APPARATUS SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER TO EXTERNAL DEVICE

• US 20100188041A1
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mizuo, Yoshihiro
• Application Number:
  US12/694,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188041A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

An apparatus includes: a plurality of power supplying units configured to supply electric power to external devices with a battery in a non-contact manner; an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a power receiving state, the information indicating whether the plurality of external devices receive electric power; and an identification unit configured to identify the external devices to which the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power based on the information about the acquired power receiving state.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of power supplying units configured to supply electric power to external devices with a battery in a non-contact manner;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a power receiving state, the information indicating whether the plurality of external devices receive electric power; and

an identification unit configured to identify an external device to which the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power based on the acquired information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect a power supplying unit which supplies the external device with electric power, among

the plurality of power supplying units, wherein, the identification unit identifies the external device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to control whether or not the plurality of electric power supplying units supplies electric power, wherein,

the identification unit identifies the external device based on the information when the control unit causes the one of the plurality of power supplying units to supply electric power and the power supplying units except the one electric power supplying unit to stop supplying electric power.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to control whether or not the plurality of power supplying units supplies electric power, wherein,

the identification unit identifies the external device when the control unit causes the power supplying unit to supply electric power and the information when the control unit causes the power supplying unit to stop supplying electric power.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein,

the control unit switches in a predetermined pattern between a state where the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power to a power supply target device and a state where the plurality of power supplying units stop supplying electric power, and the acquisition unit acquires information about a power receiving state of another external device and identifies the external devices to which the plurality of electric power supplying units supply electric power based on the information according to switching operation of the control unit in the predetermined pattern.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with the external device, wherein

the acquisition unit acquires the information about the power receiving state based on information received by the communication unit from the external device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of communication units configured to communicate with the external device, wherein

the acquisition unit acquires the information about a charging state based on information received by the plurality of communication units from the external device.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the acquisition unit acquires the information identified by the identification unit and includes a control unit configure to control an operation of the plurality of power supplying units based on the acquired information related to a charge processing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the external device includes a device which can perform communication and a control unit configured to cause two external devices selected from among the plurality of external devices identified by the identification unit to transmit data therebetween.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a selection unit configured to select a device of data transmission source and a device of data transmission destination from among the plurality of external devices identified by the identification unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information indicating the identified external device.

12. An apparatus for supplying electric power with a battery comprising:

a plurality of power supplying units configured to supply electric power to the external devices in a non-contact manner, wherein the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power to the external devices arranged in a plurality of predetermined areas corresponding to the plurality of power supplying units;

an identification unit configured to identify the external devices arranged in the plurality of predetermined areas;

a display unit configured to display information about the plurality of identified external devices; and

a control unit configured to control the plurality of identified external devices to transmit data between the plurality of identified external devices.

13. A method comprising:

supplying electric power to external devices with a battery in a non-contact manner by a plurality of power supplying units;

acquiring information about a power receiving state by an acquisition unit, the information indicating whether the plurality of external devices receive electric power; and

identifying an external device to which the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power based on the acquired information by an identification unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising detecting a power supplying unit, by a detection unit, which supplies the external device with electric power, among the plurality of power supplying units, wherein,

the identification unit identifies the external device.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising controlling, by a control unit, whether or not the plurality of electric power supplying units supplies electric power, wherein,

the identification unit identifies the external device based on the information when the control unit causes the one of the plurality of power supplying units to supply electric power and the power supplying units except the one electric power supplying unit to stop supplying electric power.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising controlling, by a control unit, whether or not the plurality of power supplying units supplies electric power, wherein,

the identification unit identifies the external device when the control unit causes the power supplying unit to supply electric power and the information when the control unit causes the power supplying unit to stop supplying electric power.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

switching, by the control unit, in a predetermined pattern between a state where the plurality of power supplying units supply electric power to a power supply target device and a state where the plurality of power supplying units stop supplying electric power;

acquiring, by the acquisition unit, information about a power receiving state of another external device and identifying the external devices to which the plurality of electric power supplying units supply electric power based on the information according to switching operation of the control unit in the predetermined pattern.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising communicating with the external device by a communication unit, wherein

the acquiring the information about the power receiving state is based on information received by the communication unit from the external device.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising communicating with the external device by a plurality of communication units, wherein

acquiring the information about a charging state is based on information received by the plurality of communication units from the external device.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein,

the acquiring the information is identified by the identification unit and includes controlling, by a control unit, an operation of the plurality of power supplying units based on the acquired information related to a charge processing.