COMMUNICATION TERMINAL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING TERMINAL POWER SOURCE

• US 20140354072A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Kuniharu, SUZUKI, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,419,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A communication terminal that includes a wireless communication unit used to communicate with another communication terminal, a power transmitting unit that transmits contactless electric power to the another communication terminal, and a control unit that controls the wireless communication unit to transmit, to the another communication terminal, an instruction for receiving the contactless electric power transmitted from the power transmitting unit.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with another communication terminal;

a power transmitting unit configured to transmit contactless electric power to the another communication terminal; and

a control unit configured control the wireless communication unit to transmit, to the another communication terminal, an instruction for receiving the contactless electric power transmitted from the power transmitting unit.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to communicate with the another communication terminal via a base station of a wireless communication network.

3. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to communicate with the another communication terminal via a short-range wireless link.

4. The communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the short range wireless link is a wireless local area network (LAN) link, a near field communications (NFC) link, a Bluetooth link or an infrared link.

5. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit is configured to transmit the contactless electric power at a predetermined resonance frequency.

6. The communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit information indicating the predetermined resonance frequency to the another communication terminal as the instruction.

7. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit is configured to transmit the contactless electric power at a plurality of resonance frequencies that vary in multiple stages over time.

8. The communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit information indicating the plurality of resonance frequencies and the timing at which they vary in multiple stages over time as the instruction.

9. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the power transmitting unit is configured to transmit the contactless electric power at a plurality of resonance frequencies that vary continuously over time.

10. The communication terminal of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit information indicating the plurality of resonance frequencies and the timing at which they continuously vary over time as the instruction.

11. The communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery; and

a display configured to display an amount of power remaining in the battery at least one of before, during and after power is transmitted to the another communication terminal.

12. The communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a power receiving unit configured to receive contactless electric power.

13. The communication terminal of claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to control a resonance frequency of the power receiving unit based on an instruction received via the wireless communication unit.

14. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the another terminal is one of a mobile telephone, a wireless headset and a notebook personal computer (PC).

15. A power transfer method performed by a communication terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, from a wireless communication unit of the communication terminal to another communication terminal, an instruction for receiving contactless electric power transmitted from a power transmitting unit of the communication terminal; and

transmitting, by the power transmitting unit of the communication terminal, contactless electric power to the another terminal in accordance with the instruction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the contactless power is transmitted from the power transmitting unit at a predetermined resonance frequency.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the contactless power is transmitted from the power transmitting unit at a plurality of resonance frequencies that vary in multiple stages over time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the contactless power is transmitted from the power transmitting unit at a plurality of resonance frequencies that vary continuously over time.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying an amount of power remaining in a battery of the communication terminal at least one of before, during and after power is transmitted to the another communication terminal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at a power reception unit of the communication terminal, contactless electric power.