Wireless power supply control system and method for producing directivity information

• US 10,312,751 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ueki, Daichi, Saito, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Hernandez, William
• Application Number:
  US15/545,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20180006508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 307 11, 307 31, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0045 Contactless power transmission, e.g. by magnetic induction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity

Abstract

Provided is a wireless power supply control system including a control apparatus controlling driving of one or more driving devices in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns, a first radio having a directional antenna, and a second radio driven by power supply radio waves transmitted from the first radio. Target driving directivity information corresponding to a target driving pattern acquired by an acquisition unit is selected from among pieces of driving directivity information relating to a directivity applied to the directional antenna, in a state in which driving of the driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the driving patterns, the selected target driving directivity information is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio, and wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio is executed.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply control system comprising:

a control apparatus that controls driving of one or more driving devices in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns;

a first radio comprising a directional antenna and capable of performing predetermined wireless power supply via the directional antenna;

a second radio capable of receiving power supply radio waves for the predetermined wireless power supply and being driven by power of the power supply radio waves, the power supply radio waves being transmitted from the first radio;

a directivity information memory that stores driving directivity information relating to a directivity, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns; and

an arithmetic unit configured with a program to perform operations comprising;

operation as an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control apparatus, a target driving pattern comprising a driving pattern among the plurality of predetermined driving patterns that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices; and

operation as an execution unit that selects, from among pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information memory, target driving directivity information corresponding to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit, applies the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio, and executes the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio.

2. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the arithmetic unit is configured with the program to perform operations such that:

operation as the acquisition unit comprises operation as the acquisition unit that acquires, in addition to the target driving pattern, information relating to an execution time at which the target driving pattern is executed in the one or more driving devices by the control apparatus, and

operation as the execution unit comprises operation as the execution unit that executes the predetermined wireless power supply based on the execution time via the directional antenna of the first radio to which the target driving directivity information is applied.

3. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the first radio transmits a predetermined control signal to the second radio together with the power supply radio waves,

the second radio transmits a signal relating to a control result to the first radio based on the power supply radio waves and the predetermined control signal from the first radio, and

the same target driving directivity information is applied to the directional antenna at a time of transmitting the power supply radio waves and the predetermined control signal and at the time of receiving the signal relating to the control result.

4. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the target driving directivity information comprises information relating to a directivity that is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio, the directivity being set such that a received signal received by the second radio has a maximum intensity or is in a predetermined received signal intensity range at a plurality of control times that are set in an execution period during which the target driving pattern is executed.

5. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the second radio is disposed on the driving device whose driving is controlled by the control apparatus, and a relative position of the second radio with respect to the first radio changes due to the driving device being moved in accordance with the target driving pattern, and

the target driving directivity information is produced in a situation in which the relative positions of the second radio and the first radio change.

6. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein positions of the first radio and the second radio do not change relative to each other.

7. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of the second radios,

wherein the plurality of the second radios are each capable of alternatively performing the predetermined wireless power supply to the first radio,

the directivity information memory stores the driving directivity information that corresponds to the plurality of the second radios and is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the plurality of the second radios in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns, and

the arithmetic unit is configured with the program to perform operations such that operation as the execution unit comprises operation as the execution unit that selects, from among the pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information memory, target driving directivity information that corresponds to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit and corresponds to the plurality of the second radios, and executes the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the plurality of the second radios in accordance with the selected target driving directivity information.

8. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of the second radios,

wherein a second radio group comprising the plurality of the second radios is capable of performing the predetermined wireless power supply with respect to the first radio,

the directivity information memory stores the driving directivity information that corresponds to the second radio group and is applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio group in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns, and

the arithmetic unit is configured with the program to perform operations such that operation as the execution unit comprises operation as the execution unit that selects, from among the pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information memory, target driving directivity information that corresponds to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit and corresponds to the second radio group, and executes the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio group in accordance with the selected target driving directivity information.

9. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the second radio comprises a sensor-equipped radio comprising a sensor that is driven by power of the power supply radio waves so as to measure a predetermined environmental parameter.

10. The wireless power supply control system according to claim 1,

wherein the directional antenna comprises a phased-array antenna.

11. A wireless power supply control apparatus that controls predetermined wireless power supply performed by a first radio capable of performing the predetermined wireless power supply to a second radio via a directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns,

the second radio capable of receiving power supply radio waves for the predetermined wireless power supply and being driven by power of the power supply radio waves, the power supply radio waves being transmitted from the first radio,

the wireless power supply control apparatus comprising:

a directivity information memory that stores driving directivity information relating to a directivity, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns; and

an arithmetic unit configured with a program to perform operations comprising;

operation as an acquisition unit that acquires, from the control apparatus, a target driving pattern that is the driving pattern among the plurality of predetermined driving patterns that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices; and

operation as an execution unit that selects, from among pieces of the driving directivity information stored in the directivity information memory, target driving directivity information corresponding to the target driving pattern acquired by the acquisition unit, applies the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio, and executes the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio.

12. The wireless power supply control apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the wireless power supply control apparatus is included in the first radio.

13. A wireless power supply control method for controlling predetermined wireless power supply performed by a first radio capable of performing the predetermined wireless power supply to a second radio via a directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns,

the second radio capable of receiving power supply radio waves for the predetermined wireless power supply and being driven by power of the power supply radio waves, the power supply radio waves being transmitted from the first radio,

the wireless power supply control method comprising:

acquiring, from the control apparatus, a target driving pattern that is the driving pattern among the plurality of predetermined driving patterns that the control apparatus applies to the one or more driving devices;

selecting, from among pieces of driving directivity information relating to a directivity, target driving directivity information corresponding to the acquired target driving pattern, the target driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns; and

applying the selected target driving directivity information to the directional antenna of the first radio and executing the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio.

14. A directivity information production method for producing directivity information that is applied to a directional antenna in predetermined wireless power supply control performed by a first radio capable of performing the predetermined wireless power supply to a second radio via the directional antenna in a predetermined environment in which driving of one or more driving devices is controlled by a control apparatus in accordance with a plurality of predetermined driving patterns,

the second radio capable of receiving power supply radio waves for the predetermined wireless power supply and being driven by power of the power supply radio waves, the power supply radio waves being transmitted from the first radio,

the directivity information production method comprising:

transmitting test radio waves at a plurality of control times that are set in an execution period during which a driving pattern is executed, from the first radio to the second radio, in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns;

measuring a received signal intensity for the test radio waves when the second radio receives the test radio waves transmitted from the first radio; and

producing driving directivity information relating to a directivity in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns, the driving directivity information being applied to the directional antenna of the first radio in relation to the predetermined wireless power supply from the first radio to the second radio in a state in which driving of the one or more driving devices is controlled by the control apparatus in accordance with the plurality of predetermined driving patterns such that a received signal measured at the plurality of control times has a maximum intensity or is in a predetermined received signal intensity range.