Power Transfer Unit and Power Transfer Method

• US 20150244425A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: NAKASE, Takafumi
• Application Number:
  US14/630,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power transfer unit includes a power source, a wireless communication portion, and a controller specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred, based on the state of the wireless communication portion according to change in the state of power transfer from the power source.

Claims

1. A power transfer unit comprising:

a power source;

a wireless communication portion; and

a controller specifying an external device to which power is to be transferred, based on a state of the wireless communication portion according to change in a state of power transfer from the power source.

2. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein

the change in the state of power transfer is change from a state of transferring power from the power source to a state of stopping power transfer from the power source.

3. The power transfer unit according to claim 2, wherein

the controller identifies the external device that has lost wireless communication as the external device to which power is to be transferred and restarts power transfer.

4. The power transfer unit according to claim 2, wherein

the controller does not restart power transfer to the external device that has not lost wireless communication.

5. The power transfer unit according to claim 3, wherein

the controller does not restart power transfer in a case where the external device with which the power transfer unit has wirelessly communicated through the wireless communication portion is different from the external device to which the power source has stopped transferring power when the power source has stopped power transfer.

6. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, further comprising an identification information acquisition portion acquiring identification information of the external device with which the power transfer unit wirelessly communicates through the wireless communication portion, wherein

the controller specifies the external device to which power is to be transferred, based on the identification information.

7. The power transfer unit according to claim 6, wherein

the controller continues power transfer in a case where the identification information of the external device acquired when power transfer from the power source is restarted and the identification information of the external device to which power is to be transferred that has been specified agree with each other and stops power transfer in a case where the same do not agree with each other.

8. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein

the controller stops power transfer within a prescribed time period from start of power transfer to the external device.

9. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein

the controller stops power transfer at prescribed timing from restart of power transfer and specifies the external device to which power is to be transferred a plurality of times.

10. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, further comprising a notification portion notifying a user of information indicating a control process of the controller.

11. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein

the change in the state of power transfer is change from a state of stopping power transfer from the power source to a state of restarting power transfer from the power source.

12. The power transfer unit according to claim 11, wherein

the controller identifies the external device that has sent initial information of wireless communication as the external device to which power is to be transferred and restarts power transfer.

13. The power transfer unit according to claim 11, wherein

the controller does not restart power transfer to the external device that has not sent initial information of wireless communication.

14. The power transfer unit according to claim 12, wherein

the controller stops restarted power transfer in a case where the external device with which the power transfer unit has wirelessly communicated through the wireless communication portion is different from the external device to which the power source has restarted to transfer power when the power source has restarted power transfer.

15. The power transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein

the external device includes an external device comprising a power receiving portion receiving power from the power source and a power sending portion sending the power received by the power receiving portion to another external device.

16. A power transfer method comprising steps of:

transferring power from a power source to an external device;

wirelessly communicating with the external device through a wireless communication portion; and

specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred by a controller, based on a state of the wireless communication portion according to change in a state of power transfer from the power source.

17. The power transfer method according to claim 16, wherein

the step of specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred includes a step of identifying the external device that has lost wireless communication as the external device to which power is to be transferred and restarting power transfer in a case where the change in the state of power transfer is change from a state of transferring power from the power source to a state of stopping power transfer from the power source.

18. The power transfer method according to claim 17, wherein

the step of specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred further includes a step of not restarting power transfer to the external device that has not lost wireless communication.

19. The power transfer method according to claim 16, wherein

the step of specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred includes a step of identifying the external device that has sent initial information of wireless communication as the external device to which power is to be transferred and restarting power transfer in a case where the change in the state of power transfer is change from a state of stopping power transfer from the power source to a state of restarting power transfer from the power source.

20. The power transfer method according to claim 19, wherein

the step of specifying the external device to which power is to be transferred further includes a step of not restarting power transfer to the external device that has not sent initial information of wireless communication.