JP2008312294A - Charger, Charger, Charging System and Method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to simply and efficiently perform non-contact charging and to reduce the cost of a charger and a charger.
A charging system includes a charger to be charged having a secondary battery that is charged with power obtained via a power receiving antenna, and a charger having a plurality of power feeding antennas. The charger uses the means for acquiring the position information of the power receiving antenna from the charger, the means for selecting at least one of the plurality of power feeding antennas according to the position of the power receiving antenna, and the selected power feeding antenna. And means for supplying power to the charger.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a charger, a charger, a charging system, and a method.

Generally, there are two types of charging methods: contact type charging and non-contact type charging. In contact-type charging, charging is performed by physically connecting a charger and a charger. Since the dimensions and intervals of the connection terminals of the charger and the like vary depending on the model, this method requires a charger to be prepared for each model of the charger, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of the versatility of the charger. . Such physical connection is not necessary for non-contact charging. This is because electric power is fed to the charger via electromagnetic induction. Patent Document 1 discloses that the charger is shared by performing non-contact charging.
JP 2006-320047 A

  In contactless charging, the charging efficiency is better as the magnetic flux (magnetic flux) generated from the charging coil (power feeding antenna) on the charger side increases as the magnetic flux passes through the charging coil (power receiving antenna) of the charger. In other words, the smaller the leakage of the magnetic flux generated from the charger from the charging coil of the non-charger, the better the charging efficiency.

  On the other hand, the physical position, shape, size, and the like of the power receiving antenna are generally different for each model. Therefore, from the viewpoint of charging efficiency, it is desirable to perform charging after correctly setting the position of the charger and the charger to be charged for each model. Otherwise, the charging efficiency is deteriorated and, for example, the charging time is prolonged.

  On the other hand, it may be theoretically possible to unify the physical position of the antenna that can be shared for charging and non-contact communication by some standard, but it is not practical. In addition to the non-contact communication antenna, it is also conceivable to prepare a dedicated antenna for charging in a unit to be charged so that charging is always performed with high efficiency. However, if it does so, the enlargement of a to-be-charged device, cost increase, etc. will be caused.

  An object of the present invention is to easily and efficiently perform non-contact charging and to reduce the cost of a charger and a charger.

  In the present invention, a charging system in which charging is performed in a non-contact manner is used. The charging system includes a to-be-charged unit having a secondary battery that is charged with electric power obtained via a power receiving antenna, and a charger having a plurality of power feeding antennas. The charger is selected from means for acquiring position information of the power receiving antenna from the charger, and means for selecting at least one of the plurality of power feeding antennas according to the position of the power receiving antenna. And means for feeding power to the charger using a feeding antenna.

  According to the present invention, non-contact type charging can be performed easily and efficiently, and the cost of the charger and the charger can be reduced.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the charger selects one or more appropriate ones of the plurality of power feeding antennas based on the position information of the power receiving antenna of the charger, and charging is performed via the selected power feeding antennas. Is called. The feeding antenna that has not been selected is not used for charging the charger. Of the plurality of power supply antennas, only the power supply antenna that appropriately interacts with the power receiving antenna of the charger is used for charging. Therefore, this embodiment is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing leakage of the magnetic field generated by the charger. Since the position information of the power receiving antenna is notified from the charger to the charger as needed, this form is preferable from the viewpoint of easily and inexpensively matching the positions of the power receiving antenna and the power feeding antenna.

  The normal line of the mounting surface on which the charger is placed during charging may be non-parallel to the vertical line. In this case, the to-be-charged device slides on the mounting surface and comes to a specific side or place of the charger. Therefore, inclining the mounting surface is preferable from the viewpoint of easily aligning the charger.

  A charging mode in which charging is performed and a communication mode in which wireless communication of some information is performed are prepared, and the operation mode may be switched according to an instruction from the charger. Although a relatively large amount of power is consumed in the communication mode, power supply to the wireless unit (RF unit), the SAM unit, and the like is interrupted in the charging mode. Switching the operation mode in this way is preferable from the viewpoint of improving charging efficiency while saving power consumption.

  From the viewpoint of preventing overcharge, it is preferable that the charge required time required for charging is notified from the charger to the charger, and power supply to the charger is performed within the charge required time.

  While making contactless communication possible over a wide range, from the viewpoint of charging with high efficiency, the charger has a contactless communication antenna with a large opening area and a feeding antenna with a small opening area separately. They are preferably switched according to the operation mode.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the object to be charged (charged device) is a mobile phone, but any suitable device having a rechargeable secondary battery may be the charged device.
FIG. 1 shows an outline of a charging system used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a mobile phone as a charger to be charged and a part of a charger having a mounting surface on which the mobile phone is placed. The charger side is provided with an array of a plurality of feeding antennas, and each feeding antenna has a coil shape.

  2A shows a bottom view of the portion shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the minus Z-axis side. In the illustrated example, 15 feeding antennas arranged in 3 rows and 5 columns and one non-contact communication antenna surrounding them can be seen. In other words, a large number of feeding antennas having a small opening area and non-contact communication antennas having a large opening area are prepared. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the charger is notified of the position information of the power receiving antenna via the non-contact communication antenna. Of these 15 power supply antennas, one or more power supply antennas that match the position of the power reception antenna of the mobile phone are selected, and charging is performed only through the power supply antennas. Both the feeding antenna and the non-contact communication antenna are coiled antennas having a certain opening area. When the opening area is large, communication is possible far away, but magnetic flux leakage tends to increase. On the contrary, if the opening area is small, communication is possible only at a short distance, but the magnetic flux generated by the charger is difficult to leak. For this reason, a non-contact communication antenna having a large opening area is used for communication of antenna position information, and only a selected power feeding antenna having a small opening area is used for charging. The unselected feeding antenna is not used for charging the mobile phone.

  FIG. 2B shows the positional relationship between the mounting surface on which the mobile phone is placed and each coordinate axis (X, Y, Z axis). In this embodiment, the mounting surface is defined by a certain plane, and the mounting surface is slightly inclined with respect to the X axis and is also slightly inclined with respect to the Y axis. In any case, the normal n of the mounting surface is not parallel to the Z axis. For example, if the X-Y plane is a horizontal plane, the normal line n of the mounting surface has a non-parallel positional relationship with the vertical line on which gravity acts. Inclining the mounting surface in this way is preferable from the viewpoint of easily aligning the mobile phone with the origin side during charging. In the illustrated example, the mounting surface has an inclination angle α with respect to the X axis and an inclination angle β with respect to the Y axis. The inclination angles α and β may be equal or different. From the viewpoint of bringing the mobile phone to one of the X axis and the Y axis, one of the inclination angles α and β may be zero. From the viewpoint of bringing the mobile phone to a specific place such as the origin, it is desirable that both α and β are significant values that are not zero.

  FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The charging system includes a charger and a charger. The charger is, for example, a mobile phone, and includes a contactless communication / charging shared antenna 302, a charge / communication switching switch 304, a contactless communication chip 306, a portable device control unit 308, an LED vibrator 310, a rectifier 312, a charging circuit 314, and the like. A secondary battery 316 is included.

  The non-contact communication / charging shared antenna 302 functions as a “power receiving antenna” during charging in addition to an antenna used for non-contact communication for communicating some information. In general, the physical position of the power receiving antenna differs depending on the model of the mobile phone. The antenna may be shared for non-contact communication and charging, or may be prepared separately. From the viewpoint of reducing the size of the device configuration, the antenna is preferably a shared antenna.

  The charge / communication changeover switch 304 connects the antenna 302 to the non-contact communication chip 306 or the rectifier 312 by switching between the charge mode and the non-charge mode (non-contact communication mode). The switching is performed in response to an instruction from the mobile device control unit 308. This instruction is typically attributed to the charger side, but may also be attributed to a user or operator operation. The operation mode switching may be performed mechanically or electrically, may be performed by software or hardware, or may be performed by a combination thereof. For example, from the viewpoint of surely reducing the leakage current, it is preferable to switch with a mechanical switch by a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS). Further, from the viewpoint of extending the life of the parts, it is preferable that the switching is performed by an electrical switch such as a field effect transistor (FET). Software switching is preferable from the viewpoint of ensuring a large flexibility in parameter setting contents.

  The non-contact communication chip 306 represents an integrated circuit for performing non-contact communication, and includes an RF unit, a SAM unit (Secure Application Module), a memory unit, and the like. Information on the charger (charged device information) is stored in the memory unit.

  In response to receiving the mode switching signal from the charger, the portable device control unit 308 notifies the charging / communication switching switch 304 of a signal for switching the operation mode of the mobile phone. In addition, the mobile device control unit 308 measures the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 316, calculates the time required to charge the secondary battery (required charging time), and writes the calculated time in the SAM unit. The measurement of the remaining battery level and the update of the required charging time may be performed regularly, irregularly, or in response to some trigger. For example, the required charging time may be derived from a predetermined correspondence (table) such as a remaining battery level, a charging speed, and a required charging time. Alternatively, the required charging time may be calculated using some mathematical formula. Furthermore, the values of parameters used in such mathematical formulas may be derived from the table.

  The LED vibrator 310 visually displays to the user whether or not the contactless communication is being performed.

  The rectifier 312 appropriately rectifies the power received from the antenna 302.

  The charging circuit 314 supplies the rectified power to the secondary battery 316 and charges the secondary battery 316.

  The secondary battery 316 is a rechargeable battery that supplies power to various processing elements of the mobile phone.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows a state in which the charger information is stored in the memory of the charger. Access to the information in this memory may be permitted freely or only after some mutual authentication. It is preferable to store the charger information in a secure area, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring a high level of safety in the charging operation by allowing the charger to be charged only by a regular charger. Charger information may be stored in the non-contact communication chips 306 and 322, or may be stored in a memory other than such chips.

  The functional elements of the charger are shown on the right side of FIG. 3, and the charger includes a non-contact communication antenna (large opening area) 322, a non-contact communication chip 324, a to-be-charged device information reading unit 326, and antenna position data. Storage unit 328, charging antenna position data storage unit 330, charging antenna determination unit 332, charging antenna control unit 334, switch circuit 336-1 to N, non-contact charging antenna (small opening area) 338-1 to N , Power supply unit 340, required charging time storage unit 342, charging time counting unit 344, and mode control unit 346.

  The non-contact communication antenna (large opening area) 322 is used to perform non-contact communication with a charger (such as a mobile phone) in a non-charge mode. Typically, information indicating the position information of the power receiving antenna of the mobile phone, the time required for charging, and the like is notified from the charger to the charger via the non-contact communication antenna.

  The non-contact communication chip 324 performs signal processing for such non-contact communication.

  The to-be-charged device information reading unit 326 extracts the to-be-charged device information such as the position information of the power receiving antenna and the information indicating the required charging time from the received signal received from the to-be-charged device. The to-be-charged device information reading unit 326 may instruct the to-be-charged device that the to-be-charged device should transmit the to-be-charged device information to the charger before reading the to-be-charged device information from the to-be-charged device. Charged device information is stored in the memory of the charged device.

  The antenna position data storage unit 328 stores position information of the power receiving antenna, which is an example of charger information.

  The charging antenna position data storage unit 330 stores position information of the charging antenna (feeding antenna) of the charger. The charger is provided with a plurality of feeding antennas 338-1 to 338 -N, and information for specifying the position of each of them is stored in the charging antenna position data storage unit 330.

  The charging antenna determination unit 332 compares the position of the power receiving antenna with the positions of the plurality of power feeding antennas, and specifies or selects one or more power feeding antennas suitable for use in charging among the plurality of power feeding antennas. The charging antenna control unit 334 is notified of the position information of the selected power feeding antenna.

  The charging antenna control unit 334 controls the switch circuits 336-1 to 336 -N according to the notified position information of the feeding antenna so that the selected feeding antenna becomes active and the other feeding antennas are disabled. .

  The switch circuits 336-1 to 336-N turn on or off the charging antennas corresponding to the switching circuits 336-1 to 336 -N according to the control from the charging antenna control unit 334.

  More specifically, when receiving the charging antenna selection signal, charging antenna control unit 334 outputs a mode switching signal and switches the operation mode of the charger from the non-contact communication mode to the charging mode. Then, the switch corresponding to the feeding antenna specified by the charging antenna selection signal is turned ON.

  Non-contact charging antennas (small opening area) 338-1 to 338 -N are a plurality of feeding antennas that may be used for feeding, and one or more of these are actually used for charging. Which power supply antenna is used for actual charging is instructed by the charging antenna control unit 334 according to the position of the power receiving antenna of the charger.

  The power feeding unit 340 supplies power to the power feeding antenna set to be active.

  The required charging time storage unit 342 stores required charging time information extracted from the received signal from the charger.

  The charging time counting unit 344 notifies the charging antenna control unit 334 that charging should be terminated when the required charging time has elapsed after the start of charging. In response to this notification, the charging antenna control unit 334 controls the switch circuit so that power feeding by the power feeding antenna is stopped. Then, the charging antenna control unit 334 outputs a mode switching signal, and switches the operation mode from the charging mode to the non-contact communication mode. The time may be counted by an external real-time clock and an interrupt timer, or simply by a timer built in the CPU.

  After the start of charging, the charging time counting unit 344 that confirms the elapsed charging time may be provided in the charger as shown in the figure, may be provided in the charger, or may be provided in both. Good.

  The mode control unit 346 controls whether the operation mode of the charger is a charging mode or a non-contact communication mode.

  FIG. 5 shows an operation example performed in the charging system according to the embodiment of the present invention. For example, a charger to be a mobile phone periodically checks the remaining battery level of the secondary battery in step SA1. For example, the battery charger periodically derives the time required for charging (time required for charging) from the remaining battery level of the secondary battery. For example, the required charging time may be derived from a predetermined correspondence (table) such as a remaining battery level, a charging speed, and a required charging time. Information indicating the latest charging time is written in the memory.

  In step SB1, the presence or absence of a communication partner for non-contact communication is periodically determined by performing appropriate polling or the like from the charger side.

  As shown in steps SB2 and SA2, when a communication partner for non-contact communication exists, an acquisition request signal for information on the charger is transmitted from the charger to the charger. In response to this signal, the to-be-charged device transmits the latest to-be-charged device information described in the memory to the charger. As described above, the charged device information includes the position information of the power receiving antenna, the required charging time, and the like.

  In step SB3, it is determined by the charger whether or not significant charger information has been acquired by non-contact communication. If acquisition is not possible, the flow returns from step SB3 to SB1, and the contactless communication partner is searched again. If it can be obtained, the flow proceeds to step SB4.

  In step SB4, it is determined which antenna (charging antenna or feeding antenna) actually used for charging should be used. This determination is made based on the position information of the power receiving antenna and the position information of one or more power feeding antennas.

  FIG. 6 shows in detail how the feed antenna is selected in step SB4. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that N charging antennas (feed antennas) 1 to N are prepared. The power feeding antenna and the power receiving antenna are constituted by a coiled antenna having a square opening, and are defined by a set of four vertex coordinates. For convenience, the X coordinate of the power receiving antenna is indicated by A1, A2, the Y coordinate is indicated by B1, B2, the X coordinate of the feeding antenna is indicated by X1, X2, and the Y coordinate is indicated by Y1, Y2, both from the origin. It is expressed by the distance of. The coordinates of the power receiving antenna are stored in the antenna position data storage unit 328 in FIG. 3, and the coordinates of the feeding antenna are stored in the charging antenna position data storage unit 330, which are compared by the charging antenna determination unit 332.

  As shown in step S1, the magnitude relationship between the X coordinate of a certain charging antenna and the X coordinate of the power receiving antenna is determined. If the range sandwiched between both ends of the X coordinate of the power supply antenna is included in the range sandwiched between both ends of the X coordinate of the power receiving antenna, the power supply antenna becomes an antenna candidate that is actually used, and the flow proceeds to step S2. Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S4 and the next feeding antenna is designated.

  In step S2, it is confirmed whether or not the range sandwiched between the Y coordinate ends of the power feeding antenna is included in the range sandwiched between the Y coordinate ends of the power receiving antenna. If the confirmation result is affirmative (Yes), the flow proceeds to step S3, and the feeding antenna is actually selected as the antenna used for charging. Then, the flow returns to step S4, specifies an undetermined power supply antenna, and repeats the operation already described. If the confirmation result is negative in step S2 (No), the feeding antenna is deselected from the antenna candidates used for actual charging, and the flow proceeds to step S4. By repeating the above operation for all the feeding antennas 1 to N, one or more feeding antennas that meet the conditions are specified or selected. In the example of FIG. 6, the Y coordinate is confirmed after the magnitude relationship of the X coordinate is confirmed, but this order may be reversed or may be performed simultaneously.

  FIG. 7 shows a state in which charging antennas (feed antennas) 5 and 8 are selected in accordance with the conditions. In the illustrated example, the position of the power receiving antenna is (A1, A2, B1, B2) = (10, 30, 10, 20) [mm]. The position of the feed antenna 5 is (X1, X2, Y1, Y2) = (10, 20, 10, 20) [mm], and the position of the feed antenna 8 is (X1, X2, Y1, Y2) = ( 20,30,10,20) [mm].

  In step SB5 of FIG. 5, in response to the determination of the power feeding antenna in step SB4, a mode switching signal is notified from the charger to the charger. Even in the charger, the operation mode is switched from the non-contact communication mode to the charging mode.

  In step SA3, the operation mode of the to-be-charged device is switched from the non-contact communication mode to the charging mode in response to the operation mode change notification.

  In step SB6, charging is performed via the selected one or more power feeding antennas and power receiving antennas. The charger starts timing so that the elapsed charging time can be detected. Thereafter, when the required charging time has elapsed, in step SB7, the power supply is stopped and the charging ends. In addition, the start of this time measurement may be made according to that the to-be-charged device transmits some signal to the charger. For example, after a mode switching signal is notified from the charger to the charger to be charged in step SB5, a response signal is returned from the charger to the charger, and charging time measurement may be started accordingly. For example, the time required for charging in the charger may be started in response to the charging target writing the charging start command signal to the charger using the R / W function.

  In the to-be-charged device, the presence or absence of any operation by the user is monitored during charging in step SA4. For example, even during charging, charging may be interrupted depending on the user's intention (for example, some key operation, lid opening / closing operation, etc. may be a trigger for them). Alternatively, after the start of charging, the time required for charging may be measured with a timer in the charger to be charged, and the charger may be stopped spontaneously. In step SA5, the operation mode of the charger is switched from the charging mode to the non-contact communication mode according to the end of charging.

  In the above description, the power receiving and / or feeding antenna is constituted by a coiled antenna having a square opening, but this is not essential to the present invention, and other shapes may be used. For example, an annular coil antenna may be used. Although the plurality of feeding antennas have been illustrated as having the same shape, the plurality of feeding antennas may include antennas having different shapes and sizes. However, from the viewpoint of reducing the area not surrounded by any coil, it is preferable that a large number of coil antennas having the same shape having square openings are arranged in an array (for example, when an array is formed by circular coils, The gap between the circular coils becomes a useless area that is not surrounded by any coil.)

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, information indicating the position of the power receiving antenna is notified from the charger to the charger, and a power feeding antenna corresponding to the information is selected by the charger, and charging is performed. For this reason, highly efficient charging can be easily performed, and this is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of improving convenience. Conventionally, the power receiving antenna and the power feeding antenna have to be precisely positioned with effort, but in this embodiment, such a complicated procedure is not necessary.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the operation mode is switched between the charging mode and the non-contact communication mode (non-charge mode), and radio signal demodulation, lighting display, vibrator, etc. for non-contact communication are appropriately stopped. This is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption and improving charging efficiency.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the embodiments are merely illustrative and those skilled in the art will appreciate various variations, modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and the like. . Although specific numerical examples have been described to facilitate understanding of the invention, these numerical values are merely examples and any appropriate values may be used unless otherwise specified. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications, modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and the like are included in the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 shows a schematic diagram of a charging system used in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows a schematic bottom view of a charging system. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the mounting surface of a mobile telephone, and the coordinate axis of a charger. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically a mode that to-be-charged device information is stored in memory. 4 is a flowchart of an operation example performed in the charging system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a mode that a feeding antenna is selected. It is a figure which shows a mode that the electric power feeding antenna was selected.

Explanation of symbols

302 Non-contact communication / Charge shared antenna 304 Charging / communication switch 306 Non-contact communication chip 308 Portable device control unit 310 LED vibrator 312 Rectifier 314 Charging circuit 316 Secondary battery 322 Non-contact communication antenna (large opening area)
324 Non-contact communication chip 326 Charger information reading unit 328 Antenna position data storage unit 330 Charging antenna position data storage unit 332 Charging antenna determination unit 334 Charging antenna control unit 336-1 to N Switch circuit 338-1 to N Non-contact charging antenna (small opening area)
340 Power supply unit 342 Charging time storage unit 344 Charging time count unit 346 Mode control unit

Claims (9)

A charging system in which charging is performed in a non-contact manner,
A to-be-charged device having a secondary battery charged with electric power obtained via a power receiving antenna;
A charger having a plurality of feeding antennas;
And the charger is
Means for acquiring position information of the power receiving antenna from the charger;
Means for selecting at least one of the plurality of feeding antennas according to the position of the power receiving antenna;
Means for feeding power to the charger using the selected feeding antenna;
Having a charging system. A charging method for charging in a non-contact manner,
A step of notifying the charger of the position information of the power receiving antenna of the charger to be charged from the charger;
Selecting at least one of a plurality of feeding antennas provided in the charger according to a position of the power receiving antenna; and
A step of feeding power to the charger via a selected feeding antenna;
A charging method. A charger that performs charging in a non-contact manner,
Multiple feed antennas;
Means for acquiring position information of the power receiving antenna of the charger from the charger;
Means for selecting at least one of the plurality of feeding antennas according to the position of the power receiving antenna;
Means for feeding power to the charger using the selected feeding antenna;
Having a charger.   The charger according to claim 3, wherein a normal line of a mounting surface on which the charger is placed during charging is not parallel to a vertical line.   4. The charger according to claim 3, wherein a charge required time required for charging is notified from the charger, and power supply to the charger is performed within the charge required time.   The charger according to claim 3, further comprising a communication coil antenna having an opening area larger than an opening area of the power feeding antenna. A charger to be charged in a non-contact manner,
A power receiving antenna;
Means for wirelessly notifying the charger of position information of the power receiving antenna;
A rechargeable secondary battery,
The secondary battery is obtained via at least one power supply antenna selected by the charger according to the position of the power reception antenna among the plurality of power supply antennas provided in the charger and the power reception antenna. Charger to be charged with the generated power.   The charged mode according to claim 7, wherein a charging mode in which charging is performed and a communication mode in which wireless communication is performed are prepared as an operation mode of the charger, and the operation mode is switched according to an instruction from the charger. vessel.   The to-be-charged device according to claim 7, further comprising means for calculating a required charging time required for charging according to a remaining battery level of the secondary battery, wherein the charging required time is notified to the charger.

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