Power supplying device and power transmission device

• US 9,543,777 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/062,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 340/505, 370464-466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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: 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

Abstract

A power-supplying device supplies the power to a power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, without interfering with communication between the power-supplying device and power-supplied device. More specifically, the power-supplying device supplies the power to the power-supplied device in a non-contact manner, such that the error rate of wireless communication does not increase.

Claims

1. A power-supplying device comprising:

a communicating unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a first external device;

a power supply unit configured to supply power to a power-supplied external device different from the first external device;

a detecting unit configured to detect an error rate occurred between the communicating unit and the first external device; and

a control unit configured to perform, based on whether a change of the error rate between the communicating unit and the first external device is more than a predetermined value, a process for controlling power supply to the power-supplied external device from the power supply unit if the power supply unit supplies power to the power-supplied external device wirelessly, wherein the communicating unit uses a communication path which is different from a path used for power supplying by the power supply unit.

2. The power supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a process for increasing power to be supplied from the power supply unit to the power-supplied external device if a change of the error rate is not more than the predetermined value.

3. The power supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether a position of the first external device is near to a position of the power-supplied external device.

4. The power supplying device according to claim 1, wherein a change of the error rate is detected using an error rate detected before the power supply unit supplies power to the power-supplied external device and an error rate detected after the power supply unit supplies power to the power-supplied external device.

5. The power supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is configured to supply power to a plurality of external devices wirelessly, the plurality of external devices including the power-supplied external device.

6. A method comprising:

causing the power supplying device to communicate with a first external device wirelessly;

causing a power supplying device to supply power to a power-supplied external device different from the first external device;

detecting an error rate occurred between the power supplying device and the first external device; and

performing, based on whether a change of the error rate between the power supplying device and the first external device is more than a predetermined value, a process for controlling power supply to the power-supplied external device from the power supplying device if the power supplying device supplies power to the power-supplied external device wirelessly, wherein a wireless communication performed by the power supplying device uses a communication path which is different from a path used for power supplying by the power supplying device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising

performing a process for increasing power to be supplied from the power supplying device to the power-supplied external device if a change of the error rate is not more than the predetermined value.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising

determining whether a position of the first external device is near to a position of the power-supplied external device.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein a change of the error rate is detected using an error rate detected before the power supplying device supplies power to the power-supplied external device and an error rate detected after the power supplying device supplies power to the power-supplied external device.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the power supplying device is configured to supply power to a plurality of external devices wirelessly, the plurality of external devices including the power-supplied external device.

11. A power transmission device comprising:

a wireless communication unit that communicates with a first external device via a wireless communication path;

a wireless power transmission unit configured to transmit power to a power-supplied external device, different from the first external device, via a wireless power transmission path different from the wireless communication path; and

a control unit that (a) determines a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path, and (b) controls power to be transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device according to the determined state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device.

12. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit uses a data transfer rate between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

13. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit uses an error rate occurred between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

14. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit uses errors occurred between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

15. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a coil to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

16. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use an electromagnetic induction to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

17. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a magnetic field resonance or a magnetic resonance to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

18. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to use a wireless network to communicate with the first external device.

19. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a coil to transmit power to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path, and the wireless communication unit is configured to use an antenna to communicate with the first external device via the wireless communication path.

20. The power transmission device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is capable of determining whether a position of the first external device is near to a position of the power-supplied external device.

21. A method comprising:

causing a wireless communication unit to communicate with a first external device via a wireless communication path;

causing a wireless power transmission unit to transmit power to a power-supplied external device, different from the first external device, via a wireless power transmission path different from the wireless communication path;

determining a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path; and

controlling power to be transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device according to the determined state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising

using a data transfer rate between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising

using an error rate occurred between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising

using errors occurred between the wireless communication unit and the first external device to determine a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a coil to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use an electromagnetic induction to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a magnetic field resonance or a magnetic resonance to transmit power to the power-supplied external device.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless communication unit is configured to use a wireless network to communicate with the first external device.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless power transmission unit is configured to use a coil to transmit power to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path, and the wireless communication unit is configured to use an antenna to communicate with the first external device via the wireless communication path.

30. The method according to claim 21, further comprising

determining whether a position of the first external device is near to a position of the power-supplied external device.

31. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:

causing a wireless communication unit to communicate with a first external device via a wireless communication path;

causing a wireless power transmission unit to transmit power to a power-supplied external device, different from the first external device, via a wireless power transmission path different from the wireless communication path;

determining a state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device when power is transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device via the wireless power transmission path; and

controlling power to be transmitted from the wireless power transmission unit to the power-supplied external device according to the determined state of communication between the wireless communication unit and the first external device.