Wireless power supply system

• US 9,768,620 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yanagawa, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUKHARI, AQEEL H
• Application Number:
  US14/569,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20150187491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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: 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

Abstract

In a wireless power supply system, a power transmitting apparatus wirelessly supplies power to an assigned power receiving apparatus. The wireless power supply system includes an assigning unit that assigns the power receiving apparatus to the power transmitting apparatus, and a determining unit that, when the assigning unit assigns a particular power receiving apparatus to a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, determines a power supply schedule such that the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply system for wirelessly supplying power to an assigned power receiving apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to function as;

an assigning unit configured to assign, to the power receiving apparatus, a power transmitting apparatus;

a determining unit configured to determine a power supplying schedule such that, when the assigning unit assigns, to a particular power receiving apparatus, a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses including one master power transmitting apparatus and a plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously; and

a power transmission controlling unit configured to control a power transmission such that, according to an instruction from the master power transmitting apparatus, in a period assigned by the master power transmitting apparatus to each of the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the power receiving apparatus.

2. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the processor further functions as:

a notifying unit configured to notify the power supplying schedule determined by the determining unit to the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses.

3. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to a plurality of the power receiving apparatuses assigned by the assigning unit, successively, by switching the power receiving apparatus to be supplied with the power, and

the determining unit determines a timing of the switching of the power supplying to the power receiving apparatus from the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, so as to supply the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously from the plurality of the power transmitting apparatus.

4. An assigning apparatus for assigning, to a power receiving apparatus, a power transmitting apparatus capable of wirelessly supplying power, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to function as;

an assigning unit configured to assign, to the power receiving apparatus, a power transmitting apparatus;

a determining unit configured to determine a power supplying schedule such that, when the assigning unit assigns, to a particular power receiving apparatus, a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses including a master power transmitting apparatus and a plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously; and

a power transmission controlling unit configured to control a power transmission such that, according to an instruction from the master power transmitting apparatus, in a period assigned by the master power transmitting apparatus to each of the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the power receiving apparatus.

5. The assigning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor further functions as:

a notifying unit configured to notify the power supplying schedule determined by the determining unit to the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses.

6. The assigning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to a plurality of the power receiving apparatuses assigned by the assigning unit, successively, by switching the power receiving apparatus to be supplied with the power, and

the determining unit determines a timing of the switching of the power supplying to the power receiving apparatus from the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, so as to supply the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously from the plurality of the power transmitting apparatus.

7. A method executed by a processor of a wireless power supply system of wirelessly supplying power to an assigned power receiving apparatus, comprising:

assigning, to the power receiving apparatus, a power transmitting apparatus;

determining a power supplying schedule such that, when a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses including one master power transmitting apparatus and a plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses are assigned to a particular power receiving apparatus, the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously; and

controlling a power transmission such that, according to an instruction from the master power transmitting apparatus, in a period assigned by the master power transmitting apparatus to each of the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the power receiving apparatus.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a computer-readable program for operating a computer to execute a method of wirelessly supplying power to an assigned power receiving apparatus, the program comprising:

code for assigning, to the power receiving apparatus, a power transmitting apparatus;

code for determining a power supplying schedule such that, when a plurality of power transmitting apparatuses including one master power transmitting apparatus and a plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses are assigned to a particular power receiving apparatus, the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the particular power receiving apparatus, not simultaneously; and

code for controlling a power transmission such that, according to an instruction from the master power transmitting apparatus, in a period assigned by the master power transmitting apparatus to each of the plurality of power transmitting apparatuses, the plurality of slave power transmitting apparatuses supply the power to the power receiving apparatus.