Electronic device, charger, and electronic device charging system

• US 8,680,811 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochida, Norihito, Nakamura, Yasuji, Oshimi, Masanori, Yoshida, Hirohiko, Sekiguchi, Akihiko, Machii, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/935,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/114, 320/107, 320/111, 320/110, 320/113, 320/112, 320/115, 320/160, 320/135, 320/134, 320/127
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device which is capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication even if charging of a secondary battery is not fully completed and also whose secondary battery never falls into an overdischarge state during the proximity noncontact communication. An electronic device (2) employs a secondary battery (28), which is rechargeable by a charger (3) that gives a charge of electricity in a noncontact manner, as a power source, and is capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the charger (3). The electronic device (2) repeats a charging process, in which this equipment charges the secondary battery (28) for a predetermined period (Tb1) by receiving a supply of an electric power from the charger (3) via a noncontact power-receiving secondary coil (22), and a communication process, in which this equipment conducts a data communication for a predetermined period (Ta1) when a voltage of the secondary battery (28) at a time of charging start is below a predetermined value (Va), and also repeats a charging process, in which this equipment charges the secondary battery (28) for a predetermined period (Tb2) by receiving a supply of the electric power from the charger (3) via the noncontact power-receiving secondary coil (22), and a communication process, in which this equipment conducts the data communication for a predetermined period (Ta2)(>Ta1) when the voltage of the secondary battery (28) at a time of charging start is more than a predetermined value (Va).

Claims

1. An electronic device that employs a secondary battery, which is rechargeable by a charger, as a power source and is capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the charger, the electronic device comprising:

a power receiving coil that receives an electric power from the charger;

an antenna used for conducting the proximity noncontact communication; and

wherein the secondary battery is charged with the received electric power; and

wherein the electronic device executes;

a first charging process of charging the secondary battery,

then a first communicating process of conducting the proximity noncontact communication for a first variable communication time,

then a second charging process of charging the secondary battery, and

then a second communicating process of conducting the proximity noncontact communication for a second variable communication time; and

wherein the first variable communication time is a first predetermined communication period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined communication value, and is a second predetermined communication period which is shorter than the first predetermined communication period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined communication value, and

wherein the second variable communication time is a third predetermined communication period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined communication value, and is a fourth predetermined communication period which is shorter than the third predetermined communication period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined communication value.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device executes the first charging process for a first variable charging time and the second charging process for a second variable charging time;

and

wherein the first variable charging time is a first predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined charging value, and is a second predetermined charging period which is shorter than the first predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined charging value, and

wherein the second variable charging time is a third predetermined charging period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charging value, and is a fourth predetermined charging period which is shorter than the third predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined charging value.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna and the power receiving coil are arranged in a superposed state.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is composed of a loop antenna, and a center of the loop antenna is set to coincide with a center of the power receiving coil.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein a part of a conductor of the loop antenna and a part of a conductor of the power receiving coil are formed in common.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a charging and communication controlling section that controls the charging and the proximity noncontact communication;

a changeover switch connected to the antenna, and that switches electrical conduction and cutoff to the antenna,

wherein the charging and communication controlling section brings the changeover switch into a conduction state during the first communicating process and the second communicating process, and brings the changeover switch into a cutoff state during the first charging process and the second charging process.

7. A charger for being capable of charging the electronic device set forth in claim 1, and for being capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the electronic device, wherein the electronic device employing a secondary battery as a power source, the charger comprising:

a power transmitting coil that transmits an electric power to the electronic device by electromagnetic induction;

an antenna used for conducting the proximity noncontact communication; and

a charging and communication controlling section that controls a power transmission and the proximity noncontact communication.

8. The charger according to claim 7, wherein the antenna and the power transmitting coil are arranged in a superposed state.

9. The charger according to claim 7, wherein the antenna is composed of a loop antenna, and a center of the loop antenna is set to coincide with a center of the power receiving coil.

10. The charger according to claim 9, wherein a part of a conductor of the loop antenna and a part of a conductor of the power transmitting coil are formed in common.

11. The charger according to claim 7, further comprising:

a changeover switch connected to the antenna, and that switches electrical conduction and cutoff to the antenna,

wherein the charging and communication controlling section brings the changeover switch into a conduction state during the first communicating process and the second communicating process, and brings the changeover switch into a cutoff state during the first charging process and the second charging process.

12. An electronic device charging system, comprising:

the electronic device set forth in claim 1; and

a charger for being capable of charging the electronic device, and for being capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the electronic device, wherein the electronic device employing a secondary battery as a power source, the charger comprising;

a power transmitting coil that transmits an electric power to the electronic device by electromagnetic induction;

an antenna used for conducting the proximity noncontact communication; and

a charging and communication controlling section that controls a power transmission and the proximity noncontact communication.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first charging process is terminated before the first communication process is initiated.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second charging process is terminated before the second communication process is initiated.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity noncontact communication involves video data.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined communication period and the third predetermined communication period are equal in length.

17. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined communication period and the fourth predetermined communication period are equal in length.

18. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first predetermined charging period and the third predetermined charging period are equal in length.

19. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second predetermined charging period and the fourth predetermined charging period are equal in length.

26. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the predetermined communication value is equal to the predetermined charging value.

20. A process for controlling charging of a secondary battery by a charger, the secondary battery capable of serving as a power source for an electronic device, and proximity noncontact communication between the electronic device and the charger, the process comprising:

a first charging process for charging the secondary battery, the first charging process including providing electric power to a power receiving coil;

a first communicating process of conducting the proximity noncontact communication for a first variable communication time;

a second charging process for charging the secondary battery, the second charging process including providing electric power to the power receiving coil;

a second communicating process of conducting the proximity noncontact communication for a second variable time; and

wherein the first variable communication time is a first predetermined communication period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined communication value, and is a second predetermined communication period which is shorter than the first predetermined communication period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined communication value, and

wherein the second variable communication time is a third predetermined communication period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined communication value, and is a fourth predetermined communication period which is shorter than the third predetermined communication period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined communication value.

21. The process of claim 20 further comprising conducting the first charging process for a first variable charging time and conducting the second charging process for a second variable charging time, the first variable charging time is a first predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined charging value, and is a second predetermined charging period which is shorter than the first predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined charging value, and

wherein the second variable charging time is a third predetermined charging period when a voltage of the secondary battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charging value, and is a fourth predetermined charging period which is shorter than the third predetermined charging period when the voltage of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined charging value.

22. The process of claim 20, wherein the first predetermined communication period and the third predetermined communication period are equal in length.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein the second predetermined communication period and the fourth predetermined communication period are equal in length.

24. The process of claim 21, wherein the first predetermined charging period and the third predetermined charging period are equal in length.

25. The process of claim 21, wherein the second predetermined charging period and the fourth predetermined charging period are equal in length.

27. The process of claim 21, wherein the predetermined communication value is equal to the predetermined charging value.