POWER TRANSMISSION CONTROL DEVICE, POWER TRANSMITTING DEVICE, ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT, AND NON-CONTACT POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20090133942A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KAMIJO, Takahiro, KAMIYAMA, Masayuki, ONISHI, Kota, SHIOZAKI, Nobutaka, IISAKA, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 8,198,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/43
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection

Abstract

A power transmission control device provided in a power transmitting device of a non-contact power transmission system includes a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives a primary coil, a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state, and a control circuit that controls the power transmission control device. The control circuit acquires a reference value used to determine a power-receiving-side load state after starting normal power transmission in a reference value acquisition period, the reference value acquisition period being a period after receiving ID authentication information from the power receiving device, but before starting the normal power transmission.

Claims

1. A power transmission control device that controls power transmission of a power transmitting device of a non-contact power transmission system, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmitting device to a power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil, and supplying the power to a load of the power receiving device, the power transmission control device comprising:

a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives the primary coil;

a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission control device,

the control circuit acquiring a reference value in a reference value acquisition period, the reference value being used to determine the power-receiving-side load state after starting normal power transmission, the reference value acquisition period being a period after receiving ID authentication information from the power receiving device, but before starting the normal power transmission.

2. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit acquiring the reference value in a period in which the power receiving device does not supply power to the load.

3. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit transmitting permission information to the power receiving device before performing the normal power transmission after the reference value acquisition period, the permission information corresponding to the ID authentication information from the power receiving device.

4. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit setting a drive frequency of the power transmitting driver at a normal power transmission frequency in the reference value acquisition period.

5. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit calculating a foreign object detection threshold value based on the reference value, and performing a foreign object detection process after starting the normal power transmission based on the foreign object detection threshold value.

6. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the control circuit calculating a data detection threshold value based on the reference value, and detecting data transmitted from the power receiving device after starting the normal power transmission based on the data detection threshold value.

7. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the power receiving device including a load modulation section that variably changes a power-receiving-side load;

the control circuit acquiring a first reference value when the load modulation section has set the power-receiving-side load in a first load state in the reference value acquisition period, and acquiring a second reference value when the load modulation section has set the power-receiving-side load in a second load state in the reference value acquisition period; and

the control circuit determining the power-receiving-side load state after starting the normal power transmission using a threshold value set based on the first reference value and the second reference value.

8. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 1,

the load state detection circuit including a pulse width detection circuit that detects pulse width information relating to an induced voltage signal of the primary coil;

and

the control circuit acquiring a reference value relating to the pulse width information in the reference value acquisition period.

9. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a drive clock signal generation circuit that generates and outputs a drive clock signal that specifies a drive frequency of the primary coil,

the load state detection circuit including a first pulse width detection circuit that measures a first pulse width period and detects first pulse width information, the first pulse width period being a period between a first edge timing of the drive clock signal and a first timing, the first timing being a timing when a first induced voltage signal of the primary coil that has changed from a low-potential power supply side exceeds a first threshold voltage.

10. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 9,

the load state detection circuit including a first waveform adjusting circuit that adjusts a waveform of the first induced voltage signal and outputs a first waveform-adjusted signal;

and

the first pulse width detection circuit measuring the first pulse width period based on the first waveform-adjusted signal and the drive clock signal.

11. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 10,

the first pulse width detection circuit including a first counter that increments or decrements a count value in the first pulse width period, and measures the first pulse width period based on the resulting count value.

12. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 11,

the first pulse width detection circuit including a first enable signal generation circuit that receives the first waveform-adjusted signal and the drive clock signal, and generates a first enable signal that becomes active in the first pulse width period;

and

the first counter incrementing or decrementing the count value when the first enable signal is active.

13. The power transmission control device as defined in claim 9,

the load state detection circuit including a second pulse width detection circuit that measures a second pulse width period and detects second pulse width information, the second pulse width period being a period between a second edge timing of the drive clock signal and a second timing, the second timing being a timing when a second induced voltage signal of the primary coil that has changed from a high-potential-side power supply has exceeded a second threshold voltage;

and

the control circuit acquiring a reference value for at least one of the first pulse width information and the second pulse width information in the reference value acquisition period.

14. A power transmitting device comprising:

the power transmission control device as defined in claim 1; and

a power transmitting section that generates an alternating-current voltage and supplies the alternating-current voltage to the primary coil.

15. An electronic instrument comprising the power transmitting device as defined in claim 14.

16. A non-contact power transmission system comprising a power transmitting device and a power receiving device, the non-contact power transmission system transmitting power from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device by electromagnetically coupling a primary coil and a secondary coil, and supplying the power to a load of the power receiving device,

the power receiving device including:

a power receiving section that converts an induced voltage of the secondary coil into a direct-current voltage; and

a load modulation section that variably changes a load corresponding to transmission data when the power receiving device transmits data to the power transmitting device; and

the power transmitting device including;

a driver control circuit that controls a power transmitting driver that drives the primary coil;

a load state detection circuit that detects a power-receiving-side load state; and

a control circuit that controls the power transmission control device,

the control circuit acquiring a reference value in a reference value acquisition period, the reference value being used to determine the power-receiving-side load state after starting normal power transmission, the reference value acquisition period being a period after receiving ID authentication information from the power receiving device, but before starting the normal power transmission.