MOBILE-TERMINAL CHARGING DEVICE AND VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH SAME

• US 20160241064A1
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HATAKEYAMA, KEN, YAMANISHI, YUTO, OTA, TOMOHIRO, YAMAMOTO, TAKESHI
• Granted Patent: US 10,355,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

In a mobile-terminal charging device, a controller performs a safety operation in a case where a resonance frequency detected by a foreign object detection coil corresponding to a location where a charging coil is present is higher than a reference resonance frequency stored in a memory, or a resonance voltage detected by a foreign object detection coil corresponding to a location where the charging coil is present is lower than a reference resonance voltage stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A mobile-terminal charging device comprising:

a support plate whose front surface side is used as a mobile terminal placement portion;

a charging coil that is movably disposed in a state of opposing the support plate on a rear surface side of the support plate;

a driver that can move the charging coil on the rear surface side of the support plate;

a controller that is connected to the charging coil and the driver;

a memory that is connected to the controller; and

a plurality of foreign object detection coils that are provided on the support plate and are connected to the controller,

wherein the memory stores a reference resonance frequency or a reference resonance voltage of each of the plurality of foreign object detection coils for each location where the charging coil is present, and

wherein the controller performs a safety operation during non-conduction of the charging coil in a case where a resonance frequency detected by one of the plurality of foreign object detection coils corresponding to a location where the charging coil is present is higher than the reference resonance frequency stored in the memory, or a resonance voltage detected by one of the plurality of foreign object detection coils corresponding to a location where the charging coil is present is lower than the reference resonance voltage stored in the memory.

2. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein a first detection coil and a second detection coil which is disposed inward of the first detection coil and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first detection coil are provided in the charging coil, and the first detection coil and the second detection coil are connected to the controller, and

wherein, in a state in which the charging coil is in a conduction state, the controller compares a ratio between a first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil and a second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil with a set value, and performs the safety operation on the basis of a comparison result.

3. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein the charging coil has a ring shape formed by winding a wiring material in a spiral shape, and the first detection coil and the second detection coil are disposed on a surface of the charging coil opposing the support plate.

4. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein an outer diameter of the first detection coil is substantially the same as an outer diameter of the charging coil, and an outer diameter of the second detection coil is substantially the same as an inner diameter of the charging coil.

5. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein a third detection coil disposed between the first and second detection coils is further provided in the charging coil.

6. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 2,

wherein the controller blocks conduction of the charging coil as the safety operation which is performed as the comparison result of comparing the ratio between the first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil and the second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil with the set value.

7. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 2, further comprising:

an alarm that is connected to the controller,

wherein the controller operates the alarm as the safety operation which is performed as the comparison result of comparing the ratio between the first voltage (V1) detected by the first detection coil and the second voltage (V2) detected by the second detection coil with the set value.

8. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of foreign object detection coils are provided on front and rear surfaces of the support plate.

9. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

an alarm that is connected to the controller,

wherein the controller causes the alarm to issue a warning as the safety operation before conduction of the charging coil is performed.

10. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage detector that is connected to the controller and is also connected to the first detection coil and the second detection coil so as to measure a peak voltage.

11. The mobile-terminal charging device of claim 1,

wherein, after charging using the charging coil is performed, the controller records a location where the charging coil is present in the memory.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle interior; and

the mobile-terminal charging device according to claim 1, disposed in the vehicle interior so that the mobile terminal placement portion faces upward.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, comprising

a guard portion along an outer periphery of the support plate, the guard portion protruding upward beyond the support plate.