JP2014017921A - Charger, control method of charger, and charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charger capable of conducting charging to a power reception device in a more efficient manner according to the arrangement of a power reception coil of the power reception device.SOLUTION: A charger, which supplies electric power to a power reception device having a power reception coil through electromagnetic induction, is provided. The charger includes: a housing having a first surface and a second surface which faces the first surface being spaced a predetermined distance away from the first surface; a first coil which is provided on the first surface side and may transmit the electric power to the power reception coil of the power reception device disposed between the first surface and the second surface; a second coil which is provided on the second surface side and may transmit the electric power to the power reception coil of the power reception device; a communication part which uses at least one of the first and second coils to transmit and receive information to/from the power reception device; and a control part which controls the electric power transmission to the power reception coil through at least one of the first and second coils on the basis of the information received from the power reception device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging device that performs charging without contact, a control method thereof, and a charging system.

  Conventionally, a non-contact charging system for charging a secondary battery built in an electronic device such as a mobile phone in a non-contact manner is known. In a non-contact charging system using an electromagnetic induction system, an electronic device and a charging device corresponding to the electronic device each include a coil that transmits electric power for charging. Then, AC power is transmitted from the charging device to the electronic device by electromagnetic induction in both coils, and this is converted to DC power to charge the secondary battery. In addition, a resonance-type non-contact charging system using an electromagnetic field resonance phenomenon has been proposed. For example, the following technologies are disclosed as technologies related to contactless charging.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-194812 (Patent Document 1) discloses a charging device that supplies and charges power in a contactless IC card that can transmit not only signals but also power in a contactless manner. . The charging device includes a storage unit that stores a non-contact IC card, and the storage unit includes a power and a non-contact power transmission coil and a soft magnetic material on each of the opposing surfaces facing the front and back of the non-contact IC card. A signal transmission / reception unit is arranged.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-183812 (Patent Document 2) discloses a resonance type non-contact charging system. The resonance-type non-contact charging system includes an AC power supply, a primary resonance coil that receives power from the AC power supply, a secondary resonance coil that receives power from the primary resonance coil by magnetic field resonance, A charger that receives power supply from a secondary resonance coil, a secondary battery connected to the charger, and a controller that calculates power transmission efficiency between the primary resonance coil and the secondary resonance coil. The secondary resonance coil, the charger, and the secondary battery are provided on the moving body. In the state where at least one of the primary side resonance coil and the secondary side resonance coil is provided, and the moving body is stopped for charging, the power of the plurality of primary side resonance coils and secondary side resonance coils is reduced. Select a combination with high transmission efficiency and perform power transmission.

JP 2000-194812 A JP 2010-183812 A

  In the non-contact charging method using electromagnetic induction, it is necessary to arrange the power transmission coil and the power receiving coil close to each other in order to supply power from the power transmitting coil on the charging stand side to the power receiving coil on the battery pack side. There is. Therefore, in order to perform charging, it is necessary to place the battery pack on the charging stand so that the power receiving coil of the battery pack is close to the charging surface on which the power transmission coil is disposed. And since the receiving coil of a battery pack is normally arrange | positioned on one side, depending on the direction which mounts a battery pack, a receiving coil will separate and it will become impossible to charge a battery pack at all, and it is assumed with respect to a battery cell. In some cases, external influences (such as heat generation) may occur. Therefore, the user needs to place the battery pack on the charging stand after recognizing on which surface of the battery pack the power receiving coil is arranged.

  In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique capable of detecting a power transmission / reception surface of an IC card and performing non-contact charging from one side or both sides of the IC card. However, according to this technique, it is necessary to provide a light receiving element on the IC card side and a light emitting element on the charging device side. Alternatively, it is necessary to provide a predetermined switch on the charger side. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 does not take into account the above problems.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is a charging device that can charge the power receiving device more efficiently according to the arrangement of the power receiving coil of the power receiving device. An object of the present invention is to provide a control method and a charging system.

  According to an embodiment, a charging device is provided that supplies power to a power receiving device having a power receiving coil by electromagnetic induction. The charging device includes a housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated from the first surface by a predetermined distance, and the first device is provided on the first surface side. A first coil capable of transmitting power to a power receiving coil of a power receiving device disposed between the second surface, a second surface, a first coil, a first surface, and a second surface; The power receiving device is provided between the second coil capable of transmitting power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the power receiving device and at least one of the first and second coils. A communication unit that transmits and receives information about the received power receiving coil, and a control unit that controls power transmission to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on the information received from the power receiving device. .

  Preferably, the control unit determines whether or not information on the power receiving coil has been received in at least one of the first and second coils, and the first and second coils based on the determination result of the determination unit The power transmission control part which transmits electric power to a receiving coil via at least one coil of the coil which received information among these.

  Preferably, when the power transmission control unit receives information on the power receiving coil in one of the first and second coils as the determination result of the determination unit, the power transmission control unit passes through one of the first and second coils. Then, the first power is transmitted to the power receiving coil. When the information regarding the power receiving coil is received by both the first and second coils as the determination result of the determination unit, the power transmission control unit receives the first power to the power receiving coil via each of the first and second coils. The second electric power that is half of the electric power is transmitted.

  Preferably, the communication unit transmits a response request signal to the power receiving device via the first and second coils. The power receiving device is configured to transmit a response signal to the response request signal related to the power receiving coil when the response request signal transmitted by the communication unit is received.

  Preferably, the communication unit transmits and receives information superimposed on power transmitted via at least one of the first and second coils.

  According to another embodiment, a method for controlling a charging device that supplies power by electromagnetic induction to a power receiving device having a power receiving coil is provided. The charging device is provided on the first surface side with a housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated from the first surface by a predetermined distance. A first coil capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the first surface and the second surface, the first surface and the second surface provided on the first surface side And a second coil capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the two. The method for controlling the charging device includes the steps of transmitting / receiving information on the power receiving coil provided in the power receiving device to / from the power receiving device via at least one of the first and second coils, and receiving from the power receiving device Controlling the transmission of electric power to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on the information.

  According to still another embodiment, a charging system including a battery pack and a charging device that supplies electric power to the battery pack by electromagnetic induction is provided. The battery pack includes a power receiving coil and a battery cell for storing power received by the power receiving coil. The power receiving coil is provided by being wound so as to surround the side surface of the battery cell. The charging device includes a housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated from the first surface by a predetermined distance, and the first device is provided on the first surface side. A first coil capable of transmitting power to a power receiving coil of a battery pack disposed between the second surface, the first surface, the first surface, and the first surface; A battery pack between the second coil capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the battery pack disposed between the battery pack and the battery pack via at least one of the first and second coils A communication unit that transmits and receives information about the power receiving coil provided in the battery, and a control unit that controls power transmission to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on the information received from the battery pack. including.

  As described above, in a certain aspect, the power receiving device can be more efficiently charged according to the arrangement of the power receiving coil of the power receiving device.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the whole structure of the charging system according to this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the whole structure of the charging system according to this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows another example of the whole structure of the charging system according to this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the charging device according to this Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the battery pack according to this Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the charging device according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the charging process which the charging device according to this Embodiment performs. It is the schematic for demonstrating the whole structure of the battery pack according to this Embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the whole structure of the battery pack according to this Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery pack taken along line A-A ′ of FIG. 9. It is the schematic which shows the further another example of the charging system according to this Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  In the following description, a case will be described in which the power receiving device according to the embodiment of the present invention is a battery pack having a power receiving coil and a battery cell. Note that the power receiving device may be a mobile terminal device such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal with a built-in battery pack.

<A. System overview>
(A1. Outline)
An outline of charging system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an overall configuration of charging system 1 according to the present embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 1, charging system 1 includes a charging device 10 and a battery pack 20.

  The charging device 10 includes the battery pack 20 in a hollow area of the U-shaped casing 11, thereby collectively transmitting power transmission coils 140 </ b> A and 140 </ b> B (hereinafter also referred to as “power transmission coil 140”) provided in the casing 11. .) Is transmitted to the power receiving coil 240 of the battery pack 20 by electromagnetic induction. More specifically, the magnetic flux induced in the power transmission coil 140 is radiated, and electric power is transmitted by receiving the magnetic flux in the power receiving coil 240, and the electric power is charged in the battery cells of the battery pack 20.

  Based on the information regarding the power receiving coil 240 received from the battery pack 20 via the power transmission coil 140, the charging device 10 receives the power transmitted by the power receiving coil 240 via either one of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. If it is determined that it is possible, electric power is transmitted through the one power transmission coil 140. For example, the charging device 10 performs the operation when the power receiving coil 240 charges the battery pack 20 disposed in the vicinity of one side of the casing (one side formed in the Z-axis direction).

  On the other hand, the charging device 10 receives the power transmitted from the power receiving coil 240 via each of the power transmitting coils 140A and 140B based on the information regarding the power receiving coil 240 received from the battery pack 20 via the power transmitting coil 140. When it is determined that power can be received, power is transmitted through each power transmission coil 140. For example, the charging device 10 performs the operation when the power receiving coil 240 charges the battery pack 20 disposed in the vicinity of both surfaces (both surfaces formed in the Z-axis direction) of the casing.

(A2. Outline of operation (part 1))
Here, when the battery pack 20 is the battery pack 20A in which the power receiving coil 240 is disposed in the vicinity of one side of the housing, an outline of operation when the charging device 10 charges the battery pack 20A (part 1) will be described. .

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of charging system 1 according to the present embodiment.
First, the configuration of charging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  Referring to FIG. 2, charging device 10 includes a U-shaped casing 11, a power transmission coil 140, and a circuit board (not shown). A power transmission control circuit for controlling supply of power to the power transmission coil 140 and the like is mounted on the circuit board. The power transmission control circuit is mounted with at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, a DC (Direct Current) -AC (Alternating Current) converter circuit, and a modem circuit described later.

  The housing 11 has a charging surface 12A and a charging surface 12B that faces the charging surface 12A at a predetermined distance. The casing 11 may be configured to be able to adjust the predetermined distance.

  The power transmission coil 140A is provided on the charging surface 12A side, and can transmit power to the power receiving coil 240 of the battery pack 20 disposed between the charging surface 12A and the charging surface 12B. The power transmission coil 140B is provided on the charging surface 12B side, and can transmit electric power to the power receiving coil 240 of the battery pack 20 disposed between the charging surface 12A and the charging surface 12B. More specifically, when the power receiving coil 240 is disposed in proximity to the charging surface 12A, the power transmission coil 140A can transmit power to the power receiving coil 240, and the power receiving coil 240 is charged to the charging surface 12B. The power transmission coil 140B can transmit power to the power reception coil 240 when the power transmission coil 140B is disposed close to the power reception coil 240.

Next, the configuration of battery pack 20A according to the present embodiment will be described.
Battery pack 20A includes a power receiving coil 240, a battery cell 260, a ferrite sheet 280, and a circuit board 290 in a housing. On the circuit board 290, a power reception control circuit that controls charging of the battery cell 260 with the power received by the power receiving coil 240 is mounted. The power reception control circuit includes at least a CPU, a modulation / demodulation circuit, a charging circuit, a memory, and an AC-DC converter circuit, which will be described later.

  The ferrite sheet 280 can block a magnetic field generated outside the battery cell 260. More specifically, the magnetic flux radiated from the power transmission coil 140 can be prevented from entering the battery cell 260. Thereby, for example, when the battery cell 260 is covered with a metal can, heat generation of the metal can can be suppressed. The ferrite sheet 280 may be a magnetic sheet that blocks an external magnetic field made of a magnetic material other than ferrite.

  Here, in FIG. 2, the battery pack 20A is arranged so that the power receiving coil 240 is close to the power transmission coil 140A (charging surface 12A) and the battery cell 260 is close to the power transmitting coil 140B side (charging surface 12B side). It is shown.

  Charging device 10 transmits a response request signal to power receiving coil 240 via power transmission coil 140. Here, when the battery pack 20 receives the response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power receiving coil 240, the battery pack 20 transmits a response signal to the response request signal via the power receiving coil 240. It is configured.

  In this example, the power transmission coil 140A and the power reception coil 240 are arranged close to each other. Therefore, the battery pack 20 </ b> A receives the response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power transmission coil 140 </ b> A via the power reception coil 240, and transmits the response signal to the response request signal via the power reception coil 240. To 140A. In this example, since the power receiving coil 240 and the power transmission coil 140B are not disposed close to each other, the battery pack 20A does not receive the response request signal transmitted via the power transmission coil 140B via the power reception coil 240. (Can not). Therefore, a response signal to the response request signal is not transmitted to the power transmission coil 140B via the power receiving coil 240.

  Next, since the charging device 10 receives the response signal via the power transmission coil 140A, the charging device 10 determines that the power reception coil 240 can receive the power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140A. Then, the charging device 10 transmits power to the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmitting coil 140A.

  At this time, as described above, the charging device 10 does not transmit power via the power transmission coil 140B. That is, since power is not transmitted from the side where the ferrite sheet 280 is not attached to the battery cell 260 (the charging surface 12B side), even if the battery cell 260 is covered with a metal can, the influence of heat generation. There is no need to worry about.

(A3. Outline of operation (2))
Next, when the battery pack 20 is the battery pack 20B in which the power receiving coil 240 is disposed in the vicinity of both sides of the housing, an outline of the operation when the charging device 10 charges the battery pack 20B (part 2) will be described. .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the overall configuration of charging system 1 according to the present embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 3, charging device 10 is similar in configuration to charging device 10 described in FIG. 2, and therefore detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  The battery pack 20B is different from the battery pack 20A in that power receiving coils 240A and 240B are provided near the lower surface and the upper surface of the housing, respectively, and a ferrite sheet 280 is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the battery cell 260. Battery cell 260 is arranged between power receiving coil 240A and power receiving coil 240B.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which the battery pack 20B is arranged so that the power receiving coil 240A is close to the power transmitting coil 140A (charging surface 12A) and the power receiving coil 240B is close to the power transmitting coil 140B (charging surface 12B). .

  Charging device 10 transmits a response request signal to power receiving coil 240 via power transmission coil 140. In this example, power transmission coils 140A and 140B are close to power reception coils 240A and 240B, respectively. Therefore, the battery pack 20B receives the response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power transmission coil 140A via the power receiving coil 240A, and transmits the response signal for the response request signal via the power receiving coil 240A. . Further, the battery pack 20B receives a response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power transmission coil 140B via the power receiving coil 240B, and transmits a response signal corresponding to the response request signal via the power receiving coil 240B. .

  Next, the charging apparatus 10 receives the response signal via each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. The charging device 10 determines that the power receiving coil 240A can receive power transmitted through the power transmitting coil 140A, and determines that the power receiving coil 240B can receive power transmitted via the power transmitting coil 140B. To do. Then, charging device 10 transmits power to power receiving coil 240A via power transmission coil 140A, and transmits power to power receiving coil 240B via power transmission coil 140B.

  Here, as in the example of FIG. 2, the charging device 10 transmits the first electric power transmitted through one of the power transmission coils 140 </ b> A and 140 </ b> B (the power transmission coil 140 </ b> A in the example of FIG. 2). Power. In the example of FIG. 3, the charging device 10 transmits the second power that is half the first power to the battery pack 20B via each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. That is, the charging device 10 transmits the second power to the power receiving coil 240A via the power transmission coil 140A, and transmits the second power to the power receiving coil 240B via the power transmission coil 140B. Therefore, compared with the case where power is transmitted by one power transmission coil 140, the charging efficiency is the same and the power transmitted from each power transmission coil 140 can be halved. It is possible to suppress the heat generated in

  Note that the battery pack 20B can be charged more quickly by transmitting the first power through each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B (ie, transmitting twice as much power as compared with the case where there is only one power transmission coil). It may be the case. Further, when the power transmitted through each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B is in a ratio other than the above (for example, the power transmitted by the power transmission coil 140A is 1/3 of the first power and the power transmission coil 140B). 2/3 of the first power may be transmitted via the first power).

  As described above, since the charging device 10 transmits power via the power transmission coil 140 corresponding to the direction in which the battery pack 20 can receive power, the battery pack 20 can be charged from both sides (whether it can be charged from one side or from both sides). Power can be transmitted more efficiently according to the configuration.

  Moreover, in the charging apparatus 10, since the power transmission coil 140 combines power transmission and signal transmission / reception, it is not necessary to separately provide signal components, and the number of components can be reduced.

  Moreover, since the charging device 10 determines the configuration of the battery pack 20 and appropriately transmits power, the user does not need to recognize on which surface of the battery pack 20 the power receiving coil 240 is arranged. .

  Hereinafter, the charging system 1 including the charging device 10 and the battery pack 20 as described above will be described in detail.

<B. Hardware configuration>
Next, the hardware configuration of the charging device 10 and the battery pack 20 will be described.

(B1. Charging device 10)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of charging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 4, charging device 10 includes a CPU 100, a memory 110, an AC adapter 112, a DC-AC converter circuit 120, a modem circuit 130, and a power transmission coil 140.

  The CPU 100 controls each unit of the charging device 10 by reading and executing a program stored in the memory 110. More specifically, the CPU 100 implements each process (step) of the charging device 10 to be described later by executing the program. The CPU 100 is, for example, a microprocessor. The hardware may be an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) other than the CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a circuit having other arithmetic functions, or the like.

  The memory 110 is realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like. The memory 110 stores programs executed by the CPU 100, data, and the like.

  The AC adapter 112 converts AC power supplied from a commercial power supply provided outside into DC power and supplies the charging device 10 with power.

  The DC-AC converter circuit 120 converts the DC power converted by the AC adapter 112 into AC power and supplies the AC power to the power transmission coil 140. In other words, the CPU 100 instructs the DC-AC converter circuit 120 to supply predetermined AC power to the power transmission coil 140.

  When the charging device 10 transmits information to the battery pack 20 via the power transmission coil 140, the modem circuit 130 generates a modulation signal (communication signal) corresponding to the information and outputs the modulation signal to the power transmission coil 140. . Then, the modulated signal is transmitted to the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmitting coil 140. Further, the modulation signal may be transmitted to the power receiving coil 240 while being superimposed on AC power (waveform) transmitted through the power transmitting coil 140. On the other hand, when the charging device 10 receives information from the battery pack 20 via the power transmission coil 140, the modem circuit 130 demodulates the modulation signal transmitted from the battery pack 20 received via the power transmission coil 140. To do. In other words, the CPU 100 transmits and receives information to and from the battery pack 20 via the modem circuit 130 and the power transmission coil 140.

(B2. Battery pack 20)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of battery pack 20 according to the present embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 5, battery pack 20 includes a CPU 200, a memory 210, an AC-DC converter circuit 220, a modem circuit 230, a power receiving coil 240, a charging circuit 250, and a battery cell 260.

  The CPU 200 controls each unit of the battery pack 20 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 210. The CPU 200 is, for example, a microprocessor. Note that the hardware may be an FPGA other than the CPU, an ASIC, and a circuit having other arithmetic functions.

  The memory 210 is realized by a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, or the like. The memory 210 stores a program executed by the CPU 200, data, and the like.

  The AC-DC converter circuit 220 converts AC power received by the power receiving coil 240 into DC power and transmits the DC power to the charging circuit 250. The charging circuit 250 charges the battery cell 260 with the DC power transmitted from the AC-DC converter circuit 220.

  When the battery pack 20 receives information from the charging device 10 via the power receiving coil 240, the modem circuit 230 demodulates the modulation signal transmitted from the charging device 10 received via the power receiving coil 240. On the other hand, when the battery pack 20 transmits information to the charging device 10 via the power receiving coil 240, a modulation signal corresponding to the information is generated and the modulation signal is transmitted to the power receiving coil 240. Then, the modulation signal is transmitted to the power transmission coil 140 via the power receiving coil 240. In other words, the CPU 200 transmits / receives information to / from the charging device 10 via the modulation / demodulation circuit 230 and the power receiving coil 240. For example, if the CPU 200 receives the response request signal transmitted by the charging device 10 via the power receiving coil 240, the CPU 200 transmits a response signal to the response request signal via the power receiving coil 240.

<C. Functional configuration>
Next, the functional configuration of the charging device 10 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of charging apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 6, charging apparatus 10 includes a communication unit 102, a determination unit 104, and a power transmission control unit 106 as main functional configurations. These configurations are basically realized by the CPU 100 of the charging device 10 executing a program stored in the memory 110 and giving a command to the components of the charging device 10. That is, the CPU 100 has a function as a control unit that controls the entire operation of the charging apparatus 10. Note that some or all of these functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

  The communication unit 102 transmits / receives information regarding the power receiving coil 240 provided in the battery pack 20 to / from the battery pack 20 via (using) at least one of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. More specifically, the communication unit 102 can receive the power transmitted by the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmission coil 140A, or can the power receiving coil 240 receive the power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140B? Send and receive information.

  For example, the communication unit 102 transmits a response request signal for requesting the battery pack 20 to transmit information on the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmitting coils 140A and 140B. Here, as described above, when the battery pack 20 receives the response request signal transmitted by the communication unit 102 via the power receiving coil 240, the battery pack 20 responds to the response request signal via the power receiving coil 240. It is configured to transmit a signal.

  And that the communication part 102 received the said response signal via the power transmission coil 140A is equivalent to having received the information that the power reception coil 240 can receive the electric power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140A. . Similarly, the fact that the communication unit 102 has received a response signal via the power transmission coil 140B corresponds to reception of information that the power reception coil 240 can receive power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140B. . In another aspect, communication unit 102 transmits and receives information related to power receiving coil 240 while being superimposed on power transmitted via at least one of power transmitting coils 140A and 140B. The communication unit 102 is a function realized mainly by the CPU 100 and the modem circuit 130.

  The determination unit 104 determines whether the communication unit 102 has received information regarding the power reception coil 240 via at least one of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. When the determination unit 104 determines that the communication unit 102 has received the information from the power transmission coil 140A, a determination result that the power reception coil 240 can receive power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140A will be described later. To the power transmission control unit 106. When the determination unit 104 determines that the communication unit 102 has received the information from the power transmission coil 140B, the determination result that the power reception coil 240 can receive the power transmitted via the power transmission coil 140B. Is output to the power transmission control unit 106 described later.

  Based on the determination result of the determination unit 104, the power transmission control unit 106 transmits power to the power receiving coil 240 via at least one power transmission coil of the power transmission coils that has received information regarding the power receiving coil 240 among the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. . More specifically, when the power transmission control unit 106 receives information on the power receiving coil 240 of one of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B as the determination result of the determination unit 104, the power transmission control unit 106 receives the one power transmission coil 140 (receives the information). The first power is transmitted to the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmission coil 140). When the information regarding the power receiving coil 240 is received by both the power transmission coils 140A and 140B as the determination result of the determination unit 104, the power transmission control unit 106 receives the first information to the power receiving coil 240 via each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. The second electric power that is half of the electric power is transmitted. The power transmission control unit 106 is a function realized mainly by the CPU 100 and the DC-AC converter circuit 120.

<D. Processing example>
Next, the processing procedure of the charging process performed by the charging apparatus 10 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of charging processing executed by charging device 10 according to the present embodiment. Here, one of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B is described as a first power transmission coil, and the other is described as a second power transmission coil. The first power described above is referred to as standard power.

  Referring to FIG. 7, CPU 100 determines whether or not a signal corresponding to information on power receiving coil 240 has been received from battery pack 20 via the first power transmitting coil (step S <b> 102). More specifically, the CPU 100 transmits a response request signal to the battery pack 20 via the first power transmission coil, and receives a response signal for the response request signal from the battery pack 20 via the first power transmission coil. Determine whether or not.

  CPU100 performs the process after step S116 mentioned later, when the said response signal is not received through the 1st power transmission coil (in the case of NO in step S102).

  On the other hand, when the CPU 100 receives the response signal via the first power transmission coil (YES in step S102), the power received by the power reception coil 240 via the first power transmission coil. Is received (step S104). In other words, the CPU 100 determines that power can be transmitted to the battery pack 20 via the first power transmission coil.

  Next, the CPU 100 determines whether or not a signal corresponding to information on the power receiving coil 240 is received from the battery pack 20 via the second power transmitting coil (step S106). More specifically, the CPU 100 transmits a response request signal to the battery pack 20 via the second power transmission coil, and receives a response signal for the response request signal from the battery pack 20 via the second power transmission coil. Determine whether or not.

  When CPU 100 receives the response signal via the second power transmission coil (YES in step S106), power reception coil 240 can receive the power transmitted via the second power transmission coil. (Step S108). That is, the CPU 100 determines that the power receiving coil 240 can receive the power transmitted through the first power transmitting coil and can also receive the power transmitted through the second power transmitting coil. This is the case, for example, when the battery pack 20 is the battery pack 20B described with reference to FIG. Then, by instructing the DC-AC converter circuit 120, the CPU 100 transmits half of the standard power to the power receiving coil 240 via each of the first and second power transmitting coils (step S110). Exit.

  On the other hand, when the CPU 100 does not receive the response signal via the second power transmission coil (NO in step S106), the power reception coil 240 transmits power via the second power transmission coil. It is determined that the received power cannot be received (step S112). That is, the CPU 100 determines that only power that is received by the power receiving coil 240 via the first power transmitting coil can be received. This is the case, for example, when the configuration of the battery pack 20 is like the battery pack 20A described with reference to FIG. Then, the CPU 100 instructs the DC-AC converter circuit 120 to transmit the standard power to the power receiving coil 240 via the first power transmitting coil (step S114), and ends the process.

Next, the process after step S116 is demonstrated.
When CPU 100 does not receive the response signal via the first power transmission coil (NO in step S102), CPU 100 does not receive the power transmitted by power reception coil 240 via the first power transmission coil. It is determined that it is possible (step S116).

  Next, the CPU 100 determines whether or not a signal corresponding to information regarding the power receiving coil 240 is received from the battery pack 20 via the second power transmitting coil (step S118).

  When CPU 100 receives the response signal via the second power transmission coil (YES in step S118), CPU 100 can receive only the power transmitted by power reception coil 240 via the second power transmission coil. (Step S120). This is the case, for example, when the configuration of the battery pack 20 is like the battery pack 20A described with reference to FIG. Then, the CPU 100 instructs the DC-AC converter circuit 120 to transmit the standard power to the power receiving coil 240 via the second power transmitting coil (step S122), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the CPU 100 does not receive the response signal via the second power transmission coil (NO in step S118), the power reception coil 240 transmits power via the second power transmission coil. It is determined that the power to be received cannot be received (step S124). That is, the CPU 100 determines that the power receiving coil 240 cannot receive the power transmitted through the first power transmitting coil, and also cannot receive the power transmitted through the second power transmitting coil. . Then, the CPU 100 ends the process. At this time, the CPU 100 does not transmit power to the battery pack 20. This is the case, for example, when the battery pack 20 is not properly arranged with respect to the charging device 10 or when the power receiving coil 240 is not included in the battery pack 20 in the first place.

  According to the above, the charging device 10 transmits power from the power transmission coil 140 corresponding to the direction in which the battery pack 20 can receive power, and therefore can transmit power more efficiently according to the configuration of the battery pack 20. Therefore, even if the user is not particularly aware of on which surface of the battery pack 20 the power receiving coil is disposed, appropriate charging is performed only by placing it in the hollow region of the housing.

  Moreover, in the charging apparatus 10, since the power transmission coil 140 combines power transmission and signal transmission / reception, it is not necessary to separately provide signal components, and the number of components can be reduced.

<E. Modification>
In the above, as a configuration of the battery pack 20, the battery pack 20 </ b> A is configured such that one power receiving coil 240 is disposed in the vicinity of one side of the housing and only the power transmitted through any one of the power transmitting coils 140 can be received. And the battery pack 20B, in which two power receiving coils 240 are arranged on the upper surface and the lower surface of the casing and configured to be able to receive power transmitted through the power transmitting coils 140, has been described as an example. .

  Here, as a modification of the configuration of the battery pack 20, the charging device 10 charges a battery pack 20 </ b> C configured such that one power receiving coil 240 can receive power transmitted through each power transmitting coil 140. The operation when doing this will be described. Since the hardware configuration and functional configuration of charging device 10 are the same as those described above, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

(E1. Configuration of battery pack 20C)
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for illustrating an overall configuration of battery pack 20C according to the present embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 8, each component contained in the case member of the battery pack 20C is shown.

  Referring to FIG. 8, battery pack 20 </ b> C includes a power receiving coil 240, a battery cell 260, a cable wire 262, an iron core 270, a ferrite sheet 280, and a circuit board 290 in a case member.

  The power receiving coil 240 is wound so as to surround the side surface of the battery cell 260. More specifically, the power receiving coil 240 is wound around the outer periphery of the iron core 270 disposed so as to surround the side surface of the battery cell 260. The battery cell 260 is connected to the circuit board 290 via a connection terminal and a cable line 262 described later.

  The iron core 270 has a hollow shape and is disposed so as to surround the side surface of the battery cell 260 as described above. In other words, the battery cell 260 is disposed in the hollow portion (inner region) of the iron core 270. Since the iron core 270 works to collect the magnetic flux radiated from the power transmission coil 140, the magnetic flux density can be increased. Therefore, the magnetic flux radiated from the power transmission coil 140 can be more efficiently received by the power reception coil 240 wound around the outer periphery of the iron core 270, and the charging efficiency of the battery cell 260 can be improved. The iron core 270 also has a role as a support for the power receiving coil 240 and a role to protect the battery cell 260 from an impact when the battery pack 20C is dropped. The iron core 270 may be made of a ferromagnetic material such as cobalt or nickel.

  Ferrite sheet 280 is similar to battery pack 20B in that it is attached to the upper and lower surfaces of battery cell 260. Ferrite sheet 280 blocks a magnetic field generated outside from battery cell 260.

The overall configuration of the battery pack 20C will be further described.
FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing an overall configuration of battery pack 20C according to the present embodiment.

The overall configuration of the battery pack 20C will be described with reference to FIG.
The case member 292 is a housing member for housing the power receiving coil 240, the battery cell 260, the iron core 270, the ferrite sheet 280, and the circuit board 290. The case member 292 is made of, for example, a resin material.

  The battery cell 260 is disposed substantially at the center of the case member 292. And as above-mentioned, the hollow iron core 270 is arrange | positioned so that the side surface (surface formed in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction) of the battery cell 260 may be surrounded.

  In addition, the battery cell 260 is provided with a connection terminal 264 for connecting the battery cell 260 and the circuit board 290 on the upper surface or the lower surface (the surface formed in the Z-axis direction). In the example of FIG. 9, the connection terminal 264 is provided on the lower surface (back surface) of the battery cell 260. The battery cell 260 is connected to the circuit board 290 via the connection terminal 264 and the cable line 262.

  The circuit board 290 is disposed close to the iron core 270 along the side surface (the surface formed in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction) of the iron core 270. For example, each of power receiving coil 240 and battery cell 260 is arranged such that the surface on the side connected to circuit board 290 is close to iron core 270 along the side surface of iron core 270. With this configuration, the entire battery pack 20C can be thinned.

Next, the cross-sectional structure of the battery pack 20C will be described.
FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery pack 20C along the line AA ′ in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 10, it can be seen that the outer surface of the iron core 270 substantially coincides with the outer surface of the battery cell 260 to which the ferrite sheet 280 is attached. That is, the iron core 270 having a height substantially equal to the thickness of the battery cell 260 is disposed so as to surround the side surface of the battery cell 260. And the receiving coil 240 can be wound around the outer periphery of the iron core 270 by utilizing the thickness of the battery cell 260. Therefore, the battery pack 20 </ b> C can be made thinner than the battery pack 20 </ b> B in which the power receiving coil 240 is arranged in the vertical direction of the battery cell 260.

(E2. Operation overview)
Next, an outline of the operation when the charging device 10 charges the battery pack 20C will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing still another example of charging system 1 according to the present embodiment. Since charging device 10 has the same configuration as charging device 10 described in FIG. 2, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

  Referring to FIG. 11, it can be seen that power receiving coil 240 wound so as to surround the side surface of battery cell 260 is close to power transmitting coil 140A (charging surface 12A) and power transmitting coil 140B (charging surface 12B).

  Charging device 10 transmits a response request signal to power receiving coil 240 via power transmission coil 140. In this example, since the power transmission coils 140A and 140B are close to the power reception coil 240, the battery pack 20C receives the response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power transmission coil 140 via the power reception coil 240. A response signal corresponding to the response request signal is transmitted to the power transmission coil 140A via the power receiving coil 240. The battery pack 20 </ b> C receives the response request signal transmitted from the charging device 10 via the power transmission coil 140 </ b> B via the power reception coil 240, and transmits the response signal corresponding to the response request signal via the power reception coil 240. Transmit to coil 140B.

  Next, since the battery pack 20C receives the response signal via each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B, the charging device 10 can receive the power transmitted via each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. judge. Charging device 10 then transmits power to power receiving coil 240 via each of power transmitting coils 140A and 140B. At this time, the charging apparatus 10 transmits the second power, which is half of the first power, to the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmission coil 140A, and transmits the second power to the power receiving coil 240 via the power transmission coil 140B. Power transmission.

  That is, the processing procedure when charging device 10 charges battery pack 20C is the same as the processing procedure when charging device 10 charges battery pack 20B. More specifically, the CPU 100 of the charging apparatus 10 executes the processes of step S102 to step S110.

  According to the above, since the charging apparatus 10 determines that the battery pack 20C can receive power from both sides, power is transmitted from the power transmission coils 140A and 140B. Therefore, compared with the case where power is transmitted by one power transmission coil 140, the charging efficiency is equal and the power transmitted from each power transmission coil 140 can be halved. It is possible to suppress the heat generated in Similarly to the case of the example of FIG. 3, the battery pack 20C can be charged more quickly by transmitting the first power through each of the power transmission coils 140A and 140B, or the power transmission coil The electric power transmitted through 140A and 140B may have a ratio other than the above.

  Moreover, in the charging apparatus 10, since the power transmission coil 140 combines power transmission and signal transmission / reception, it is not necessary to separately provide signal components, and the number of components can be reduced.

  Moreover, since the charging device 10 determines the configuration of the battery pack 20 and appropriately transmits power, the user does not need to recognize on which surface of the battery pack 20 the power receiving coil 240 is arranged. .

  Furthermore, since the battery pack 20C uses one power receiving coil 240, the number of parts of the power receiving coil 240 can be reduced as compared with the battery pack 20B.

<F. Other Embodiments>
It is also possible to provide a program that causes a computer to function and execute control as described in the above flowchart. Such a program is recorded on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk attached to the computer, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a ROM, a RAM, and a memory card as a program product. It can also be provided. Alternatively, the program can be provided by being recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk built in the computer. A program can also be provided by downloading via a network.

  The program may be a program module that is provided as a part of an operating system (OS) of a computer and that calls necessary modules in a predetermined arrangement at a predetermined timing to execute processing. In that case, the program itself does not include the module, and the process is executed in cooperation with the OS. A program that does not include such a module can also be included in the program according to the present embodiment.

  Further, the program according to the present embodiment may be provided by being incorporated in a part of another program. Even in this case, the program itself does not include the module included in the other program, and the process is executed in cooperation with the other program. A program incorporated in such another program can also be included in the program according to the present embodiment.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Charging system, 10 Charging device, 11 Case, 12A, 12B Charging surface, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C Battery pack, 100, 200 CPU, 102 Communication unit, 104 Judgment unit, 106 Power transmission control unit, 110, 210 Memory , 112 AC adapter, 120, 220 converter circuit, 130, 230 modulation / demodulation circuit, 140, 140A, 140B power transmission coil, 240, 240A, 240B power reception coil, 250 charging circuit, 260 battery cell, 262 cable line, 264 connection terminal, 270 Iron core, 280 ferrite sheet, 290 circuit board, 292 case member.

Claims (7)

A charging device that supplies power by electromagnetic induction to a power receiving device having a power receiving coil,
A housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated by a predetermined distance;
A first coil provided on the first surface side and capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
A second coil provided on the second surface side and capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
A communication unit that transmits / receives information on the power receiving coil provided in the power receiving device to / from the power receiving device via at least one of the first and second coils;
A charging device comprising: a control unit that controls power transmission to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on information received from the power receiving device. The controller is
A determination unit for determining whether information on the power receiving coil is received in at least one of the first and second coils;
A power transmission control unit configured to transmit power to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils receiving the information based on a determination result of the determination unit. Item 2. The charging device according to Item 1. When the power transmission control unit receives information on the power reception coil as one of the first and second coils as the determination result of the determination unit, the one of the first and second coils A first power is transmitted to the power receiving coil via the coil;
When the power transmission control unit receives information on the power receiving coil in both the first and second coils as a determination result of the determination unit, via each of the first and second coils, The charging device according to claim 2, wherein second power that is half of the first power is transmitted to the power receiving coil. The communication unit transmits a response request signal to the power receiving device via the first and second coils,
The said power receiving apparatus is comprised so that the response signal with respect to the said response request signal regarding the said receiving coil may be transmitted, when the response request signal transmitted by the said communication part is received. The charging device according to item.   5. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits and receives information superimposed on electric power transmitted via at least one of the first and second coils. A method of controlling a charging device that supplies power by electromagnetic induction to a power receiving device having a power receiving coil,
The charging device is:
A housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated by a predetermined distance;
A first coil provided on the first surface side and capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
A second coil provided on the second surface side and capable of transmitting power to the power receiving coil of the power receiving device disposed between the first surface and the second surface; Including
The method for controlling the charging device includes:
Transmitting / receiving information on the power receiving coil provided in the power receiving device to / from the power receiving device via at least one of the first and second coils;
And a step of controlling power transmission to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on information received from the power receiving device. A charging system comprising a battery pack and a charging device that supplies electric power to the battery pack by electromagnetic induction,
The battery pack is
A receiving coil;
A battery cell for storing the power received by the power receiving coil,
The power receiving coil is provided to be wound so as to surround a side surface of the battery cell,
The charging device is:
A housing having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface in a state of being separated by a predetermined distance;
A first coil provided on the first surface side and capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the battery pack disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
A second coil provided on the second surface side and capable of transmitting electric power to the power receiving coil of the battery pack disposed between the first surface and the second surface;
A communication unit that transmits / receives information about the power receiving coil provided in the battery pack to / from the battery pack via at least one of the first and second coils;
And a control unit configured to control power transmission to the power receiving coil via at least one of the first and second coils based on information received from the battery pack.