Charger, control method and terminal apparatus

• US 9,325,200 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiwaki, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US14/347,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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

Abstract

A charger includes a contactless charging unit that contactlessly charges an apparatus to be charged, a position aligning unit that performs position aligning of the apparatus to be charged, and a reducing unit that reduces an effect of the position aligning unit.

Claims

1. A charger comprising:

a contactless charging pad, wherein the contactless charging pad includes;

a hollow region vertically extended from a surface of the contactless charging pad to a predetermined depth from the surface,

a shaft vertically arranged in the hollow region,

a support member attached to the shaft and vertically movable with rotation of the shaft,

a magnet provided on the support member, and

a power transmission coil arranged on the surface of the contactless charging pad,

wherein the magnet on the support member is located at a first position in terms of a vertical direction at a time of position aligning of a receiver disposed on the surface of the contactless charging pad, while the magnet on the support member is located at a second position more displaced in the vertical direction from the surface than the first position at a time of contactless charging of the receiver.

2. The charger according to claim 1, wherein

the second position is spaced apart a predetermined distance from the receiver.

3. The charger according to claim 1, further comprising

a magnetic shielding member provided in a space under the surface of the contactless charging pad,

wherein, at a time of position aligning of the receiver, the magnetic shielding member is accommodated in the space and not covering the magnet,

and wherein the magnetic shielding member is located in a position to cover the magnet at a time of contactless charging of the receiver.

4. A receiver configured to be contactlessly charged by the charger defined in claim 1,

wherein the receiver is configured to issue an instruction to the charger to cause the charger to move the magnet on the support member in the vertical direction in the hollow region.

5. A control method for contactlessly charging, by a charger that comprises a contactless charging pad, a receiver disposed on the surface of the contactless charging pad, wherein the contactless charging pad includes:

a hollow region vertically extended from a surface of the contactless charging pad to a predetermined depth from the surface,

a shaft vertically arranged in the hollow region,

a support member attached to the shaft and vertically movable with rotation of the shaft,

a magnet provided on the support member, and

a power transmission coil arranged on the surface of the contactless charging pad,

the method comprising;

locating the magnet on the support member at a first position in terms of a vertical direction at a time of position aligning of the receiver; and

locating the magnet on the support member at a second position more displayed in the vertical direction from the surface than the first position at a time of contactless charging of the receiver.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein the second position is spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the receiver.

7. The control method according to claim 5, comprising

covering a magnet by a magnetic shielding member located between the surface and the magnet, at a time of contactless charging of the receiver,

wherein, at a time of position aligning of the receiver, the magnetic shielding member is accommodated in a space under the surface and wherein the magnetic shielding member does not cover the magnet.