Charger including a bias voltage applied to a rectifier to rectify received radio waves based on rectifier output voltage

• US 8,085,000 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Otaka, Shoji, Umeda, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/354,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 320/128, 320/137, 320/166
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A charger includes: a rectifier to rectify a received radio wave to generate a charging current; a potential generator to generate a bias voltage setting an operating point of the rectifier; and a controller to supply the bias voltage generated by the potential generator when an output voltage of the rectifier is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A charger comprising:

a rectifier to rectify a received radio wave to generate a charging current;

a potential generator to generate a bias voltage setting an operating point of the rectifier; and

a controller to supply the bias voltage generated by the potential generator when an output voltage of the rectifier is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

2. The charger according to claim 1,

wherein the controller stops supplying the bias voltage when a predetermined period has passed after the start of the supply of the bias voltage.

3. The charger according to claim 1,

wherein the bias voltage corrects an input voltage-charging current characteristic of the rectifier.

4. The charger according to claim 1,

wherein the potential generator comprises:

a voltage source to regulate the bias voltage;

a capacitor to hold the bias voltage of the voltage source;

a gate to turn on/off charging of the capacitor with the bias voltage from the voltage source; and

a transfer controller to control on/off of the gate at a predetermined timing, and

wherein the controller activates the transfer controller when the output voltage of the rectifier is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

5. The charger according to claim 1,

wherein the controller comprises a current mirror circuit to amplify the charging current.

6. The charger according to claim 4,

wherein the controller further comprises a current mirror stopper to stop an operation of the current mirror circuit after the supply of the bias voltage.

7. The charger according to claim 1,

wherein the controller further comprises a charging current stopper to stop the generation of the charging current after the supply of the bias voltage.

8. A charger comprising:

an antenna to receive a charging radio wave;

a rectifier to rectify the charging radio wave to generate a charging current for charging a battery;

a potential generator to generate a bias voltage for offsetting a threshold voltage above which the rectifier starts generating the charging current, and supplying the bias voltage to the rectifier upon receipt of a timing signal;

a transfer controller to generate the timing signal upon receipt of activation control to supply the timing signal to the potential generator; and

a switch controller to give the activation control to the transfer controller when an output voltage of the rectifier becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

9. The charger according to claim 8,

wherein the switch controller comprises:

a timer to regulate a supply time during which the bias voltage is supplied after the activation of the transfer controller; and

a switch to stop an operation of the transfer controller when the supply time has passed.