Semiconductor device, power transmission device, power reception device, charging system, wireless communication system, and charging method

• US 9,385,559 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Korekoda, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/945,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A semiconductor device transmits a wireless signal to a power reception device that charges a battery, transmits a charge completion signal when the battery charge is completed, and transmits a response signal in reply to a query signal in the wireless signal. The semiconductor device includes a drive control circuit, a reception circuit, and a controller. The controller can control, when the reception circuit does not receive the response signal or receives the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit communication capable power that makes it possible to communicate with the power reception device and control, when the reception circuit receives the response signal and does not receive the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit charging power capable of charging the battery of the power reception device by the wireless signal, the charging power being higher than the communication capable power.

Claims

1. A power transmission device configured to transmit a wireless signal to a power reception device, the power reception device charging a battery obtained from the received wireless signal, transmitting a charge completion signal when a charge of the battery is completed, and transmitting a response signal in response to a query signal included in the wires signal,

the power transmission device comprising:

a transmission side coil configured to transmit the wireless signal;

a drive circuit configured to drive the transmission side coil;

a drive control circuit configured to control the drive circuit to control intensity and modulation of the wireless signal;

a reception circuit configured to receive the response signal and the charge completion signal from the wireless signal modulated by the power reception device through the transmission side coil; and

a controller configured to

control, when the reception circuit does not receive the response signal or the reception circuit receives the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit communication capable power that makes it possible to communicate with the power reception device and the query signal from the transmission side coil by the wireless signal, and

control, when the reception circuit receives the response signal and the reception circuit does not receive the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit charging power capable of charging the battery of the power reception device by the wireless signal from the transmission side coil, the charging power being higher than the communication capable power,

wherein the controller supplies an intensity control signal for controlling intensity of the wireless signal and a modulation control signal for controlling modulation of the wireless signal to the drive control circuit,

the drive control circuit comprises;

a variable power supply whose voltage is controlled according to the intensity control signal;

a first NMOS (N-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor, the modulation control signal being inputted to a gate thereof, a source thereof being grounded, and a drain thereof being connected a first end of the transmission side coil;

a second NMOS transistor, the modulation control signal being inputted to a gate thereof, a source thereof being grounded, and a drain thereof being connected a second end of the transmission side coil; and

an oscillator configured to output an oscillation signal,

the drive circuit comprises;

a first drive inverter, the oscillation signal being inputted to an input terminal thereof, an output terminal thereof being connected to the first end of the transmission side coil, and the voltage form the variable power supply being supplied as a power supply; and

a second drive inverter, an inversed single of the oscillation signal being inputted to an input terminal thereof, an output terminal thereof being connected to the second end of the transmission side coil, and the voltage form the variable power supply being supplied as a power supply.

2. The power transmission device of claim 1, wherein the reception circuit comprises:

a transmission side rectifier configured to rectify the wireless signal from the transmission side coil; and

a comparator configured to compare a signal rectified by the transmission side rectifier with a reference voltage to output a comparison result to the controller, the comparison result comprising the response signal and the charge completion signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein

the response signal comprises identification information of the battery, and

the controller controls the charging power based on the identification information.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein

the controller comprises a table comprising a plurality of pairs, the identification information and charge characteristic information being associated with each other in each of the pairs, and the controller controls the charging power according to the charge characteristic information corresponding to the identification information, and

the charge characteristic information comprises a relationship between the charging power and time.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drive control circuit to transmit the query signal from the transmission side coil by the wireless signal intermittently while the charging power is being transmitted.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the drive control circuit to transmit, in addition to the charging power, a signal for writing a number of times of charging from the transmission side coil by the wireless signal, and

the power reception device adds a number of times of charging by 1 and stores the added number of times of charging when the receiving the signal for writing the number of times of charging, and when the number of times of charging exceeds a first number of times, the power reception device notifies a user accordingly.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein

the controller obtains identification information of the battery of a plurality of power reception devices through the transmission side coil and the reception circuit by using an anti-collision function, and

the controller controls the charging power according to the obtained identification information of the battery of the plurality of power reception devices.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a first frequency of the wireless signal used for transmitting and receiving the communication capable power and the charging power is different from a second frequency of the wireless signal used for transmitting and receiving the query signal.

3. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first wireless communication device comprising a power transmission device and a first wireless unit, and the power transmission device configured to transmit a wireless signal to a power reception device, the power reception device charging a battery obtained from the received wireless signal, transmitting a charge completion signal when a charge of the battery is completed, and transmitting a response signal in response to a query signal included in the wires signal;

the power transmission device comprising,

a transmission side coil configured to transmit the wireless signal,

a drive circuit configured to drive the transmission side coil,

a drive control circuit configured to control the drive circuit to control intensity and modulation of the wireless signal,

a reception circuit configured to receive the response signal and the charge completion signal from the wireless signal modulated by the power reception device through the transmission side coil, and

a controller configured to

control, when the reception circuit does not receive the response signal or the reception circuit receives the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit communication capable power that makes it possible to communicate with the power reception device and the query signal from the transmission side coil by the wireless signal, and

control, when the reception circuit receives the response signal and the reception circuit does not receive the charge completion signal, the drive control circuit to transmit charging power capable of charging the battery of the power reception device by the wireless signal from the transmission side coil, the charging power being higher than the communication capable power;

a second wireless communication device comprising a power reception device and a second wireless unit configured to be capable of wireless-communicating with the first wireless unit, the second wireless communication device operating by the power from the battery or the rectifier,

wherein the power reception device of the second wireless communication device transmits attribute information which relate to an attribute of the second wireless communication device when the power reception device transmits the response signal,

the first wireless communication device makes the power transmission device to transmit, to the power transmission device, setting information of a wireless pass between the first wireless unit and the second wireless unit according to the received attribute information, and

the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device communicate with each other by establishing a channel between the first wireless unit and the second wireless unit according to the setting information of the wireless pass,

the power reception device of the second wireless communication device configured to receive a wireless signal from a power transmission device, the power transmission device transmitting communication capable power and a query signal by the wireless signal when a response signal is not received or a charge completion signal is received, and transmitting charging power higher than the communication capable power by the wireless signal when the response signal is received and the charge completion signal is not received,

the power reception device of the second wireless communication device comprising;

a reception side coil configured to receive the wireless signal;

a rectifier configured to rectify the wireless signal received by the reception side coil to generate power;

a charging circuit configured to charge a battery with the power from the rectifier and to output a completion signal when charge of the battery completes; and

an RFID function circuit configured to demodulate the wireless signal received by the reception side coil,

to transmit, from the reception side coil, the response signal by modulating the wireless signal when the query signal is detected from the wireless signal, and

to transmit, from the reception side coil, the charge completion signal by modulating the wireless signal when the completion signal is received from the charging circuit.