Battery charger cradle

• US 8,664,914 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi, Mizoguchi, Yasunari, Satsuma, Eiji, Terao, Kyozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US13/617,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20130009596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

In a battery charger cradle, a battery incorporated in a battery built-in device is charged by electric power induced to an induction coil. The cradle includes a primary coil for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil, a casing having a top plate atop of which the battery built-in device is placed, a movement mechanism for moving the primary coil along an inner surface of the top plate, and a position detection controller for detecting a position of the battery built-in device placed on the top plate and controlling the movement mechanism to bring the primary coil closer to the induction coil in the battery built-in device. When the battery built-in device is placed on the top plate, the position detection controller detects the position of the battery built-in device, and the movement mechanism moves the primary coil closer to the induction coil in the battery built-in device.

Claims

1. A battery charger designed to be used with a battery built-in device having an electromagnetically coupled induction coil incorporated in the battery built-in device and a battery rechargeable with a power induced by the induction coil, the battery charger comprising:

a casing having a top plate;

a primary coil connected to an AC power source for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil, the primary coil being separated from the battery built-in device by the top plate;

a movement mechanism for moving the primary coil along an inner surface of the top plate; and

a position detection controller for detecting a position of the battery built-in device, the position detection controller controlling the movement mechanism to move the primary coil closer to the induction coil contained in the battery built-in device,

wherein the casing houses the primary coil, the movement mechanism, and the position detection controller.

2. The battery charger as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the position detection controller comprises a plurality of stationary position detection coils so that, when the battery built-in device is positioned relatively close to a top surface of the top plate of the casing, the position detection controller detects the position of the battery built-in device with the stationary position detection coils, and the position detection controller controls the movement mechanism so that the movement mechanism moves the primary coil along the inner surface of the top plate to bring the primary coil closer to the induction coil contained in the battery built-in device; and

the inner surface of the top plate is opposite relative to the top surface of the top plate.

3. The battery charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the position detection controller comprises a first position detection controller for roughly detecting a position of the induction coil contained in the battery built-in device and a second position detection controller for precisely detecting the position of the induction coil, such that after the primary coil has been moved closer to the induction coil by the first position detection controller, the primary coil is then moved even closer to the induction coil by the second position detection controller.

4. The battery charger as recited in claim 3, wherein the first position detection controller comprises a plurality of position detection coils disposed at a side of the inner surface of the top plate, a pulsed power source for supplying a pulse signal to the position detection coil, a receiver circuit for receiving an echo signal outputted to a position detection coil from an induction coil which is excited by the pulse signal supplied from the pulsed power source to the position detection coil, and a discrimination decision circuit for judging a position of the induction coil on the basis of the echo signal received by the receiver circuit.

5. A combination comprising:

a battery built-in device having an electromagnetically coupled induction coil and a battery rechargeable with a power induced by the induction coil; and

a battery charger for charging the battery built-in device, the battery charger comprising;

a primary coil connected to an AC power source for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil;

a casing housing the primary coil and having a top plate which is configured to permit the battery built-in device to be positioned relatively close to at a top surface side of the top plate;

a movement mechanism for moving the primary coil along an inner surface of the top plate, the inner surface being opposite relative to the top surface of the top plate; and

a position detection controller for detecting a position of the battery built-in device when positioned close to the top plate and controlling the movement mechanism to move the primary coil closer to the induction coil contained in the battery built-in device,

wherein, when the battery built-in device is positioned relatively close to the top surface of the top plate of the casing, the position detection controller detects the position of the battery built-in device, the position detection controller controls the movement mechanism so that the movement mechanism moves the primary coil along the inner surface of the top plate to move the primary coil closer to the induction coil contained in the battery built-in device.

6. A method for charging a battery built-in device by using a battery charger, the method comprising:

detecting a position of the battery built-in device by a position detection controller when the battery built-in device is positioned relatively close to a top plate of a casing of the battery charger, the position detection controller being incorporated in the casing, and the battery built-in device incorporating an electromagnetically coupled induction coil and a battery that is rechargeable with a power induced by the induction coil;

moving a primary coil along an inner surface of the top plate by a movement mechanism incorporated in the casing, the movement mechanism being controlled by the position detection controller to bring the primary coil closer to the induction coil of the battery built-in device, and the primary coil being contained in the casing and connected to an AC power source for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil; and

charging the battery by the power induced from the primary coil to the induction coil when the induction coil is electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil.