ELECTRONIC DEVICE, CHARGER, AND CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20100201315A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oshimi, Masanori, Mochida, Norihito, Sekiguchi, Akihiko, Yoshida, Hirohiko, Yasuno, Junichi, Yamada, Hidehiko
• Application Number:
  US12/678,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201315A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

There is provided an electronic device for enabling the user to recognize the relative position of the electronic device to a power supply device such as a charger. An electronic device 11B includes a main coil 18 having a conductor wire wound around a main point 33 for receiving power for charging a secondary battery from a charger 12, a position detection coil 31 placed at a first point in the electronic device 11B, a position detection coil 32 placed at a second point in the electronic device 11B, and a position shift display section 39. If magnetic flux density detected by the position detection coil 31 is higher than magnetic flux density detected by the position detection coil 32, the position shift display section 39 provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device 11B from the second point to the first point, and if the magnetic flux density detected by the position detection coil 32 is higher than the magnetic flux density detected by the position detection coil 31, the position shift display section 39 provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device 11B from the first point to the second point.

Claims

1. An electronic device using a secondary battery that can be charged by a charger for charging in a non-contact manner as a power supply, the electronic device comprising:

a main coil having a conductor wire wound around a main point for receiving power for charging the secondary battery from the charger;

a first coil placed at a first point in the electronic device, and having a conductor wire wound in a predetermined number of turns in a predetermined shape around the first point;

a second coil placed at a second point in the electronic device, the second point positioned symmetrically with respect to the first point about the main point, wherein the second coil has a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around the second point; and

a notification section, wherein

a high voltage end of the first coil is connected to a high voltage end of the second coil, and a low voltage end of the first coil is connected to a low voltage end of the second coil, whereby a loop circuit is formed,

if electromotive voltage of the first coil is equal to electromotive voltage of the second coil, no current flows into the loop circuit, and if the electromotive voltage of the first coil differs from the electromotive voltage of the second coil, a current flows into the loop circuit, and

the notification section provides notification of prompting a user to move the electronic device in response to the presence or absence and a direction of the current flowing into the loop circuit.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a third coil having a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around a third point; and

a fourth coil having a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around a fourth point, wherein

the third point and the fourth point are symmetric with each other about the main point,

the loop circuit is referred to as a first loop circuit,

a high voltage end of the third coil is connected to a high voltage end of the fourth coil, and a low voltage end of the third coil is connected to a low voltage end of the fourth coil, whereby a second loop circuit is formed,

if electromotive voltage of the third coil is equal to electromotive voltage of the fourth coil, no current flows into the second loop circuit, and if the electromotive voltage of the third coil differs from the electromotive voltage of the fourth coil, a current flows into the second loop circuit,

a straight line connecting the first point and the second point and a straight line connecting the third point and the fourth point cross at a predetermined angle, and

the notification section provides the notification in response to the presence or absence and a direction of the current flowing into the second loop circuit.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined angle is substantially 90 degrees.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the notification section includes a plurality of illuminants, and provides the notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device according to a light emission pattern of the plurality of illuminants.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the main coil includes a flat coil placed along a predetermined plane, and

the coils are placed along the predetermined plane.

2. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

8. A charging system comprising:

a charger for charging in a non-contact manner; and

an electronic device using a secondary battery that can be charged by the charger as a power supply, wherein

the electronic device comprises;

a main coil having a conductor wire wound around a main point for receiving power for charging the secondary battery from the charger;

a first coil placed at a first point in the electronic device, and having a conductor wire wound in a predetermined number of turns in a predetermined shape around the first point;

a second coil placed at a second point in the electronic device, the second point positioned symmetrically with respect to the first point about the main point, wherein the second coil has a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around the second point; and

a notification section, wherein

a high voltage end of the first coil is connected to a high voltage end of the second coil, and a low voltage end of the first coil is connected to a low voltage end of the second coil, whereby a loop circuit is formed,

if electromotive voltage of the first coil is equal to electromotive voltage of the second coil, no current flows into the loop circuit, and if the electromotive voltage of the first coil differs from the electromotive voltage of the second coil, a current flows into the loop circuit, and

the notification section provides notification of prompting a user to move the electronic device in response to the presence or absence and a direction of the current flowing into the loop circuit.

9. A charger for charging a chargeable secondary battery used as a power supply of an electronic device in a non-contact manner, the charger comprising:

a main coil having a conductor wire wound around a main point for sending power for charging the secondary battery;

a first magnetism detection section placed at a first point in the charger;

a second magnetism detection section placed at a second point in the charger, the second point positioned symmetrically with respect to the first point about the main point; and

a notification section, wherein

if magnetic flux density detected by the first magnetism detection section is higher than magnetic flux density detected by the second magnetism detection section, the notification section provides notification of prompting a user to move the electronic device from the second point to the first point and

if the magnetic flux density detected by the second magnetism detection section is higher than the magnetic flux density detected by the first magnetism detection section, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the first point to the second point.

10. The charger as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the first magnetism detection section is a first coil having a conductor wire wound in a predetermined number of turns in a predetermined shape around the first point,

the second magnetism detection section is a second coil having a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around the second point,

if electromotive voltage of the first coil is larger than electromotive voltage of the second coil, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the second coil to the first coil, and wherein

if the electromotive voltage of the second coil is larger than the electromotive voltage of the first coil, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the first coil to the second coil.

11. The charger as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a third coil having a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around a third point; and

a fourth coil having a conductor wire wound in the predetermined number of turns in the predetermined shape around a fourth point, wherein

the third point and the fourth point are symmetric with each other about the main point,

if electromotive voltage of the third coil is larger than electromotive voltage of the fourth coil, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the fourth coil to the third coil, wherein

if the electromotive voltage of the fourth coil is larger than the electromotive voltage of the third coil, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the third coil to the fourth coil, and

a straight line connecting the first point and the second point and a straight line connecting the third point and the fourth point cross at a predetermined angle.

12. The charger as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predetermined angle is substantially 90 degrees.

13. The charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein

a high voltage end of the first coil is connected to a high voltage end of the second coil, and a low voltage end of the first coil is connected to a low voltage end of the second coil, whereby a loop circuit is formed,

if the electromotive voltage of the first coil is equal to the electromotive voltage of the second coil, no current flows into the loop circuit, and if the electromotive voltage of the first coil differs from the electromotive voltage of the second coil differ, a current flows into the loop circuit, and

the notification section provides the notification of prompting in response to the presence or absence and a direction of the current flowing into the loop circuit.

14. The charger as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the notification section includes a plurality of illuminants and provides the notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device according to a light emission pattern of the plurality of illuminants.

15. The charger as claimed in claim 9, wherein

the main coil includes a flat coil placed along a predetermined plane, and

the plurality of magnetism detection sections are placed along the predetermined plane.

16. A charging system comprising:

a charger for charging in a non-contact manner; and

an electronic device using a secondary battery that can be charged by the charger as a power supply, wherein

the charger comprises;

a main coil having a conductor wire wound around a main point for sending power for charging the secondary battery;

a first magnetism detection section placed at a first point in the charger;

a second magnetism detection section placed at a second point in the charger, the second point positioned symmetrically with respect to the first point about the main point; and

a notification section, wherein

if magnetic flux density detected by the first magnetism detection section is higher than magnetic flux density detected by the second magnetism detection section, the notification section provides notification of prompting a user to move the electronic device from the second point to the first point and

if the magnetic flux density detected by the second magnetism detection section is higher than the magnetic flux density detected by the first magnetism detection section, the notification section provides notification of prompting the user to move the electronic device from the first point to the second point.