JP7399529B1 - Wireless power supply system, method, program, and information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to suppress power consumption in transmitting data to a transmitter according to a power reception state in a receiver that is wirelessly powered. A wireless power supply system includes a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, the wireless power supply system comprising at least one a controller, the controller outputs the data signal a plurality of times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, from a predetermined value; A wireless power supply system is provided that executes the step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from a receiver to a transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. [Selection diagram] Figure 8

Description

The present disclosure relates to a wireless power feeding system, method, program, and information processing device.

In a wireless power supply system that supplies power wirelessly, the receiver's secondary battery is charged by wireless power supply, and power is supplied to the constant voltage generator that supplies the power supply voltage to the sensor device when the rectified output voltage of the wireless power supply is above a certain level. There is a technology in which power is supplied wirelessly in the following cases, and from a secondary battery in the following cases (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-004611

With wireless power supply, the state of power reception depends on the environment, so it is difficult to stably supply a constant amount of power, and the amount of power supplied may fluctuate significantly over time. Therefore, when the power reception state is unstable, there is a need to suppress power consumption due to data communication performed between the transmitter and the receiver.

An object of the present disclosure is to realize suppression of power consumption in transmitting data to a transmitter according to a power reception state in a receiver to which wireless power is supplied.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless power supply system including a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, the wireless power supply system comprising at least The controller has one controller, and the controller outputs the data signal multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, from a predetermined value. , a wireless power supply system is provided that executes the step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from a receiver to a transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

According to the present disclosure, it is an object of the present disclosure to realize suppression of power consumption in transmitting data to a transmitter according to a power receiving state in a receiver to which wireless power is supplied.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a wireless power feeding system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transmitter and a receiver shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a circuit configuration of a receiver according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a microcomputer of a transmitter according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a microcomputer of a receiver according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the determination table which the memory|storage part of a microcomputer stores. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing flow of the WPT system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of calibration processing. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a set output value of a data signal and a power receiving state of a receiver. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of power transmission processing. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of output adjustment processing.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all the figures explaining the embodiments, common components are given the same reference numerals and repeated explanations will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments do not unduly limit the content of the present disclosure described in the claims. Furthermore, not all components shown in the embodiments are essential components of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated.

Furthermore, in the following description, a "processor" refers to one or more processors. The at least one processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may be another type of processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor may be single-core or multi-core.

Furthermore, at least one processor may be a broadly defined processor such as a hardware circuit (for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)) that performs part or all of the processing.

In addition, in the following explanation, information such as "xxx table" may be used to explain information that provides an output in response to an input, but this information may be data of any structure, and A learning model such as a generated neural network may also be used. Therefore, the "xxx table" can be called "xxx information."

In addition, in the following explanation, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table. good.

In addition, in the following description, processing may be explained using the subject "program", but a program is executed by a processor to carry out a prescribed process, and to use the storage unit and/or interface unit as appropriate. Since the processing is performed while using the processor, the subject of the processing may be a processor (or a device such as a controller having the processor).

The program may be installed on a device such as a computer, or may be located on, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (eg, non-transitory) recording medium. Furthermore, in the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

Furthermore, in the following description, identification numbers are used as identification information for various objects, but other types of identification information than identification numbers (for example, identifiers containing alphabetic characters or codes) may be employed.

In addition, in the following explanation, when the same type of elements are explained without distinguishing them, reference numerals (or common numerals among the reference numerals) are used, and when the same kind of elements are explained separately, the element An identification number (or reference number) may be used.

In addition, in the following description, control lines and information lines are shown to be necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. All configurations may be interconnected.

<0 System overview>
A wireless power transfer system (hereinafter also referred to as a WPT system) according to the present disclosure includes a receiver that receives power transmitted from a transmitter and supplies the power to a device based on a wireless power transfer method. .

Although details will be described in the embodiments, in the WPT system according to the present disclosure, microwave power (920 MHz substantially continuous sine wave continuous wave (CW)) is received by the antenna of the receiver, and the antenna and functional A rectifier circuit connected to converts radio waves into DC voltage. The DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit is controlled by a power management unit, and then the voltage is supplied to a charging unit (mainly a capacitor). There is no particular limitation on the power storage element that constitutes the charging section, and may include a capacitor, a lithium ion battery, an electric double layer capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, and the like. In the WPT system according to the present disclosure, the charging section will be described as mainly including a capacitor. The voltage supplied from the power management section is supplied to the charging section when the voltage accumulated in the charging section is less than a predetermined value. When the battery is charged to a predetermined voltage in the charging unit, the power supplied and output from the power management unit is supplied to the microcomputer.

Here, in wireless power feeding, since the power receiving state is influenced by the environment, it is difficult to stably supply a constant amount of power, and the amount of power fed fluctuates greatly over time. Furthermore, the amount of power supplied can similarly change in wireless power supply using solar cells or lasers. In order to continue to provide stable power supply to the receiver's microcontroller and even to the receiver's sensor devices even in situations where the power reception status is unstable, it is necessary to diagnose whether the power supply can continue each time. be.

If the diagnosis result is not favorable, it is necessary to notify the transmitter and/or the information processing device that monitors the transmitter and receiver in the WPT system, and depending on the case, it is necessary to normally terminate the system. This is diagnosed at the stage of transmitter/receiver installation, during actual operation, and during maintenance.

However, as described above, since the amount of power supplied to the receiver can vary greatly over time, the power receiving state of the receiver cannot be accurately determined just by momentarily checking the voltage value inside the receiver. For example, even if the power supply voltage, which is the charging voltage of the charging part, is a normal voltage value, if the rectified voltage, which is the output value from the rectifier circuit, is close to 0, the receiver will not be able to receive stable power. However, the power supply to the device may eventually be cut off.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the receiver acquires two voltage values, the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage, and transmits the data to the transmitter and/or information processing device, but this requires frequent data transmission and the receiver Power consumption is high. Furthermore, when several tens to nearly 100 receivers are associated with one transmitter, the computational load on the transmitter (including the information processing device) increases.

Therefore, in the WPT system according to the present disclosure, it is determined whether the receiver can maintain the function of supplying power to a microcomputer, etc. by comparing the rectified voltage and power supply voltage of the receiver with respective threshold values. .

Note that it goes without saying that the specific configuration of the WPT system according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above.

<1. Embodiment>
<1.1 Overall system configuration diagram>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a WPT system 1 according to an embodiment.

The WPT system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a transmitter 100, a receiver 200, a first information processing device 300, and a second information processing device 400. The WPT system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used, for example, in a building or a factory.

Note that in this specification, the transmitter 100 is a (power) transmitter 100 in the sense of wirelessly transmitting power, and similarly, the receiver 200 is a (power) transmitter in the sense of wirelessly receiving power. This is a receiver 200. As described later, the transmitter 100 transmits, for example, information regarding the state of the receiver 200 or information regarding the measurement result by the sensor to the transmitter 100 as a data signal, and the transmitter 100 receives such a data signal. There is. In this case, transmitter 100 is a receiver that receives data signals, and receiver 200 functions as a transmitter that transmits data signals.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes three transmitters 100, the number of transmitters 100 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to three. The number of transmitters 100 included in the WPT system 1 may be two or less, or may be four or more.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes seven receivers 200, the number of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to seven. The number of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1 may be six or less, or may be eight or more.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes two first information processing devices 300, the number of first information processing devices 300 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to two. The number of first information processing devices 300 included in the WPT system 1 may be one, or three or more.

The transmitter 100 transmits, for example, a power supply signal or a data signal to the receiver 200. The transmitter 100 transmits a power supply signal to the receiver 200 using, for example, a 920 MHz band radio wave. The transmitter 100 transmits a data signal to the receiver 200 using, for example, a 2.4 GHz band radio wave. The transmitter 100 may transmit the data signal using radio waves in the 920 MHz band.

The power transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 may be, for example, a continuous sine wave (CW) having a predetermined power. Further, the frequency band of the power transmission signal is, for example, a 920 MHz band, taking into consideration the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200. If the frequency band is higher than the frequency band illustrated, unless the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 is shortened, it may not be possible to supply the predetermined power that allows the receiver 200 to operate. By taking into consideration (for example, the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 is several meters), an appropriate frequency band can be determined.

At this time, the laws of the country where the WPT system 1 is installed may impose restrictions on transmitting a power transmission signal having a predetermined amount of power intermittently. As an example, if the power transmission signal from the transmitter 100 falls under the radio station regulations stipulated in Japan's Radio Law (regardless of whether it has a license or not), there is a certain suspension period for the power transmission signal based on the Radio Law. There may be cases where it is necessary to provide a In this case, when considered on a certain time axis, the power transmission signal cannot be said to be a continuous wave. However, it is important to provide a pause period, and since this pause period only needs to be short, the power transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 can be considered to be a substantially continuous continuous wave.

For example, the transmitter 100 may feed power to one receiver 200 or may feed power to a plurality of receivers 200. For example, the transmitter 100 may transmit a data signal to one receiver 200 or may transmit data signals to a plurality of receivers 200. For example, the transmitter 100 may transmit the same data signal as the other transmitters 100, or may transmit a different data signal from the other transmitters 100. For example, the transmitter 100 may transmit a predetermined command signal as a data signal to the receiver 200, or may transmit a preset signal as a data signal to the receiver 200.

Transmitter 100 receives a data signal transmitted from receiver 200, for example. The transmitter 100 may receive a data signal transmitted from one receiver 200, or may receive data signals transmitted from a plurality of receivers 200, for example. The transmitter 100 transmits the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the first information processing device 300. Transmitter 100 transmits information regarding the status of transmitter 100 and/or receiver 200 to first information processing device 300 .

The receiver 200 receives, for example, a power supply signal or a data signal transmitted from the transmitter 100. For example, when the receiver 200 includes a charging unit, the receiver 200 converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into electric power, and stores the converted electric power in the charging unit. For example, when the receiver 200 has a predetermined sensor, the receiver 200 converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into electric power, and drives the sensor with the converted electric power.

The receiver 200 transmits, for example, information regarding the state of the receiver 200 or information regarding the measurement result by the sensor to the transmitter 100 as a data signal.

The first information processing device 300 is an information processing device that monitors the operations of the transmitter 100 and receiver 200 accommodated in the WPT system 1. For example, the first information processing device 300 may cause the transmitter 100 or the receiver 200 to enter a preset state based on information regarding the state of the transmitter 100 and/or the receiver 200, which is transmitted from the transmitter 100. Determine whether or not. If it is determined that the preset state is reached, the first information processing device 300 transmits predetermined information to the second information processing device 400.

The first information processing device 300 also accumulates information about the transmitter 100 and receiver 200 accommodated in the WPT system 1. For example, the first information processing device 300 stores information regarding the status of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200, which is transmitted from the transmitter 100, in a storage unit provided in the first information processing device 300.

Further, the first information processing device 300 controls the operation of the transmitter 100 and/or the receiver 200 housed in the WPT system 1.

The second information processing device 400 is an information processing device operated by a user as an administrator of the WPT system 1. When the second information processing device 400 receives notification from the first information processing device 300 that the transmitter 100, the receiver 200, or both of them housed in the WPT system 1 are in a predetermined state, the second information processing device 400 starts transmitting data. It is presented to the user that the device 100, the receiver 200, or both are in a predetermined state.

Further, the second information processing device 400 analyzes information regarding the status of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200, which is stored in the first information processing device 300, and presents predetermined information to the user. For example, the predetermined information is as follows.
・Information regarding the placement of the transmitter 100 ・Information regarding the placement of the receiver 200 ・Information regarding power consumption ・Information regarding power intensity

<1.2 Configuration of transmitter and receiver>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of transmitter 100 and receiver 200 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, for example. For example, the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are installed separated by a distance of about several meters. Specifically, for example, the transmitter 100 is fixedly installed at a high place indoors, for example, at a predetermined high position provided on a ceiling or a wall. The receiver 200 is installed at a predetermined device indoors, or placed near a device that requires power supply. Further, the receiver 200 may be carried by the user. The transmitter 100 transmits a power supply signal to the receiver 200 using radio waves at a predetermined frequency, for example, a 920 MHz band. The receiver 200 converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into electric power, and either charges the converted electric power or supplies the converted electric power to a predetermined device.

The transmitter 100 includes, for example, an oscillator 101, a transmitting antenna 102, a microcomputer 103, a data transceiver 104, and a data transmitting/receiving antenna 105. The oscillator 101, the microcomputer (controller) 103, and the data transmitter/receiver 104 may be mounted on a PCB (printed circuit board), for example.

The oscillator 101 oscillates a signal in a predetermined frequency band, for example, a 920 MHz band. The oscillated signal may be amplified to remove unnecessary frequency components, if necessary.

The transmitting antenna 102 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit radio waves in the 920 MHz band, for example. The transmitting antenna 102 radiates the signal oscillated by the oscillator 101 as a power feeding signal.

Microcomputer 103 controls the operation of transmitter 100. The microcomputer 103 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor element equipped with an ARM processor. The microcomputer 103 controls, for example, the transmission of radio waves by the transmitting antenna 102.

For example, in the WPT system 1 used in a factory, it is desirable that the receiver 200 supplies power of a predetermined value or more. Therefore, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmission of radio waves by the transmitting antenna 102 based on the feedback signal transmitted from the receiver 200. The feedback signal is, for example, related to a voltage value at a predetermined portion within the receiver 200. Based on the feedback signal, the electric field strength of the receiver 200 can be determined in a pseudo manner. When the transmitting antenna 102 has, for example, a plurality of antenna elements, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmitting antenna 102 so as to transmit the feeding signal from the optimum antenna element, for example. For example, the microcomputer 103 adjusts the polarization direction of the feeding signal by switching the antenna element to be driven. Furthermore, the microcomputer 103 adjusts the directivity direction of the feeding signal by adjusting the driving timing of the antenna element.

Further, in the WPT system 1 used indoors in a building or the like, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmission of radio waves by the transmitting antenna 102 based on a feedback signal transmitted from the receiver 200. When the transmitting antenna 102 is, for example, a single antenna element, the microcomputer 103 optimizes the power transmission output from the transmitting antenna 102, for example.

The data transmitter/receiver 104 performs processes such as converting digital data into analog data and modulating analog data. Further, the data transmitter/receiver 104 performs processing such as demodulating a signal extracted from a data signal received by the data transmitting/receiving antenna 105 and digitizing the demodulated analog data. For example, the data transmitter/receiver 104 extracts a feedback signal from the data signal received by the data transmitter/receiver antenna 105, converts it into digital data, and transmits it to the microcomputer 103.

The data transmitting/receiving antenna 105 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit and receive radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example. Data transmitting/receiving antenna 105 radiates a data signal supplied from data transmitting/receiving device 104 . Further, the data transmitting/receiving antenna 105 receives a data signal transmitted from the receiver 200.

The receiver 200 includes, for example, a receiving antenna 201, a rectifying circuit (rectifying section) 202, a power management section 203, a charging section 204, a microcomputer (controller) 205, a data transceiver 206, and a data transmitting/receiving antenna 207. The rectifier circuit 202, the power management section 203, the charging section 204, the microcomputer 205, and the data transmitter/receiver 206 may be mounted on, for example, a PCB or an FPC (flexible board).

The receiving antenna 201 is configured to be able to efficiently receive radio waves in the 920 MHz band, for example. The receiving antenna 201 receives the feeding signal radiated from the transmitting antenna 102.

The rectifier circuit 202 rectifies a radio wave received as a power supply signal and converts it into a DC voltage.

Power management unit 203 manages DC voltage. For example, the power management unit 203 controls charging voltage based on DC voltage. Power management unit 203 charges charging unit 204 by controlling charging voltage. Further, the power management unit 203 supplies DC voltage to the connected members, for example, when a predetermined capacity or more of electric power is stored in the charging unit 204.

Further, the power management unit 203 causes the charging unit 204 to release the power stored in it in accordance with control from the microcomputer 205.

Charging unit 204 stores power according to instructions from power management unit 203. Further, the charging unit 204 releases the stored power in response to an instruction from the power management unit 203.

A microcontroller 205 controls the operation of the receiver 200. The microcomputer 205 is driven by the DC voltage supplied from the power management section 203 or the electric power stored in the charging section 204. The microcomputer 205 controls the power management section 203 and causes the charging section 204 to discharge the stored power.

For example, various sensors can be connected to the receiver 200. For example, a heat sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, etc. are connected to the receiver 200. The sensor connected to the receiver 200 is driven by, for example, a DC voltage supplied from the power management section 203 or electric power released from the charging section 204. The microcomputer 205 continuously or intermittently monitors the voltage value at a predetermined portion of the receiver 200, the status of a sensor connected to the receiver 200, information detected by the sensor, and the like. The microcomputer 205 transmits the voltage value at a predetermined portion of the receiver 200, the status of the sensor connected to the receiver 200, information detected by the sensor, etc. as digital data to the data transmitter/receiver 206.

The data transmitter/receiver 206 performs processes such as converting digital data supplied from the microcomputer 205 into analog data and modulating the analog data. Further, the data transceiver 206 performs processing such as demodulating analog data and digitizing the demodulated analog data. The data transmitter/receiver 206 is driven by, for example, a DC voltage supplied from the power management unit 203 or electric power released from the charging unit 204.

The data transmitting/receiving antenna 207 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit and receive radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example. Data transmitting/receiving antenna 207 radiates a data signal supplied from data transmitting/receiving device 206 . Further, the data transmitting/receiving antenna 207 receives a data signal transmitted from the transmitter 100. For example, the data transmission/reception antenna 207 is driven by the DC voltage supplied from the power management section 203 or the power released from the charging section 204.

The transmission format of the data signal transmitted (radiated) from the data transmission/reception antenna 207 is arbitrary. In particular, since the data signal radiated from the data transmitting/receiving antenna 207 is a 2.4 GHz band radio wave, it may be a signal compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark) or IEEE 802.11x (that is, so-called wireless LAN) format. . In this case, it is preferable that the data transceiver 104 of the transmitter 100 also have a function that can analyze a data signal in a format that matches the format of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200. Alternatively, the first information processing device 300 can also have such a function.

<1.3 Receiver circuit configuration>
FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a circuit configuration of receiver 200 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. Note that in the following description, detailed description of the components of the receiver 200 described with reference to FIG. 2 will be omitted. Furthermore, only the main parts of the components of the receiver 200 shown in FIG. 2 are shown.

In FIG. 3, the rectified voltage that is the voltage at the downstream stage of the rectifier circuit 202 (that is, the output side of the rectifier circuit 202) and the power supply voltage that is the charging voltage of the charging unit 204 are input to the microcomputer 205, and the A/D converter included in the microcomputer 205 It is converted into a digital value by the converter and used for power reception state determination, which will be described later.

<1.4 Functional configuration of microcomputer 103>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the microcomputer 103 included in the transmitter 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the microcomputer 103 has functions as a storage section 1031 and a control section 1032.

The storage unit 1031 includes, for example, an application program 10311 for causing the control unit 1032 to execute a function.

The control unit 1032 is realized by a processor installed in the microcomputer 103 reading an application program 10311 stored in its own storage unit 1031 and executing instructions included in the application program 10311. The control unit 1032 performs functions shown as a reception control module 10321, a transmission control module 10322, and a set value calculation module 10323 by operating according to the application program 10311.

The reception control module 10321 controls the process by which the microcomputer 103 receives signals from an external device such as the transmitter 100 according to a communication protocol.

The transmission control module 10322 controls the processing by which the microcomputer 103 transmits a signal to an external device such as the transmitter 100 according to a communication protocol.

The setting value calculation module 10323 calculates a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 in the power transmission process (S2000) based on the reception strength of the data signal received from the receiver 200 in the calibration process (S1000) to be described later. Calculate the optimal output value of. Details of the calibration process (S1000) and power transmission process (S2000) will be described later.

<1.5 Functional configuration of microcomputer 205>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the microcomputer 205 included in the receiver 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the microcomputer 205 has functions as an A/D conversion section 2051, a storage section 2052, and a control section 2053.

The A/D converter 2051 performs processing to convert an analog signal input to the microcomputer 205 into a digital signal. The A/D conversion section 2051 may include an A/D converter as a circuit. The A/D converter 2051 of this embodiment converts the rectified voltage and power supply voltage, which are analog signals, into digital values, respectively.

The storage unit 2052 includes, for example, an application program 20521 for causing the control unit 2053 to execute a function, a determination table 20522, and the like.

The determination table 20522 is a table that describes how to determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the condition of whether each of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage is equal to or less than a threshold value. The determination table 20522 may be created in advance and stored in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205 when the receiver 200 or the microcomputer 205 is manufactured, or the determination table 20522 may be created in advance and stored in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205. 300 and the second information processing device 400.

Here, the receiver 200 acquires only the digital values of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, and sends these digital values to the transmitter 100 and transmits them to the transmitter 100 and/or the first information processing device 300 and the second information processing device 400. A configuration in which the receiver 200 determines the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is also conceivable, and there is no intention to exclude such a configuration in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure.

On the other hand, by determining its own power receiving state, the receiver 200 has the advantage of being able to perform detailed and flexible operation control based on the determination result, such as changing its own operating state, as described later. There is. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, if the transmitter 100 is configured to receive data from a plurality of receivers 200, if the transmitter 100 etc. determines the power receiving state of each receiver 200, the transmitter 100 etc., the calculation load becomes large. For the above reasons, in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure, the receiver 200 mainly performs power reception state determination.

The first threshold value and the second threshold value, which are the basis for determining the power reception state, may be different values. For example, the power management unit 203 may convert the voltage value of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit 202 and supply it to the charging unit 204 and the microcomputer 205. Therefore, the appropriate value of the rectified voltage that is the output value from the rectifier circuit 202 may be different from the appropriate value of the power supply voltage that is related to the output value from the power management section 203. The specific values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be appropriately determined depending on the circuit configuration of the receiver 200, but even if the standard value in circuit design is, for example, the output voltage value from the rectifier circuit 202 is 5V. For example, the first threshold value is a value slightly below 5V, and similarly, if the output voltage value from the power management unit 203 is 3.3V, the second threshold value may be set to a value slightly below 3.3V. In addition, the power supply voltage is the charging voltage to the charging unit 204, and can also be considered as the voltage of the operating power supply of the microcomputer 205, so the second threshold value is the voltage value that enables charging the charging unit 204, and Alternatively, the voltage value may be determined as a voltage value at which the microcomputer 205 can operate.

The first threshold value and the second threshold value are stored in advance in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205. The first threshold value and the second threshold value can also be updated based on data transmission from the transmitter 100.

The control unit 2053 is realized by a processor installed in the microcomputer 205 reading an application program 20521 stored in its own storage unit 2052 and executing instructions included in the application program 20521. The control unit 2053 performs functions shown as a reception control module 20531, a transmission control module 20532, a voltage acquisition module 20533, and a power reception state determination module 20534 by operating according to the application program 20521.

The reception control module 20531 controls the process by which the microcomputer 205 receives signals from an external device such as the transmitter 100 according to a communication protocol.

The transmission control module 20532 controls the process by which the microcomputer 205 transmits a signal to an external device such as the transmitter 100 according to a communication protocol. In addition, the transmission control module 20532 changes the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, from a predetermined value in a calibration process (S1000) to be described later. Output multiple times. Furthermore, in the power transmission process (S1000) to be described later, when the power reception state of the receiver 200 is determined to be the normal state, the transmission control module 20532 causes the transmitter to transmit a data signal with the calculated optimal output value, and transmits the data signal to the receiver. The output value of the data signal is changed based on the power receiving state of 200. Details of the calibration process (S1000) and power transmission process (S2000) will be described later.

The voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires, for example, a value obtained by converting a power supply voltage and a rectified voltage into digital values from the A/D converter 2051. The acquisition timing and acquisition interval of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage by the voltage acquisition module 20533 are arbitrary, and may be acquired periodically, or the transmission control module 20532 transmits the physical quantities measured by the sensor as a data signal to the transmitter 100 etc. It may also be acquired at the same time as the transmission. The term "at the same time" as used herein means that the signal representing the determination result can be transmitted to the transmitter 100, etc. at the same time as the data signal, taking into account the time required for determination by the power receiving state determination module 20534, which will be described later. It includes the meaning of te.

The timing of acquiring the power supply voltage and rectified voltage by the voltage acquisition module 20533 is adjusted to the timing at which the transmission control module 20532 transmits the physical quantity measured by the sensor to the transmitter 100 etc. as a data signal by transmitting the data signal. This is because the microcomputer 205 consumes a large amount of power, so by determining the power receiving state of the receiver 200 when the microcomputer 205 is consuming power, it is believed that the power receiving state of the receiver 200 can be appropriately determined. If it is not when data signals are being transmitted, the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage will increase due to the wireless power supply from the transmitter 100, and the power reception state will probably improve.

The voltage acquisition module 20533 that has acquired the digital values of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage stores the acquired voltage values in the storage unit 2052 at least temporarily. Further, the voltage acquisition module 20533 may store the acquired voltage value in the storage unit 2052 in association with a voltage value acquisition time measured by a timer (not shown). The storage period in the storage unit 2052 is arbitrary; it may be stored continuously after the receiver 200 is installed and the microcomputer 205 starts operating, or it may be stored temporarily after the power supply from the transmitter 100 is interrupted. It may be deleted when the receiver 200 becomes inoperable, or it may be deleted when the power reception state determination module 20534 finishes determining the power reception state.

The power receiving state determination module 20534 uses a digital value of the rectified voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533, a predetermined rectified voltage threshold (first threshold), and a digital value of the power supply voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533. The value is compared with a predetermined power supply voltage threshold (second threshold). Then, the power reception state determination module 20534 refers to the determination table 20522 stored in the storage unit 2052 and determines the power reception state of the receiver 200 based on the comparison result.

Here, the receiver 200 acquires only the digital values of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, and sends these digital values to the transmitter 100 and transmits them to the transmitter 100 and/or the first information processing device 300 and the second information processing device 400. A configuration in which the receiver 200 determines the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is also conceivable, and there is no intention to exclude such a configuration in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure.

On the other hand, by determining its own power receiving state, the receiver 200 has the advantage of being able to perform detailed and flexible operation control based on the determination result, such as changing its own operating state, as described later. There is. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, if the transmitter 100 is configured to receive data from a plurality of receivers 200, if the transmitter 100 etc. determines the power receiving state of each receiver 200, the transmitter 100 etc., the calculation load becomes large. For the above reasons, in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure, the receiver 200 mainly performs power reception state determination.

The first threshold value and the second threshold value, which are the basis for determining the power reception state, may be different values. For example, the power management unit 203 may convert the voltage value of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit 202 and supply it to the charging unit 204 and the microcomputer 205. Therefore, the appropriate value of the rectified voltage that is the output value from the rectifier circuit 202 may be different from the appropriate value of the power supply voltage that is related to the output value from the power management section 203. The specific values of the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be appropriately determined depending on the circuit configuration of the receiver 200, but even if the standard value in circuit design is, for example, the output voltage value from the rectifier circuit 202 is 5V. For example, the first threshold value is a value slightly below 5V, and similarly, if the output voltage value from the power management unit 203 is 3.3V, the second threshold value may be set to a value slightly below 3.3V. In addition, the power supply voltage is the charging voltage to the charging unit 204, and can also be considered as the voltage of the operating power supply of the microcomputer 205, so the second threshold value is the voltage value that enables charging the charging unit 204, and Alternatively, the voltage value may be determined as a voltage value at which the microcomputer 205 can operate.

The first threshold value and the second threshold value are stored in advance in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205. The first threshold value and the second threshold value can also be updated based on data transmission from the transmitter 100.

An example of the determination table 20522 used by the power reception state determination module 20534 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the determination table 20522 stored in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205.

The determination table 20522 describes the association between the comparison results of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage with the second threshold value and the first threshold value, and the determination result of the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on these comparison results. has been done. In the example shown in FIG. 6, ○ indicates that the voltage value is greater than or equal to the first threshold value or the second threshold value, and × indicates that the voltage value is less than the first threshold value or the second threshold value. . Since there are two comparison results for the rectified voltage and two for the power supply voltage, there are four types of power reception state determination results.

Then, if at least one of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage is less than the threshold value, the power reception state determination module 20534 determines that power reception is unstable.

Specifically, if the power supply voltage is ○ and the rectified voltage is also ○, it is determined that the power receiving state is stable and normal. Next, although the power supply voltage is ○, the rectified voltage is This means that it is determined that the wireless power supply from the transmitter 100 is currently unstable, and that the power supply voltage is expected to decrease as the microcomputer 205 continues to operate. Furthermore, the fact that the power supply voltage is × but the rectified voltage is ○ means that the wireless power supply has been unstable immediately before the judgment, so the charging rate (SOC) of the charging unit 204 is low, and the microcomputer 205 is not operated. It is determined that the time will soon come when it will no longer be possible to secure electric power for this purpose. If both the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are x, it is determined that the receiver 200 as a whole cannot operate. However, if the power supply voltage is lower than the operating voltage of the microcomputer 205, the power receiving state determination module 20534 itself cannot perform the determination operation, so even if both the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are It is assumed that the voltage exceeds the operating voltage of the microcomputer 205.

Then, the power reception state determination module 20534 transmits the determination result based on the determination table 20522 to the transmitter 100 or the like via the transmission control module 20532. Although the timing for transmitting the determination result is arbitrary, it may be transmitted periodically, similar to the timing at which the voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires digital values of the rectified voltage and power supply voltage, or the transmission control module 20532 may transmit the determination result when the sensor measures the result. The physical quantity may be transmitted to the transmitter 100 or the like in accordance with the timing of transmitting it as a data signal.

The method of transmitting the determination result by the power receiving state determination module 20534 is arbitrary, and as an example, only "normal" and "abnormal" (this "abnormal" includes both "unstable power reception" and "abnormal") are shown. A mode of transmitting two types of signals, a mode of transmitting three types of signals indicating "good", "normal", and "unstable power reception status", and four patterns of the power reception status determination module 20534 shown in FIG. 6 are shown. Any of the four types of signals may be transmitted, or other modes may be used. In other embodiments, the threshold values of the rectified voltage and/or power supply voltage may be appropriately set according to the number of determination results.

<1.6 Process flow>
An example of the operation of the microcomputer 205 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the overall process flow of the WPT system 1. As shown in FIG. 7, first, in step S1000, a calibration process is executed. After the calibration process is executed, a power transmission process is executed in step S2000. The details of each process will be explained below.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of the calibration process (S1000). In step S1110, the first information processing device 300 transmits an instruction to start the calibration process to the transmitter 100. In step S1210, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives an instruction to start the calibration process.

In step S1220, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits an instruction to start the calibration process to the receiver 200. In step S1310, the reception control module 20531 of the receiver 200 receives an instruction to start calibration processing.

In step S1320, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 transmits the data signal to the transmitter 100 multiple times. In step S1230, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives the data signal. Steps S1320 and S1230 are repeated multiple times while changing the output value of the transmitted data signal.

Specifically, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 increases the output value of the data signal by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value. conduct. As an example, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 may be configured to transmit the data signal a plurality of predetermined times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount. In this way, by transmitting a data signal with the same output value multiple times, it is possible to reliably detect the signal strength on the transmitter 100 side.

Further, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 may provide a predetermined time period (so-called pause period) during which the data signal is not transmitted while outputting the data signal a plurality of predetermined times. With such specifications, data signals can be transmitted with reduced power consumption in the receiver 200.

Further, it is preferable that the storage unit 1031 included in the microcomputer 103 of the transmitter 100 stores the minimum output value and maximum output value of the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200. With such specifications, the microcomputer 103 of the transmitter 100 can detect the start timing and end timing of data signal transmission by the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200.

In step S1240, the setting value calculation module 10323 of the transmitter 100 calculates a setting output value based on the reception strength of the received data signal. The set output value may include an optimal output value, a good output value, an unstable output value, and the like. This will be explained in detail below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the set output value of the data signal. The set value calculation module 10323 calculates a predetermined amount from the limit output value Tr, which is the limit at which data signals can be transmitted and received from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, based on the reception strength of the signal data received from the receiver 200. The output value that secures a margin (surplus) of is calculated as the optimal output value Tx. The optimum output value Tx is the output value of a data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 when the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is the normal state.

Further, the setting value calculation module 10323 calculates a good output value Tx+α, which is the output value of a data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 when the receiver 200 is in a good power receiving state, and An unstable output value Tx-β, which is the output value of the data signal when the state is unstable, is calculated. Here, the values of the predetermined amount of margin (=Tx-Tr), α, and β are such that data signals can be transmitted and received from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 without any problem and that power consumption in the receiver 200 is reduced. It will be set as appropriate.

Returning to FIG. 8, in step S1250, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits the set output value calculated by the set value calculation module 10323 to the receiver 200. In step S1330, the reception control module 20531 of the receiver 200 receives the set output value calculated by the set value calculation module 10323.

In step S1340, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 stores and sets the received set output values (for example, optimal output value, good output value, unstable output value) in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205.

In step S1350, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 transmits to the transmitter 100 that the setting of the set output value is completed. In step S1260, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives that the setting of the set output value is completed.

In step S1270, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits to the first information processing device 300 that the setting of the set output value is completed. In step S1120, the first information processing device 300 receives that the setting of the set output value is completed.

Note that, as described with reference to FIG. 1, the transmitter 100 included in the WPT system 1 is assumed to transmit power to a plurality of receivers 200. Therefore, it is preferable that the calibration process (S1000) is executed for each of the plurality of receivers 200, and a set output value is set for each of the receivers 200.

In the embodiment described above, the calibration process (S1000) is performed by the setting value calculation module 10323 of the microcomputer (controller) 103 in the receiver 200 and the transmission control module 20532 of the microcomputer (controller) 205 in the transmitter 100. Although the processing is executed in this manner, it is not limited to this manner. That is, the calibration process can be executed by a controller included in at least one of the transmitter 100, the receiver 200, and the first information processing device 300, and can be executed by one or more controllers.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the power transmission process (S2000) will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the microcomputer 205 in the receiver 200 in power transmission processing. The operation shown in FIG. 10 may be started in accordance with the timing at which the voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires digital values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage.

In step S2310 and step S2320, the control unit 2053 acquires digital values of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage from the A/D conversion unit 2051. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 uses the voltage acquisition module 20533 to acquire digital values of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage from the A/D conversion unit 2051. The control unit 2053 stores the acquired digital values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage in the storage unit 2052 at least temporarily.

Next, in step S2330, the control unit 2053 compares the voltage values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage obtained in S2310 and S2320 with the determination table 20522. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 uses the power reception state determination module 20534 to check the voltage values of the acquired power supply voltage and rectified voltage with the determination table 20522. The comparison operation with the determination table 20522 in step S2330 does not need to be performed immediately after steps S2310 and S2320, and may be performed independently of the voltage value acquisition timing in S2310 and S2320.

Next, the control unit 2053 determines the power reception state of the receiver 200 based on the verification result. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 uses the power reception state determination module 20534 to determine the power reception state of the receiver 200 based on the result of comparing the obtained voltage values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage with the determination table 20522. .

In step S2400, control unit 2053 executes output adjustment processing. The details of the output adjustment process (S2400) will be explained below.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of the output adjustment process (S2400). In step S2410, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 executes step S2420 if it is determined in step S2330 that the power reception state has deteriorated and is unstable (Yes in S2410). On the other hand, if it is determined that the power reception state is not unstable (No in S2410), step S2430 is executed.

In step S2420, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 changes the output value of the data signal to an unstable output value to decrease the output value.

In step S2430, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 executes step S2440 if it is determined in step S2330 that the power reception state has improved and is good (Yes in S2430). On the other hand, if it is determined that the power reception state is not good (No in S2430), the process ends.

In step S2440, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 changes the output value of the data signal to a good output value to increase the output value.

<1.7 Effects of embodiment>
As described above in detail, the WPT system 1 of the present embodiment includes a transmitter 100 that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, a receiver 200 that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter 100, Equipped with The WPT system 1 includes at least one controller, and the controller changes the output value of a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, from a predetermined value. A step of outputting the signal multiple times (S1320) and a step of calculating the optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter 100 (S1240) ). With such a configuration, the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 can be set to an optimal value depending on the environment in which the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are arranged. Therefore, in the receiver 200 to which wireless power is supplied, it is possible to suppress power consumption in transmitting data to the transmitter 100.

In addition, in the step of calculating the optimum output value (S1240), the controller sends data to the receiver 200 while increasing the output value by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value. The signal is output a plurality of times, and the optimum output value is calculated based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter 100. By transmitting data while increasing the output value from the minimum output value to the maximum output value in this way, it becomes possible to precisely determine the optimal output value.

Further, the receiver 200 may transmit the data signal multiple times a predetermined number of times each time the output value of the data signal is increased by a predetermined amount. In this way, by transmitting a data signal with the same output value multiple times, it is possible to reliably detect the signal strength on the transmitter 100 side.

Further, the receiver 200 may be designed not to transmit the data signal for a predetermined period of time while outputting the data signal a plurality of predetermined times. With such specifications, data signals can be transmitted with reduced power consumption in the receiver 200.

Further, it is preferable that the minimum output value and maximum output value of the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 are stored in the storage section of the controller. With such specifications, the transmitter 100 can detect the start timing and end timing of data signal transmission by the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200.

The controller also secures a predetermined amount from a limit output value, which is the limit at which the data signal can be transmitted and received from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter 100. The resulting output value is calculated as the optimal output value. With such a configuration, it is possible to set an optimal output value that allows reliable transmission and reception of data signals.

Further, it is preferable that the controller executes a step of calculating the optimum output value of the data signal for each of the plurality of receivers 200. With such a configuration, it is possible to reduce power consumption in each of the plurality of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1, and the operation of the entire WPT system 1 is stabilized.

Further, when the controller determines that the power reception state of the receiver 200 is the normal state, the controller causes the transmitter to transmit the data signal at the calculated optimal output value, and outputs the data signal based on the power reception state of the receiver. Change the value. Specifically, when the controller determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and the power receiving state of the receiver 200 has deteriorated from the normal state, the controller outputs a predetermined output value to the receiver 200 that is lower than the optimum output value. The transmitter 100 is caused to transmit a data signal with an output value that is smaller by a predetermined amount. Further, when it is determined that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and the power receiving state of the receiver 200 has improved from the normal state, the receiver 200 is given an output value that is a predetermined amount higher than the optimal output value. The data signal is caused to be transmitted by the transmitter 100. With such a configuration, in a WPT system where the power reception state is likely to fluctuate, data transmission from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 can be performed at an optimal output value depending on the power reception.

<1.8 Modification>
In the WPT system 1 of the present embodiment described above, the microcomputer 205 of the receiver 200 has an A/D conversion section 2051. However, in the WPT system 1 of this embodiment, the configuration for acquiring digital values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage is not limited to this. As an example, a comparator that compares the voltage value with the first threshold value and the second threshold value may be arranged before the input to the microcomputer 205, and the output value of the comparator may be input to the microcomputer 205. . In this case, the output value of the comparator can be a digital value, so there is no need to provide the A/D converter 2051. Also, a reset IC may be used instead of the comparator.

In this way, a configuration in which the comparison calculation between the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage and the first threshold value and the second threshold value does not depend on the internal processing of the microcomputer 205 is also possible.

Further, in the WPT system 1 of the present embodiment described above, the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are compared with the first threshold value and the second threshold value, but these first threshold value and the second threshold value are different from each other. It may have a threshold value. In other words, the first threshold value and the second threshold value have a plurality of threshold values each having a different voltage value, and the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are respectively lower than or equal to which one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value, or A detailed determination of the power reception state may be made based on whether the power reception state is less than or not.

In addition, in the calibration process (S1000) in the above-described embodiment, three set output values, a good output value, an optimal output value, and an unstable output value, are calculated as shown in FIG. It is not limited. For example, the unstable state in FIG. 9 may be further divided into two or more parts, and the good state may be further divided into two or more parts. In this case, the threshold values of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage corresponding to each power receiving state may be appropriately set.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the calibration process (S1000) is executed before the power transmission process (S2000), but the present invention is not limited to this aspect. For example, the calibration process may be executed based on the power receiving state of the receiver 200 while the power transmission process is being executed. Specifically, the calibration process may be executed when the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is unstable enough to satisfy a predetermined condition.

<2. Additional notes＞
Note that the configurations of the embodiments described above are explained in detail in order to explain the present disclosure in an easy-to-understand manner, and the embodiments are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

As an example, in the embodiment described above, the receiver 200 mainly determines the power receiving state of the receiver, but the receiver 200 determines the values of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage ( A digital value) may be transmitted as a signal, and the transmitter 100 and the first information processing device 300 may determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the value of the rectified voltage or the like transmitted from the receiver 200. That is, in FIG. 5, the power receiving state determination module 20534 is provided in at least one of the transmitter 100 or the first information processing device 300, and the transmission control module 20532 transmits the rectified voltage and power supply voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533 to the transmitter 100. Alternatively, a configuration in which the information is transmitted to at least one of the first information processing devices 300 is also possible.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, application to the so-called WPT system 1 in which transmission power consisting of an AC signal is wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the receiver 200 has been described, but the receiver 200 is Naturally, the present invention can also be applied to systems that provide power to people. Since such systems are known, a detailed explanation will be omitted, but examples include a system that transmits power generated by solar power generation to the receiver 200 regardless of whether it is wired or wireless, or a system that transmits power using laser light. Examples include a system that transmits the information to the receiver 200 regardless of whether it is wired or wireless. Alternatively, a configuration in which vibration or sound is applied to the receiver 200 and the receiver 200 converts the power of the vibration or the like into electric power is also applicable. In addition, it is naturally applicable to a system using known non-contact power feeding technology other than wirelessly receiving transmitted power consisting of an AC signal, such as a non-contact power feeding technology using a magnetic field coupling method.

Further, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely realized in hardware by designing, for example, an integrated circuit. Further, the present invention can also be realized by software program codes that realize the functions of the embodiments. In this case, a storage medium on which a program code is recorded is provided to a computer, and a processor included in the computer reads the program code stored on the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the embodiments described above, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing it constitute the present invention. Storage media for supplying such program codes include, for example, flexible disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disks, SSDs, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, and non-volatile memory cards. , ROM, etc. are used.

Furthermore, the program code that implements the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented using a wide range of program or script languages, such as assembler, C/C++, Perl, Shell, PHP, and Java (registered trademark).

Furthermore, by distributing the software program code that realizes the functions of the embodiment via a network, it can be stored in a storage means such as a computer's hard disk or memory, or a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R. Alternatively, a processor included in the computer may read and execute the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium.

The matters explained in each of the above embodiments are additionally described below.

(Additional note 1)
a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an alternating current signal;
A wireless power supply system comprising: a receiver that receives transmission power transmitted from the transmitter;
The wireless power supply system includes at least one controller,
The controller is
outputting the data signal multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, from a predetermined value;
A wireless power supply system that executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.
(Additional note 2)
In the step of calculating the optimal output value,
The controller is
causing the receiver to output the data signal multiple times while increasing the output value by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value;
The wireless power supply system according to supplementary note 1, wherein the optimum output value is calculated based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.
(Additional note 3)
The wireless power feeding system according to supplementary note 2, wherein the receiver transmits the data signal a plurality of times a predetermined number of times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount.
(Additional note 4)
The wireless power feeding system according to appendix 3, wherein the receiver is not allowed to transmit a data signal for a predetermined time while outputting the data signal a plurality of predetermined times.
(Appendix 5)
The controller includes a storage unit,
The wireless power feeding system according to appendix 2, wherein the minimum output value and the maximum output value of the output values of the data signal transmitted from the receiver are stored in the storage unit.
(Appendix 6)
The controller secures a predetermined amount from a limit output value, which is a limit at which data signals can be transmitted and received from the receiver to the transmitter, based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. The wireless power supply system according to supplementary note 1, wherein the output value is calculated as the optimum output value.
(Appendix 7)
The wireless power feeding system includes a plurality of the receivers,
The controller is
The wireless power supply system according to supplementary note 1, wherein the step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal is executed for each of the plurality of receivers.
(Appendix 8)
The controller is
The wireless power supply system according to supplementary note 1, which executes the step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal based on a power reception state of the receiver.
(Appendix 9)
The receiver includes:
a rectifier that rectifies the transmission power;
a power management section that manages rectified voltage from the rectification section;
It has a charging part that is charged by the output voltage from the power management part,
The controller detects the rectified voltage and a power supply voltage that is a charging voltage of the charging unit,
Comparing the detected rectified voltage with a first threshold determined for the rectified voltage, and comparing the detected power supply voltage with a second threshold determined for the power supply voltage. determine the power receiving state of the receiver,
When the power receiving state of the receiver is determined to be a normal state, causing the transmitter to transmit a data signal at the optimum output value calculated by the receiver,
The wireless power supply system according to supplementary note 1, wherein the output value of the data signal is changed based on a power reception state of the receiver.
(Appendix 10)
When the controller determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and the power reception state of the receiver has deteriorated from the normal state, the controller outputs a predetermined output value to the receiver that is lower than the optimum output value. The wireless power supply system according to appendix 9, which causes the transmitter to transmit the data signal with an output value that is smaller by a predetermined amount.
(Appendix 11)
When the controller determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and the power receiving state of the receiver has improved from the normal state, the controller outputs a predetermined output value to the receiver that is lower than the optimum output value. The wireless power supply system according to appendix 9, which causes the transmitter to transmit the data signal with an output value that is larger by a predetermined amount.

1: WPT system, 100: transmitter, 101: oscillator, 102: transmitting antenna, 103: microcomputer (controller), 104: data transceiver, 105: data transmitting/receiving antenna, 200: receiver, 201: receiving antenna, 202 : rectifier circuit, 203: power management unit, 204: charging unit, 205: microcomputer (controller), 206: data transmitter/receiver, 207: data transmitter/receiver antenna, 300: first information processing device, 400: second information processing device , 1031: Storage section, 1032: Control section, 2051: A/D conversion section, 2052: Storage section, 2053: Control section, 10311: Application program, 10321: Reception control module, 10322: Transmission control module, 10323: Setting value Calculation module, 20521: Application program, 20522: Determination table, 20531: Reception control module, 20532: Transmission control module, 20533: Voltage acquisition module, 20534: Power reception state determination module.

Claims (14)

a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an alternating current signal;
A wireless power supply system comprising: a receiver that receives transmission power transmitted from the transmitter;
The wireless power supply system includes at least one controller,
The controller is
outputting the data signal multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, from a predetermined value;
A wireless power supply system that executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. In the step of calculating the optimal output value,
The controller is
causing the receiver to output the data signal multiple times while increasing the output value by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value;
2. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the optimum output value is calculated based on the reception strength of a data signal received by the transmitter. 3. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the receiver transmits the data signal a predetermined number of times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount. 4. The wireless power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the receiver is not allowed to transmit the data signal for a predetermined time while outputting the data signal a plurality of predetermined times. The controller includes a storage unit,
The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the minimum output value and the maximum output value of the output values of the data signal transmitted from the receiver are stored in the storage unit. The controller secures a predetermined amount from a limit output value, which is a limit at which data signals can be transmitted and received from the receiver to the transmitter, based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein an output value is calculated as the optimum output value. The wireless power feeding system includes a plurality of the receivers,
The controller is
The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, further comprising calculating an optimal output value of the data signal for each of the plurality of receivers. The controller is
The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, further comprising calculating an optimal output value of the data signal based on a power reception state of the receiver. The receiver includes:
a rectifier that rectifies the transmission power;
a power management section that manages rectified voltage from the rectification section;
It has a charging part that is charged by the output voltage from the power management part,
The controller detects the rectified voltage and a power supply voltage that is a charging voltage of the charging unit,
Comparing the detected rectified voltage with a first threshold determined for the rectified voltage, and comparing the detected power supply voltage with a second threshold determined for the power supply voltage. determine the power receiving state of the receiver,
When it is determined that the power reception state of the receiver is in a normal state, causing the transmitter to transmit a data signal at the optimum output value calculated by the receiver,
The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the output value of the data signal is changed based on a power reception state of the receiver. When the controller determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and the power receiving state of the receiver has deteriorated from the normal state, the controller outputs a predetermined output value to the receiver that is lower than the optimum output value. The wireless power supply system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter is caused to transmit the data signal with an output value lower by a predetermined amount. When the controller determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and the power receiving state of the receiver has improved from the normal state, the controller outputs a predetermined output value to the receiver that is lower than the optimum output value. The wireless power supply system according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter is caused to transmit the data signal with an output value that is increased by a predetermined amount. a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an alternating current signal;
A method for operating a wireless power supply system comprising: a receiver that receives transmission power transmitted from the transmitter;
The wireless power supply system includes at least one controller,
The controller is
outputting the data signal to the receiver a plurality of times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, from a predetermined value;
A method comprising: calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an alternating current signal;
At least one controller included in a wireless power supply system including a receiver that receives transmission power transmitted from the transmitter,
outputting the data signal to the receiver a plurality of times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, from a predetermined value;
A program that causes the program to execute a step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an alternating current signal;
An information processing device that operates a wireless power feeding system comprising: a receiver that receives transmission power transmitted from the transmitter;
having at least one controller;
The controller is
outputting the data signal to the receiver a plurality of times while changing the output value of the data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, from a predetermined value;
An information processing device that executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.