Power receiving unit, power receiving method, and feed system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10277076-B2
Application number	US-201615564225-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A power receiving unit of the disclosure includes a communicator that communicates with a feed unit, a power receiver that has a first rectifier circuit and a second rectifier circuit that each rectify an electric power signal supplied from the feed unit, and a controller that selects and operates one of the first rectifier circuit and the second rectifier circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power receiving unit, comprising:
a communicator configured to communicate with a feed unit;
a power receiver that has a first rectifier circuit and a second rectifier circuit, wherein each of the first rectifier circuit and the second rectifier circuit is configured to rectify an electric power signal supplied from the feed unit; and
a controller configured to select and operate one of the first rectifier circuit or the second rectifier circuit.

2. The power receiving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first rectifier circuit is further configured to boost the electric power signal during the rectification.

3. The power receiving unit according to claim 2 , wherein the first rectifier circuit is a voltage-doubler rectifier circuit.

4. The power receiving unit according to claim 2 , wherein the second rectifier circuit is a synchronous rectifier circuit.

5. The power receiving unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the communicator is further configured to receive feeding information indicating performance of the feed unit, and
the controller is further configured to select one of the first rectifier circuit or the second rectifier circuit, based on the feeding information.

6. The power receiving unit according to claim 5 , wherein the feeding information includes information indicating whether the feed unit has a function of controlling feeding power.

7. The power receiving unit according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
select the first rectifier circuit in a case where the feed unit does not have the function of controlling the feeding power, and
select the second rectifier circuit in a case where the feed unit has the function of controlling the feeding power.

8. The power receiving unit according to claim 5 , wherein the feeding information includes information indicating a feeding capability of the feed unit.

9. The power receiving unit according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
select the first rectifier circuit in a case where the feed unit does not have a predetermined feeding capability, and
select the second rectifier circuit in a case where the feed unit has the predetermined feeding capability.

10. The power receiving unit according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to select one of the first rectifier circuit or the second rectifier circuit, based on a receiving voltage.

11. The power receiving unit according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
select the first rectifier circuit in a case where the receiving voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage, and
select the second rectifier circuit in a case where the receiving voltage is higher than the predetermined voltage.

12. The power receiving unit according to claim 10 , wherein the receiving voltage is an output voltage of the selected one of the first rectifier circuit or the second rectifier circuit.

13. The power receiving unit according to claim 10 , wherein
the power receiver is further configured to receive the electric power signal through a coil, and
the receiving voltage is a voltage in the coil.

14. The power receiving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the communicator is further configured to communicate by near-field wireless communication.

15. The power receiving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the power receiver is further configured to receive the electric power signal through a coil, and the communicator is further configured to communicate with the feed unit through the coil.

16. A power receiving method comprising:
communicating with a feed unit; and
selecting one of a first rectifier circuit or a second rectifier circuit, wherein each of the first rectifier circuit and the second rectifier circuit is configured to rectify an electric power signal supplied from the feed unit.

17. A feed system, comprising:
a feed unit; and
a power receiving unit,
the power receiving unit including:
a communicator configured to communicate with the feed unit;
a power receiver that has a first rectifier circuit and a second rectifier circuit, wherein each of the first rectifier circuit and the second rectifier circuit is configured to rectify an electric power signal supplied from the feed unit; and
a controller configured to select and operate one of the first rectifier circuit or the second rectifier circuit.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Nakano Hiroaki
• Omae Uichiro

Classifications

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title