power to electric power of a voltage;

a communication unit configured to communicate with the electric power feeding device; and

a control unit configured to control voltage conversion conducted by the regulator based on information of transmission electric power communicated between the communication unit and the electric power feeding device.

11. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the electric power feeding device determines the information of transmission electric power, wherein the information of transmission electric power is transmitted to the communication unit, and wherein the control unit is further configured to determine, based on the transmitted transmission electric power, a method of the conversion conducted by the regulator.

12. The terminal device according to claim 11, wherein communication in the communication unit superimposes a transmission signal on the electric power transmitted from the primary-side coil to the secondary-side coil, and

the electric power feeding device is notified of load electric power based on the communication.

13. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the terminal device includes a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature at a vicinity of the secondary-side coil, and the control unit is further configured to control the voltage conversion conducted by the regulator, based on the detected temperature.

14. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the voltage conversion conducted by the regulator, based on efficiency in reception of transmission electric power from the electric power feeding device.

15. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the regulator includes at least a series regulator and a switching regulator.

16. A non-contact electric power feeding method, comprising:

converting, by a regulator, electric power received by a secondary-side coil to electric power of a voltage, wherein non-contact electric power feeding is conducted from an electric power feeding device including a primary-side coil to an electric power receiving device including the secondary-side coil; and

controlling voltage conversion conducted by the regulator, based on information obtained in communication between the electric power feeding device and the electric power receiving device.