Power supply system

• US 20050068019A1
• Filed: 09/23/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Masahiro, Okada, Yutaka, Nakamura, Junichi, Morimoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/355
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 50/60 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: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A power supply system according to the present invention comprises: a primary side coil; a power transmission apparatus having a primary side circuit for feeding a pulse voltage resulted from switching a DC voltage which is obtained by rectifying and smoothing a commercial power supply to the primary side coil; a secondary side coil magnetically coupled to the primary side coil; and power reception equipment having a secondary side circuit for rectifying and smoothing voltage induced across the secondary side coil, wherein there is provided a power adjusting section for adjusting a level of power to be transmitted according to power required by the power reception equipment. The power adjusting section has, in the primary side circuit, a carrier wave oscillation circuit for supplying a carrier wave to the primary side coil, a demodulation circuit for demodulating a modulated signal transmitted from the secondary circuit and received by the primary side coil, and a power change-over section for selecting a level of power to be transmitted according to an information signal from the power reception equipment and demodulated by the demodulation circuit. The power adjusting section has, in the secondary side circuit, a modulation circuit for modulating the carrier wave fed from the carrier wave oscillation circuit and received by the secondary side coil with the information signal from the power reception equipment and transmitting the modulated signal.

Claims

1. A power supply system for supplying power, in a non-contact manner, to power reception equipment from a power transmission apparatus to which a commercial power supply is supplied,

wherein there is provided a power adjusting section for adjusting a level of power to be transmitted according to power required by the power reception equipment.

2. A power supply system comprising:

a primary side coil;

a power transmission apparatus having a primary side circuit for feeding a pulse voltage to the primary side coil, the pulse voltage resulted from switching a DC voltage that is obtained by rectifying and smoothing a commercial power supply;

a secondary side coil magnetically coupled to the primary side coil; and

power reception equipment having a secondary side circuit for rectifying and smoothing an induced voltage induced across the secondary side coil,

wherein there is provided a power adjusting section for adjusting a level of power to be transmitted according to power required by the power reception equipment.

3. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein the primary side coil comprises either a coil with a plurality of taps each arranged on the coil at different turns thereof or comprises a plurality of coils each having a different number of turns, and

the power adjusting section has a power change-over section for selecting, according to the power required by the power reception equipment, one from among the plurality of taps to which the pulse voltage is applied or has a power change-over section for selecting, according to the power required by the power reception equipment, one from among the plurality of coils to which the pulse voltage is applied.

4. The power supply system according to claim 3,

wherein the power adjusting section comprises:

a carrier wave oscillation circuit, included in the primary side circuit, for regularly supplying a carrier wave to the primary side coil; and

a demodulation circuit, included in the primary side circuit, for receiving an information signal through the primary side coil and demodulating the received information signal, the information signal including information on the power reception equipment, modulated, and transmitted from the power reception equipment in response to the carrier wave,

wherein the power adjusting section adjusts, in accordance with the information signal demodulated by the demodulation circuit, the level of power to be transmitted through a change-over operation performed by the power change-over section.

5. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein the power adjusting section further comprises:

a carrier wave detection circuit, included in the secondary side circuit, for detecting the carrier wave transmitted to the secondary side coil;

a clock extraction circuit, included in the secondary side circuit, for extracting a clock signal necessary for modulation from the carrier wave; and

a modulation circuit, included in the secondary side circuit, for modulating the carrier wave with the information signal based on the clock signal and transmitting the modulated signal through the secondary side coil when the carrier wave detection circuit detects the carrier wave.

6. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein a coil to which the pulse voltage is applied, and a coil to which the carrier wave is applied and through which the information signal is received are an identical coil forming the primary side coil.

7. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein a coil to which the pulse voltage is applied, and a coil to which the carrier wave is applied and through which the information signal is received are different coils forming the primary side coil.

8. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein the power adjusting section has a function of recognizing the information on the power reception equipment based on the information signal demodulated by the demodulation circuit.

9. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein the information signal transmitted from the power reception equipment includes a “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

.

10. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein power is transmitted to the power reception equipment based on the “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

included in the information signal when equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus.

11. The power supply system according to claim 4, further comprising,

a power transmission enable/disable determination circuit for determining, based on the “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

included in the information signal, whether or not equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus.

12. The power supply system according to claim 11,

wherein, by determining that equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the pulse voltage is applied to the primary side coil, if the “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

included in the information signal is a predetermined “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

, and

by determining that equipment that can receive power is not placed on the power transmission apparatus, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the pulse voltage is not applied to the primary side coil, if the “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

included in the information signal is not the predetermined “

code indicating being power reception equipment”

.

13. The power supply system according to claim 4, further comprising,

a power amount determination circuit,

wherein the information signal includes “

information on consumed power”

, and the power amount determination circuit determines the level of power to be transmitted based on the “

information on consumed power”

included in the information signal.

14. The power supply system according to claim 13,

wherein the power amount determination circuit controls the power change-over section according to the determined level of power to be transmitted.

15. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein the information signal includes “

information on full charge”

, if the power reception equipment has a battery that is charged with power transmitted from the power transmission apparatus.

16. The power supply system according to claim 4,

wherein, when the power reception equipment is fully charged, power transmission is stopped based on the “

information on full charge”

included in the information signal.

17. The power supply system according to claim 4, further comprising,

a full-charge determination circuit for determining, based on the “

information on full charge”

included in the information signal, whether or not the power reception equipment is fully charged.

18. The power supply system according to claim 17,

wherein, if the “

information on full charge”

included in the information signal does not indicate that the power reception equipment is not fully charged, by determining that the power reception equipment is not fully charged, the full-charge determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the pulse voltage is applied to the primary side coil, and

if the “

information on full charge”

included in the information signal indicates that the power reception equipment is fully charged, by determining that the power reception equipment is fully charged, the full-charge determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the pulse voltage is not applied to the primary side coil.

19. The power supply system according to claim 3,

wherein the power adjusting section comprises:

a carrier wave oscillation circuit, included in the primary side circuit, for regularly supplying a carrier wave to the primary side coil; and

a demodulation circuit, included in the primary side circuit, for receiving an information signal through the primary side coil and demodulating the received information signal, the information signal including information on the power reception equipment, modulated, and transmitted from the power reception equipment in response to the carrier wave,

wherein, when a relative position between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment changes, a transmission efficiency of the power to be transmitted and a transmission efficiency of the information signal change at substantially an identical rate,

wherein the power adjusting section further comprises a power transmission enable/disable determination circuit for determining, according to the transmission efficiency of the information signal received by the demodulation circuit, whether or not the relative position between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment is suitable for transmitting power.

20. The power supply system according to claim 19,

wherein, when the transmission efficiency of the information signal received by the demodulation circuit is larger than a predetermined value, by determining that the relative position between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment is suitable for transmitting power, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is applied to the primary side coil, and

when the transmission efficiency of the information signal received by the demodulation circuit is smaller than the predetermined value, by determining that the relative position between the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment is not suitable for transmitting power, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is not applied to the primary side coil.

21. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein the primary side circuit includes a current voltage detection circuit for detecting a change in current flowing through the primary side coil and/or a change in voltage appearing across the primary side coil.

22. The power supply system according to claim 21,

wherein, when equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus, power is transmitted to the power reception equipment according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit.

23. The power supply system according to claim 21

wherein the power adjusting section has a function of recognizing information on the power reception equipment according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit.

24. The power supply system according to claim 3,

wherein the primary side circuit includes a current voltage detection circuit for detecting a change in current flowing through the primary side coil and/or a change in voltage appearing across the primary side coil, and

the power change-over section is switched over so as to adjust the level of power to be transmitted according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit.

25. The power supply system according to claim 24, further comprising,

a power transmission enable/disable determination circuit for determining, according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit, whether or not equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus.

26. The power supply system according to claim 25,

wherein, when a predetermined change in the current and/or the voltage is detected by the current voltage detection circuit, by determining that equipment that can receive power is placed on the power transmission apparatus, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is applied to the primary side coil, and

when the predetermined change in the current and/or the voltage is not detected by the current voltage detection circuit, by determining that equipment that can receive power is not placed on the power transmission apparatus, the power transmission enable/disable determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is not applied to the primary side coil.

27. The power supply system according to claim 24, further comprising:

a power amount determination circuit for determining the level of power to be transmitted according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit.

28. The power supply system according to claim 27,

wherein the power amount determination circuit controls the power change-over section according to the determined level of power to be transmitted.

29. The power supply system according to claim 21,

wherein, if the power reception equipment has a battery that is charged with the power transmitted from the power transmission apparatus and if it is determined, according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit, that the power reception equipment is fully charged, the power transmission is stopped.

30. The power supply system according to claim 24, further comprising,

a full-charge determination circuit for determining whether or not the power reception equipment is fully charged according to the change in the current and/or the voltage detected by the current voltage detection circuit, if the power reception equipment has a battery that is charged with power transmitted from the power transmission apparatus.

31. The power supply system according to claim 30,

wherein, when a predetermined change in the current and/or the voltage is detected by the current voltage detection circuit, by determining that the power reception equipment is not fully charged, the full-charge determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is applied to the primary side coil, and

when the predetermined change in the current and/or the voltage is not detected by the current voltage detection circuit, by determining that the power reception equipment is fully charged, the full-charge determination circuit controls the power change-over section so that the voltage pulse is not applied to the primary side coil.

32. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein one of a protrusion and a depression is provided on a face of the power transmission apparatus and other of a protrusion and a depression is provided on a face, facing the face of the power transmission apparatus, of the power reception equipment, and

the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment are positioned relative to each other by engaging the protrusion with the depression, when power is transmitted from the power transmission apparatus to the power reception equipment.

33. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein marks indicating a region through which power can be transmitted are provided respectively on a face of the power transmission apparatus and a face, facing the face of the power transmission apparatus, of the power reception equipment so that the power transmission apparatus and the power reception equipment are positioned relative to each other, when power is transmitted from the power transmission apparatus to the power reception equipment.

34. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein a display section for indicating the level of power to be transmitted from the power transmission apparatus is provided thereon.

35. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein a display section is provided on the power transmission apparatus so as to indicate that the power reception equipment is fully charged, if the power reception equipment has a battery that is charged with power transmitted from the power transmission apparatus.

36. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein a display section is provided on the power transmission apparatus so as to indicate that the power reception equipment is removed from on the power transmission apparatus after power has been once transmitted from the power transmission apparatus to the power reception equipment.

37. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein a display section is provided on the power transmission apparatus so as to indicate, when a position of the power reception equipment relative to the power transmission apparatus is not suitable for transmitting power, that the position of the power reception equipment relative to the power transmission apparatus is not suitable for transmitting power.

38. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein, the power transmission apparatus comprises:

a pair of power transmission electrodes, brought in contact with a pair of power receiving electrodes, for supplying power thereto, when the power reception equipment is such equipment that receives power through the pair of power receiving electrodes;

an inter-electrode current detection circuit for detecting current flowing between the pair of power transmission electrodes when the pair of power transmission electrodes and the pair of power receiving electrodes of a contact type of the power reception equipment are brought in contact with each other; and

a power route change-over circuit for selecting between a route through which the power to be transmitted is supplied to the pair of power transmission electrodes and a route through which the power to be transmitted is supplied to the primary side coil according to the detecting result by the inter-electrode current detection circuit.

39. The power supply system according to claim 2,

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a utensil.

40. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a top plate of a desk.

41. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a shelf.

42. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a bottom plate that forms a lockable storage compartment.

43. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a holder for holding the power reception equipment.

44. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a dashboard and/or a console box of an automobile.

45. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the utensil is a top mat.

46. The power supply system according to claim 39,

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a side surface of the utensil.

47. The power supply system according to claim 2,

the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a floor, a carpet for covering a floor, or a wall.

48. The power supply system according to claim 2, further comprising,

a signal transmission control circuit for transmitting an information signal among the power transmission apparatus, the power reception equipment, and an external apparatus connected to the power transmission apparatus.

49. The power supply system according to claim 48,

wherein the primary side circuit comprises:

a carrier wave oscillation circuit for regularly supplying a carrier wave to the primary side coil;

a first demodulation circuit for receiving through the primary side coil and demodulating the information signal that is modulated by and transmitted from the power reception equipment, and feeding the demodulated information signal to the power adjusting section and the external apparatus; and

a first modulation circuit for modulating the carrier wave supplied from the carrier wave oscillation circuit with the information signal supplied from the external apparatus, and transmitting the modulated signal through the primary side coil,

wherein the secondary side circuit comprises;

a carrier wave detection circuit for detecting the carrier wave transmitted to the secondary side coil;

a clock extraction circuit for extracting a clock signal required for modulation from the carrier wave; and

a second modulation circuit for modulating the carrier wave with the information signal transmitted from the power reception equipment based on the clock signal and transmitting the modulated signal through the secondary side coil, when the carrier wave detection circuit detects the carrier wave.

50. The power supply system according to claim 48,

wherein power is supplied to the power reception equipment placed in close proximity to the power transmission apparatus,

the information signal, transmitted from the signal transmission control circuit and transmitted between the external apparatus and the power reception equipment through the power transmission apparatus, is a signal necessary for payment, and

a function of performing the payment by utilizing the power reception equipment is provided.

51. The power supply system according to claim 48,

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a top plate of a table provided in a shop,

the power transmission apparatus supplies power to the power reception equipment placed on the top plate,

the external apparatus is a server provided in the shop,

the information signal, transmitted from the signal transmission control circuit and transmitted between the server and the power reception equipment through the power transmission apparatus, is a signal required for performing payment for wining and dining in the shop, goods purchased in the shop, and/or service provided by the shop, and

a function of performing the payment by utilizing the power reception equipment is provided.

52. The power supply system according to claim 48,

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a utensil provided in lodging facilities,

the power transmission apparatus supplies power to the power reception equipment placed in close proximity to the utensil,

the external apparatus is a server provided in the lodging facilities,

the information signal, transmitted from the signal transmission control circuit and transmitted between the server and the power reception equipment through the power transmission apparatus, is a signal required for performing payment for wining and dining in the lodging facilities, goods purchased in the lodging facilities, and/or service provided by the lodging facilities, and

a function of performing the payment by utilizing the power reception equipment is provided.

53. The power supply system according to claim 48,

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in a ticket dispenser connected to a server provided at a station,

the power transmission apparatus supplies power to the power reception equipment placed in close proximity to the ticket dispenser,

the external apparatus is the server,

the information signal, transmitted from the signal transmission control circuit and transmitted between the server and the power reception equipment through the power transmission apparatus, is a signal including personal information of a user of the power reception equipment required for performing payment for a ticket purchased through the ticket dispenser, and

a function of performing the payment by utilizing the power reception equipment is provided.

54. The power supply system according to claim 48

wherein the power transmission apparatus is incorporated in an automatic ticket examining machine provided at a ticket gate in a station,

the power transmission apparatus supplies power to the power reception equipment placed in close proximity to the automatic ticket examining machine,

the external apparatus is a server provided at the station,

the information signal, transmitted from the signal transmission control circuit and transmitted between the server and the power reception equipment through the power transmission apparatus, is a signal including information on a departing station and personal information of a user of the power reception equipment required for performing payment of a fare, and

a function of performing the payment by utilizing the power reception equipment is provided.