Control apparatus, method and computer-readable storage medium

• US 9,438,316 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujinaga, Seiya
• Primary Examiner(s): ZARE, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US14/332,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20150039482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

In the first state in which the position of an external device is included in the first area where a power supply unit executes wireless power supply and is included in the second area wider than the first area where a communication portion performs communication, the power supply unit is controlled to execute wireless power supply. It is determined whether the state of the external device has transited from the first state to the second state in which the position of the external device is included in the second area and is outside the first area. If it is determined that the state has transited from the first state to the second state, information based on the power supply executed in the first state is communicated with the external device via the communication portion.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a power supply apparatus configured to;

wirelessly supply power to a power receiving device only when the power receiving device is in a position within a first area of the power supply apparatus, and

wirelessly communicate, via near-field communication (NFC), with the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a position within a second area of the apparatus, wherein the second area is wider than the first area; and

the power receiving device configured to;

wirelessly receive power supplied from the power supplying apparatus; and

via NFC, wirelessly communicate with the power supplying apparatus,

wherein the power supplying apparatus is further configured to;

wirelessly supply power to the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a first state in which the position of the device is within the first area and the second area,

determine whether the state has transited from the first state to a second state in which the position of the power receiving device is within the second area but outside of the first area, based on wireless communication with the power receiving device via the NFC, and

communicate information to the power receiving device after the power receiving device has transited from the first state to the second state, wherein the information is based on the amount of power supplied by the power supplying apparatus in the first state, and

wherein the power receiving device is further configured to;

serve as an initiator of NFC to commence wireless communication with the power supplying apparatus via the NFC, and

serve as a target in a passive mode of NFC to receive the information communicated by the power receiving device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus performs the determination based on wireless communication about a power supply amount by the power supplying apparatus with the power receiving device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus wirelessly supplies power to the power receiving device specified by a wireless communication session established with the power receiving device, and when the communication session is disconnected, the power supplying apparatus determines that the state has transited from the first state to the second state.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus further communicates the information with the power receiving device by using a full charge state of the power receiving device or a predetermined notification from the power receiving device as a condition under which the power supply ends.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein if the power supplying apparatus cannot communicate the information with the power receiving device via the NFC, the power supplying apparatus communicates the information with the power receiving device via another communication method.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the power supplying apparatus acquires communication setting information for communicating with the other communication method via the NFC, and communicates the information with the power receiving device via the other communication method according to the communication setting information.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the power supplying apparatus acquires the communication setting information before the position of the power receiving device transits to the second state.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein if the power supplying apparatus does not acquire the communication setting information by the processing, the power supplying apparatus controls a wireless power suppliable area of the power supply to be narrower than that when the communication setting information is acquired.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus communicates billing information based on the power supply.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the power supplying apparatus communicates, as the billing information, a billing fee for an amount of power based on an amount of charge of the power supplying device by the power supply and power consumption of the power supplying device during the power supply.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the power supplying apparatus transmits the billing information including billing for the use of a billing target function to a function provided by said power supplying apparatus.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the state transits from the first state to the second state, communication by the power supplying apparatus for another processing different from transmission of billing information, is canceled to switch the communication to transmission of the billing information.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein if the power receiving device sends a charging end notification during the power supply, the power supplying apparatus stops the power supply to the power receiving device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein if it is determined that the charge state of the power receiving device is a full charge state, the power supplying apparatus stops the power supply according to stop setting information for instructing to stop the power supply.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus is a printer, and the power receiving device, serving as the initiator in the NFC, communicates with the power supplying apparatus for printing by the power supplying apparatus, via the NFC.

16. A method of supplying power in a system including an power supplying apparatus and a power receiving device, the method comprising the steps of:

the power supplying apparatus;

wirelessly supplying power to the power receiving device only when the power receiving device has entered a position within a first area of the power supply apparatus, and

enabling, via NFC, wireless communication with the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a position within a second area of the apparatus, where the second area is wider than the first area;

executing wireless power supply to the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a first state in which the position of the power receiving device is within the first area and the second area;

determining whether the state has transited form the first state to a second state in which the position of the power receiving device is within the second area but outside of the first area, based on wireless communication with the power receiving device via the NFC, and

communicating information to the power receiving device after the power receiving device has transited from the first state to a second state, wherein the information is based on the amount of power supplied by the power supplying apparatus in the first state

the power receiving device;

serving as an initiator in the NFC, initiating NFC to commence wireless communication with the power supplying apparatus via the NFC,

wirelessly receiving power supplied from the power supplying apparatus,

enabling, via NFC, the wireless communication with the power supplying apparatus,

serving as a target in a passive mode, receiving the information communicated by the power receiving device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the power supplying apparatus is a printer, and the power receiving device, serving as the initiator in the NFC, communicates with the power supplying apparatus for printing by the power supplying apparatus, via the NFC.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a power supplying apparatus to supply power to a power receiving device, the program comprising instructions for:

the power supplying apparatus to;

wirelessly supply power to the power receiving device only when the power receiving device has entered a position within a first area of the power supply apparatus, and

enable, via NFC, wireless communication with the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a position within a second area of the apparatus, where the second area is wider than the first area;

execute wireless power supply to the power receiving device when the power receiving device is in a first state in which the position of the power receiving device is within the first area and the second area;

determine whether the state has transited form the first state to a second state in which the position of the power receiving device is within the second area but outside of the first area, based on wireless communication with the power receiving device via the NFC, and

communicate information to the power receiving device after the power receiving device has transited from the first state to a second state, wherein the information is based on the amount of power supplied by the power supplying apparatus in the first state;

and instructions for enabling the power receiving device to;

serve as an initiator in the NFC to commence wireless communication with the power supplying apparatus via the NFC,

wirelessly receive power supplied from the power supplying apparatus,

via NFC, wirelessly communicate with the power supplying apparatus, and

serve as a target in a passive mode to receive the information communicated by the power receiving device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the power supplying apparatus is a printer, and the power receiving device, serving as the initiator in the NFC, communicates with the power supplying apparatus for printing by the power supplying apparatus, via the NFC.