Device, method for device and program product

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus, a method for an apparatus and a program product. The device can be used in combination with a compatible product. The device detects that the device is combined with a compatible product, detects a near field communication (NFC) tag in the compatible product, and obtains one or more tag information from the detected NFC tag. The apparatus then performs a process related to the acquired one or more pieces of tag information according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for a device that can be used in combination with a compatible product having a tag used for short - range wireless communication. Background Art

[0002] The Near Field Communication (NFC) standard is known as a standard for short - range wireless communication. In the NFC standard, transmitting a carrier wave and modulating the carrier wave to transmit a message for detecting equipment as a communication partner is called polling. Polling is sent by a device having the function of an NFC standard reader - writer. In addition, equipment having the function of receiving the polling sent by the reader - writer and responding to the polling by applying load modulation to the carrier wave sent by the reader - writer is called an NFC tag. Information exchanged according to the NFC standard conforms to a data format called the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF). Multiple NDEF information can also be set on a single tag, and the reading device can read the multiple NDEF information set on the NFC tag through one NFC communication. How to process the read NDEF information is the responsibility of the device.

[0003] In recent years, the technique of using NFC for authenticating articles has become popular. In particular, NFC authentication techniques have been developed to confirm whether accessories or components attached to or used in combination with a device are compatible with the device.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid - Open No. 2012 - 134796 discloses a technique related to the configuration of a mobile phone equipped with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. Specifically, a reader - writer antenna based on the RFID standard is provided on the battery pack cover of the mobile phone body. A circuit board of the reader - writer arranged inside the mobile phone body reads the ID from the RFID tag attached to the battery pack to determine the authenticity (whether it is a genuine product) of the battery pack.

[0005] In the case where a compatible product corresponding to a device (such as an accessory that can be used in combination with the device) has an NFC tag, it is desirable for the device not only to simply read the information stored in the NFC tag, but also to perform appropriate processing on the NFC tag according to the situation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technique that enables appropriate processing when a device reads information from an NFC tag of a compatible product.

[0007] The device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be used in combination with a compatible product. The device includes: a detection component for detecting the combination of the device and the compatible product; an acquisition component for detecting a Near Field Communication tag, i.e., an NFC tag, in the compatible product and acquiring one or more tag information from the detected NFC tag; and a processing component for performing processing related to one of the one or more tag information acquired according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Description of the Drawings

[0008] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the system in the first embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the system in a state where a compatible product is attached to the device.

[0010] Figure 3 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the device.

[0011] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the compatible product.

[0012] Figure 5 FIG. is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the device in the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 6 FIG. shows Figure 5 the details of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process in.

[0014] Figure 7 FIG. shows Figure 6 a continuation flowchart of.

[0015] Figure 8 FIG. shows Figure 6 the details of the NFC tag detection process in.

[0016] Figure 9 FIG. is a diagram showing the NDEF information recorded in the NFC tag.

[0017] Figure 10 FIG. is a sequence diagram showing the processing sequence of the entire system in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 11 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the system in the second embodiment.

[0019] Figure 12 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the system in a state where a compatible product is attached to the power receiving device.

[0020] Figure 13A And Figure 13B is a diagram showing a structural example of a system in a case where a power receiving device is placed on a power transmitting device.

[0021] Figure 14 is a diagram showing a structural example of a power receiving device.

[0022] Figure 15 is a diagram showing a structural example of a power transmitting device.

[0023] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing used in the power receiving device in the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 17 is a flowchart showing details of the wireless power transmission processing of the power receiving device.

[0025] Figure 18 is a flowchart showing a wireless power transmission presetting process.

[0026] Figure 19 is a sequence diagram showing the processing sequence of the entire system in the second embodiment.

[0027] Figure 20 is a diagram showing Figure 19 a continuation sequence diagram.

[0028] Figure 21 is a flowchart showing details of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process in the third embodiment.

[0029] Figure 22 is a flowchart showing details of the wireless power transmission processing of the power receiving device.

[0030] Figure 23 is a sequence diagram showing the processing sequence of the entire system in the third embodiment.

[0031] Figure 24 is a flowchart showing details of the wireless power transmission processing of the power receiving device in the fourth embodiment.

[0032] Figure 25 is a flowchart showing a requested power selection process.

[0033] Figure 26 is a sequence diagram showing the processing sequence of the entire system.

[0034] Figure 27 is a diagram showing Figure 6 And Figure 7 a flowchart showing a modified example of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process shown.

[0035] Figure 28 is a diagram showingFigure 21 Flowchart showing details of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process shown. Detailed implementation

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Not all of the multiple features in each of the embodiments below are essential, and these multiple features can be combined arbitrarily. In the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0037] <First Embodiment>

[0038] [Structure of the system]

[0039] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of the system in the first embodiment. The system in this embodiment includes device 101 and a compatible product for device 101. Device 101 is equipped with a near field communication (NFC) function and operates in, for example, card emulation mode using this function to enable electronic money settlement and the like. Device 101 is also equipped with the following NFC function, which enables NFC communication when device 101 operates in a reader / writer mode to be able to read NFC tag 202. Device 101 has a built-in NFC antenna 102 for performing NFC communication, and NFC antenna 102 is arranged near the surface of the housing of device 101 along the surface. When NFC tag 202 approaches the surface of device 101 where NFC antenna 102 is built in, device 101 operates in a reader / writer mode to be able to communicate with NFC tag 202. Device 101 also has a built-in sensor 103 provided to detect that compatible product 201 has been combined with device 101.

[0040] The combination of a compatible product and a device generally means that the compatible product is attached (installed) to the device. However, this is not restrictive, and even when the device and the compatible product are not in physical contact with each other, as long as, for example, one or more functions or effects are produced by using the device and the compatible product simultaneously, this can mean anything. "Effect" can also include human sensory effects such as visual effects and auditory effects. In the following embodiments, attaching the compatible product to the device will be given as a typical example of the combination of the compatible product and the device.

[0041] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram showing a structural example of compatible product 201. Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4, the compatible product 201 is equipped with an NFC tag 202. The NFC tag 202 is an example of equipment that operates without a battery and enables short-range wireless communication. More specific examples include NFC / RFID tags capable of performing NFC communication, and NFC communication equipment operating in card emulation mode, etc. When the compatible product 201 is NFC communication equipment operating in card emulation mode, the compatible product 201 may be equipped with a control unit that controls the communication and the entire compatible product 201. The compatible product 201 includes a detection target unit 203. When the compatible product 201 is attached to or combined with the device 101, the device 101 uses the sensor 103 to detect the detection target unit 203, thereby detecting that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the device 101. This is an example of a detection component for detecting that the device 101 and the compatible product 201 have been combined.

[0042] Hereinafter, a smart phone will be described as an example of the device 101, and a cover or case of the device 101 will be described as an example of the compatible product 201 for the device 101, but this is not restrictive. The device 101 may be, for example, a camera, a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a car, a robot, medical equipment, or a printer, etc. The compatible product 201 is a compatible product for the device 101 listed above, and may be, for example, a battery, a camera, a smart phone, a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a car, a robot, medical equipment, a printer, a universal joint, or attachment equipment, etc. Hereinafter, a magnet will be described as an example of the detection target unit 203 of the compatible product 201, and a magnetic sensor will be described as an example of the sensor 103 of the device 101, but this is not restrictive. For example, the sensor 103 may be an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a thermal sensor, etc.

[0043] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a structural example of the system when the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101. The compatible product 201 has a shape that covers the housing of the device 101 and is attached to the device 101. At this time, the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201 is arranged to overlap with the area of the NFC antenna 102 of the device 101. Thereby, the device 101 can communicate with the NFC tag 202 by operating in reader / writer mode. In addition, the detection target unit 203 of the compatible product 201 is arranged near the sensor 103 of the device 101. Thereby, the device 101 detects that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the device 101 by using the sensor 103 to detect the detection target unit 203. The detection of the combination of the device 101 and the compatible product 201 by the sensor 103 is an example of the first condition.

[0044] [Structure of Device and Compatible Product]

[0045] Figure 3FIG. 0 is a diagram showing a structural example of the apparatus 101. The apparatus 101 includes an NFC antenna 102, a sensor 103, a communication unit 304, a control unit 305, a memory 306, a notification unit 307, and an operation unit 308.

[0046] The communication unit 304 and the NFC antenna 102 connected to the communication unit 304 are hardware modules that implement the NFC function. Specifically, the hardware modules implement a card emulation mode that substitutes for the role of a contactless IC card, a reader / writer mode for reading an NFC tag 202, and a P2P mode for directly exchanging messages between NFC devices. For example, the card emulation mode can be used for electronic money settlement and the like. The communication unit 304 and the control unit 305 are examples of reading components (or acquisition components) mainly for detecting an NFC tag and reading (or acquiring) one or more tag information from the detected NFC tag.

[0047] The sensor 103 is, for example, a magnetic sensor, and detects that the compatible product 201 has been combined with the apparatus 101 by detecting the detection target portion 203 that is a magnet.

[0048] The control unit 305 controls the entire apparatus 101. The control unit 305 performs control, for example, by executing a control program stored in the memory 306. The control unit 305 also stores information to be stored during the execution of various processes in the memory 306. The control unit 305 includes one or more processors such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU). The control unit 305 may include a memory other than the memory 306 that stores the control program, and may store information to be stored during the execution of various processes in other memories. The control unit 305 may be constituted by hardware dedicated to specific processing such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 305 may also include an array circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that is compiled to execute specific processing.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the control unit 305 is shown as one component, but this is not restrictive. For example, an NFC control unit for controlling processes related to NFC communication may be configured separately from the control unit 305. When the control unit 305 is configured as a plurality of separate control units, these control units are connected to each other via a communication interface and can perform data communication. In this case, specifically, the communication interface may be any interface that implements data communication, such as I2C or GPIO.

[0050] The memory 306 stores various types of information such as identification information and device configuration information, as well as a control program. The memory 306 may store information obtained by functional units other than the control unit 305.

[0051] The notification unit 307 notifies the user of information by any method such as visual, auditory, or tactile methods. For example, the notification unit 307 notifies the user of the state of the device 101. The notification unit 307 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display, an LED, a speaker, a vibration generating circuit, and / or other notification devices.

[0052] The operation unit 308 has a receiving function for receiving the user's operation on the device 101. The operation unit 308 includes, for example, buttons, a keyboard, a voice input device, a motion detection device, and / or other input devices. An example of the voice input device is a microphone. Examples of the motion detection device are an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor.

[0053] A device in which the notification unit 307 and the operation unit 308 are integrated, such as a touch panel, can be used.

[0054] [Processing of the device]

[0055] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing performed by the device 101. This processing can be realized, for example, by causing the control unit 305 of the device 101 to execute a program read from the memory 306. At least a part of the following processes can be realized by hardware. In this case, the hardware can be realized, for example, by automatically generating a dedicated circuit using a gate array circuit such as an FPGA from a program for realizing each processing step using a predetermined compiler.

[0056] The control unit 305 and the program for processing are mainly examples of processing components for performing processing by switching (selecting) a processing method related to one or more pieces of tag information read from the NFC tag 202 according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0057] Processing related to the tag information means, for example, the following processing [1] to [3] performed by the device 101.

[0058] [1] Processing for confirming the existence of tag information

[0059] [2] Processing based on the content of the tag information

[0060] [3] Processing related to power transmission using the tag information (to be described in the second and subsequent embodiments)

[0061] The processing method means which one (one or two or more than two) of the processes in [1], [2], and [3] is to be executed (or not executed), and which one (one or more than one) of the multiple tag data used for processing [2]. The processing method may also include the order of processing [1], [2], and [3]. As will be described in the second embodiment and subsequent embodiments, the power transmission-related processing in [3] includes various setting processes for power transmission performed before the power transmission device actually transmits power.

[0062] In S501, the device 101 starts the processing of the periodic NFC tag detection / authentication process. The periodic NFC tag detection / authentication process starts, for example, at one of the following three timings.

[0063] (a) The timing when the user performs a predetermined operation via the operation unit 308 of the device 101

[0064] (b) The timing when the power of the device 101 is turned on

[0065] (c) The timing when the sensor 103 detects that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the device 101

[0066] The "predetermined operation" in (a) is an operation for executing the NFC tag detection / authentication process or other operations.

[0067] In S502, the device 101 executes the NFC tag detection / authentication process. When the device 101 detects the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201, the device 101 performs the authentication process according to the conditions to be described below when the NDEF information (tag information) of the NFC tag 202 includes authentication information.

[0068] In S503, the device 101 performs an action corresponding to the authentication state of the compatible product. This action is, for example, to perform a specific process in the application of the device (e.g., smartphone) 101 when the compatible product 201 has been successfully authenticated.

[0069] Other examples of the above actions will be described. For example, assume that the device 101 is a camera and the compatible product 201 is its battery. Information related to the power supply specifications is included in the NFC tag 202 of the battery, and the camera detects this information by executing the NFC tag detection / authentication process. When the power supply specifications of the battery match those of the camera, the camera authenticates the battery. At this time, when the battery is not successfully authenticated, the camera displays that the battery does not match the specifications on its graphical user interface (GUI) and stops operating. Thereby, overheating of the battery and malfunction of the camera can be prevented.

[0070] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is shownFigure 5 Flowchart showing details of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process (S502) in Figure 8 is a diagram showing Figure 6 details of the NFC tag detection process (mainly S601 to S603) in

[0071] In Figure 6 , first, in S601, device 101 performs an NFC tag detection process. As Figure 8 shown, in S701, after starting the process, device 101 sets the type of NFC tag to be detected. There are multiple types of NFC tags (that is, Type-A / Type-B / Type-F), and the type of NFC tag that has not been detected is set. In S702, device 101 performs the detection of the NFC tag. This can be performed by a reader / writer function compliant with the NFC standard. Specifically, device 101 sends a carrier wave and modulates the carrier wave to send a message for detecting the set type of NFC tag. When the NFC tag receives the message from device 101, the NFC tag responds to the message by applying load modulation to the sent carrier wave. Thereby, device 101 detects the NFC tag 202.

[0072] At S703, device 101 determines whether the detection of the NFC tag 202 has been successful. If device 101 determines that the detection of the NFC tag 202 has been successful ("Yes" in S703), in S704, device 101 stores the NDEF information read from the NFC tag 202. On the other hand, if device 101 determines that the NFC tag detection has not been successful ("No" in S703), device 101 ends the process. When the NDEF information is stored in S704, device 101 manages information for each detected NFC tag.

[0073] In S705, device 101 determines whether the detection process has been performed for all types (Type-A / Type-B / Type-F) of NFC tags. If device 101 determines that the detection process has been performed for all types ("Yes" in S705), device 101 ends the process. On the other hand, if device 101 determines that the detection process has not been performed for all types ("No" in S705), device 101 returns to S701 and performs the NFC tag detection process for the next type.

[0074] The above is in Figure 6The NFC tag detection process (mainly S601 to S603) performed in [the relevant context]. By performing detection processing for all NFC tag types, even when there are multiple NFC tags near the device 101, the situation can be appropriately grasped. For example, when there are two NFC tags and they are of different types, NDEF information can be read from all tags.

[0075] The description returns to Figure 6 the flowchart in [the relevant context]. In S602, the device 101 determines whether an NFC tag has been detected in the NFC tag detection process of S601. If no NFC tag has been detected ( "No" in S602), the process ends. If the device 101 has detected an NFC tag ( "Yes" in S602), the device 101 determines in S603 whether the NFC tag has been successfully read. If the NFC tag has not been successfully read ( "No" in S603), the process ends. If the NFC tag has been successfully read ( "Yes" in S603), the device 101 stores the NDEF information of all the successfully read NFC tags in the memory.

[0076] In S604, the device 101 confirms all the NDEF information detected from an NFC tag for which processing has not yet been performed. Confirming the NDEF information means analyzing Figure 9 the NDEF information 801 to 803 shown. Assume that the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201 is an NFC tag implemented by the provider of the compatible product 201 and has three NDEF information as an example.

[0077] The NDEF information 801 is information related to the compatible product 201. As information, assume equipment type information (for example, information indicating that the type of the compatible product 201 is a cover), manufacturer information, serial number, etc. The NDEF information 802 is information related to the authentication of the compatible product 201 (authentication information for authenticating the compatible product 201), and for example, assume an authentication key. The NDEF information 803 is information for permitting power transmission for the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201 (information indicating permission for power transmission), and assume the version of wireless power transmission, information related to whether power transmission is permitted, and the permitted power value (for example, 8W). In this embodiment, as described herein, "power transmission" is mainly the power transmission used for wireless charging of the smart phone (device 101). "Permitting power transmission" means, for example, permitting power transmission as long as the power is at a level that will not damage the NFC tag 202. The NDEF information is not limited to Figure 9 the NDEF information shown, and various information can be set according to the usage of the provider of the compatible product 201.

[0078] Refer to Figure 7, in S605, the device 101 determines whether the NDEF information confirmed in S604 includes the authentication information of the compatible product 201 ( Figure 9 the NDEF information 802 in ). In the case where there is no authentication information of the compatible product 201 (\"No\" in S605), the device 101 does not perform the authentication process and proceeds to S612. In the case where there is authentication information of the compatible product 201 (\"Yes\" in S605), the device 101 determines in S606 whether the sensor 103 detects that the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101.

[0079] In the case where no attachment is detected (\"No\" in S606), in S607, the device 101 transitions to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product and stores the fact that the compatible product 201 is in the unauthenticated state in the memory. Then, the device 101 proceeds to S612. The unauthenticated state of the compatible product means that the compatible product 201 has not been successfully authenticated.

[0080] In addition, in the case where no attachment is detected (\"No\" in S606), even if the compatible product 201 is already in the authenticated state, the device 101 cancels the authentication. That is, the state of the compatible product 201 transitions to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product (S607). As will be described below, it can be determined that the compatible product 201 is in the authenticated state by performing the processes of S609 to S611. That is, when the compatible product 201 was previously attached to the device 101, and the authentication process for the compatible product 201 was performed and successfully authenticated, the fact that the compatible product is in the authenticated state of the compatible product is stored in the memory, so the device can determine that the compatible product 201 is in the authenticated state.

[0081] In the case where it is detected that the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101 (\"Yes\" in S606), the device 101 determines in S608 whether the compatible product is already in the authenticated state of the compatible product. The authenticated state of the compatible product means the state in which the compatible product 201 has been successfully authenticated. The authenticated state of the compatible product is an example of the second condition. In the case where the compatible product is in the authenticated state of the compatible product (\"Yes\" in S608), the device 101 does not perform the authentication process and proceeds to S612.

[0082] When the compatible product is not in the certified state of the compatible product (\"No\" in S608), in S609, the device 101 performs the authentication process for the compatible product 201. The device 101 authenticates by at least processing the authentication information (NDEF information 802 (authentication key)) in the NDEF information of the NFC tag of the compatible product 201, and stores the result of the authentication process. In S610, the device 101 determines whether the authentication process for the compatible product is successful. When the authentication process for the compatible product is successful (\"Yes\" in S610), the device 101 transitions to the certified state of the compatible product in S611, stores the fact that the compatible product is in the certified state of the compatible product in the memory, and enters S612. When the authentication process for the compatible product is not successful (\"No\" in S610), the device 101 enters S612 without transitioning to the certified state.

[0083] As described above, when the compatible product 201 is successfully authenticated once and then, for example, the compatible product 201 is removed from the device 101, the state of the compatible product 201 can return to the uncertified state of the compatible product. Thus, when the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101 again later, an appropriate authentication process can be performed again.

[0084] At S612, the device 101 determines whether the NFC tag being processed includes NDEF information other than the authentication information. When there is no NDEF information other than the authentication information (\"No\" in S612), the process proceeds to S614. When there is NDEF information other than the authentication information (\"Yes\" in S612), in S613, the device 101 performs the process for the first NDEF information other than the authentication information. When using Figure 8 the NDEF information in as an example, it is assumed that the device 101 will read the equipment type information, manufacturer information, and serial number of the compatible product 201 in response to the process of the NDEF information 801. After that, the process of the device 101 proceeds to S614. In the NFC tag, the NDEF information is read sequentially from Figure 9 the left side. That is, the NDEF information 801 is read first. Alternatively, when the NDEF information is stored in the NFC tag, it can also be assumed that the NDEF information is stored in association with an ID or number for identifying the NDEF information. In this case, the device 101 can read the NDEF information in the order of the ID or number.

[0085] At S614, the device 101 determines whether an NFC tag other than the processed NFC tag is detected at S604. In the case where an NFC tag other than the processed NFC tag is detected (Yes in S614), the device 101 returns to S604 and performs the subsequent processing again for the other NFC tags other than the processed NFC tag. In the case where no NFC tag other than the processed NFC tag is detected (No in S614), the device 101 ends the processing.

[0086] [Processing of the entire system]

[0087] Figure 10 FIG. is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the entire system when performing the above processing.

[0088] In F901, the device 101 starts a periodic NFC tag detection / authentication process. Although not shown in the figure, the device 101 periodically performs the NFC tag detection / authentication process at a predetermined time interval. In this example, it is assumed that the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101 after the start of the periodic NFC tag detection / authentication process (F902).

[0089] In F903, the device 101 performs the NFC tag detection / authentication process, reads the NFC tag of the compatible product 201, and performs the authentication process.

[0090] In F904, the device 101 obtains NDEF information related to authentication (authentication information (e.g., authentication key)) from the NFC tag of the compatible product 201.

[0091] In F905 to F909, the device 101 performs predetermined processing based on the authentication information obtained in F904. That is, as shown in the flowcharts in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the device 101 performs the authentication process according to the conditions, performs the state transition of the compatible product 201, and stores the state (authenticated or unauthenticated state) in the memory.

[0092] In F910, the device 101 processes NDEF information other than the NDEF information related to the authentication of the compatible product 201, and when other NFC tags are detected, the device 101 processes the other NFC tags.

[0093] In F911, the device 101 performs an action corresponding to the authentication state of the compatible product 201.

[0094] For example, when using NFC technology to authenticate a compatible product used by attaching it to a device, it is desired to perform authentication after the compatible product is attached to the device, and when the authentication is successful once, subsequent authentication is not required unless the compatible product is removed from the device. However, without properly setting the conditions for performing the authentication process, there is a concern that the authentication process will be performed multiple times even when authentication is not required. As a result, there is a concern about increased power consumption of the device and a reduction in the processing operations of other applications. On the other hand, according to the above-described present embodiment, in a state where the device 101 has successfully authenticated the compatible product 201 once, it is possible to prevent the authentication process from being performed again in the next periodic NFC tag detection process. Thus, it is possible to avoid an increase in the power consumption of the device 101 and a reduction in the processing operations of other applications. In addition, when the compatible product 201 is removed from the device 101 after the compatible product 201 has been successfully authenticated once, the state of the compatible product 201 can be returned to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product. Thus, when the compatible product 201 is attached to the device 101 again later, an appropriate authentication process can be performed again. As described above, when the device 101 reads information from the NFC tag 202, appropriate processing can be performed according to the situation.

[0095] <Second Embodiment>

[0096] Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, repeated descriptions of components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted. In the present embodiment, a power receiving device is applied as the device 101 in the first embodiment. The power receiving device is equipment that can perform wireless power transmission using the electromagnetic induction method for non-contact charging based on the WPC standard defined by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

[0097] In the WPC standard, the magnitude of the power guaranteed when the power receiving device receives power from the power transmitting device is specified by a value called the guaranteed load power (hereinafter referred to as "GP"). GP indicates, for example, a value of the power output to a load such as a charging circuit of the power receiving device even when the power transmission efficiency between the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil decreases due to a change in the positional relationship between the power receiving device and the power transmitting device. For example, when GP is 15 watts, even when the power transmission efficiency decreases due to a change in the positional relationship between the power receiving coil and the power transmitting coil, the power transmitting device will perform power transmission by controlling to output 15 watts to the load in the power receiving device.

[0098] [Structure of the System]

[0099] Figure 11This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the system in this embodiment. The system is composed of a power receiving device 111 as device 101, a compatible product 201 of the power receiving device 111, and a power transmitting device 1001. In the following description, the power receiving device may be referred to as RX, and the power transmitting device may be referred to as TX.

[0100] RX 111 is an electronic device that receives power from TX 1001 and charges its built-in battery when placed on TX 1001. TX 1001 is an electronic device that wirelessly transmits power to the placed RX 111. RX 101 and TX 1001 may have functions to execute applications other than the wireless charging function. For example, RX 101 is a smart phone, and TX 1001 is an accessory device for charging the battery of the smart phone. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and RX 101 and TX 1001 may be a tablet device, a storage device such as a hard disk device or a memory device, or an information processing device such as a personal computer (PC). RX 101 and TX 1001 may also be a photographic device such as a still camera or a video camera, an automobile, a robot, a medical device, or a printer, etc.

[0101] Similar to Figure 1 the device 101 shown, RX 111 includes an NFC antenna 102 and a sensor 103. RX 111 also has a built-in power receiving coil 104, which is arranged near the surface of the housing of RX 111 along the surface. RX 111 can perform wireless power transmission based on the WPC standard on TX 1001 by using the power receiving coil 104.

[0102] In the state where RX 111 is placed, TX 1001 wirelessly transmits power to RX 111 based on the WPC standard. TX 1001 has a built-in power transmitting coil 1010 (which can wirelessly transmit power to RX 111 based on the WPC standard in the state where RX 111 is placed), and the power transmitting coil 1010 is arranged near the surface of the housing of TX 1001 along the surface.

[0103] Hereinafter, an example of a magnet as the detection target portion 203 of the compatible product 201 will be described, and a magnetic sensor will be used as an example of the sensor 103 of the device 101, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0104] Figure 12Fig. 0 shows a structural example of the system in a state where the compatible product 201 is attached to the RX 111. The compatible product 201 has a shape that covers the housing of the RX 111 and is attached to the RX 111. At this time, the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201 is arranged to overlap with the area of the NFC antenna 102 of the RX 111. Thus, the RX 111 can communicate with the NFC tag 202 by operating in the reader / writer mode.

[0105] In addition, in a state where the compatible product 201 is attached to the RX 111, the detection target portion 203 of the compatible product 201 is arranged near the sensor 103 of the RX 111. Thus, the RX 111 detects the detection target portion 203 using the sensor 103, and thus detects that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the RX 111. Further, the power receiving coil 104 of the RX 111 is arranged inside the detection target portion 203, which is a circular magnet of the compatible product 201, when viewed from above. As will be described below, it is assumed that the detection target portion 203 and the power receiving coil 104 are arranged opposite to each other so that power can be received using MPP of a power profile that is expected to become a WPC standard in the future. MPP is an acronym for magnetic power profile.

[0106] Figure 13A and Figure 13B Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrams showing a structural example of the system in a state where the compatible product 201 is attached to the RX 111 and the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001. Figure 13A Fig. 9 is a plan view, and Figure 13B Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view. As Figure 13A Figs. 9 Figure 13B and 10 show, the power transmission coil 1010 of the TX 1001 is arranged to overlap with the power receiving coil 104 of the RX 111 in the plan view. Thus, the TX 1001 can wirelessly transmit power to the RX 111 based on the WPC standard.

[0107] [Structures of Power Receiving Device, Compatible Product, and Power Transmission Device]

[0108] Figure 14 Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a structural example of the RX 111. The RX 111 includes an NFC antenna 102, a sensor 103, a first communication unit 1304, a control unit 1305, and a memory 1306. The RX 111 further includes a power receiving coil 104, a power receiving unit 1307, a second communication unit 1308, a detection unit 1309, a charging unit 1310, a battery 1311, an operation unit 1312, and a notification unit 1313.

[0109] The NFC antenna 102 and the first communication unit 1304 are hardware modules for implementing the NFC function. Similar to the NFC antenna 102 and the communication unit 304 in the first embodiment, the NFC antenna 102 and the first communication unit 1304 implement functions such as card emulation mode, reader mode, and P2P.

[0110] The sensor 103, the control unit 1305, and the memory 1306 basically have the same functions as Figure 3 the NFC antenna 102, the sensor 103, the control unit 305, and the memory 306 described therein.

[0111] The control unit 1305 is shown as a component, but is not limited thereto. For example, a WPC control unit for controlling the process related to receiving power from the TX 1001 can be configured separately from the control unit 1305. Alternatively, an NFC control unit for controlling the process related to NFC communication can be configured separately from the control unit 1305. Additionally, the WPC control unit and the NFC control unit can each be configured separately from the control unit 1305. The specific hardware example of the control unit 1305 is the same as Figure 3 the hardware example of the control unit 305 therein, and thus its description will be omitted.

[0112] The second communication unit 1308 performs wireless power transfer communication based on the WPC standard with the communication unit 1405 of the TX 1001 ( Figure 15 ). The second communication unit 1308 controls the power receiving unit 1307 to communicate with the TX 1001. Specifically, the second communication unit 1308 demodulates the electromagnetic waves input from the power receiving coil 104 to obtain the information transmitted from the TX 1001, and performs load modulation on these electromagnetic waves to superimpose the information to be transmitted to the TX 1001 on these electromagnetic waves. That is, the communication performed by the second communication unit 1308 is superimposed on the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the power transmission coil 1010 of the TX 1001.

[0113] The detection unit 1309 detects that the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 based on the WPC standard. The detection unit 1309 detects, for example, at least one of the voltage value and the current value of the power receiving coil 104 when the power receiving unit 1307 receives a digital Ping of the WPC standard via the power receiving coil 104. For example, when the voltage value is less than a predetermined voltage threshold or the current value exceeds a predetermined current threshold, the detection unit 1309 can determine that the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001.

[0114] In this way, in the present disclosure, placing the power receiving device on the power transmitting device means that the power receiving device is in a state where the power receiving device can receive power from the power transmitting device (for example, the power receiving device is arranged at a position where it can receive power). Here, even when the power receiving device is placed on the power transmitting device, it is conceivable that the power receiving device does not necessarily have to be in a state where it can receive power. For example, this can be a case where a cover, a case, or other members that block electromagnetic waves or attenuate electromagnetic waves are attached to the power receiving device, or a case where an unwanted member that blocks electromagnetic waves or attenuates electromagnetic waves is provided between the power transmitting device and the power receiving device. The stage "the power receiving device is placed on the power transmitting device", which will be described in the flowchart later, is merely an example of a case where the power receiving device is in a state where it can receive power from the power transmitting device. In addition, the state in which the power receiving device can receive power is not limited to the state where the power receiving device is placed on the power transmitting device. For example, the state in which the power receiving device can receive power can be a state where the power receiving device and the power transmitting device are in contact with or close to each other through mechanical engagement, or can be a state where the power receiving device is in contact with the power transmitting device through magnetic force (for example, via a compatible product). In the present disclosure, the following description will be given by taking the state where the power receiving device is placed on the power transmitting device as a typical example of the state where RX can receive power.

[0115] The charging unit 1310 charges the battery 1311 using the power supplied from the power receiving unit 1307. The charging unit 1310 also starts or stops charging the battery 1311 under the control of the control unit 1305, and adjusts the power to be used for charging the battery 1311 based on the charging state of the battery 1311. When the power used by the charging unit 1310 changes, the power supplied from the power receiving unit 1307 (that is, the received power in RX 111) also changes accordingly. The charging unit 1310 shown here is a load in RX 111.

[0116] The power receiving unit 1307 or the charging unit 1310 is mainly an example of a power receiving component for wirelessly receiving power from a power transmitting device.

[0117] The battery 1311 supplies power required for the control unit 1305 to control each part of RX 111 and for power reception and communication to the entire RX 111. The battery 1311 also stores the power received via the power receiving coil 104.

[0118] The notification unit 1313 notifies the user of, for example, the charging state of RX 111, and information indicating the state of power transmission of the wireless power transmission system including RX 111 and TX 1001 as shown in Figure 13A and Figure 13B . Specific hardware examples of the notification unit 1313 are the same as Figure 3The hardware example of the notification unit 307 in [reference] is the same, so its description will be omitted.

[0119] The operation unit 1312 has a receiving function for receiving the user's operation on the RX 111. The specific hardware example of the operation unit 1312 is the same as Figure 3 the hardware example of the operation unit 308 in [reference], so its description will be omitted.

[0120] The structure of the compatible product 201 of the RX 111 in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment, so its description will be omitted.

[0121] Figure 15 FIG. [figure number] is a diagram showing a structural example of the TX 1001 in this embodiment. The TX 1001 includes a control unit 1401, a power supply unit 1402, a power transmission unit 1403, a detection unit 1404, a power transmission coil 1010, a communication unit 1405, a notification unit 1406, an operation unit 1407, and a memory 1408.

[0122] The control unit 1401 controls the entire TX1001 by, for example, executing a control program stored in the memory 1408. That is, the control unit 1401 controls Figure 15 each functional unit shown. The control unit 1401 also stores information to be stored during the execution of various processes in the memory 1408. The control unit 1401 also performs control related to power transmission and control related to the NFC function. In addition, the control unit 1401 can perform control for executing applications other than wireless power transmission. The specific hardware example of the control unit 1401 is the same as Figure 3 the hardware example of the control unit 305 in [reference], so its description will be omitted.

[0123] The control unit 1401 may be constituted by a single processor, or the main control unit that controls the whole and the sub-control unit that controls the power transmission process and the NFC communication may be implemented by separate processors.

[0124] The power supply unit 1402 supplies power required for the control unit 1401 to control the TX 1001, as well as power required for power transmission and communication, to the entire TX 1001. The power supply unit 1402 is, for example, a commercial power supply or a battery. The battery stores the power supplied from the commercial power supply.

[0125] The power transmission unit 1403 converts the DC or AC power output from the power supply unit 1402 into AC frequency power in the frequency band used for wireless power transmission, and inputs the AC frequency power to the power transmission coil 1010 to generate an electromagnetic wave for the RX 111 to receive power. The frequency of the AC power generated by the power transmission unit 1403 is, for example, about several hundred kHz (e.g., 110 kHz to 205 kHz). In response to an instruction from the control unit 1401, the power transmission unit 1403 inputs the AC frequency power to the power transmission coil 1010 so that an electromagnetic wave for the RX 111 to transmit power is output from the power transmission coil 1010. The power transmission unit 1403 controls the intensity of the electromagnetic wave to be output by adjusting the voltage (transmission voltage), current (transmission current), or both to be input to the power transmission coil 1010. Increasing the transmission voltage or transmission current increases the intensity of the electromagnetic wave, and decreasing the transmission voltage or transmission current decreases the intensity of the electromagnetic wave. Based on an instruction from the control unit 1401, the power transmission unit 1403 also controls the output of the AC frequency power so as to start or stop the power transmission from the power transmission coil 1010.

[0126] The power transmission unit 1403 notifies the control unit 1401 of the current power transmission power, so that the control unit 1401 can know the power transmission power at any timing. The measurement of the power transmission power and the notification given to the control unit 1401 can be performed by a unit other than the power transmission unit 1403.

[0127] The detection unit 1404 detects whether an object is placed on the TX 1001 based on the WPC standard. Specifically, the detection unit 1404 detects whether an object is placed on the interface surface of the TX 1001. The detection unit 1404, for example, detects at least one of the voltage value and the current value of the power transmission coil 1010 when the power transmission unit 1403 transmits an analog Ping of the WPC standard via the power transmission coil 1010. The detection unit 1404 can detect a change in impedance. Then, when the voltage value drops below a predetermined voltage value or the current value exceeds a predetermined current value, the detection unit 1404 can determine that an object is placed on the TX 1001. It is determined whether the object is the RX 111 or another foreign object based on whether a predetermined response has been made to the digital Ping subsequently transmitted by the communication unit 1405. That is, when the TX 1001 receives a predetermined response, the object is determined to be the RX 111, otherwise the object is determined to be an object other than the power receiving device.

[0128] The condition that the RX 111 is in a state where it can receive power from the TX 1001 is an example of the third condition.

[0129] The communication unit 1405 performs control communication with the RX 111 based on the WPC standard as described above. The communication unit 1405 modulates the electromagnetic wave output from the power transmission coil 1010 and transmits information to the RX 111 for communication. The communication unit 1405 also demodulates the electromagnetic wave output from the power transmission coil 1010 and modulated by the RX 111 to obtain the information transmitted by the RX 111. That is, the communication performed by the communication unit 1405 is superimposed on the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the power transmission coil 1010. The communication unit 1405 also performs NFC communication and detects the NFC tag of the equipment that transmits power. In the communication unit 1405, the module that performs control communication based on the WPC standard and the module that performs NFC communication can be implemented by a single hardware module, or can be implemented by separate hardware.

[0130] The notification unit 1406 notifies the user of information by any method such as visual, auditory, or tactile methods. For example, the notification unit 1406 notifies the user of the charging status of the TX 1001, or information indicating the power transmission status of the wireless power transmission system including the TX 1001 and the RX 111 as shown in Figure 13A and Figure 13B . The specific hardware example of the notification unit 1406 is the same as the hardware example of the notification unit 307 in Figure 3 , and thus its description will be omitted.

[0131] The operation unit 1407 has a receiving function for receiving the user's operation on the TX 1001. The specific hardware example of the operation unit 1407 is the same as the hardware example of the operation unit 308 in Figure 3 , and thus its description will be omitted.

[0132] The memory 1408 stores various information such as identification information and capability information, as well as control programs and the like. The capability information includes, for example, information indicating whether the device has high-precision foreign object detection processing capability. The memory 1408 can store the information obtained by functional units other than the control unit 1401.

[0133] [Processing for the power receiving device]

[0134] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing of the RX 111. This processing can be implemented, for example, by causing the control unit 1305 of the RX 111 to execute a program read from the memory 1306. At least a part of the following processes can be implemented by hardware. In this case, the hardware can be implemented, for example, by using a predetermined compiler to automatically generate a dedicated circuit using a gate array circuit such as an FPGA from the program for implementing each processing step.

[0135] The processing of RX 111 in S1501 and S1502 is the same as the processing of device 101 in S501 and S502 in the first embodiment ( Figure 5 ). The start timing of S1501 is the same as the above (a) to (c) in S501 in the first embodiment. The details of the processing of S1502 are the same as those of Figure 6 and Figure 7 in the first embodiment.

[0136] In S1503, RX 111 performs wireless power transfer processing based on the WPC standard and receives power from TX 1001. Here, RX 111 performs wireless power transfer presetting processing and sets wireless power transfer according to the authentication status of compatible product 201. The wireless power transfer presetting processing is an example of settings related to the wireless power transfer processing. The wireless power transfer presetting processing will be simply referred to as the presetting processing hereinafter. In the present embodiment, as an example of the presetting processing, a process for determining a power profile of wireless power transfer based on the WPC standard according to the authentication status of compatible product 201 is shown. Details will be described later.

[0137] Figure 17 is a flowchart showing the details of the wireless power transfer processing of RX 111 based on the WPC standard in Figure 16 S1503. In S1601, RX 111 performs processing defined as the selection phase and the Ping phase of the WPC standard and waits for RX 111 to be placed on TX 1001. RX 111 detects that it has been placed on TX 1001, for example, by detecting a digital Ping from TX 1001. When RX 111 receives a digital Ping from TX 1001, RX 111 sends a signal strength (SIG) packet to TX 1001.

[0138] When RX 111 detects in S1602 that RX 111 has been placed on TX 1001, RX 111 performs the presetting processing. The presetting processing is a process for setting wireless power transfer according to the authentication status of the compatible product.

[0139] Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the presetting processing and showing a process for setting a power profile in wireless power transfer based on the WPC standard. The power profile is a standard in the WPC standard (for example, the baseline power profile (BPP) and the extended power profile (EPP)). The maximum power supply amount is 5W for BPP and 15W for EPP. In addition, it is planned to add the above MPP in the future.

[0140] At the start of the process, in S1701, RX 111 determines whether a compatible product is detected as being attached to RX 111. This determination process has already been performed in S606 in S1502 ( Figure 7 ), and thus the result of this determination can be used in S1701. In the case where a compatible product is not detected as being attached (\"No\" in S1701), RX 111 sets the BPP and EPP to the power profiles of the WPC standard supported by RX111 in S1704, stores this setting in the memory 1306, and ends the process.

[0141] In the case where RX 111 detects that a compatible product is attached (\"Yes\" in S1701), RX 111 proceeds to S1702 and determines whether the compatible product is in a state where the compatible product has been certified. This is determined based on the information related to the certification state stored in the memory 1306 in S611 when performing the NFC tag detection / authentication process in S1502.

[0142] In the case where the compatible product is not in a state where the compatible product has been certified (\"No\" in S1702), RX 111 performs the above process in S1704 and ends the process. In the case where the compatible product is in a state where the compatible product has been certified (\"Yes\" in S1702), RX 111 sets the MPP to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by RX 111 in S1703, stores this setting in the memory 1306, and ends the process.

[0143] The description returns to Figure 17 . In S1603, RX 111 performs the process specified as the identification and configuration phase (I&C phase) of the WPC standard. In the I&C phase, RX 111 sends an identification data packet (ID packet) to TX 1001. In addition to storing the manufacturer code and the basic device ID, which are the identification information for each individual RX 111, the ID packet also stores an information element that can specify the version of the supported WPC standard.

[0144] RX 111 can send its own identification information to TX 1001 using an extended identification packet (XID packet). RX 111 also sends a configuration data packet to TX 1001. The configuration data packet includes the following capability information (equipment configuration information) of RX 111:

[0145] - Information that enables the specification of the version of the WPC standard supported by RX 111;

[0146] - The maximum power value or the reference power, which is a value used to specify the maximum power that can be supplied by RX 111 to the load;

[0147] - Information for indicating whether RX 111 has a negotiation function of the WPC standard;

[0148] - Parameters used in frequency shift modulation, which is a communication modulation method used when TX 1001 sends information to RX 111.

[0149] However, this information is only an example, and the identification information and capability information of RX 111 can be replaced by other information or can include other information. For example, the identification information can be any other identification information that enables individual RX 111 to be identified, such as a wireless power ID, etc. RX 111 can also send the identification information and capability information by methods other than the I&C phase communication of the WPC standard.

[0150] Here, RX 111 notifies TX 1001 of this information by including information related to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by RX 111 in the ID packet, XID packet, or configuration data packet. Upon receiving this notification, TX 1001 compares the information related to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by RX 111 with the power profile of the WPC standard supported by TX 1001, and determines the power profile to be used. For example, TX 1001 sets the priority of the power profile to be used in advance, and selects and determines the power profile with the highest priority from the power profiles supported by both TX 1001 and RX 111. For example, the priority of the power profile to be used is set as follows: First: MPP; Second: EPP; Third: BPP. In the case where the power profiles supported by both TX 1001 and RX 111 are MPP and BPP, MPP will be selected and determined as the power profile to be used. Another example is the following method: RX 111 notifies TX 1001 of both by including information related to the power profile it supports together with its priority in the ID, XID, or configuration data packet. At this time, TX 1001 selects and determines the power profile with the high priority of RX 111 notified by RX 111 from the power profiles supported by both TX 1001 and RX 111.

[0151] In S1604, when RX 111 sends the identification information and capability information, RX 111 starts the communication in the negotiation phase specified by the WPC standard. In the negotiation phase, RX 111 sends a requested power value to TX 1001, and determines the GP value between TX 1001 and RX 111. GP is an example of power information for indicating the power requested by the power receiving device from the power sending device.

[0152] When the RX 111 determines the GP, in S1605, the RX 111 starts the communication of the calibration phase specified by the WPC standard. During the calibration phase, the RX 111 sends information related to a predetermined received power value to the TX 1001, so that the TX can derive the relationship between the transmitted power in the state without foreign objects and the transmitted power. Here, the information related to the predetermined received power value includes the received power value in the light load state / light load and the received power value in the maximum load / connected load state.

[0153] When the RX 111 sends the information related to the received power value, in S1606, the RX 111 starts receiving power through the communication of the power transfer phase specified by the WPC standard. After that, when the battery is fully charged, the RX 111 sends the End Power Transfer (EPT) of the WPC standard. Thereby, the power transmission from the TX 1001 is stopped, and a series of processes for non-contact charging are ended.

[0154] [Processing of the entire system]

[0155] Figure 19 and Figure 20 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the entire system. In the initial state, the RX 111 is not placed on the TX 1001 (a state where power cannot be received). The processing of F1801 to F1810 performed by the RX 111 is the same as the processing of F901 to F910 performed by the device 101 in the first embodiment ( Figure 10 ), so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0156] In the example of this flowchart, it is assumed that the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 in F1811. When the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 in F1811, the TX 1001 and the RX 111 perform the communication of the Ping phase of the WPC standard in F1812, so the TX 1001 detects that the RX 101 has been placed on the TX 1001 in F1813. In addition, the RX 101 detects that the RX101 has been placed on the TX 1001 in F1814. After that, the RX 111 performs the preset processing as shown in the flowchart of Figure 18 in F1815, and sets the power profile of the WPC standard supported by the RX 111.

[0157] RX 111 sends identification information and capability information to TX 1001 (not shown) through communication in the I&C stage of the WPC standard. In the I&C stage, in F1816, RX 111 notifies TX 1001 of information related to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by RX 111. In F1817, TX 1001 determines the power profile to be used based on the information related to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by RX 111 and the information related to the power profile of the WPC standard supported by TX 1001. In F1818, RX 111 requests information related to the power profile to be used from TX 1001. This request can be achieved by sending a general request packet to TX 1001. In F1819, TX 1001 responds to the request for information related to the power profile made by RX 111 and notifies RX 111 of the power profile to be used. TX 1001 can notify RX 111 of the power profile to be used by sending a transmitter identification packet (TX ID packet) to RX 111.

[0158] In F1820 to F1822, TX 1001 and RX 111 perform communication in the negotiation stage of the WPC standard and communication in the negotiation stage, and then enter the power transmission stage to start power transmission and power reception processing. When the battery is set to the fully charged state, in F1823, RX 111 sends an end power transmission packet (EPT packet) to TX 1001 to request TX 1001 to stop sending power. TX 1001 that receives the EPT packet stops sending power.

[0159] According to the above embodiment, in a state where RX 111 has successfully authenticated a compatible product 201 once, it is possible to prevent the authentication process from being performed again in the next periodic NFC tag detection process. Thus, an increase in power consumption of RX 111 and a reduction in processing operations of other applications can be avoided. In addition, when the compatible product 201 is removed from RX 111 after the compatible product 201 has been successfully authenticated once, the state of the compatible product 201 can return to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product. Thus, when the compatible product 201 is attached to RX 111 again later, an appropriate authentication process can be performed again. In addition, RX 111 can switch the power profile of the WPC standard to be used according to the authentication state of the compatible product 201. For example, only when the compatible product 201 is attached to RX 111 and has been authenticated, MPP can be used as the power profile.

[0160] <Third Embodiment>

[0161] In the following, a third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, repeated descriptions of components that are the same as or similar to those in the first and second embodiments will be omitted. In this embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, a power receiving device is used as the device 101 in the first embodiment. The structural example of the system in this embodiment, and the structures of the power receiving device (RX 111), the compatible product 201, and the power transmitting device (TX 1001) are the same as those in the second embodiment. For this reason, their descriptions will be omitted.

[0162] [Processing for the power receiving device]

[0163] As in the second embodiment, an overview of the processing flow of RX 111 is shown in Figure 16 . In this embodiment, at the initial time point, the NFC tag detection / authentication process (F2101 in Figure 23 to be described later) is periodically executed, and then when the compatible product 201 is attached to RX 111, the attachment is detected ( Figure 23 in F2102). These points are the same as those in the second embodiment. However, in this embodiment, after detecting the attachment of the compatible product 201, the NFC tag detection / authentication process is not executed until RX 111 is placed on TX 1001. After RX 111 is placed on TX 1001, the NFC tag detection / authentication process is executed (S1502, S2002 in Figure 22 to be described later, Figure 23 in F2107). That is, in this embodiment, the NFC tag detection / authentication process is executed based on RX 111 being placed on TX 1001. After that, RX 111 starts the wireless power transmission process based on the WPC standard, that is, the process of receiving power from TX 1001 (S1503, and Figure 22 in S2003 and subsequent steps).

[0164] Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the details of the processing of the NFC tag detection / authentication process (S1502) in Figure 16 . As in the first and second embodiments, the processing of S1901 to S1904 is the same as the processing of S601 to S604 shown in Figure 6 , and thus their descriptions will be omitted.

[0165] In S1905, RX 111 determines whether the NDEF information confirmed in S604 includes information related to the authentication of the compatible product 201 ( Figure 9 in the NDEF information 802, that is, the authentication information).

[0166] In the case where there is no authentication information of the compatible product 201 (being "No" in S1905), the RX 111 proceeds to S612 and does not perform the authentication process. In the case where there is authentication information of the compatible product 201 (being "Yes" in S1905), in S1906, the RX 111 determines whether it detects that the RX 111 has been placed on the TX 1001.

[0167] In the case where it is not detected that the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 (being "No" in S1906), the RX 111 proceeds to S612 and does not perform the authentication process. In the case where it is detected that the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 (being "Yes" in S1906), in S1907, the RX 111 determines whether the sensor 103 detects that a compatible product is attached to the RX 111.

[0168] In the case where it is not detected that a compatible product is attached to the RX 111 (being "No" in S1907), the RX 111 transitions to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product in S1908, and stores the fact that the compatible product is in the unauthenticated state of the compatible product in the memory 1306. Then, the process proceeds to S612. The unauthenticated state of the compatible product means that the authentication of the compatible product 201 has not been successful. Thus, when the compatible product is removed from the RX 111 after it has been successfully authenticated once, the state of the compatible product 201 can return to the unauthenticated state of the compatible product. Therefore, when the compatible product 201 is attached to the RX 111 again later, the appropriate authentication process can be performed again.

[0169] In the case where it is detected that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the RX 111 (being "Yes" in S1907), the RX 111 proceeds to S1909. The subsequent processing is the same as these processes in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and thus its description will be omitted.

[0170] Figure 22 is a flowchart showing the details of the wireless power transmission process of the RX 111 based on the WPC standard in Figure 16 S1503 of this embodiment. Figure 16 S1503 in means the start of the power transmission process from the TX 1001 (first, the pre - setting process). The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that: after the RX 111 is placed on the TX 1001 (S2001), before the pre - setting process (S2003), the NFC tag detection / authentication process (S1502, S2002) is performed. The processing of S2003 and the subsequent processing are the same as Figure 17 S1602 in, and thus its description will be omitted.

[0171] [Processing of the entire system]

[0172] Figure 23 is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the entire system. In the initial state, RX 111 is not placed on TX 1001 (non-powered state). F2101 and F2102 are the same as F1801 and F1802 in Figure 19 , and thus their description will be omitted.

[0173] In this embodiment, it is assumed that in F2103, RX 111 is placed on TX 1001. When RX 111 is placed on TX 1001 in F2103, TX 1001 and RX 111 perform communication in the Ping phase of the WPC standard in F2104, so TX 1001 detects in F2105 that RX 101 has been placed on TX 1001. In addition, RX 101 detects in F2106 that RX 101 has been placed on TX 1001.

[0174] F2107 to F2115 are the same as F1803 to F1810 and F1815 in the second embodiment ( Figure 19 ), and thus their description will be omitted. In addition, the processing after F2115 is the same as that of F1816 to F1823 in the second embodiment ( Figure 20 ), and thus their description will be omitted.

[0175] According to the above embodiment, even when the NFC tag detection / authentication process is not performed before RX 111 is placed on TX 1001, the process is performed after RX 111 is placed on TX 1001, and then the preset processing is performed. Thus, the same effect as in the second embodiment can be obtained.

[0176] <Fourth Embodiment>

[0177] Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the repeated description of the components that are the same as or similar to those in the first to third embodiments will be omitted. In this embodiment, as in the second and third embodiments, a power receiving device is applied as the device 101 in the first embodiment. The structural example of the system in this embodiment and the structures of the power receiving device (RX 111), the compatible product 201, and the power transmitting device (TX 1001) are the same as those in the second and third embodiments. For this reason, their description will be omitted.

[0178] [Processing for Power Receiving Device]

[0179] The overview of the processing flow of RX 111 is the same as that of this process in the third embodiment (refer to Figure 16 ), and thus its description will be omitted. The difference between this embodiment and the third embodiment is that inFigure 16 In the wireless power transmission process based on the WPC standard in S1503, after the preset process, a requested power selection process is executed.

[0180] Figure 24 It shows Figure 16 A flowchart showing the details of the wireless power transmission process of the RX 111 based on the WPC standard in S1503. As described above, the processes other than the requested power selection process in S2204 (S2201 to S2203 and S2205 to S2208) are the same as these processes in the third embodiment ( Figure 22 ), and thus their descriptions will be omitted.

[0181] In S2204, the RX 111 executes a requested power selection process. The requested power selection process is a process for selecting a GP requested power value based on the information of the compatible product 201 detected by the RX 111, the information of other NFC tags, and the specifications of the RX 111.

[0182] Figure 25 It is a flowchart showing the requested power selection process. In S2301, the RX 111 determines whether an NFC tag is detected. The determination result is obtained through the NFC tag detection process ( Figure 6 S602 in

[0183] executed in the NFC tag detection / authentication process of S2202). If no NFC tag is detected (No in S2301), the RX 111 determines the receivable power value held by the RX 111 as the GP requested power value in S2308, stores it in the memory 1306, and ends the process. The receivable power value is the maximum power value that the RX 111 can receive at the current time, and can be determined by the operating state of the RX 111 (such as load, temperature, and / or the coupling coefficient between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil, etc.), but is not limited thereto. The control unit 1305 is mainly an example of a calculation component for calculating the receivable power value based on the operating state of the power receiving device.

[0184] If an NFC tag is detected (Yes in S2301), the RX 111 determines in S2302 whether the NFC tag has been successfully read. The determination result is obtained through the process of S603 executed in the NFC tag detection / authentication process of S2202.

[0185] In the case where the NFC tag is not successfully read (i.e., "No" in S2302), RX 111 executes S2308 described above and ends the process. In the case where the NFC tag is successfully read (i.e., "Yes" in S2302), in S2303, RX 111 confirms all the NDEF information of the NFC tag. In the case where multiple NFC tags are detected, RX 111 confirms all the NDEF information for each NFC tag. In the case where the NFC tag is successfully read (i.e., "Yes" in S603), RX 111 stores the NDEF information of all the successfully read NFC tags in the memory 1306. In S2303, RX 111 only needs to confirm this NDEF information. Confirming the NDEF information means analyzing the NDEF information (e.g., Figure 9 the NDEF information 801 to 803 shown).

[0186] In Figure 9 the example shown, the NDEF information 803 includes information for permitting (or allowing) the NFC tag to send power. In S2304, RX 111 determines whether to permit all the NFC tags to send power. In the case where RX 111 determines to permit all the NFC tags to send power (i.e., "Yes" in S2304), in S2305, it selects the minimum value from the permitted power values of all the NFC tags and sets this minimum value as the permitted power value to be used in subsequent processing. This means using the permitted power value in the NDEF information 803 (e.g., 8 watts).

[0187] On the other hand, in the case where RX 111 determines that at least one of the detected NFC tags is not an NFC tag permitted to send power (i.e., "No" in S2304), in S2309, it determines the restricted power value as the GP request power value, and the request power selection process ends. The restricted power value is a small enough value that is unlikely to cause damage or overheating of the NFC tag even when the power supply process continues. The restricted power value can be a predetermined value or smaller (e.g., 5 watts or smaller), but is not limited thereto.

[0188] In S2306, RX 111 determines whether the minimum permitted power value selected in S2305 is less than the power reception available value. In the case where the permitted power value is less than the power reception available value (i.e., "Yes" in S2306), RX 111 determines the permitted power value as the GP request power value in S2307 and ends the request power selection process. On the other hand, in the case where the permitted power value is equal to or greater than the power reception available value (i.e., "No" in S2306), RX 111 executes S2308 described above and ends the request power selection process.

[0189] [Processing of the entire system]

[0190] Figure 26 This is a sequence diagram showing the processing of the entire system. In the initial state, RX 111 is not placed on TX 1001. The processing before the processing of F2416 is the same as the processing of F2101 to F2115 ( Figure 23 ) in the third embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0191] In F2416, RX 111 performs a requested power selection process. As an example, it is assumed that: all NFC tags detected in the NFC tag detection / authentication process (F2107) include information for allowing power transmission, and the minimum permitted power value in the NFC tag is 8W. Additionally, as an example, it is assumed that the permitted power value of RX 111 is 12W. In this case, in Figure 25 S2306, the permitted power value is less than the receivable power value, so the judgment result is "yes", and in S2307, 8W is selected as the GP requested power value.

[0192] The I&C stage processing from F2417 to F2420 is the same as that in the second and third embodiments, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0193] Next, RX 111 and TX 1001 enter the negotiation stage processing. In F2421, RX 111 sends a WPC standard foreign object detection (FOD) status data packet to TX 1001. When TX 1001 receives the FOD status data packet, it is determined in this embodiment that there is no foreign object, and an ACK is sent in F2422.

[0194] In F2423, RX 111 requests information related to the power transmission available value from TX 1001. This request can be achieved by sending a capability information notification request to TX 1001 using a WPC standard general request (GRQ) data packet. When requesting TX1001 to provide information related to the power transmission available value, information related to the power transmission available value is notified to RX 111 in F2424. This notification can be achieved by a WPC standard power transmitter capability (CAP) data packet. The CAP data packet can include the power transmission available value of TX1001 (that is, the negotiable load power).

[0195] In F2425, RX 111 determines the GP request power value. RX 111 compares the request power value selected in the request power selection process of F2416 with the power value that can be transmitted, which is notified by TX 1001 in F2424, and determines the smaller value of these two values as the GP request power value. Since the power value that can be transmitted by TX 1001 is 12W and the request power value selected in the request power selection process of F2416 is 8W, the GP request power value is determined to be 8W.

[0196] In F2426, RX 111 stores the determined GP request power value in a specific request (SRQ) data packet of the WPC standard and sends the SRQ data packet to TX 1001. When TX 1001 receives the SRQ data packet as a GP request, since the request power value is smaller than its own power value that can be transmitted, TX 1001 accepts the request power value and stores the request power value as the GP value in F2427.

[0197] In F2428, TX 1001 sends ACK as a response to the acceptance to RX 111. When RX 111 receives the ACK, assuming that the request power value sent in F2426 is accepted, RX 111 stores the request power value as the GP value in F2429. In F2430, RX 111 uses the SRQ data packet of the WPC standard to send a notification of the end of the negotiation phase to TX1001. When TX 1001 receives the notification of the end of the negotiation phase, in F2431, TX 1001 sends ACK as a response to the acceptance to RX 111.

[0198] The processing of F2432 to F2434 is the same as that of F1821 to F1823 in Figure 20 and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0199] According to the above embodiments, the same effects as those in the second and third embodiments can be obtained. In addition, RX111 can select an appropriate request power value based on information related to the NFC tag detected in the NFC tag detection process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent products and components equipped with NFC functions from being damaged by electromagnetic waves transmitted from TX 1001.

[0200] <Other Embodiments>

[0201] In the first embodiment, the order of S606 and S608 in Figure 7 can be reversed. Figure 27It is a flowchart showing such an example. After S605, in both the case where the compatible product 201 has been certified ("Yes") and the case where the compatible product 201 has not been certified ("No") in S608, it is determined whether the attachment of the compatible product 201 to the device 101 is detected (S606a and S606b). Then, in S606b, when the attachment of the compatible product 201 to the device 101 is detected ("Yes"), the processing of the device 101 can proceed to S609. In addition, in Figure 27 the example of Figure 7 as in the example described in the description of Figure 7 , when the attachment of the compatible product 201 is not detected even when the compatible product 201 has been certified ("Yes" in S608) ("No" in S606a), the uncertification process is executed in S607.

[0202] In the third and fourth embodiments, for the same purpose as described above, the order of S1906 to S1909 in Figure 21 can be appropriately changed. Figure 28 It is a flowchart showing such an example. The example of this flowchart shows "Yes" in S1909 → "Yes" in S1906 → "Yes" in S1907a → S612. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and it can be "Yes" in S1909 → "Yes" in S1907a → S1906 → S612.

[0203] In the first embodiment, the following is described as an example of a detection component for detecting that the device 101 and the compatible product 201 have been combined. For example, when the compatible product 201 is attached to or combined with the device 101, the device 101 uses the sensor 103 to detect the detection target part 203, thereby detecting that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the device 101. However, this is not restrictive, and for example, the attachment can be detected by periodic NFC tag detection. Specifically, assume the following embodiment. In Figure 8 the periodic NFC tag detection shown in Figure 8 , the device 101 performs the detection of the NFC tag 202 of the compatible product 201 (S702), and when the NFC tag detection is successful ("Yes" in S703), the device 101 stores the read NDEF information (S704). For example, among the NDEF information stored here, when the information related to the compatible product 201 (equipment type, manufacturer, serial number, etc.) in the Figure 9 NDEF information 801 shown in Figure 9 meets the predetermined conditions, the device 101 determines that the compatible product 201 has been attached to the device 101. The predetermined conditions are, for example, to meet all of the following conditions.

[0204] - Equipment type: Cover

[0205] - Manufacturer: Information preset in device 101

[0206] - Serial number: Information preset in device 101

[0207] Some (in some cases, all) of the structures in the above embodiments can be replaced with other structures having the same function or can be omitted, or other structures can be added. Additionally, the present disclosure is not limited to the WPC standard and can be applied to various standards.

[0208] The power transmission device and the power reception device can be, for example, an image input device (such as a imaging device (a still camera or a video camera, etc.) or a scanner, etc.), or can be an image output device (such as a printer, a copier or a projector, etc.). The power transmission device and the power reception device can also be a storage device (such as a hard disk device or a memory device, etc.) or an information processing device (such as a personal computer (PC), a smart phone and a tablet device, etc.).

[0209] The power reception device of the present disclosure can also be an information terminal device. For example, the information terminal device includes a display unit (display) for displaying information to a user and receiving power from a power reception antenna. The power received from the power reception antenna is stored in a power storage unit (battery), and power is supplied from the battery to the display unit. In this case, the power reception device can include a communication unit for communicating with other devices other than the power transmission device. The communication unit can be compatible with communication standards such as NFC communication and the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G).

[0210] Furthermore, the power reception device of the present disclosure can be a vehicle such as an automobile. For example, an automobile used as a power reception device can receive power from a charger (power transmission device) via a power transmission antenna installed in a parking lot. Additionally, an automobile used as a power reception device can receive power from a charger (power transmission device) via a power transmission antenna buried in a road. Such an automobile supplies the received power to a battery. The power of the battery can be supplied to a driving unit (motor, electric unit) of a driving wheel, or can be used to drive a sensor for assisting driving or a communication unit for communicating with external devices. That is to say, in this case, the power reception device can include, in addition to wheels, a battery, a motor or a sensor driven by the received power, and can even include a communication unit for communicating with devices other than the power transmission device. In addition, the power reception device can include an accommodation unit for accommodating people. For example, the sensor can be a sensor for measuring the distance between vehicles or the distance relative to other obstacles. The communication unit can be compatible with, for example, the Global Positioning System (Global Positioning Satellite, GPS). Additionally, the communication unit can be compatible with communication standards such as the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G). Additionally, the vehicle can be a bicycle or a motorcycle.

[0211] In addition, the power receiving device of the present disclosure can be a power tool, a household appliance, or the like. Such equipment serving as the power receiving device may include a battery and a motor driven by the received power stored in the battery. Such equipment may also include a notification component for giving a notification of the remaining capacity of the battery and the like. Such equipment may also include a communication unit for communicating with other devices other than the power transmission device. The communication unit may be compatible with communication standards such as NFC and the fifth generation mobile communication system (5G).

[0212] In addition, the power transmission device of the present disclosure can be an in-vehicle charger in a vehicle such as an automobile, and the in-vehicle charger is used to transmit power to a mobile information terminal device such as a smart phone or a tablet computer compatible with wireless power transmission. Such an in-vehicle charger can be set anywhere in the automobile. For example, the in-vehicle charger can be assembled in the console of the automobile, or can be assembled on the instrument panel (dashboard), at the position between the seats used by the passengers, on the ceiling, or on the door. However, the in-vehicle charger should not be assembled at a position where the in-vehicle charger interferes with driving. Although an example where the power transmission device is an in-vehicle charger is described, such a charger is not limited to the charger arranged in the vehicle, and can be assembled in a transportation component such as a train, an airplane, or a ship. The charger in this case can also be assembled at the position between the seats used by the passengers, on the ceiling, or on the door.

[0213] In addition, a vehicle such as an automobile equipped with an in-vehicle charger can be a power transmission device. In this case, the power transmission device includes wheels and a battery, and the power of the battery is supplied to the power receiving device through a power transmission circuit unit or a power transmission antenna.

[0214] The present disclosure can also be implemented by the following process: supplying a program for implementing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or a device via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors of a computer of the system or the device to read and execute the program. The present disclosure can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, ASIC) for implementing one or more functions.

[0215] A part of the processing described with reference to the flowchart in the present disclosure can be implemented by hardware. For example, a dedicated circuit can be automatically generated on an FPGA according to a program for implementing steps using a predetermined compiler. Alternatively, a gate array circuit can be formed similarly to an FPGA, and the gate array circuit can be implemented as hardware.

[0216] Other embodiments

[0217] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by the following method, that is, software (program) that executes the functions of the above embodiments is provided to a system or device through a network or various storage media, and the computer or central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessing unit (MPU) of the system or device reads and executes the program.

[0218] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the appended claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications, equivalent structures, and functions.

[0219] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-211303, filed on Dec. 14, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A device capable of being used in combination with a compatible product, the device comprising: A detection component, used for detecting a combination of the device and the compatible product; An acquisition component, configured to detect a near field communication tag, i.e., an NFC tag, in the compatible product, and acquire one or more tag information from the detected NFC tag; as well as The processing component is used to perform processing related to one of the acquired one or more tag information according to whether a predetermined condition is met.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more tag information includes authentication information for the device to authenticate the compatible product, and The processing section performs authentication processing for the compatible product based on the authentication information.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The predetermined conditions include a first condition that a combination of the device and the compatible product is detected by the detection section and a second condition that the compatible product is in a state of being authenticated by the authentication process.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein: The processing section does not perform the authentication process when the first condition and the second condition are satisfied or when the first condition is not satisfied, and performs the authentication process when the first condition is satisfied and the second condition is not satisfied.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein: In a case where the second condition is satisfied but the first condition is not satisfied, the processing component cancels the authentication of the compatible product.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: A power receiving component for wirelessly receiving power from a power transmitting device, The predetermined condition further includes a third condition that the device is in a state where the device can receive power from the power transmitting equipment.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: When the first condition, the second condition and the third condition are satisfied or when the third condition is not satisfied, the processing component does not perform the authentication processing, and when the first condition and the third condition are satisfied but the second condition is not satisfied, the processing component performs the authentication processing.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein: When the second condition and the third condition are satisfied but the first condition is not satisfied, the processing component cancels the authentication of the compatible product.

9. The device according to claim 6, wherein: The processing unit performs settings related to wireless power transmission processing between the device and the power transmitting equipment.

10. The device according to claim 6, wherein: The processing component sets a power profile in the Wireless Power Consortium standard (WPC standard) according to the first condition and the second condition.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein: When the first condition and the second condition are met, the processing component sets a first power profile, and when at least one of the first condition and the second condition is not met, the processing component sets a second power profile different from the first power profile and a third power profile different from the first power profile and the second power profile.

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein: When the third condition is satisfied, the processing unit confirms whether the one or more tag information includes information indicating that power transmission is permitted.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein: If there is information indicating permission for power transmission, the processing means determines power information indicating power requested from the power transmitting device in negotiation with the power transmitting device based on the information indicating permission for power transmission.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a calculation means for calculating a receivable electric power value based on an operating state of the device, The processing unit determines the power information based on information indicating permission for power transmission and the receivable power value.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein: In a case where there is no information indicating permission for power transmission or in a case where the acquisition section does not detect the NFC tag, the processing section determines power information limited to power of a predetermined value or less in negotiation with the power transmitting device.

16. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: The detection component is a magnetic sensor.

17. A method for a device capable of being used in combination with a compatible product, the control method comprising: detecting that the device is combined with the compatible product; Detecting a near field communication tag, i.e., an NFC tag, in the compatible product, and acquiring one or more tag information from the detected NFC tag; as well as Processing related to the acquired one or more tag information is performed according to whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.

18. A computer program product comprising a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 17.

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