Power transfer unit, method for power transfer, and receiver
View Patent ↗This power transfer unit includes a power supply portion and a control portion, and the control portion acquires proper voltage ranges of a plurality of receivers and sets a supply voltage value in a common range among the proper voltage ranges.
1. A power transfer unit comprising:
a power supply portion; and
a control portion controlling the power supply portion, wherein
the control portion acquires proper voltage ranges of a plurality of receivers, acquires respective first supply voltage ranges corresponding to the proper voltage ranges of the plurality of receivers for respective ones of the plurality of receivers and sets a supply voltage value in a second supply voltage range which is a mutually overlapping range of the first supply voltage ranges.
2. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control portion supplies power to the receivers at more than one supply voltage value to acquire received voltage value information and sets the supply voltage value based on the received voltage value information which has been acquired.
3. The power transfer unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the control portion supplies power to the receivers at a prescribed supply voltage value and supplies power to the receivers at the supply voltage value different from the prescribed supply voltage value to acquire the received voltage value information.
4. The power transfer unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the control portion changes the supply voltage value of the power supply portion from VT_A to VT_B by ΔVT, to acquire approximate minimum values VRn_MIN and approximate maximum values VRn_MAX of proper voltage values of the plurality of receivers and received voltage values VRn_A and VRn_B of the plurality of receivers fed with power at the supply voltage value and calculates an approximate minimum value VTn_MIN and an approximate maximum value VTn_MAX of the supply voltage value through the following equations (1) and (2) assuming that ΔVRn represents the difference between the received voltage values VRn_A and VRn_B:
VTn
—
MIN
=
(
VRn
—
MIN
-
VRn
—
A
)
×
Δ
VT
Δ
VRn
+
VT
—
A
(
1
)
VTn
—
MAX
=
(
VRn
—
MAX
-
VRn
—
A
)
×
Δ
VT
Δ
VRn
+
VT
—
A
.
(
2
)
5. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control portion feeds power to the receivers based on the order of arrangement of the receivers on a body of the power transfer unit when a plurality of non-overlapping second voltage ranges are present.
6. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control portion feeds power to a receiver firstly arranged on a body of the power transfer unit when a plurality of non-overlapping second supply voltage ranges are present.
7. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission portion transmitting a posting signal purporting that a position of a prescribed receiver is to be changed to the prescribed receiver.
8. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission portion transmitting a posting signal purporting that a position of at least one of the receivers is to be changed for enlarging the second supply voltage range to at least the one of the receivers based on upper and lower limits of the first supply voltage ranges in the plurality of receivers.
9. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission portion transmitting a signal purporting that power receiving is to be stopped to a prescribed receiver.
10. The power transfer unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the control portion transmits the signal purporting that power receiving is to be stopped to a receiver inside the second supply voltage range through the transmission portion based on acquisition of feeding termination information feeds power to the prescribed receiver.
11. The power transfer unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the control portion alternately performs a control operation of transmitting the signal purporting that power receiving is to be stopped and a control operation of feeding power on a receiver inside the second supply voltage range and the prescribed receiver at a prescribed time interval.
12. The power transfer unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the control portion acquires the range of the supply voltage value by linear approximation or approximation to a quadratic or higher function based on the received voltage value information.
13. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control portion sets the supply voltage value to a central value in the common range among the proper voltage ranges of the plurality of receivers.
14. The power transfer unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the control portion sets the supply voltage value to a value larger than a central value in the common range among the proper voltage ranges of the plurality of receivers.
15. A method for power transfer comprising steps of:
acquiring proper voltage ranges of a plurality of receivers;
acquiring respective first supply voltage ranges corresponding to the proper voltage ranges of the plurality of receivers for respective ones of the plurality of receivers; and
setting a supply voltage value in a second supply voltage range which is a mutually overlapping range of the first supply voltage ranges.
16. A receiver comprising:
a communication portion sending information of proper voltage ranges; and
a control portion sending the information of the proper voltage ranges through the communication portion to an external power transfer unit that acquires respective first supply voltage ranges corresponding to the proper voltage ranges of the plurality of receivers for respective ones of the plurality of receivers from the plurality of receivers and sets a supply voltage value in a second supply voltage range which is a mutually overlapping range of the first supply voltage ranges, wherein
the control portion sends received voltage value information to the external power transfer unit through the communication portion, and disconnects a load when the receiver receives a signal, purporting that power receiving is to be stopped, transmitted from the external power transfer unit to the receiver, of which the first supply voltage range is outside the second supply voltage range of the plurality of receivers.
17. The receiver according to claim 16 , further comprising a receiving portion receiving a posting signal purporting that a position of the receiver from the external power transfer unit is to be changed.
18. The receiver according to claim 16 , further comprising a receiving portion receiving a signal purporting that power receiving from the external power transfer unit is to be stopped.
19. The receiver according to claim 16 , further comprising a charging information detection portion, wherein
the control portion sends power transfer termination information to the external power transfer unit through the communication portion based on charging information acquired by the charging information detection portion.