Charging device and control method of charging device

Abstract

To provide a charging device which can perform wireless charging of a plurality of charging objects at the same time, which mitigates a physical arrangement restriction of a movement mechanism.SOLUTION: A charging device comprises a detection part, a plurality of charging coils, a detachable mechanism, a movement mechanism, and a control part. The detection part is constructed so as to enable detection of a position of a dielectric coil of at least one electronic device mounted on a mounting part and constructed so as to receive power transmitted in radio by the dielectric coil. The plurality of charging coils are constructed so as to transmit power in radio to the dielectric coil detected. The detachable mechanism detachably supports any of the plurality of charging coils. The movement mechanism supports the detachable mechanism so as to be movable. The control part moves the charging coil of a movement object among the plurality of charging coils by the movement mechanism in a state of being gripped by the detachable mechanism, and arranges it by releasing by the detachable mechanism at a position opposite to the dielectric coil detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging device and a control method for the charging device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a charging device that performs wireless charging (contactless charging) for an electronic device that has a built-in battery. Regarding wireless charging, a technology is known in which a charging coil on the charging device side is brought close to an induction coil of the electronic device based on the detected position of the electronic device to be charged.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a charging device that moves multiple charging coils using multiple moving mechanisms based on the detected positions of multiple electronic devices placed on an upper plate, thereby bringing multiple charging coils closer to the induction coils of multiple electronic devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-288430 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is a problem in that the number of electronic devices that can be charged simultaneously and the placement positions are limited due to physical constraints caused by interference with the moving mechanism, the movable range, etc. In addition, as the number of electronic devices that can be charged simultaneously increases, the number of moving mechanisms configured using motors, etc. also increases, resulting in an increase in costs.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to relax the physical layout constraints of a movement mechanism in a charging device capable of wirelessly charging multiple charging objects simultaneously. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A charging device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a detection unit, a plurality of charging coils, a detachment mechanism, a movement mechanism, and a control unit. The detection unit is configured to detect the position of the induction coil of at least one electronic device placed on a placement unit having a placement surface on which the electronic device is placed, the electronic device being configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil. The plurality of charging coils are each configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power to the detected induction coil. The detachment mechanism detachably supports one of the plurality of charging coils. The movement mechanism movably supports the detachment mechanism. The control unit moves a charging coil to be moved among the plurality of charging coils by the movement mechanism while being held by the detachment mechanism, and releases the charging coil by the detachment mechanism at a position facing the detected induction coil, thereby placing the charging coil. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to alleviate physical layout constraints on a movement mechanism in a charging device capable of wirelessly charging multiple charging objects simultaneously. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a charging device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a top plate and a coil moving surface in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration related to power supply to a charging coil in a charging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration related to power supply to the charging coil in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home position of a charging coil in a charging device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of the home position of the charging coil in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed in the charging device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the charging coil in the process of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the charging coil in the process of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of a charging device, a control method for a charging device, a program, and a recording medium according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] In the description of the present disclosure, components having the same or substantially the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned drawings may be given the same reference numerals, and the description may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, even when the same or substantially the same parts are shown, the dimensions and ratios of the components may be different depending on the drawing. In addition, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring the visibility of the drawings, reference numerals may be given only to the main components in the description of each drawing, and reference numerals may not be given to components having the same or substantially the same functions as those described above with respect to the previously-mentioned drawings.

[0012] In the description of the present disclosure, components having the same or substantially the same functions may be distinguished by adding an alphanumeric character to the end of the reference symbol. Alternatively, when multiple components having the same or substantially the same functions are not distinguished, they may be collectively described by omitting the alphanumeric character at the end of the reference symbol.

[0013] The charging device of the present disclosure is a terminal device (not shown) as an example of an electronic device with a built-in battery, and is a device that performs contactless charging, i.e., wireless charging, on the terminal device to be charged that is placed on the mounting surface of the charging device.

[0014] The terminal device as the object to be charged by the charging device is an electronic device configured to be operable using power from a built-in battery. The battery is configured to be chargeable by power wirelessly transmitted from the charging device. Specifically, the terminal device further has at least a power receiving unit. The power receiving unit is configured to be able to receive power wirelessly transmitted from the charging device. The power receiving unit is, for example, a power receiving coil (induction coil) that is electromagnetically coupled to a power transmitting coil (charging coil) of the charging device. The power induced by the power receiving unit is supplied to the battery. As the terminal device, for example, various electronic devices such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, an audio player, and a mobile phone can be appropriately used.

[0015] Here, wireless charging means charging wirelessly. In the present disclosure, a form in which wireless charging means charging by magnetic induction will be described as an example.

[0016] The international standard for wireless charging is the Qi standard established by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The Qi standard specifies charging by low-power transmission (hereinafter referred to as "low-power charging") and charging by high-power transmission (hereinafter referred to as "high-power charging"). For example, low-power charging is performed at a maximum of 5W, and high-power charging is performed at 15W or more. Low-power transmission is called BPP (Baseline Power Profile), and high-power charging is called EPP (Extended Power Profile).

[0017] In such wireless charging, as an example, with the terminal device to be charged placed on the upper surface (e.g., the top plate) of the mounting section of the charging device, the charging coil of the charging device is moved by a moving mechanism to bring it closer to the induction coil of the terminal device, thereby aligning the charging coil and the induction coil.

[0018] In wireless charging, the closer the charging coil of the charging device and the induction coil of the terminal device to be charged are to face each other, the more efficient the charging. Within the Qi standard, there is a trend toward standardizing MPP (Magnetic Power Profile) for high-speed charging using magnets for alignment.

[0019] For this reason, the charging device according to the present disclosure may have a magnet arranged together with the charging coil. As an example, in a state where the terminal device to be charged is placed on the upper surface (e.g., top plate) of the placement part of the charging device, the charging coil of the charging device is moved by a movement mechanism to approach the induction coil of the terminal device, and then the charging coil and the induction coil are aligned using the magnetic attraction force generated between the magnet arranged together with the charging coil and a magnet arranged together with the induction coil on the terminal device to be charged.

[0020] In this situation, in order to wirelessly charge multiple terminal devices simultaneously, it is necessary to align the positions of multiple charging coils of the charging device with the multiple induction coils of the multiple terminal devices. However, in a configuration in which multiple moving mechanisms are used to move multiple charging coils, there is a problem in that the number of terminal devices that can be charged simultaneously and their placement positions are limited due to physical layout constraints caused by interference and movable ranges of the moving mechanisms.

[0021] For example, if the movable ranges of the moving mechanisms are independent, interference between the moving mechanisms can be suppressed, but the placement positions of the terminal devices are limited by the boundary areas, etc., where the terminal devices cannot be charged even if they are placed on the moving mechanisms. Also, if the movable ranges of the moving mechanisms are allowed to overlap, the boundary areas disappear, but the interference between the moving mechanisms limits the number of terminal devices that can be charged simultaneously and the placement positions of the terminal devices, even if the charging coils or terminal devices are not interfered with each other, depending on the arrangement of the terminal devices or when terminal devices are added or rearranged. Furthermore, for example, if the number of terminal devices that can be charged simultaneously is increased, the number of moving mechanisms configured using motors and the like increases, which increases the cost.

[0022] Therefore, the present disclosure describes a charging device capable of wirelessly charging multiple charging objects simultaneously, which can alleviate physical layout constraints on the movement mechanism.

[0023] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a charging device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of the configuration of a top plate 101 and a coil moving surface 103 in a charging device 1 according to an embodiment. Here, the top plate 101 is an example of a placement unit.

[0024] In the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, an orthogonal coordinate system including an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis is defined. The X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. The Z-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis, and extends in the thickness direction of the charging device 1. In addition, for each of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, the positive direction is defined by, for example, the direction of the arrow illustrated in FIG. 2. Similarly, the negative direction is defined by the direction opposite to the arrow. In the present disclosure, the positive direction of the Z-axis may be expressed as "upper", "upper side", or "upper surface side". Similarly, the negative direction of the Z-axis may be expressed as "lower", "lower side", or "lower surface side". In addition, the plane and the direction within the plane spanned by the X-axis and the Y-axis may be expressed as "horizontal plane" and "horizontal direction", respectively.

[0025] In this disclosure, "parallel," "horizontal," "vertical," and "orthogonal" do not only mean completely parallel, horizontal, vertical, and orthogonal, but also include deviations from parallel, horizontal, vertical, and orthogonal within a margin of error. Furthermore, "approximately" means roughly the same.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 1 includes a controller 10, a power supply circuit 21, a moving mechanism 31, an attachment / detachment mechanism 32, a plurality of charging coils 33, and a detection coil 43.

[0027] Also, the housing (not shown) of the charging device 1 has, for example, a box-like shape. The housing of the charging device 1 may have other shapes, such as a cylindrical shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a top plate 101 is provided on the upper surface of the housing of the charging device 1. The top plate 101 is detachably attached to the main body of the housing (not shown). Inside the housing of the charging device 1, that is, inside the main body and the top plate 101, the controller 10, the power supply circuit 21, the moving mechanism 31, the attaching / detaching mechanism 32, a plurality of charging coils 33, and the detection coil 43 are provided. The top plate 101 may be configured integrally with the main body of the housing. In other words, in the charging device 1 according to this embodiment, the placement section on which the terminal device to be charged is placed may be a part of the housing of the charging device 1, and may not be configured as an independent component.

[0028] The top surface of the tabletop 101 is provided with a placement surface on which at least one electronic device to be charged is placed. Here, the placement surface is an area for placing a target of wireless charging, that is, a terminal device configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil, and is an area where the placed terminal device can be charged. In this embodiment, the placement surface is a partial area of ​​the outer surface of the tabletop 101, and is a two-dimensional planar area. That is, in this embodiment, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are directions that are perpendicular to each other along the two-dimensional plane of the placement surface. In addition, the Z-axis direction will be described as coinciding with the thickness direction of the tabletop 101.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, a coil movement surface 103 is provided below the top board 101. A charging coil 33 that wirelessly transmits power to a terminal device to be charged is arranged on the coil movement surface 103. In addition, a moving mechanism 31 and an attachment / detachment mechanism 32 are arranged near the coil movement surface 103. On the coil movement surface 103, at least one charging coil 33 out of the multiple charging coils 33 is released and / or held by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, or moved by the moving mechanism 31 while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32.

[0030] The controller 10 is configured to control the operation of the charging device 1. The controller 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 13, and a communication interface 15. Here, the controller 10 according to the embodiment is an example of a control unit.

[0031] The processor 11 controls the overall operation of the controller 10. The processor 11 realizes functions as a detection function 111, a communication function 113, and a drive function 115 by, for example, reading a control program 131 stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) of the memory 13, and executing a program loaded into a RAM (Random Access Memory) of the memory 13.

[0032] As the processor 11, various types of processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) can be appropriately used.

[0033] In the detection function 111, the processor 11 is configured to output a signal for generating a detection magnetic field to the detection coil 43. The processor 11 is also configured to identify the arrangement position of the terminal device to be charged, i.e., the induction coil position, based on an input of an echo signal sent from the terminal device to the detection coil 43 in response to the detection magnetic field generated by the detection coil 43.

[0034] In the communication function 113, the processor 11 is configured to communicate with the terminal device through the charging coil 33 when the charging coil 33 is moved to a position facing the induction coil of the terminal device by the control of the driving function 115. As an example, the processor 11 notifies when any of the charging coils 33 is temporarily retracted. Here, the temporary retraction refers to temporarily retracting the charging coil 33 already placed, i.e., the charging coil 33 used to charge another terminal device, from its movement route when the charging coil 33 is moved to a position corresponding to the terminal device to be charged. As an example, the temporary retraction may be performed when a terminal device to be charged is newly added or repositioned on the placement surface of the top board 101. As an example, the temporary retraction may be performed when another charging coil 33 is already placed on the movement route (hereinafter, referred to as the first movement route) of the charging coil 33 to be moved that follows a predetermined rule, for example, when the number of movements is small. As an example, when a movement route is set in which one of the charging coils 33 is temporarily evacuated, i.e., a movement route in which a charging coil 33 placed at a location where it is in the way is moved together with the charging coil 33 to be moved (hereinafter referred to as a second movement route), the processor 11 notifies the target terminal device by communicating with the terminal device.

[0035] Here, a communication function between the charging device 1 and the terminal device according to each of the above-mentioned embodiments will be described. As described above, the charging coil 33 of the charging device 1 and the induction coil of the terminal device can be electromagnetically coupled, and the charging device 1 and the terminal device communicate with each other by utilizing this electromagnetic coupling. For example, by adjusting the load on the charging coil 33 and the induction coil, the charging device 1 and the terminal device transmit data as a fluctuation in the coupling field. Specifically, the charging device 1 transmits data modulated by FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) to the terminal device. Furthermore, when the charging device 1 receives data modulated by load modulation in the terminal device, it demodulates the data. These processes enable information exchange between the charging device 1 and the terminal device.

[0036] The charging device 1 according to the embodiment may further include a notification unit for notifying the user. As the notification unit, for example, an indicator such as an LED, a display, a speaker, or the like can be appropriately used. In this case, in the communication function 113, when a second movement route is set along which any one of the charging coils 33 is temporarily retracted, the processor 11 performs notification by the notification unit.

[0037] In the driving function 115, the processor 11 is configured to move and position one of the multiple charging coils 33 according to the position where the terminal device to be charged is detected, and transmit power to the charging coil 33. Specifically, the processor 11 controls the power supply circuit 21 as an AC power source so as to supply AC power from the power supply circuit 21 to the charging coil 33. The charging coil 33 is configured to supply AC power to the induction coil by being electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the terminal device. The AC power supplied to the induction coil is converted to DC power by a rectifier provided in the terminal device, and charges a battery built in the terminal device. In this way, the battery of the terminal device is wirelessly charged. Note that the power supply circuit is not limited to being provided inside the charging device 1, and may be provided as an external power source of the charging device 1 (for example, an in-vehicle battery).

[0038] As an example, in the driving function 115, the processor 11 moves a charging coil 33 to be moved among the multiple charging coils 33 by the moving mechanism 31 while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, and positions the charging coil 33 by releasing it by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 at a position facing the detected induction coil. In other words, the processor 11 is configured to drive the moving mechanism 31 and the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 to hold the charging coil 33 at the home position 107 (see FIGS. 11 and 12) or within the chargeable area, and move the held charging coil 33 to the charging position or home position 107 within the chargeable area.

[0039] Here, the chargeable area is an area of ​​the coil moving surface 103 facing a placement surface set on the upper surface of the tabletop 101. In other words, the chargeable area is an area of ​​the coil moving surface 103 where power can be wirelessly transmitted via the tabletop 101 to a power receiving unit (induction coil) of a terminal device placed on the placement surface.

[0040] The charging position is the position where the terminal device is placed, i.e., the position in the chargeable area facing the detection position of the induction coil. Typically, the charging position and the detection position of the induction coil coincide in the horizontal direction, i.e., when viewed from above.

[0041] The memory 13 may be a hardware configuration that can use various storage media or storage devices such as a ROM, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The memory 13 is further provided with a RAM that temporarily stores data being worked on. The memory 13 stores various data and programs used by the controller 10.

[0042] The communication interface 15 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the terminal device to be charged. The communication interface 15 has a communication circuit for wireless communication as a hardware configuration. As the communication circuit for wireless communication, a communication circuit compatible with various standards such as 4G, 5G, 6G, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and infrared communication can be appropriately used.

[0043] The power supply circuit 21 generates a power supply voltage to be supplied to each part of the charging device 1 using power from an external power source provided outside the charging device 1, such as an in-vehicle battery or a commercial power source, or from a battery installed in the charging device 1.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of a configuration related to power supply to charging coil 33 in charging device 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of another example of a configuration related to power supply to charging coil 33 in charging device 1 according to an embodiment. In the examples of Figs. 3 and 4, each of the multiple wirings 23 is configured to be stretchable. That is, each of the multiple wirings 23 is configured to be able to change its length from power terminal 211 or power supply side 213 in response to the displacement of charging coil 33 to which it is connected.

[0045] As an example, power supply circuit 21 has a reel portion configured to be able to wind and unwind each of multiple wirings 23. In the example of Fig. 3, the reel portion is provided, for example, near either power supply terminal 211 or power supply side 213, and charging coil 33. Each of multiple wirings 23 may be configured to have elasticity due to its material or shape. For example, each of multiple wirings 23 may have elasticity by being formed into a coil shape.

[0046] 3, power supply circuit 21 has a plurality of power supply terminals 211 provided on power supply surface 105. Each of the plurality of power supply terminals 211 is an example of an output end of power supply circuit 21. A plurality of wirings 23 are electrically connected to each of the plurality of power supply terminals 211. Furthermore, a plurality of charging coils 33 are electrically connected to each of the plurality of wirings 23. That is, power is supplied from power supply terminal 211 to each of the plurality of charging coils 33 via the corresponding wiring 23.

[0047] The power supply terminals 211 may be movable within the plane of the power supply surface 105. In this case, each of the wirings 23 may be configured not to have flexibility.

[0048] 4, power supply circuit 21 has power supply side 213 provided at the horizontal end of coil movement plane 103, i.e., on the outer periphery. Power supply side 213 is an example of an output end of power supply circuit 21. A plurality of wirings 23 are electrically connected to power supply side 213. A plurality of charging coils 33 are also electrically connected to the plurality of wirings 23, respectively. That is, power is supplied to each of the plurality of charging coils 33 from power supply side 213 via the corresponding wiring 23.

[0049] Note that the power supply side 213 is provided, for example, on one side of the coil moving surface 103, but may be provided on two or more sides, or may be provided around the entire periphery. Also, the connection portion between each of the multiple wirings 23 and the power supply side 213 may be configured to be movable along the power supply side 213.

[0050] Each connection portion between the plurality of wirings 23 and the plurality of charging coils 33 may be configured to be movable. For example, each connection portion may be configured to be movable or rotatable depending on the position and orientation of charging coil 33 relative to power terminal 211 or power supply side 213.

[0051] The movement mechanism 31 movably supports the attachment / detachment mechanism 32. The movement mechanism 31 moves the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 under the control of the controller 10. The movement mechanism 31 has a power source (not shown), an X-axis movement mechanism 311, and a Y-axis movement mechanism 313.

[0052] The power source drives the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313 under the control of the controller 10. As the power source, a servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like can be appropriately used. Note that the power source may be provided for each of the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313, or may be a common power source.

[0053] The X-axis moving mechanism 311 moves the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 along the X-axis direction (arrow A1 in FIG. 2) using power from a power source. The Y-axis moving mechanism 313 moves the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 along the Y-axis direction (arrow A2 in FIG. 2) using power from a power source. In other words, the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313 are conversion mechanisms that convert power from a power source into driving forces that move the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 along the X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively. As each of the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313, various conversion mechanisms such as a ball screw, rail, guide, timing belt, rack and pinion, or a combination of these can be appropriately used.

[0054] One of the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313 may be configured to move the other in the horizontal direction together with the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, or may be configured to move the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the horizontal direction independently of each other. Furthermore, the X-axis moving mechanism 311 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 313 may be different conversion mechanisms.

[0055] In addition, the moving mechanism 31 may be configured as a self-propelled robot that runs on the coil moving surface 103 using power from a power source, and freely moves the supporting attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the horizontal direction under the control of the controller 10, without being limited to the case where the moving direction is determined by the conversion mechanism.

[0056] The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 detachably supports any one of the multiple charging coils 33. The number of charging coils 33 supported simultaneously by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 can be designed as desired, and may be one or more than two. That is, in the charging device 1 according to this embodiment, the controller 10 may move two or more charging coils 33 to be moved among the multiple charging coils 33 by the moving mechanism 31 while holding two or more charging coils 33 simultaneously by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, and release them one by one by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 at positions facing the detected two or more induction coils. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the description will be continued taking as an example a case where one charging coil 33 is supported simultaneously by the attachment / detachment mechanism 32.

[0057] As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 grips the charging coil 33 to be moved within the home position 107 or the chargeable area under the control of the controller 10. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 releases the charging coil 33 to be moved within the home position 107 or the chargeable area under the control of the controller 10. Details of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 will be described later.

[0058] Each of the multiple charging coils 33 is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power from power supply circuit 21 to the induction coil of the detected terminal device, i.e., the terminal device placed on the placement surface of tabletop 101. The number of multiple charging coils 33 is preferably greater than the number of moving mechanisms 31. For example, charging device 1 according to this embodiment has three or more charging coils 33 for one moving mechanism 31.

[0059] The detection coil 43 is a coil for detecting the position of a terminal device, i.e., an induction coil, placed on a placement surface provided on the upper surface of the tabletop 101. For example, the detection coil 43 is provided inside or on the lower surface of the tabletop 101. As one example, the detection coil 43 is composed of a group of coils arranged horizontally along the placement surface. As another example, the detection coil 43 is supported by a moving mechanism so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, and is configured to be able to scan the area below the tabletop 101 corresponding to the placement surface. Here, the detection coil 43 according to the embodiment is an example of a detection unit.

[0060] Note that the charging device 1 may use a detection unit other than the detection coil 43 as long as it is configured to be able to detect the position of the induction coil of the terminal device placed on the top board 101. In this case, for example, the charging device 1 may be provided with various sensors such as a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, or an optical sensor capable of detecting the position of the terminal device placed on the placement surface of the top board 101, or a camera that captures the placement surface, as a detection unit.

[0061] Here, with reference to the drawings, a description will be given of configuration examples of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32. Note that the configuration examples of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 exemplified below can be appropriately combined.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have a guide 321a extending in the horizontal direction (arrow A3) and a pair of claws 321b, at least one of which is configured to be movable along the guide 321a. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip or release any of the multiple charging coils 33 by moving at least one of the pair of claws 321b along the guide 321a. For example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, under the control of the controller 10, moves at least one of the pair of claws 321b close to each other along the guide 321a to clamp the charging coil 33 from the outside. Also, for example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32, under the control of the controller 10, moves at least one of the pair of claws 321b away from each other along the guide 321a to release the charging coil 33.

[0063] 5 illustrates an example in which attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to hold horizontally arranged charging coil 33 from its side (horizontally), but is not limited to this. Attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in Fig. 5 may be configured to hold the outer side of horizontally arranged charging coil 33 from above or below. Also, the direction indicated by arrow A3 in attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in Fig. 5 is not limited to the horizontal direction, and may be the vertical direction along the Z axis.

[0064] 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have a case 322 that individually houses each of the multiple charging coils 33. For example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to detachably support the charging coil 33 together with the case 322 that houses the charging coil 33 to be moved.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have a guide 323a extending in the horizontal direction (arrow A4) and a pair of claws 323b, at least one of which is configured to be movable along the guide 323a. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip or release any of the multiple charging coils 33 by moving at least one of the pair of claws 323b along the guide 323a. For example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 grips the charging coil 33 by pushing it from the inside by moving at least one of the pair of claws 323b away from each other along the guide 323a under the control of the controller 10. Also, for example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 releases the charging coil 33 by moving at least one of the pair of claws 323b close to each other along the guide 323a under the control of the controller 10.

[0066] 7 illustrates an example in which the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip the horizontally arranged charging coil 33 from above, but is not limited to this. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in FIG. 7 may be configured to grip the horizontally arranged charging coil 33 from below.

[0067] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have the case 322 of FIG. 6, the magnetic body 324a attached to the inside or outer surface of the case 322, and the electromagnet 324b attached to the moving mechanism 31. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip or release any of the multiple charging coils 33 by switching between energization and cutoff of the electromagnet 324b, or by switching the direction of the current in the current flow to the electromagnet 324b. For example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 grips the charging coil 33 by energizing the coil of the electromagnet 324b to attract the magnetic body 324a under the control of the controller 10. Also, for example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 releases the charging coil 33 by cutting off the current to the coil of the electromagnet 324b under the control of the controller 10.

[0068] 8 illustrates an example in which the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip the charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from below, but is not limited thereto. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in FIG. 8 may be configured to grip the charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from above, or may be configured to grip the charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from the side (horizontal direction). The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may be configured to attach the electromagnet 324b to the inside or outer surface of the case 322, and attach the magnetic body 324a to the moving mechanism 31. As the magnetic body 324a, for example, a metal piece is used, but a magnet can also be used. In this case, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may switch the attraction / repulsion of the magnetic body 324a by the electromagnet 324b by switching the direction of the current to the coil of the electromagnet 324b under the control of the controller 10.

[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have the case 322 of FIG. 6, a compressor (not shown), a cable 325a spatially connected to the compressor, and a nozzle 325b spatially connected to one end of the cable 325a on the opposite side to the compressor. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip or release any one of the multiple charging coils 33 by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the internal space formed by the skirt of the nozzle 325b and the surface of the case 322 with the compressor. For example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 grips the charging coil 33 by reducing the pressure of the internal space formed by the skirt of the nozzle 325b and the surface of the case 322 with the compressor via the cable 325a under the control of the controller 10. Also, for example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 releases the charging coil 33 by stopping the compressor from depressurizing the internal space or by pressurizing the internal space under the control of the controller 10.

[0070] 9 illustrates an example in which attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from above, but is not limited to this. Attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in FIG. 9 may be configured to grip charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from below or to the side (horizontally).

[0071] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of another example of the configuration of the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. As an example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 may have the case 322 of FIG. 6, a guide 326a extending in the vertical direction (arrow A6), a movable part 326b configured to be movable along the guide 326a, and an expansion / contraction part 326c provided on the movable part 326b so as to be expandable and contractible in the horizontal direction (arrow A5). Here, the case 322 of FIG. 10 is provided with a hole 3221 formed so that the expansion / contraction part 326c protruding from the movable part 326b can be inserted and removed. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip or release any one of the multiple charging coils 33 by expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction part 326c from the movable part 326b and inserting and removing it from the hole 3211 of the case 322. For example, under the control of the controller 10, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 moves the movable part 326b to the position of the charging coil 33 in the vertical direction and extends the expandable part 326c to insert it into the hole 3221 of the case 322, thereby gripping the charging coil 33. Also, under the control of the controller 10, for example, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 contracts the expandable part 326c to remove it from the hole 3221 of the case 322, thereby releasing the charging coil 33.

[0072] 10 illustrates an example in which the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 is configured to grip the charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from its side, but is not limited thereto. The attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in FIG. 10 may be configured to grip the charging coil 33 arranged in the horizontal direction from below it. Furthermore, the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 in FIG. 10 may or may not change the vertical position of the movable part 326b while gripping the charging coil 33. That is, the movable part 326b may move the charging coil 33 to be moved on the coil movement surface 103 at a different height from the other charging coils 33 to be moved by moving in the vertical direction after the expandable part 326c is inserted into the hole 3221 of the case 322. Alternatively, the movable part 326b may move to the coil movement surface 103 from a different height position from the coil movement surface 103 to grip the charging coil 33, or may move from the coil movement surface 103 to another height position after releasing the charging coil 33. 10 illustrates an example of the extension / retraction part 326c as a pair of rod-shaped members. The shape of the extension / retraction part 326c may be another shape, such as a plate-shaped member that is formed so as to be insertable into and removable from the hole 3221 of the case 322.

[0073] Here, the home position 107 of the charging coil 33 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0074] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a home position 107 of the charging coil 33 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. In the charging device 1 according to the present embodiment, the charging coil 33 that is not in use is moved or placed in the home position 107 so as to reduce the influence on the moving route when the terminal device is repositioned or the charging by the other charging coils 33. As an example, the controller 10 places the charging coil 33 that is not in use in a predetermined home position 107. FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the first charging coil 33a is placed in a charging position in the chargeable area and is charging the terminal device, and the other unused second charging coil 33b and third charging coil 33c are placed in the home position 107. This home position 107 is provided, for example, in the outer periphery of the chargeable area. Preferably, the home position 107 is provided in a position away from the power supply side 213 in the outer periphery.

[0075] Note that the home position 107 may be provided in a plurality of regions. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the home position 107 of the charging coil 33 in the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 illustrates home positions 107 provided at intervals on the outer periphery of the coil movement surface 103. The home positions 107 in FIG. 12 include a first home position 107a, a second home position 107b, a third home position 107c, and a fourth home position 107d set at four corners of the rectangular coil movement surface 103. As an example, the controller 10 places an unused charging coil 33 in a home position 107 farthest from the charging coil 33 in use among the plurality of home positions 107. For example, the controller 10 selects the home position 107 farthest from each of the plurality of valid charging coils 33. 12 illustrates a case where the first charging coil 33a and the second charging coil 33b are placed at charging positions in the chargeable area and the terminal device is being charged. In this case, the other unused third charging coil 33c is placed at the third home position 107c, which is the farthest from the first charging coil 33a and the second charging coil 33b among the first home position 107a, the second home position 107b, the third home position 107c, and the fourth home position 107d.

[0076] In this manner, the moving mechanism 31 and the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 according to this embodiment are configured to move any one of the multiple charging coils 33 between the chargeable area below the top board 101 and the home position 107 under the control of the controller 10. The home position 107 may be provided in the same plane as the coil movement surface 103 on which the chargeable area is provided, or may be provided in another plane having a different position in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the home position 107 may be provided at a position overlapping the chargeable area in a plan view.

[0077] Next, the flow of the control process executed by the charging device 1 configured as above will be described. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the charging device 1 according to the embodiment. Figs. 14 and 15 are diagrams for explaining the movement of the charging coil 33 in the process of Fig. 13. The flow of Fig. 13 is started, for example, when the position of the terminal device 3 placed on the placement surface of the top board 101 is detected. It should be noted that the detection of the terminal device 3 is performed at any time, for example, at a predetermined cycle.

[0078] First, as illustrated in FIG. 14, a flow will be described in the case where a first terminal apparatus 3a, a second terminal apparatus 3b, and a third terminal apparatus 3c are detected as terminal apparatuses 3 to be charged.

[0079] The controller 10 optimizes the movement route of the terminal device 3 to be moved based on the detected position of the terminal device 3 so as not to be hindered by the charging coil 33 that has been placed earlier (S101).

[0080] As an example, the controller 10 optimizes the movement order and movement route of each charging coil 33 so that a charging coil 33 placed earlier does not interfere with the movement route of a charging coil 33 placed later. For example, when two or more terminal devices 3 are detected, the controller 10 determines the movement order in which the charging coils 33 are moved in order from the position farthest from the power terminal 211 or the power supply side 213 of the power supply circuit 21. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, when the power supply side 213 is provided on the Y- side of the coil movement surface 103, the controller 10 sets the movement order and movement route in which the charging coils 33 are placed in order from the position facing the induction coil with the larger Y-axis value (Y+ side) with respect to the detected position. This makes it possible to prevent the wiring 23 that supplies power to the charging coils 33 from becoming entangled.

[0081] 14, since there is no previously placed charging coil 33, the previously placed charging coil 33 does not get in the way. Therefore, the movement order and each movement route are set based on the positional relationship of the three charging coils 33 for each of the first terminal device 3a, the second terminal device 3b, and the third terminal device 3c. This movement route is an example of the first movement route.

[0082] The controller 10 determines whether the previously placed charging coil 33 will be an obstacle to the movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved (S102). In this manner, when an induction coil is detected, the controller 10 according to the embodiment determines whether there is a first movement route for moving an unused charging coil 33 among the multiple charging coils 33 to a position facing the detected induction coil without moving at least one used charging coil 33 among the multiple charging coils 33. At this time, the controller 10 may determine whether there is a first movement route in order of the shortest distance from the position facing the detected induction coil among the unused charging coils 33, that is, whether the previously placed charging coil 33 will be an obstacle to the movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved.

[0083] If the previously placed charging coil 33 does not interfere with the movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved (S102: No), the controller 10 moves and places the charging coil 33 to be moved along the optimized movement route (S103). In the example of Fig. 14, for example, the first charging coil 33a, the second charging coil 33b, and the third charging coil 33c are placed in positions facing the induction coil in the order of the first terminal device 3a, the second terminal device 3b, and the third terminal device 3c, respectively. Thereafter, the flow of Fig. 13 ends.

[0084] Thereafter, as shown by an arrow A7 in FIG. 15, a flow will be described in the case where the first terminal device 3a is repositioned, that is, the position of the first terminal device 3a is changed. In the example of FIG. 15, as shown by arrows A8 and A9, it is determined that the previously placed second charging coil 33b and third charging coil 33c are in the way of the first charging coil 33a to be moved (S102). Here, when the first terminal device 3a is repositioned, since the parameters are set in the charging before being repositioned, it is preferable to move the first charging coil 33a that was used during the repositioning. For this reason, the description will be continued with an example in which the first movement route is determined with the first charging coil 33a as the movement target, and the second movement route is set.

[0085] If a previously placed charging coil 33 is in the way of the movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved (S102: Yes), the controller 10 sets a second movement route along which the previously placed charging coil 33 that is in the way is moved together with the charging coil 33 to be moved, and moves each charging coil 33 (S104). Specifically, when there is no first movement route, the controller 10 sets a second movement route along which the charging coil 33 to be moved is moved by temporarily retracting any one of at least one charging coil 33 already placed.

[0086] As an example, the controller 10 may temporarily retract the charging coil 33 on a first movement route that involves fewer movements in each of the prescribed movement methods, for example, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0087] As an example, the controller 10 may set the second movement route so as to minimize the number of charging coils 33 that are temporarily retracted.

[0088] As an example, the controller 10 may set the second movement route by prioritizing, among at least one charging coil 33 already placed, a charging coil 33 that is being used to charge a terminal device 3 that has a long elapsed time since charging began, a large remaining battery charge, a small battery capacity, a fast charging speed, or an expected charging completion time approaching, as a target for temporary evacuation.

[0089] As an example, the controller 10 may set the charging coil 33 being used to charge the terminal device 3 as a target for temporary evacuation only when permission for temporary evacuation is obtained through communication with the terminal device 3.

[0090] In the example of Figure 15, the controller 10 sets a second movement route that temporarily evacuates the third charging coil 33c of the second charging coil 33b and the third charging coil 33c that are already placed, and moves the first charging coil 33a to be moved.

[0091] The controller 10 also notifies the terminal device 3 that has been charging using the charging coil 33 to be temporarily retracted that the charging coil 33 will be temporarily retracted (S105). The notification associated with the temporary retraction may be implemented by providing a notification unit in the charging device 1, as described above. As a result, since charging may be temporarily interrupted, the user can be notified by turning on an LED, displaying a message, or by voice. After that, the flow of FIG. 13 ends.

[0092] Even when another terminal device 3 is newly placed, if the previously placed charging coil 33 gets in the way when moving from the home position 107, the terminal device 3 is moved with temporary retraction in a similar manner. However, for the newly placed terminal device 3, any of the unused charging coils 33, for example the closest charging coil 33, may be used.

[0093] In this manner, the charging device 1 according to the embodiment is configured such that each of the multiple charging coils 33 is detachable from the moving mechanism 31 by providing the attachment / detachment mechanism 32 .

[0094] According to this configuration, when charging a plurality of terminal devices, a charging coil and a moving mechanism are conventionally required for the number of corresponding terminal devices, but since a plurality of charging coils 33 can be arranged by one moving mechanism 31, the number of moving mechanisms can be reduced. This alleviates the physical arrangement constraints of the moving mechanisms 31, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of moving mechanisms. In other words, convenience can be improved by increasing the number of terminal devices that can be charged simultaneously without increasing the number of moving mechanisms 31. In addition, the range in which the charging coils 33 cannot be arranged because the moving mechanisms 31 interfere with each other even though the charging coils 33 themselves do not interfere with each other is reduced, and the restrictions on the placement positions of the terminal devices on the top board 101 can also be alleviated.

[0095] Furthermore, the charging device 1 according to the embodiment is configured such that the charging coil 33 is detachable, and the movement order is calculated and other charging coils 33 on the movement route are taken into consideration. As a result, when multiple induction coils are detected, the charging device 1 can set the movement order and movement route of each charging coil 33 so that the other charging coils 33 and wiring 23 do not interfere with the movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved.

[0096] In addition, when a user adds, removes, or repositions (moves) a terminal device, that is, when the detection result by the detection unit changes, the charging device 1 according to the embodiment moves the charging coil 33 corresponding to the change.

[0097] For example, by placing unused charging coils 33 in appropriate home positions 107, charging device 1 can reduce adverse effects on the magnetic field of charging coils 33 used for charging.

[0098] For example, when another charging coil 33 is arranged on the first movement route of the charging coil 33 to be moved, the charging device 1 sets a second movement route for temporarily moving the other charging coil 33 that is in the way, i.e., interfering with the other charging coil 33. This can ease the restrictions on the placement position of the terminal device when it is repositioned or added, improving convenience.

[0099] The charging device 1 according to each of the above-described embodiments can be used as, for example, an in-vehicle device, but is not limited thereto. It can also be used as various wireless chargers that comply with standards such as the Qi standard, such as devices used on a desk.

[0100] The program executed by the charging device 1 of this embodiment is provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, FD, CD-R, or DVD in the form of an installable or executable file.

[0101] The program executed by the charging device 1 of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The program executed by the charging device 1 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0102] The program executed by the charging device 1 of the present embodiment may be provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0103] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to alleviate physical layout constraints on a movement mechanism in a charging device capable of wirelessly charging a plurality of charging targets simultaneously.

[0104] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0105] (Additional Note) As is apparent from the above embodiment, the present disclosure includes the following aspects. (1) a detection unit that is placed on a placement unit having a placement surface on which at least one electronic device configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil is placed, the detection unit being configured to be able to detect a position of the induction coil of the electronic device; a plurality of charging coils each configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power to the detected induction coil; a detachment mechanism that detachably supports any one of the plurality of charging coils; a moving mechanism that movably supports the attachment / detachment mechanism; a control unit that moves a charging coil to be moved among the plurality of charging coils by the moving mechanism while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism, and releases the charging coil by the attachment / detachment mechanism at a position facing the detected induction coil, thereby placing the charging coil. Charging device. (2) The attachment / detachment mechanism includes a guide and a pair of claws, at least one of which is configured to be movable along the guide, The control unit grips or releases any one of the plurality of charging coils by moving at least one of the pair of claw portions along the guide. A charging device as described in (1) above. (3) the attachment / detachment mechanism includes a plurality of cases each containing the plurality of charging coils, a magnetic body attached to an inside or an outer surface of each of the plurality of cases, and an electromagnet attached to the movement mechanism; The control unit grips or releases any of the plurality of charging coils by switching between energization and cut-off of the electromagnet and switching a direction of current in energizing the electromagnet. A charging device as described in (1) above. (4) the attachment / detachment mechanism includes a plurality of cases that individually house the plurality of charging coils, a compressor, and a nozzle that is spatially connected to the compressor; The control unit pressurizes or depressurizes an internal space formed by the skirt of the nozzle and a surface of the case with the compressor, thereby gripping or releasing any of the plurality of charging coils. A charging device as described in (1) above. (5) the attachment / detachment mechanism includes a plurality of cases that individually house the plurality of charging coils, a guide, a movable part configured to be movable along the guide, and an extension part provided on the movable part to be extendable and retractable; Each of the plurality of cases is provided with a hole configured to allow the expansion / contraction section to be inserted and removed, The control unit extends and retracts the extension unit to insert or remove the extension unit from the hole, thereby gripping or releasing any one of the plurality of charging coils. A charging device as described in (1) above. (6) a power supply circuit for supplying power to the plurality of charging coils; a plurality of flexible wirings that electrically connect an output end of the power supply circuit provided on the side of the moving surface of the plurality of charging coils opposite to the placement portion or on the outer periphery of the moving surface to each of the plurality of charging coils, A charging device according to any one of (1) to (5) above. (7) When two or more induction coils are detected, the control unit arranges each of the charging coils to be moved at a position facing each of the induction coils in order of distance from the output end. A charging device as described in (6) above. (8) The control unit is when the induction coil is detected, determining whether there is a first movement route for moving an unused charging coil among the multiple charging coils to a position facing the detected induction coil without moving at least one used charging coil among the multiple charging coils; When the first movement route is not available, a second movement route is set for temporarily retracting and moving at least one of the charging coils that has already been placed. A charging device according to any one of (1) to (7) above. (9) when the detected induction coil is the induction coil of the electronic device replaced on the placement section, the control unit determines whether the first movement route exists for the charging coil that was used for the electronic device before being replaced among the unused charging coils. A charging device as described in (8) above. (10) when the detected induction coil is the induction coil of the electronic device newly placed on the placement part, the control unit determines whether the first movement route exists in the unused charging coils in order of proximity to a position facing the detected induction coil. A charging device according to (8) or (9) above. (11) The control unit notifies when the second movement route is set. A charging device according to any one of (8) to (10) above. (12) Further comprising a notification unit that notifies when the second movement route is set. A charging device as described in (11) above. (13) When the second movement route is set, the control unit outputs a notification to the electronic device using the charging coil to be temporarily retracted. A charging device according to (11) or (12) above. (14) the control unit sets the second movement route along which a number of the charging coils to be temporarily evacuated is small. A charging device according to any one of (8) to (13) above. (15) the control unit sets the second movement route by giving priority to a charging coil that is being used for the electronic device for which a long elapsed time has elapsed since the start of charging, a large remaining battery charge, a small battery capacity, a fast charging speed, or an expected charging completion time is close, among the at least one charging coil that has already been placed, as a target for temporary evacuation. A charging device according to any one of (8) to (14) above. (16) the control unit, for two or more charging coils to be moved among the multiple charging coils, moves the two or more charging coils by the moving mechanism while holding the two or more charging coils simultaneously by the attachment / detachment mechanism, and positions the charging coils by releasing them one by one by the attachment / detachment mechanism at positions facing the two or more detected induction coils, A charging device according to any one of (1) to (15) above. (17) A charging device comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a position of at least one induction coil of an electronic device placed on a placement unit having a placement surface on which the at least one electronic device configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil is placed; a plurality of charging coils each configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power to the detected induction coil; an attachment / detachment mechanism that detachably supports any one of the plurality of charging coils; and a movement mechanism that movably supports the attachment / detachment mechanism; when the induction coil is detected, determining whether there is a first movement route for moving an unused charging coil among the multiple charging coils to a position facing the detected induction coil without moving at least one used charging coil among the multiple charging coils; if the first movement route is not present, a second movement route is set along which at least one of the charging coils that has already been placed is temporarily evacuated and moved; a charging coil to be moved among the plurality of charging coils is moved by the moving mechanism while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism, and is released by the attachment / detachment mechanism at a position facing the detected induction coil, thereby placing the charging coil; Control methods. (18) A program for causing a computer of the charging device to execute the control method described in (17) above. (19) A recording medium (Computer Program Product) having recorded thereon the program described in (18) above, which is executed by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1 Charging device 10 Controller (control section) 11 Processors 111 Detection Function 113 Communication Functions 115 Drive Function 13. Memory 15 Communication Interface 21 Power circuit 31 Moving mechanism 32 Detachable mechanism 33, 33a, 33b, 33c Charging coil 43 Detection coil (detection section) 101 Tabletop 103 Coil moving surface 105 Power supply side 107 Home Position 131 Control Program

Claims

1. a detection unit that is placed on a placement unit having a placement surface on which at least one electronic device configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil is placed, the detection unit being configured to be able to detect a position of the induction coil of the electronic device; a plurality of charging coils each configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power to the detected induction coil; a detachment mechanism that detachably supports any one of the plurality of charging coils; a moving mechanism that movably supports the attachment / detachment mechanism; a control unit that moves a charging coil to be moved among the plurality of charging coils by the moving mechanism while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism, and releases the charging coil by the attachment / detachment mechanism at a position facing the detected induction coil, thereby placing the charging coil. Charging device.

2. The attachment / detachment mechanism includes a guide and a pair of claws, at least one of which is configured to be movable along the guide, The control unit grips or releases any one of the plurality of charging coils by moving at least one of the pair of claw portions along the guide. The charging device according to claim 1 .

3. the attachment / detachment mechanism includes a plurality of cases each containing the plurality of charging coils, a magnetic body attached to an inside or an outer surface of each of the plurality of cases, and an electromagnet attached to the movement mechanism; The control unit grips or releases any of the plurality of charging coils by switching between energization and cut-off of the electromagnet and switching a direction of current in energizing the electromagnet. The charging device according to claim 1 .

4. the attachment / detachment mechanism includes a plurality of cases that individually house the plurality of charging coils, a compressor, and a nozzle that is spatially connected to the compressor; The control unit pressurizes or depressurizes an internal space formed by the skirt of the nozzle and a surface of the case with the compressor, thereby gripping or releasing any of the plurality of charging coils. The charging device according to claim 1 .

5. a power supply circuit for supplying power to the plurality of charging coils; a plurality of flexible wirings that electrically connect an output end of the power supply circuit provided on the side of the moving surface of the plurality of charging coils opposite to the placement portion or on the outer periphery of the moving surface to each of the plurality of charging coils, The charging device according to claim 1 .

6. When two or more induction coils are detected, the control unit arranges each of the charging coils to be moved at a position facing each of the induction coils in order of distance from the output end. The charging device according to claim 5.

7. The control unit is when the induction coil is detected, determining whether there is a first movement route for moving an unused charging coil among the multiple charging coils to a position facing the detected induction coil without moving at least one used charging coil among the multiple charging coils; When the first movement route is not available, a second movement route is set along which any one of the at least one charging coil that has already been placed is temporarily evacuated and moved. The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. when the detected induction coil is the induction coil of the electronic device that has been replaced on the placement section, the control unit determines whether the first movement route exists for the charging coil that was used for the electronic device before being replaced among the unused charging coils. The charging device according to claim 7.

9. when the detected induction coil is the induction coil of the electronic device newly placed on the placement section, the control unit determines whether the first movement route exists in the unused charging coils in order of proximity to a position facing the detected induction coil. The charging device according to claim 7.

10. The control unit notifies when the second movement route is set. The charging device according to claim 7.

11. A charging device comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a position of at least one induction coil of an electronic device placed on a placement unit having a placement surface on which the at least one electronic device configured to be able to receive wirelessly transmitted power by an induction coil is placed; a plurality of charging coils each configured to be able to wirelessly transmit power to the detected induction coil; an attachment / detachment mechanism that detachably supports one of the plurality of charging coils; and a movement mechanism that movably supports the attachment / detachment mechanism; when the induction coil is detected, determining whether there is a first movement route for moving an unused charging coil among the multiple charging coils to a position facing the detected induction coil without moving at least one used charging coil among the multiple charging coils; When the first movement route is not present, a second movement route is set along which any one of the at least one charging coil that has already been placed is temporarily evacuated and moved; a charging coil to be moved among the plurality of charging coils is moved by the moving mechanism while being held by the attachment / detachment mechanism, and is released by the attachment / detachment mechanism at a position facing the detected induction coil, thereby placing the charging coil; Control methods.

Images