JP5800056B2 - Reader / writer apparatus, battery charging system and method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for charging power of a battery of a mobile device typified by a mobile phone.

  A portable device typified by a cellular phone is a device that is always possessed by a user. Therefore, a proximity non-contact IC chip is mounted on the portable device and a specific function of the proximity non-contact IC card (for example, electronic money) There are an increasing number of cases in which the portable device is made to correspond.

  For example, when a proximity type non-contact IC chip mounted on a portable device supports electronic money as a specific function, when used in a virtual store on a network, a control circuit for functioning with an ordinary portable device When used in an actual store, the portable device is configured to operate independently without being combined with the control circuit, but the proximity type non-contact IC chip is used for combination operation or single operation. Regardless, since it operates with the power of the battery mounted on the portable device, there is a problem that not only the portable device but also the proximity non-contact IC chip does not operate when the power of the battery is depleted.

  When a proximity non-contact IC chip mounted on a portable device performs a combination operation, the proximity non-contact IC chip performs data communication with a control circuit of the portable device, but when a proximity non-contact IC chip performs a combination operation, Since the type non-contact IC chip communicates with the external reader / writer, when the power of the battery mounted on the portable device is depleted, the power is supplied from the external device to the battery so that the proximity type non-contact IC chip can be operated independently. It is technically possible.

  As an invention for supplying electric power from an external reader / writer to a battery built in a portable terminal or the like, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have already been disclosed. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the battery built-in device is a non-contact IC card, and the non-contact IC card of Patent Document 1 includes an antenna that is commonly used for data communication and charging, and charging efficiency. In order to increase the resistance, the resistance value of the antenna is reduced during charging.

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, the device containing the battery is a portable device (cell phone), and the portable device of Patent Document 2 is used for data communication and charging as in Patent Document 1. A charging device that includes a common antenna (for example, a spiral flat antenna) and performs data communication with a portable device is charged based on the remaining battery level obtained from the portable device when receiving an instruction from a user who owns the portable device. Time is calculated and power is supplied to the portable device until the charging time has elapsed.

JP 2008-113519 A JP 2008-236888 A

  Certainly, if the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 is used, a reader / writer having a reader / writer function even when the battery of the portable device on which the proximity contactless IC chip is mounted is exhausted. Although power can be supplied from the device to the battery of the mobile phone, the reader / writer device automatically determines whether or not the battery of the mobile device is exhausted, and the mobile phone is determined according to the determination result. The charge for the battery could not be controlled.

  Therefore, the present invention automatically determines whether or not the battery of the portable device is depleted, and controls the charging of the battery of the portable device according to the determination result, and a reader / writer device The purpose is to provide.

The present invention solves the above problems by the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reader / writer unit connected to a reader / writer coil for non-contact data communication with an external non-contact IC chip, and a power supply coil, and the non-contact IC is connected by electromagnetic induction. A power supply unit that supplies power to a battery that operates the chip; a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a nearby object; and the reader / writer unit that determines whether or not the battery has power in response to detection of the object by the sensor And control means for starting the charging process by operating the power supply unit in a state where the reader / writer unit is operated when the power of the battery cannot be confirmed. This is a characteristic reader / writer device.
According to a second invention, in the reader / writer device of the first invention, the control means determines whether non-contact data communication using the reader / writer unit is possible with the object. The reader / writer device is characterized by confirming whether or not the battery has power.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control means sends a response of an initial response command that the reader / writer unit sends at regular intervals, and the reader detects the object after the sensor detects the object. It is a reader / writer device characterized by determining whether or not non-contact data communication is possible depending on whether or not the writer unit has received.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer device according to the third aspect, the control means receives the response of the initial response command even if a set time has elapsed after the power supply unit is operated. If not, the charging process is interrupted, and if the reader / writer unit can receive the response of the initial response command within the set time, the transaction related to the specific function supported by the non-contact IC chip A reader / writer device characterized by executing processing.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the reader / writer device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the control unit of the reader / writer device has received the response of the initial response command within the set time, A reader / writer device characterized in that a transaction process related to a specific function supported by the non-contact IC chip is executed without interrupting a charging process.

A sixth invention is a battery charging system comprising at least an external device and a reader / writer device that performs non-contact data communication with the external device, wherein the external device is connected to a battery and a charging coil. A battery charging unit that charges the battery with electric power obtained by electromagnetic induction generated at both ends of the charging coil; and a non-contact IC chip that is connected to the data communication coil and is supplied with electric power from the battery and can operate independently. The reader / writer device is connected to a reader / writer coil, is connected to a reader / writer unit that performs non-contact data communication with the non-contact IC chip, and a power supply coil, and supplies power to the battery by electromagnetic induction. A power supply unit; a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an object close to the reader / writer device; and the sensor detects the object. In response, the power supply unit checks whether or not the battery has power by operating the reader / writer unit, and when the power of the battery cannot be confirmed, the power supply unit is in a state where the reader / writer unit is operated. And a control means for starting the charging process by operating the battery.
The seventh invention is the battery charging system of the sixth invention, wherein the control means of the reader / writer device is capable of non-contact data communication using the reader / writer unit with the object. It is a battery charging system characterized by confirming the presence or absence of the electric power of the battery by determining.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the battery charging system according to the seventh aspect, the control means of the reader / writer device transmits a response to an initial response command transmitted by the reader / writer unit at regular intervals, and the sensor detects the object. It is a battery charging system characterized by determining whether or not non-contact data communication is possible depending on whether or not the reader / writer unit receives after detecting.

A ninth invention is a battery charging method in which a reader / writer device charges power to a battery built in an external device on which a non-contact IC chip is mounted, and the reader / writer device is provided in the reader / writer device. And a reader / writer coil connected to detect whether or not the battery is powered in response to a detection step in which the detected sensor detects an object in proximity to the reader / writer device and the reader / writer device detects in the detection step. A confirmation step of operating and confirming a reader / writer unit that performs non-contact data communication with the non-contact IC chip, and the reader / writer when the reader / writer device cannot confirm the power of the battery in the confirmation step. The power is supplied to the battery by electromagnetic induction using the power supply coil in a state where the part is operated. Activates the power supply to the charging start step of starting the charging process, is a battery charging method which comprises a.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the battery charging method according to the ninth aspect of the invention, in the confirmation step, the reader / writer device can perform non-contact data communication with the object using the reader / writer unit. It is a battery charging method characterized by confirming the presence or absence of the electric power of the battery by determining whether or not.
In an eleventh aspect of the invention, in the battery charging method of the tenth aspect of the invention, in the confirmation step, the reader / writer device sends a response of an initial response command sent by the reader / writer unit at regular intervals, and the sensor sends the object It is a battery charging method characterized by determining whether or not non-contact data communication is possible depending on whether or not the reader / writer unit has received the signal after detecting it.

  According to the present invention described above, a battery charging system, method, and reader that can automatically determine whether or not the battery of the mobile device is depleted and control charging of the battery of the mobile device according to the determination result. A writer device can be provided.

The figure explaining the structure of a battery charging system. The block diagram of a mobile telephone and a reader / writer apparatus. The flowchart which showed the procedure which charges the electric power to the battery of a mobile telephone.

  From this point, embodiments of the present invention will be described to the extent that those skilled in the art of the present invention can understand the contents of the present invention and implement the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a battery charging system 1 according to the present embodiment. The battery charging system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is represented by FeliCa (registered trademark), which is famous for Osaifu-Keitai (registered trademark). A cellular phone 2 which is a portable device mounted with a proximity type non-contact IC chip, and a reader / writer having a reader / writer function for communicating with the cellular phone 2 in proximity type non-contact data and a charging function for charging the battery of the cellular phone 2 And at least the apparatus 3.

  In FIG. 1, the mobile device is a mobile phone 2, but other than the mobile phone 2, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) capable of mounting a proximity non-contact IC chip or a battery built-in proximity non-contact IC card. Can be used as a portable device.

  2 is a block diagram of the mobile phone 2 and the reader / writer device 3 constituting the battery charging system 1, FIG. 2 (a) is a block diagram of the mobile phone 2, and FIG. 2 (b) is a block diagram of the reader / writer device 3. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 2 includes an antenna, a liquid crystal display, a display driving circuit, a baseband processing circuit, an application processor, a memory, and the like, and a base circuit unit 20 for functioning as a general-purpose mobile phone; The proximity contactless IC chip 21 described above, the battery 22 that supplies power to the base circuit unit 20 and the proximity contactless IC chip 21, and the charging coil 24 that receives the power carrier wave transmitted by the reader / writer device 3. And a battery charging unit that is mounted with a bridge circuit for converting alternating current to direct current, a voltage control IC chip for controlling the charging voltage, and the like, and charges the battery 22 with electric power obtained by electromagnetic induction generated at both ends of the charging coil 24 23.

  Although the data communication and charging coils can be combined, the problem as disclosed in Patent Document 1 arises. Therefore, in the present embodiment, for data communication used for proximity non-contact data communication. The coil 25 is provided separately from the charging coil 24 used for charging the battery 22, the data communication coil 25 is connected to the proximity non-contact IC chip 21, and the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 is connected to the data communication coil. 25 is used for non-contact data communication with the reader / writer device 3.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the reader / writer device 3 includes a reader / writer unit 31 on which circuits necessary for performing proximity type non-contact data communication such as a demodulation / modulation circuit and an encoding / decoding circuit are mounted. A power supply coil 34 for transmitting a power carrier wave, a circuit for detecting an overcurrent, a circuit for detecting overheating, a charge control IC chip for controlling charging of the battery 22, etc. are mounted, and the power supply coil 34 is connected. A power supply unit 33, a sensor 32 for detecting an object existing within a certain distance from the coil surface 3a of the reader / writer device 3, and a control unit 30 for controlling the reader / writer device 3 as a whole. Power is supplied from an external power source.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the data communication and charging coils are separated from each other, the reader / writer device 3 is separate from the power supply coil 34 in the proximity type of the cellular phone 2. A reader / writer coil 35 used for proximity non-contact data communication with the non-contact IC chip 21 is provided, and the reader / writer coil 35 is connected to the reader / writer unit 31.

  A sensor 32 provided in the reader / writer device 3 is provided in the reader / writer device 3 to detect an object approaching the coil surface 3a of the reader / writer device 3, and detects an object when the distance to the object is within a set distance. In addition to the reflective photoelectric sensor, an infrared sensor that detects the hand of the person holding the mobile phone 2 can be used as the sensor 32. The set distance when the sensor 32 outputs a detection signal indicating that an object has been detected is preferably equal to or longer than the distance of the operating magnetic field of the reader / writer device 3.

  The control unit 30 provided in the reader / writer device 3 uses a reader / writer unit 31 to perform a transaction process related to a specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 of the mobile phone 2, and a sensor 32 and the reader / writer unit 31 have a function of controlling the charging of the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2. The control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 detects an object, and the sensor 32 When proximity non-contact data communication cannot be performed with the detected object, the power supply unit 33 of the reader / writer device 3 is operated, and a charging process for charging the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 is executed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure in which the control unit 30 provided in the reader / writer device 3 charges power to the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2. Note that the description of FIG. 3 also serves as an explanation of the battery charging method of the present invention.

  When the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 is activated, an initial response command that is a command for starting proximity non-contact data communication with the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 existing in the operating magnetic field of the power supply unit 33 is issued. The reader / writer unit 31 is caused to execute an operation of transmitting at regular intervals, and further monitors the detection signal from the sensor 32 to monitor whether the sensor 32 has detected an object close to the reader / writer device (S10).

  Note that the initial response command transmitted by the reader / writer unit 31 conforms to the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 of the mobile phone 2. For example, when the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 conforms to ISO / IEC 14443 Type A, the reader / writer The initial response command transmitted by the unit 31 is REQA (Request Command, Type A) defined by ISO / IEC14443.

  The reader / writer unit 31 of the mobile phone 2 uses a reader / writer coil 35 to transmit a data carrier wave modulated with an initial response command encoded for a contactless communication protocol supported by the proximity contactless IC chip 21. . If the power of the battery 22 is not depleted, the proximity contactless IC chip 21 demodulates and decodes the data carrier received by the data communication coil 25, and receives the response of the initial response command by load modulation or the like as a reader / writer device. Reply to 3.

  When a detection signal indicating that an object in proximity to the reader / writer device 3 has been detected is output from the sensor 32 (S11), the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 receives a predetermined time after receiving the detection signal. It is determined whether the response of the initial response command is received within (for example, 1 second) (S12), and when the response of the initial response command is received, the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 is not charged. The transaction processing related to the proximity type non-contact IC chip 21 that has returned the response of the initial response command and a specific function (for example, electronic money) supported by the proximity type non-contact IC chip 21 is executed (S16), When the transaction process ends, the charge process ends with the end of the transaction process as a trigger (S19), and this procedure ends. That.

  Further, the reader / writer unit 31 does not receive the response of the initial response command within a certain time (for example, 1 second) after receiving the detection signal indicating that the object close to the reader / writer device 3 has been detected. In such a case, it is determined that there is a possibility that the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 does not have enough remaining capacity to operate the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 of the mobile phone 2, and the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 33 is activated to start a charging process for charging the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 in a non-contact manner (S13).

  When performing the charging process, the power supply unit 33 uses the power supply coil 34 to transmit a power carrier wave having a predetermined frequency. Note that the frequency of the power carrier wave and the data carrier wave are generally different, but may be the same. The power carrier wave is received by the charging coil 24 of the mobile phone 2, and the charging coil of the mobile phone is generated by electromagnetic induction accompanying the change in magnetic flux between the power supply coil 34 of the reader / writer device 3 and the charging coil 24 of the mobile phone. An AC voltage is generated at both ends of the battery 24, and the battery charger 23 of the mobile phone 2 converts the AC voltage into a direct current and charges the battery 22.

  When starting the charging process, the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 measures the time from the start of the charging process and determines whether the reader / writer unit 31 has received a response to the initial response command (S14).

  When the reader / writer unit 31 receives the response of the initial response command, the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 performs a charging process and performs a specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 of the mobile phone 2. The transaction processing concerned is executed (S17), and when the transaction processing ends, the charging processing ends with the end of the transaction processing as a trigger (S19), and this procedure ends.

  In addition, when the reader / writer unit 31 cannot receive the response of the initial response command, the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 has a time from the start of the charging process within a set time (for example, 3 seconds). If the time exceeds the set time, the control unit 30 of the reader / writer device 3 determines that the object detected by the sensor 32 is not the mobile phone 2 and interrupts the charging process. (S18) If this procedure is interrupted without executing the transaction processing related to the specific function supported by the proximity contactless IC chip 21 of the mobile phone 2, and the time exceeds the set time, Then, the process returns to the process of determining whether the reader / writer unit 31 has received the response of the initial response command.

  Thus, by providing the reader / writer device 3 with the sensor 32, the reader / writer device 3 can detect the presence or absence of an object in which the mobile phone 2 is close to the reader / writer device 3. When the power of the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 is depleted, the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 does not operate. Therefore, when the sensor 32 detects an object, it determines whether non-contact data communication with the object is possible. When the contact data communication is not possible, the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 is automatically charged when the power of the battery 22 of the mobile phone 2 is depleted by operating the power supply unit 33 and starting the charging process. become able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, whether or not contactless communication with an object is possible is determined by the response of the initial response command transmitted by the reader / writer unit 31 at regular intervals, after the sensor 32 detects the object, the reader / writer unit. If the reader / writer unit 31 cannot receive the response of the initial response command even after the set time has elapsed since the power supply unit 33 was activated, the object is not the mobile phone 2. It is desirable to interrupt the charging process.

  Also, when the reader / writer unit 31 can receive the response of the initial response command within the set time, the transaction process related to the specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 is executed without interrupting the charging process. Then, the power of the battery 22 is not exhausted during transaction processing.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described so far, and various modifications and changes can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the transaction processing related to the specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip 21 is performed during the charging process, but the reader / writer device 3 is provided with a recess for fitting the mobile phone 2. When the mobile phone 2 transmits a response to the initial response command, such as when the relative position of the charging coil 24 built in the mobile phone 2 and the power supply coil 34 built in the reader / writer device 3 can be fixed. If it can be assumed in advance that the battery 22 can be charged with enough power to execute the transaction processing related to the specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip 21, the transaction processing is performed to save power. The charging process may be terminated at the time of starting (S17 in FIG. 3).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Battery charging system 2 Mobile phone 20 Base circuit part 21 Proximity non-contact IC chip 22 Battery 23 Battery charging part 24 Coil for charging 25 Coil for data communication 3 Reader / writer apparatus 30 Control part 31 Reader / writer part 32 Sensor 33 Electric power supply part 34 Coil for reader / writer 35 Coil for power supply

Claims (4)

A reader / writer unit that is connected to a reader / writer coil and performs proximity non-contact data communication with an external proximity non-contact IC chip;
A power supply unit connected to a power supply coil and supplying power to a battery that operates the proximity non-contact IC chip by electromagnetic induction; and
A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a nearby object;
The operation of causing the reader / writer to execute an initial response command at regular intervals, and the battery power depends on whether the reader / writer receives a response to the initial response command after the sensor detects the object. Control for checking the presence / absence and starting the charging process by operating the power supply unit in a state in which the operation for causing the reader / writer unit to transmit the initial response command is executed when the power of the battery cannot be confirmed. Means,
Equipped with a,
When the reader / writer unit can receive the response of the initial response command before the set time elapses after the power supply unit is activated, the control unit does not interrupt the charging process, and Execute transaction processing related to a specific function supported by the proximity type non-contact IC chip;
A reader / writer device. The reader / writer device according to claim 1,
Wherein, when said even after the lapse of the set time after actuating the power supply unit can not receive a response of the initial response command the reader writer unit, interrupted to Rukoto the charging process,
A reader / writer device. A battery charging system comprising at least an external device and a reader / writer device that performs proximity type non-contact data communication with the external device,
The external device is
Battery,
A battery charging unit connected to a charging coil and charging the battery with electric power obtained by electromagnetic induction generated at both ends of the charging coil;
A proximity non-contact IC chip to which a coil for data communication is connected and which is supplied with power from the battery and can operate independently;
With
The reader / writer device is
A reader / writer coil to which a reader / writer coil is connected, and the proximity type non-contact IC chip and the proximity type non-contact data communication;
A power supply unit connected to a power supply coil and supplying power to the battery by electromagnetic induction;
A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an object close to the reader / writer device;
The operation of causing the reader / writer to execute an initial response command at regular intervals, and the battery power depends on whether the reader / writer receives a response to the initial response command after the sensor detects the object. Control for checking the presence / absence and starting the charging process by operating the power supply unit in a state in which the operation for causing the reader / writer unit to transmit the initial response command is executed when the power of the battery cannot be confirmed. Means,
With
The control means of the reader / writer device interrupts the charging process when the reader / writer unit can receive the response of the initial response command before the set time elapses after the power supply unit is operated. Without executing transaction processing related to a specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip,
A battery charging system characterized by A reader / writer device is a battery charging method for charging power to a battery built in an external device on which a proximity non-contact IC chip is mounted,
A detection step in which the reader / writer device detects an object in proximity to the reader / writer device by a sensor provided in the reader / writer device;
The reader / writer device transmits an initial response command at regular intervals to a reader / writer unit connected to a reader / writer coil and in proximity non-contact data communication with the proximity non-contact IC chip, A confirmation step of confirming the presence or absence of power of the battery according to whether or not the reader / writer unit has received a response of the initial response command after being detected in the detection step;
When the reader / writer device fails to confirm the power of the battery in the confirmation step, electromagnetic induction is performed using a power supply coil in a state in which the reader / writer unit performs an operation of transmitting the initial response command. A charging start step of operating a power supply unit for supplying power to the battery and starting a charging process;
If the reader / writer unit can receive the response of the initial response command before the set time elapses after the reader / writer device operates the power supply unit in the charging start step, a charging process is performed. A process execution step for executing a transaction process related to a specific function supported by the proximity non-contact IC chip without interruption; and
The battery charging method characterized by including.

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