Noncontacting charging device

• US 5,600,225 A
• Filed: 06/20/1995
• Issued: 02/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Goto, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Law, Patrick B.
• Application Number:
  US08/492,628
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/21, 329/443
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A non-contacting charging device is disclosed which performs charging in which electric power of a charger 1 is supplied without direct contact to a storage battery 210, and which includes in the charger 1 a primary coil 103 and circuits 104, 105 for supplying AC power to the primary coil, and also includes in the radio communication device having a storage battery 210, a secondary coil 212 that couples electromagnetically with the primary coil 103 and a circuit 211 for supplying the induced current power generated in the secondary coil to the storage battery as charging power. This device is provided with halt signal generating circuits 203, 209, and 214 for generating a halt signal that commands a halt of supply of AC power to the primary coil, and a halting circuit for halting supply of AC power to the primary coil in response to a halt signal, the halt signal generating circuit being provided in the radio communication device. If it is necessary to make or receive a call during charging of the radio communication device, a halt signal is generated on the radio communication device side to halt charging, thereby eliminating the attractive force caused by the electromagnetic induction in effect between the radio communication device and the charger, and allowing removal of the radio communication device from the charger with a minimum of effort.

Claims

1. A noncontacting charging device for supplying, in a noncontacting state, electrical power to a storage battery of a battery-equipped radio communication device, comprising:

a charger having a primary coil and alternating current supply means for supplying alternating current power to said primary coil;

a secondary coil that couples electromagnetically with said primary coil, and charging-power supply means for supplying, as charging power, electrical power of an induced current produced in said secondary coil to said storage battery;

halt signal generating means for generating a halt signal in response to one of an incoming call and a manual input that commands a halt of the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil; and

halting means for halting the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil in response to said halt signal;

said secondary coil, said charging power supply means, and said halt signal generating means being provided in said radio communication device.

2. A noncontacting charging device according to claim 1 wherein said halting means comprises:

a first photoelectric converting means provided in said radio communication device for converting said halt signal to a light signal and supplying said light signal to said charger; and

a second photoelectric converting means for receiving said light signal and converting said light signal to an electrical signal, and cut-off circuit means for cutting the path of power supply to said primary coil in response to output of said second photoelectric converting means, said second photoelectric converting means and said cut-off circuit means being provided in said charger.

3. A noncontacting charging device according to claim 1 wherein said halting means comprises a manually operated switch provided in the charger for cutting the power supply path to the primary coil.

4. A noncontacting charging device for supplying, in a noncontacting state, electrical power to a storage battery of a battery-equipped radio communication device, comprising:

a charger having a primary coil and alternating current supply means for supplying alternating current power to said primary coil;

a secondary coil that couples electromagnetically with said primary coil, and charging-power supply means for supplying, as charging power, electrical power of an induced current produced in said secondary coil to said storage battery;

halt signal generating means for generating a halt signal that commands a halt of the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil; and

halting means for halting the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil in response to said halt signal;

wherein said halt signal generating means comprises at least one console key for commanding the halt of the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil, and a first halt signal generating circuit for producing said halt signal in response to a signal generated by a key input to said console key;

said secondary coil, said charging power supply means, and said halt signal generating means being provided in said radio communication device.

5. A noncontacting charging device according to claim 4 wherein said halting means comprises:

a first photoelectric converting means provided in said radio communication device for converting said halt signal to a light signal and supplying said light signal to said charger; and

a second photoelectric converting means for receiving said light signal and converting said light signal to an electrical signal, and cut-off circuit means for cutting the path of power supply to said primary coil in response to output of said second photoelectric converting means, said second photoelectric converting means and said cut-off circuit means being provided in said charger.

6. A noncontacting charging device for supplying, in a noncontacting state, electrical power to a storage battery of a battery-equipped radio communication device, comprising:

a charger having a primary coil and alternating current supply means for supplying alternating current power to said primary coil;

a secondary coil that couples electromagnetically with said primary coil, and charging-power supply means for supplying, as charging power, electrical power of an induced current produced in said secondary coil to said storage battery;

halt signal generating means for generating a halt signal that commands a halt of the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil; and

halting means for halting the supply of alternating current power to said primary coil in response to said halt signal;

wherein said halt signal generating means comprises a second halt signal generating circuit for detecting an incoming call to the radio communication device and producing said halt signal;

said secondary coil, said charging power supply means, and said halt signal generating means being provided in said radio communication device.

7. A noncontacting charging device according to claim 6 wherein said halting means comprises:

a first photoelectric converting means provided in said radio communication device for converting said halt signal to a light signal and supplying said light signal to said charger; and

a second photoelectric converting means for receiving said light signal and converting said light signal to an electrical signal, and cut-off circuit means for cutting the path of power supply to said primary coil in response to output of said second photoelectric converting means, said second photoelectric converting means and said cut-off circuit means being provided in said charger.