Wireless power feeder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016352137-A1
Application number	US-201615235234-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A wireless power feeder includes a plurality of coils and a controller that determines a first coil from the plurality of coils based on power transmitted from each of the plurality of coils to an external apparatus. The first coil receives power from a power source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wireless power feeder, comprising:
a plurality of coils; and a controller that determines a first coil from the plurality of coils based on power transmitted from each of the plurality of coils to an external apparatus, wherein the first coil receives power from a power source.

2 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 1 , wherein,
the controller determines the first coil based on at least one of an actual transmitted power from each of the plurality of coils and a reactive power from each of the plurality of coils, the actual transmitted power is transmitted from one of the plurality of coils to the external apparatus, and the reactive power is not transmitted from any of the plurality of coils to the external apparatus.

3 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the actual transmitted power from the first coil is greater than the actual transmitted power from each of the other coils.

4 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines the first coil based on a change of a slope of at least one of an actual transmitted power from each of the plurality of coils and a reactive power from each of the plurality of coils, the actual transmitted power is transmitted from one of the plurality of coils to the external apparatus, and the reactive power is not transmitted from any of the plurality of coils to the external apparatus.

5 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 4 , wherein
the slope of the actual transmitted power from the first coil changes at an inflection point.

6 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 1 , wherein
at least a second coil from the plurality of coils receives power from the power source, and the second coil is adjacent to the first coil.

7 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 6 , wherein the controller determines strength of a magnetic field generated by the first coil and the second coil based on reception power needed by the external apparatus.

8 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 7 , wherein when reception power needed by the external apparatus is greater than power that is transmittable from the first coil and the second coil, the controller adjusts power transmitted from the first coil and the second coil to the external apparatus.

9 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 8 , wherein
the first coil and the adjacent second coil make up a set, the controller determines, based on the power transmitted from each of the plurality of coils to an external apparatus, at least one more set of adjacent coils, from the plurality of coils, that receive power from the power source, one or more of the sets define a cluster, and the controller adjusts the power for the cluster.

10 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of pressure sensors, disposed at intervals along a disposition surface, that detects a position where the external apparatus is disposed on the disposition surface, wherein the power source transmits power to the coil near a position where the plurality of pressure sensors detects disposition of the external apparatus is measured.

11 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a directional coupler that measures the reactive power.

12 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 5 , wherein the controller determines power corresponding to the inflection point as the power from the power source.

13 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 2 , wherein
at least one more external apparatus is disposed on a disposition surface, wherein the wireless power feeder further comprises:
a display that displays a charging state and a size of the actual transmitted power corresponding to each external apparatus during charging.

14 . The wireless power feeder according to claim I, further comprising:
a plurality of lamps provided on the coil, wherein one or more of the lamps near the coil light up during charging.

15 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 2 , wherein the controller continuously or at predetermined times measures the actual transmitted power during power feeding and stops charging the external apparatus when a drop in the actual transmitted power is detected.

16 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 1 , wherein
the external apparatus is a power receiving device comprising a power reception coil, and the plurality of coils feed power to the power reception coil.

17 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a gain amplifier, wherein the controller causes the gain amplifier to change the actual transmitted power from each of the plurality of coils, and the controller detects a coil from the plurality of coils that transmits the greatest actual transmitted power.

18 . The wireless power feeder according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a gain amplifier, wherein the controller causes the gain amplifier to change the actual transmitted power from each of the plurality of coils, and the controller obtains the inflection point where the slope of the actual transmitted power changes.

Assignees

• Funai Electric Co

Inventors

• Wakabayashi Naoyuki

Classifications

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H02J50/80

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

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title