Noncontact transmitting apparatus

• US 6,792,246 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Araki, Takeshi, Shoji, Hideaki, Aizawa, Jyunichi, Takeda, Munehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/795,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/90.1, 455/575.1, 455/569.1, 455/566, 455/556, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0206 Portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts, e.g. hinged housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/20 including a rotatable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

A noncontact transmitting apparatus includes first and second noncontact transmitting units mounted on a main device and an attachment device, respectively. The second noncontact transmitting unit is removably attachable to the first noncontact transmitting unit for enabling noncontact signal transfer between the main device and the attachment device. Each of the noncontact transmitting units includes a power coil and a signal coil. The power coil is wound on a first core to supply power from the main device to the attachment device by electromagnetic induction. The first cores of the first and second noncontact transmitting units face each other at a first position when the attachment device is loaded on the main device. The signal coil is wound on a second core for signal transfer between the main device and the attachment device by electromagnetic induction. The second cores of the first and second noncontact transmitting units face each other at a second position when the attachment device is loaded on the main device. When the attachment device is rotated about the first core by a specified angle, the signal coil of the second noncontact transmitting unit is moved from the second position. This makes it possible for the main device such as a cellular phone, and the attachment device, such as a camera, to transfer power and signals between them with a simple configuration with high reliability when the attachment device is loaded on the main device.

Claims

1. A noncontact transmitting apparatus comprising:

a first noncontact transmitting unit mounted on a main device; and

a second noncontact transmitting unit mounted on an attachment device, said second noncontact transmitting unit being removably attachable to said first noncontact transmitting unit, for enabling noncontact signal transfer between said main device and said attachment device, wherein each of said first and second noncontact transmitting units comprises;

a power coil wound on a first core to supply power from said main device to said attachment device by electromagnetic induction, wherein said first core of said first noncontact transmitting unit and said first core of said second noncontact transmitting unit face each other when said attachment device is attached to said main device; and

at least one signal coil wound on at least one second core for signal transfer between said main device and said attachment device by electromagnetic induction, wherein, when said attachment device is attached to said main device, said second core of said first noncontact transmitting unit and said second core of said second noncontact transmitting unit may, selectively,

face each other, at a first position, for signal transmission between said signal coils by electromagnetic induction, and

may be displaced from each other to a second position, inhibiting signal transmission between said signal coils by electromagnetic induction.

2. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second noncontact transmitting unit is rotatably attached to said first noncontact transmitting unit for rotation about said first core, and when said second noncontact transmitting unit is rotated about said first core by a specified angle, said signal coil of said second noncontact transmitting unit is shifted from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the first position.

3. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said noncontact transmitting units further comprises means for fixing in position and integrating said power coil and said signal coil.

4. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power coil is disposed close to a facing surface of said first core, and said signal coil is disposed close to a facing surface of said second core.

5. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main device further comprises an antenna for transmitting and receiving an antenna signal.

6. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first noncontact transmitting unit further comprises a magnetic shield for preventing leakage flux from said first noncontact transmitting unit from affecting a radio frequency circuit in said main device.

7. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said noncontact transmitting units further comprises:

a circuit board that includes, in addition to said power coil and said signal coil, conductor patterns connected to said power coil and said signal coil, and to ground through holes;

a flexible printed circuit for transmitting signals to said conductor patterns; and

chip capacitors for feeding the antenna signal passing through said flexible printed circuit back to ground through the ground through holes.

8. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said noncontact transmitting units further comprises:

means for fixing in position and integrating said power coil, said signal coil, said conductor patterns, and said chip capacitors; and

a metallic film shield covering said noncontact transmitting unit, integrated by said means for fixing and integrating, to prevent the antenna signal from penetrating said noncontact transmitting unit.

9. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said circuit board includes a double-layer circuit board, and wherein said conductor patterns are located on an internal layer of said double-layer circuit board.

10. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said noncontact transmitting units further comprises means for fixing in position and integrating said power coil and said signal coil.

11. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of said noncontact transmitting units comprises a metallic film shield covering said noncontact transmitting unit to prevent the antenna signal from penetrating said noncontact transmitting unit.

12. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said metallic film shield comprises holes in a facing surface.

13. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said metallic film shield comprises lattice-like patterns on a facing surface.

14. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said metallic film shield is covered with an insulating coating.

15. The noncontact transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main device consists of a cellular phone and said attachment device comprises a camera.

16. An information system comprising:

a main device;

an attachment device;

a first noncontact transmitting unit mounted on said main device; and

a second noncontact transmitting unit mounted on an attachment device, said second noncontact transmitting unit being removably attachable to said first noncontact transmitting unit, for enabling noncontact signal transfer between said main device and said attachment device, wherein each of said first and second noncontact transmitting units comprises;

a power coil wound on a first core to supply power from said main device to said attachment device by electromagnetic induction, wherein said first core of said first noncontact transmitting unit and said first core of said second noncontact transmitting unit face each other when said attachment device is attached to said main device; and

at least one signal coil wound on at least one second core for signal transfer between said main device and said attachment device by electromagnetic induction, wherein, when said attachment device is attached to said main device, said second core of said first noncontact transmitting unit and said second core of said second noncontact transmitting unit may, selectively,

face each other, at a first position, for signal transmission between said signal coils by electromagnetic induction, and

may be displaced from each other to a second position, inhibiting signal transmission between said signal coils by electromagnetic induction.