Electric power transmitter, electric power transmission method and semiconductor device

• US 9,923,419 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Katsumata, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tra, Quan
• Application Number:
  US15/065,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20170040847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an electric power transmitter has a first electric power transmitting unit, a second electric power transmitting unit, a first detecting unit configured to detect a first placed object on the first electric power transmitting unit, a second detecting unit configured to detect a second placed object on the second electric power transmitting unit, a timer unit configured to, when the first placed object on the first electric power transmitting unit is detected, start driving, and a judging unit configured to, when the second placed object on the second electric power transmitting unit is detected within a predetermined time period from driving of the timer unit, judge that the first placed object and the second placed object are one common placed object.

Claims

1. An electric power transmitter, comprising:

a first detecting unit configured to detect a first placed object on a first electric power transmitting unit;

a second detecting unit configured to detect a second placed object on a second electric power transmitting unit;

a timer unit configured to start driving when the first placed object on the first electric power transmitting unit is detected; and

a judging unit configured to, when the second placed object on the second electric power transmitting unit is detected within a predetermined time period from the driving of the timer unit, judge that the first placed object and the second placed object are one common placed object.

2. The electric power transmitter according to claim 1,

wherein, when the first and the second placed objects are detected within the predetermined time period, and one of the detecting units detects an electric power receiving unit of an electric power receiving target, and another of the detecting units does not detect the electric power receiving unit, the judging unit makes the one of the electric power transmitting units start electric power transmission and does not make the other of the electric power transmitting units perform electric power transmission.

3. The electric power transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first display unit and a second display unit configured to display an electric power transmission state of the first electric power transmitting unit and an electric power transmission state of the second electric power transmitting unit, respectively.

4. The electric power transmitter according to claim 3,

wherein, when the first and the second placed objects are foreign matters different from electric power receiving target, the first and the second display units display that the first placed object is a foreign matter and that the second placed object is a foreign matter, respectively.

5. The electric power transmitter according to claim 2, further comprising:

first and second display units configured to display an electric power transmission state of the first electric power transmitting unit and an electric power transmission state of the second electric power transmitting unit, respectively, and, when the first and the second placed objects are foreign matters, display that the first placed object is a foreign matter and that the second placed object is a foreign matter, respectively,

wherein one of the display units displays an electric power transmission state, and another of the display units does not perform display.

6. The electric power transmitter according to claim 1,

wherein the first detecting unit comprises a first placement detecting unit configured to detect that the first placed object is placed on the first electric power transmitting unit, and

the second detecting unit comprises a second placement detecting unit configured to detect that the second placed object is placed on the second electric power transmitting unit.

7. The electric power transmitter according to claim 6,

wherein the first detecting unit comprises a first communication detecting unit configured to detect that the first placed object is an electric power receiving unit, and

the second detecting unit comprises a second communication detecting unit configured to detect that the second placed object is an electric power receiving unit.

8. The electric power transmitter according to claim 7,

wherein the judging unit judges:

a first judgement result judging that the first or the second placed object is an electric power receiving unit of an electric power receiving target;

a second judgement result judging that the first or the second placed object is a portion, not having the electric power receiving unit, of the electric power receiving target; and

a third judgement result judging that the first or the second placed object is a foreign matter.

9. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, and the first communication detecting unit detects the electric power receiving unit, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit within a drive period of the timer unit,

the judging unit judges the first judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the second judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

10. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit, and the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit detects the electric power receiving unit within a drive period of the timer unit,

the judging unit judges the second judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the first judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

11. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit, and the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit within a drive period of the timer unit,

the judging unit judges the third judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the second judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

12. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, and the first communication detecting unit detects the electric power receiving unit, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit after a drive period of the timer unit elapses,

the judging unit judges the first judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the third judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

13. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit and the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit detects the electric power receiving unit after a drive period of the timer unit elapses,

the judging unit judges the third judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the first judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

14. The electric power transmitter according to claim 8,

wherein, when, after the first communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit, and the first placement detecting unit detects the first placed object, the second placement detecting unit detects the second placed object and the second communication detecting unit does not detect the electric power receiving unit after a drive period of the timer unit elapses,

the judging unit judges the third judgement result for the first electric power transmitting unit, and judges the third judgement result for the second electric power transmitting unit.

15. The electric power transmitter according to claim 4,

wherein each of the first display unit and the second display unit comprises a light emitting device,

the first and the second display units respectively emit a light of a first color when the first and the second electric power transmitting units are in an electric power transmission state, and

the first and the second display units respectively emit a light of a second color different from the first color when a foreign matter is placed on the first or the second electric power transmitting unit.

16. The electric power transmitter according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first electric power transmitting unit and the second electric power transmitting unit comprises an electric power transmitting coil configured to transmit electric power.

17. The electric power transmitter according to claim 7,

wherein the first communication detecting unit can superimpose a signal on AC power to be supplied to the first electric power transmitting unit and transmit the signal to the electric power receiving target via the first electric power transmitting unit, and

the second communication detecting unit can superimpose a signal on AC power to be supplied to the second electric power transmitting unit and transmit the signal to the electric power receiving target via the second electric power transmitting unit.

18. An electric power transmission method, comprising:

detecting a first placed object by a first detecting unit configured to detect the first placed object on a first electric power transmitting unit;

driving a timer unit from a time point at which the first detecting unit detects the first placed object;

when a second placed object is detected by a second detecting unit configured to detect the second placed object on a second electric power transmitting unit within a predetermined time period from driving of the timer unit, judging that the first placed object and the second placed object are one common placed object; and

displaying a judgement result on a display unit.

19. The electric power transmission method according to claim 18,

wherein, when one of the detecting units detects an electric power receiving unit of an electric power receiving target, and another of the detecting units does not detect the electric power receiving unit, the one of the electric power transmitting units starts electric power transmission, and the other of the electric power transmitting units does not perform electric power transmission.

20. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a first detecting unit configured to detect a first placed object on a first electric power transmitting unit;

a second detecting unit configured to detect a second placed object on a second electric power transmitting unit;

a timer unit configured to start driving when the first placed object on the first electric power transmitting unit is detected; and

a judging unit configured to, when the second placed object is detected on the second electric power transmitting unit within a predetermined time period from driving of the timer unit, judge that the first placed object and the second placed object are one common placed object.