Electronic apparatus, power feeding method, and power feeding system

• US 20120091993A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Uramoto, Yoichi, Tanaka, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/101 by measuring the impedance of the search coil; by measuring features of a resonant circuit comprising the search coil measuring impedance or characteristics derived therefrom G01R27/00, e.g. quality factor G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 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 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic apparatus, including an electric power receiving portion receiving an electric power from a power feeding apparatus by using a magnetic field, and a detecting portion detecting presence or absence of a foreign object between said power feeding apparatus and said detecting portion.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

an electric power receiving portion receiving an electric power from a power feeding apparatus by using a magnetic field; and

a detecting portion detecting presence or absence of a foreign object between said power feeding apparatus and said detecting portion.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a set of first and second electrodes which are disposed away from each other; and

a voltage applying section applying a voltage across said first and second electrodes,

wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object in accordance with a result of the voltage application by said voltage applying section.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plural sets of first and second electrodes are provided.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plural sets of first and second electrodes have line-like shapes, respectively, and said first and second electrodes are alternately disposed away from each other.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plural sets of first and second electrodes have point-like shapes, respectively, and said first and second electrodes are alternately, discretely disposed.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first and second electrodes are comb-teeth electrodes, respectively, and said first and second electrodes are engaged with each other so as not to contact each other.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power receiving portion includes:

said coil;

a circuit substrate having said detecting portion; and

a magnetic material layer provided between said circuit substrate and said coil.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first and second electrodes are provided so as to penetrate at least a part of said magnetic material layer from the coil side toward the circuit substrate side.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applied across said first and second electrodes is an alternative current voltage.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object in accordance with a change in at least one parameter of an impedance, a current, and a voltage developed across said first and second electrodes.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object in accordance with a magnitude relationship between an amount of change in the at least one parameter with a value of the at least one parameter in a state in which no object is placed on said power feeding apparatus as a reference, and a predetermined first threshold value.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the voltage applied across said first and second electrodes is an alternative current voltage, and

said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object in consideration of a magnitude relationship as well between the amount of change in the at least one parameter, and a predetermined second threshold value different from the predetermined first threshold.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor,

wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object in accordance with temperature information obtained from said temperature sensor.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting portion includes an alternative current signal source, a capacitor element, and an inductor.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said capacitor element is provided between said first and second electrodes.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object by utilizing a resonance circuit including said capacitor element and said inductor.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting portion detects presence or absence of the foreign object by using an alternative current signal having a frequency different from a frequency during transmission of the electric power to said power receiving portion.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said detecting portion detects the foreign object, an effect that said detecting portion detects the foreign object is offered to a user.

19. A power feeding method, comprising:

detecting presence or absence of a foreign object between a power feeding apparatus and an electronic apparatus in said electronic apparatus when an electric power is transmitted from said power feeding apparatus to said electronic apparatus by using a magnetic field.

20. A power feeding system, comprising:

an electronic apparatus; and

a power feeding apparatus feeding an electric power to said electronic apparatus,

wherein said electronic apparatus includes

an electric power receiving portion receiving an electric power from said power feeding apparatus by using a magnetic field, and

a detecting portion detecting presence or absence of a foreign object between said power feeding apparatus and said detecting portion.