POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS, POWER TRANSFER SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120153743A1
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shichino, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,343,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A power transmitting apparatus which has a power transmitting antenna, and transfers power from the power transmitting antenna to a power receiving antenna. The power transmitting apparatus includes a storage unit configured to be associated with a position of the power receiving antenna, and to store a parameter for controlling a resonance frequency of the power transmitting antenna; a determination unit configured to determine the position of the power receiving antenna; and a control unit configured to control the resonance frequency of the power transmitting antenna based on the position of the power receiving antenna.

Claims

1. A power transmitting apparatus which has a power transmitting antenna, and transfers power from said power transmitting antenna to a power receiving antenna, comprising:

a storage unit configured to be associated with a position of the power receiving antenna, and to store a parameter for controlling a resonance frequency of said power transmitting antenna;

a determination unit configured to determine the position of the power receiving antenna; and

a control unit configured to control the resonance frequency of said power transmitting antenna based on the position of the power receiving antenna determined by said determination unit and the parameter stored in said storage unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said power transmitting antenna includes a capacitor, and

the parameter indicates a static capacitance of said capacitor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first time information required for the power receiving antenna to move to a predetermined position,

wherein said storage unit stores, for each value of the parameter, second time information from when the parameter is changed until the resonance frequency of said power transmitting antenna become stable, and

said control unit determines a timing of controlling the resonance frequency of said power transmitting antenna based on the first time information and the second time information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire information of a power value received by the power receiving antenna.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising

an adjustment unit configured to adjust the parameter based on the power value information acquired by said second acquisition unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a stop unit configured to stop, when said adjustment unit is unable to adjust the parameter within a predetermined range, power transfer from said power transmitting antenna to the power receiving antenna.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position of the power receiving antenna is a relative position of the power receiving antenna with respect to said power transmitting antenna.

8. A power transfer system comprising:

a power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1; and

a power receiving apparatus which comprises a power receiving antenna for receiving a power transmitted from said power transmitting apparatus.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said power receiving apparatus further comprises a measurement unit configured to measure a power value received by said power receiving antenna, and a notification unit configured to notify said power transmitting apparatus of the power value measured by said measurement unit.

11. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as each unit of a power transmitting apparatus according to claim 1.

10. A control method for a power transmitting apparatus for transferring power from a power transmitting antenna to a power receiving antenna, comprising:

a determination step of determining a position of the power receiving antenna; and

a control step of controlling a resonance frequency of the power transmitting antenna based on the position of the power receiving antenna determined in the determination step, and a parameter associated with the position of the power receiving antenna for controlling the resonance frequency of the power transmitting antenna.