POWER FEEDING DEVICE AND POWER FEEDING METHOD

• US 20180109293A1
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakase, Takafumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,623,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A power feeding device includes a power feeder that wirelessly feeds power to one of a plurality of power receivers, a transceiver that communicates with the plurality of power receivers, and a controller that causes, when the transceiver receives a plurality of signals from two or more of the plurality of power receivers, the power feeder to suspend the feeding of power to the one of the plurality of power receivers for a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A power feeding device, comprising:

a power feeder that wirelessly feeds power to one of a plurality of power receivers,

a transceiver that communicates with the plurality of power receivers, and

a controller that, when the transceiver receives a plurality of signals from two or more of the plurality of power receivers, causes the power feeder to suspend the feeding of power to the one of the plurality of power receivers for a predetermined period.

2. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets the predetermined period that is different from another predetermined period set for another power feeding device.

3. The power feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the controller sets the predetermined period based on a random number specific to the power feeding device.

4. The power feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the controller generates the random number based on an address assigned to the power feeding device.

5. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of signals includes at least one of an address, an ID, and a received signal strength indicator of the power receiver.

6. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the power feeder based on a signal received when causing the power feeder to resume the feeding of power.

7. The power feeding devices according to claim 1,

wherein the power feeder wirelessly feeds power to each of the plurality of power receivers, and

wherein the controller:

repeats suspending of the power feeding a plurality of times when the transceiver receives the plurality of signals from the plurality of power receivers; and

determines that the plurality of power receivers exists in a power feeding space of the power feeding device when the transceiver continues to receive same signals from each of the plurality of power receivers.

8. The power feeding device according to claim 7, wherein the controller sets power feeding conditions for the power feeder to feed power to each of the plurality of power receivers based on the signals received from the plurality of power receivers.

9. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver communicates with a management device that manages the power feeding device and notifies the power feeding device of the predetermined period via the transceiver.

10. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver transmits a first beacon signal, and each of the plurality of signals is transmitted responding to the beacon signal.

11. The power feeding device according to claim 10, wherein when load fluctuation is detected, the transceiver transmits a second beacon signal having higher power than the first beacon signal.

12. The power feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of signals are advertisement signals.

13. The power feeding device according to claim 12, wherein the controller counts a total number of the plurality of power receivers based on the advertisement signals.

14. The power feeding device according to claim 13, wherein the advertisement signals are transmitted according to a Bluetooth standard.

15. A power feeding method performed by a power feeding device, comprising:

wirelessly feeding power to one of a plurality of power receivers,

communicating with the plurality of power receivers, and

when a plurality of signals are received from two or more of the plurality of power receivers, suspending the feeding of power to the one of the plurality of power receivers for a predetermined period.

16. The power feeding method according to claim 15, further comprising setting the predetermined period that is different from another predetermined period set for another power feeding device.

17. The power feeding method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined period is set based on a random number specific to the power feeding device.

18. The power feeding method according to claim 17, further comprising generating the random number based on an address assigned to the power feeding device.

19. The power feeding method according to claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of signals includes at least one of an address, an ID, and a received signal strength indicator of the power receiver.

20. The power feeding method according to claim 15, wherein the power feeder is controlled based on a signal when resuming the feeding of power.