Electronic device, battery charger, and electronic device battery-charging system

• US 8,810,195 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochida, Norihito, Nakamura, Yasuji, Oshimi, Masanori, Yoshida, Hirohiko, Sekiguchi, Akihiko, Machii, Eiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US12/935,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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 capable of receiving payment of a charge required for a charging process even though a secondary battery of the electronic device ran into an overdischarge state and also extricating itself from the overdischarge state, and a charger used for the same. A charger (3) executes a power transmission before it conducts a proximity noncontact communication with an electronic device (2), continues this power transmission until a preliminary charging stop notification signal is sent from the electronic device (2), and conducts the proximity noncontact communication regarding to a billing process with the electronic device (2) when the preliminary charging stop notification signal is sent. After the communication regarding to the billing process is ended, the charger (3) gives a charge of electricity to the electronic device (2) again. The electronic device (2) charges a secondary battery (28) by using the power transmission, then executes the charging up to a level at which the proximity noncontact communication regarding to the billing process can be conducted, then conducts the proximity noncontact communication regarding to the billing process with the charger (3), and then restarts the power transmission from the charger (3) to execute the charging until the secondary battery (28) is fully charged. In this manner, the noncontact charging and the proximity noncontact communication are executed between the electronic device (2) and the charger (3) in a time-division system.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a power receiving coil configured to receive an electric power from a charger by electromagnetic induction;

a secondary battery configured to be charged with the received electric power;

an antenna configured to conduct a proximity noncontact communication with the charger; and

a charging and communication controlling section configured to control the charging of the secondary battery and the proximity noncontact communication,

wherein, if a voltage of the secondary battery is below a first value, the charging and communication controlling section controls a first charging of the secondary battery with the electric power received via the power receiving coil until the voltage of the secondary battery becomes the first value or more;

wherein the proximity noncontact communication is conducted after the first charging is conducted; and

wherein a second charging of the secondary battery is conducted until the voltage of the secondary battery becomes a second value larger than the first value after the proximity noncontact communication is conducted.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity noncontact communication is a communication regarding a payment of a charge.

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 transmitting coil are formed in common.

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

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

wherein the charging and communication controlling section brings the changeover switch into the conduction state during the proximity noncontact communication, and brings the changeover switch into the cutoff state during the first charging or the second charging.

14. An electronic device charging system, comprising:

the electronic device set forth in claim 1; and

a charger configured to charge the electronic device employing a secondary battery as a power source and configured to conduct a proximity noncontact communication with the electronic device, the charger including;

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

an antenna configured to conduct the proximity noncontact communication; and

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

wherein the power transmission and communication controlling section;

starts a first power transmission when the electronic device is detected in a standby state,

stops the first power transmission when a notification indicating that the power transmission is to be stopped is received from the electronic device during the first power transmission,

starts the proximity noncontact communication after the first power transmission is terminated, and

starts a second power transmission when the proximity noncontact communication is terminated.

7. 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 configured to receive electric power from the charger by electromagnetic induction;

an antenna configured to conduct the proximity noncontact communication; and

a charging and communication controlling section configured to control the charging and the proximity noncontact communication,

wherein, if a voltage of the secondary battery is below a first value, the charging and communication controlling section;

starts a first charging of the secondary battery with an electric power received via the power receiving coil,

sends to the charger a notification indicating that a power transmission is to be stopped when a voltage of the secondary battery becomes a first value or more during the first charging,

starts the proximity noncontact communication after the notification indicating that the power transmission is to be stopped is sent, and

conducts a second charging of the secondary battery until the voltage of the second battery becomes a second value larger than the first value after the proximity noncontact communication is terminated.

8. A charger for charging an electronic device employing a secondary battery as a power source and for conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the electronic device, the charger comprising:

a power transmitting coil configured to transmit an electric power to the electronic device by electromagnetic induction;

an antenna configured to conduct the proximity noncontact communication; and

a power transmission and communication controlling section configured to control a power transmission and the proximity noncontact communication,

wherein the power transmission and communication controlling section;

starts a first power transmission when the electronic device is detected in a standby state,

stops the first power transmission when a notification indicating that the power transmission is to be stopped is received from the electronic device during the first power transmission,

starts the proximity noncontact communication after the first power transmission is terminated, and

starts a second power transmission when the proximity noncontact communication is terminated.

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

10. The charger according to claim 8, 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 transmitting coil.

11. The charger according to claim 10, 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.

12. The charger according to claim 8, further comprising:

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

wherein the power transmission and communication controlling section brings the changeover switch into the conduction state during the proximity noncontact communication, and brings the changeover switch into the cutoff state during the first power transmission or the second power transmission.

13. The charger of claim 8, wherein the power transmission and communications controlling section is configured to control transmission and reception of the proximity noncontact communication.