Charging apparatus and charging system

• US 7,696,718 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US11/463,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/106, 320/165, 320/161, 320/162, 320/103, 320/107, 320/112, 320/113
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery incorporated in a portable electronic device. The charging apparatus includes a contactless IC card reader configured to supply operating power to a contactless IC card unit incorporated in the portable electronic device and have an authentication function of authenticating that an object to be authenticated is a correct one, a charging circuit configured to perform contactless charging of the secondary battery, and a control unit configured to activate the charging circuit if an authentication result is OK after the contactless IC card reader authenticates an object to be authenticated when the object to be authenticated is placed.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for charging a secondary battery incorporated in a portable electronic device, the charging apparatus comprising:

a contactless IC card reader configured to supply operating power to a contactless IC card unit incorporated in the portable electronic device and including an authentication function to verify whether the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power;

a power supply circuit configured to supply the operating power to the contactless IC card reader;

a detection unit configured to detect whether the portable electronic device is in contact with the charging apparatus to produce a detection result;

a switching circuit configured to deactivate the power supply circuit when the portable electronic device is not in contact with the charging apparatus and to activate the power supply circuit when the portable electronic device is in contact with the charging apparatus, according to the detection result produced by the detection unit;

a charging circuit configured to perform a contactless charging of the secondary battery; and

a control unit configured to activate the charging circuit when the switching circuit activates the power supply circuit to supply the operating power to the contactless IC card reader and the contactless IC card reader verifies that the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power, and to not activate the charging circuit when the contactless IC card reader does not verify that the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to allow the contactless IC card reader to operate in a low-power mode after a start of charging.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication function is independent of an amount of electricity remaining in the secondary battery of the portable electronic device.

6. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a contactless-IC-card-authentication-unit power supply connected to an output of a rectifier circuit and configured to supply power to the contactless IC card reader, wherein the contactless IC card reader is configured to verify whether the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power by performing a predetermined communication with the contactless IC card unit.

7. The charging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the contactless-IC-card-authentication-unit power supply and the contactless IC card reader are in a deactivated state when a projection on a charging stand of the charging apparatus is not depressed.

11. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contactless IC card reader is further configured to communicate to a contactless IC card in the portable electronic device.

12. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contactless IC card reader is further configured to read information from the contactless IC card unit to verify whether the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power.

3. A charging system, comprising:

a portable electronic device; and

a charging apparatus configured to charge the portable electronic device, wherein

the portable electronic device includes,

a secondary battery to be charged,

a secondary side charging circuit configured to charge the secondary battery, and

a contactless IC card unit, and

the charging apparatus includes,

a contactless IC card reader configured to supply operating power to the contactless IC card unit and including an authentication function to verify whether the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power,

a primary side charging circuit configured to perform a contactless charging of the secondary battery,

a power supply circuit configured to supply the operating power to the contactless IC card reader;

a detection unit configured to detect whether the portable electronic device is in contact with the charging apparatus to produce a detection result;

a switching circuit configured to deactivate the power supply circuit when the portable electronic device is not in contact with the charging apparatus and to activate the power supply circuit when the portable electronic device to be authenticated is in contact with the charging apparatus, according to the detection result produced by the detection unit; and

a control unit configured to activate the primary side charging circuit when the switching circuit activates the power supply circuit to supply the operating power to the contactless IC card reader and the contactless IC card reader verifies that the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power when the detection unit detects that the portable electronic device is in contact with the charging apparatus, and to not activate the charging circuit when the contactless IC card reader does not verify that the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power.

4. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit of the charging apparatus is configured to allow the contactless IC card reader to operate in a low-power mode after a start of charging.

8. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein the authentication function is independent of an amount of electricity remaining in the secondary battery of the portable electronic device.

9. The charging system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a contactless-IC-card-authentication-unit power supply connected to an output of a rectifier circuit and configured to supply power to the contactless IC card reader, wherein the contactless IC card reader is configured to verify whether the portable electronic device is to be supplied with the operating power by performing a predetermined communication with the contactless IC card unit.

10. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein the contactless-IC-card-authentication-unit power supply and the contactless IC card reader are in a deactivated state when a projection on a charging stand of the charging apparatus is not depressed.