Mobile devices and charging systems

Abstract

To provide a technology for notifying the current state of contactless charging, without equipping a contactless charging stand with a special mechanism of notification.SOLUTION: A technology disclosed by the present specification is embodied by a portable terminal capable of executing contactless charging. The portable terminal comprises: a sensor capable of outputting an output value that indicates the attitude of the portable terminal; a first acquisition unit that acquires a first output value from the sensor after the portable terminal is placed on a contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the portable terminal begins; a first determination unit that determines the contactless charging state of the portable terminal placed on the contactless charging stand, on the basis of the acquired first output value and the first result of comparison with a reference value that indicates a reference for the relative attitude of the portable terminal to the contactless charging stand; and a notification unit that notifies the contactless charging state determined on the basis of the first comparison result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses a technology related to wireless charging of a mobile terminal.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging device that charges a mobile terminal by wireless charging. The charging device includes two infrared sensors. The two infrared sensors detect whether the mobile terminal is properly placed on the charging device. When a detection signal is input from only one of the two infrared sensors, the charging device determines that the mobile terminal is not properly placed on the charging device and gives an alarm.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology of Cited Document 1, it is necessary for the charging device to have a special alarm mechanism (for example, two infrared sensors). This specification provides a technology for notifying the current state of wireless charging without providing a special alarm mechanism for the wireless charging stand.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The technology disclosed herein is embodied by a portable terminal capable of contactless charging. The portable terminal may include a sensor capable of outputting an output value indicating the orientation of the portable terminal; a first acquisition unit that acquires a first output value from the sensor after the portable terminal is placed on a contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the portable terminal has started; a first determination unit that determines the state of contactless charging of the portable terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on a first comparison result between the acquired first output value and a reference value indicating a reference for the relative orientation of the portable terminal with respect to the contactless charging stand; and a notification unit that notifies the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result.

[0006] According to the configuration described above, the mobile device uses its own sensors to notify the status of contactless charging. The contactless charging status can be notified without requiring a special notification mechanism on the contactless charging pad.

[0007] The aforementioned mobile terminal may further include a memory for storing the aforementioned reference value.

[0008] The mobile terminal described above may further include a reference update unit that updates the reference value in accordance with information indicating the orientation of the contactless charging stand.

[0009] With this configuration, for example, if the contactless charging station is placed on a slope, the reference value can be updated according to the inclination of the slope. Even when the contactless charging station is placed on a slope, the status of contactless charging can be determined using a reference value that takes the inclination of the slope into account.

[0010] In the mobile terminal described above, the notification unit may notify the user that the contactless charging state is abnormal if it determines, based on the first comparison result, that the contactless charging state is abnormal, and may not notify the user that the contactless charging state is normal if it determines, based on the first comparison result, that the contactless charging state is normal.

[0011] This configuration allows the user to recognize when the wireless charging status of their mobile device is abnormal.

[0012] The mobile terminal described above may further include a second acquisition unit that acquires a second output value from the sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since acquiring the first output value, and a second determination unit that, when the second output value is acquired, determines the state of contactless charging of the mobile terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on a second comparison result between the acquired second output value and the reference value. In this case, the notification unit may stop notifying that the state of contactless charging is abnormal after it has been notified that the state of contactless charging is abnormal based on the first comparison result, if it is determined that the state of contactless charging is normal based on the second comparison result.

[0013] With this configuration, when the contactless charging state changes from abnormal to normal, it is possible to suppress the continuation of the notification indicating that the contactless charging state is abnormal.

[0014] In the mobile terminal described above, the reference value may be the first output value obtained from the sensor before the first output value, after the mobile terminal has been placed on the contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the mobile terminal has started.

[0015] For example, after a user has properly placed a mobile device on a contactless charging pad, the orientation of the mobile device may change due to external force. When the orientation of the mobile device changes due to external force, the contactless charging state may become abnormal. With the above configuration, the output value in the proper placement can be used as a reference value to determine the change in the orientation of the mobile device.

[0016] In the mobile terminal described above, notifying the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result may include transmitting information indicating the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result to an external device.

[0017] By transmitting information to an external device, the user of the external device, who is located away from both the mobile terminal and the contactless charging pad, can be made aware of the contactless charging status.

[0018] This specification also discloses a charging system comprising a portable terminal capable of performing contactless charging and a contactless charging stand for performing contactless charging of the portable terminal. The portable terminal may include a sensor capable of outputting an output value indicating the orientation of the portable terminal, an acquisition unit that acquires a first output value from the sensor after the portable terminal is placed on the contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the portable terminal has started, a determination unit that determines the state of contactless charging of the portable terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on a first comparison result between the acquired first output value and a reference value indicating a reference for the relative orientation of the portable terminal with respect to the contactless charging stand, and a notification unit that notifies the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result.

[0019] Even with this configuration, the status of contactless charging can be indicated without requiring a special notification mechanism on the contactless charging base.

[0020] In the charging system described above, at least one of the mobile terminal and the contactless charging stand may be provided with a guide portion for guiding the mobile terminal to the contactless charging stand.

[0021] In contactless charging, even a slight misalignment between the mobile device and the contactless charging pad reduces the efficiency of contactless charging. The guide unit described above suppresses misalignment between the mobile device and the contactless charging pad. However, even with the guide unit in place, the guidance provided by the guide unit may not function due to user negligence or other reasons. With the above configuration, the user can recognize whether or not the guidance from the guide unit is functioning by being notified of the contactless charging status.

[0022] Also, the above-described control method for a mobile terminal, a computer program for a mobile terminal, and a storage medium storing the computer program are also novel and useful.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the charging system of the embodiment is shown. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 3] A configuration diagram of the mobile terminal is shown. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2 is shown. [Figure 5] A flowchart of the abnormality notification process executed by the mobile terminal of the first embodiment is shown. [Figure 6] A flowchart of the abnormality notification process executed by the mobile terminal of the second embodiment is shown. [Figure 7] A flowchart of the abnormality notification process executed by the mobile terminal of the third embodiment is shown.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] (Embodiment) (Configuration of Charging System 2; FIGS. 1 and 2) Referring to the drawings, the charging system 2 of the embodiment will be described. The charging system 2 includes a mobile terminal 10 and a non-contact charging stand 4. The mobile terminal 10 is a portable terminal device. The mobile terminal 10 has a rectangular flat plate shape. The mobile terminal 10 is an information code reading device for reading data recorded in various information codes such as two-dimensional barcodes. For example, the mobile terminal 10 reads information recorded in an information code attached to a reading target (for example, a luggage, a product). In a modified example, the mobile terminal 10 is not limited to an information code reading device, and may be a reader for reading information stored in a smartphone, a tablet PC, a storage medium (for example, an IC tag, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag).

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the user places the mobile device 10 on the contactless charging dock 4. The back surface 10b of the mobile device 10 faces the inclined surface 4s of the contactless charging dock 4. The mobile device 10 is charged by the contactless charging dock 4, which supports contactless charging. The contactless charging method is, for example, Qi®. Figures 1, 2, and 3 show the XYZ coordinate system. This coordinate system is shown with the mobile device 10 as the reference. The ZY plane is parallel to the front surface 10f of the mobile device 10. The Z axis indicates the longitudinal direction of the mobile device 10. The Y axis indicates the short direction of the mobile device 10. The X axis indicates the direction perpendicular to the front surface 10f of the mobile device 10. That is, the X axis indicates the thickness direction of the mobile device 10.

[0026] For example, the mobile terminal 10 is used within a designated area such as a store or warehouse. In order to continue working within the designated area (for example, inventory work), the user of the mobile terminal 10 repeatedly places the mobile terminal 10 on the contactless charging stand 4 to charge it.

[0027] (Configuration of mobile device 10; Figures 1-3) The mobile terminal 10 comprises an operating unit 12 (not shown in Figure 1), a display unit 14, a power receiving coil 16, a communication interface 18, an acceleration sensor 20, a battery 22, and a control unit 30. Hereinafter, the interface will be referred to as "I / F" in this specification.

[0028] The operation unit 12 is equipped with multiple keys. By operating these keys, the user can input various instructions into the mobile terminal 10. The display unit 14 is a display for displaying various information. In a modified example, the display unit 14 may be a touch panel display (i.e., the operation unit 12).

[0029] Battery 22 is typically a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The receiving coil 16 is the receiving coil in contactless charging. The power received by the receiving coil 16 is supplied to battery 22.

[0030] The communication interface 18 is an interface for communicating with an external device different from the mobile terminal 10 (for example, a terminal device for managing the read information). In this embodiment, the communication interface 18 is an interface capable of wireless communication (for example, communication according to Wi-Fi®). In a modified example, the communication interface 18 may be an interface capable of wired communication.

[0031] The acceleration sensor 20 is built into the mobile terminal 10. The acceleration sensor 20 is, for example, a piezoelectric sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a piezoresistive sensor. The acceleration sensor 20 detects and outputs acceleration in each direction of the mobile terminal 10 (i.e., the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis). For example, when the mobile terminal 10 is placed on the contactless charging stand 4 and contactless charging of the mobile terminal 10 begins, the acceleration sensor 20 outputs acceleration in each direction of the mobile terminal 10. The output values ​​of the acceleration sensor 20 in each direction change according to the orientation of the mobile terminal 10. The acceleration sensor 20 outputs output values ​​that indicate the orientation of the mobile terminal 10. In the modified example, a gyroscope may be used instead of the acceleration sensor.

[0032] The control unit 30 is electrically connected to each of the above parts 12 to 26. The control unit 30 communicates with each of the parts 12 to 26 and controls the operation of each of the parts 12 to 26. The control unit 30 includes a CPU 32 and a memory 34. The CPU 32 performs various processes according to the program 36 stored in the memory 34.

[0033] Memory 34 includes RAM, ROM, and non-volatile memory. In addition to the program 36, memory 34 also stores the abnormal acceleration range. The abnormal acceleration range is a reference value indicating the relative orientation of the mobile terminal 10 to the contactless charging stand 4 when the mobile terminal 10 is subjected to contactless charging by the contactless charging stand 4. The abnormal acceleration range includes value ranges in each direction (Xth, Yth, Zth) for determining that contactless charging of the mobile terminal 10 by the contactless charging stand 4 is not performed properly. The abnormal acceleration range is set according to the size and shape of the mobile terminal 10, the size and shape of the receiving coil 16 of the mobile terminal 10, the size and shape of the contactless charging stand 4, the size and shape of the transmitting coil 6 of the contactless charging stand 4, and the size and shape of the guide section 40 of the contactless charging stand 4, which will be described later. The abnormal acceleration range is set, for example, by the vendor of the mobile terminal 10 and the contactless charging stand 4 during the manufacturing of the mobile terminal 10. The abnormal acceleration range may be updated along with updates to the program 36 of the mobile terminal 10. In the modified example, the abnormal acceleration range may be set by the user after the mobile terminal 10 has been shipped.

[0034] (Configuration of the contactless charging stand 4; Figures 1-4) The contactless charging station 4 comprises a power transmission coil 6 and a power cord 8. The case of the contactless charging station 4 is provided with an inclined surface 4s and a guide section 40. The power cord 8 is connected to a commercial power outlet (not shown). The power transmission coil 6 is the power transmission coil in contactless charging and is arranged along the inclined surface 4s. The power transmission coil 6 converts the power supplied from the power cord 8 into electromagnetic waves and outputs them. In a modified example, the contactless charging station 4 may be a so-called cordless type charger and may include a battery.

[0035] (Detailed structure of guide section 40; Figure 4) Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in Figure 2, showing a front view of the mobile terminal 10 placed on the contactless charging base 4, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the front surface 10f of the mobile terminal 10. Note that in Figure 4, the hatching indicating the cross-section of the mobile terminal 10 has been omitted.

[0036] The guide section 40 comprises a bottom surface 44 and a pair of protrusions 42R and 42L located at both ends of the bottom surface 44. The pair of protrusions 42R and 42L extend upward from the bottom surface 44.

[0037] The solid line in Figure 4 shows the case where the mobile terminal 10 is in the correct relative position to the contactless charging base 4. In this case, the mobile terminal 10 is placed between a pair of protrusions 42R and 42L, and each of the pair of sides 52 and 54 of the mobile terminal 10 faces the pair of protrusions 42R and 42L of the contactless charging base 4. The bottom surface 50 of the mobile terminal 10 is in contact with the bottom surface 44 of the contactless charging base 4. In this case, the entire area of ​​the receiving coil 16 of the mobile terminal 10 faces the transmitting coil 6 of the contactless charging base 4. The guide part 40 guides the relative position of the mobile terminal 10 with respect to the contactless charging base 4 as shown by the solid line in Figure 4.

[0038] The dashed line in Figure 4 shows a case where the relative orientation of the mobile terminal 10 to the contactless charging base 4 is not appropriate. For example, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, when the bottom surface 50m of the mobile terminal 10m is placed on the protrusion 42L of the contactless charging base 4, the side surface 52m of the mobile terminal 10m does not face the protrusion 42L of the contactless charging base 4. A gap is created between the bottom surface 50m of the mobile terminal 10m and the bottom surface 44 of the contactless charging base 4. In this case, the receiving coil 16m of the mobile terminal 10 partially faces the transmitting coil 6 of the contactless charging base 4. When the receiving coil 16m partially faces the transmitting coil 6, the efficiency of contactless charging between the receiving coil 16m and the transmitting coil 6 decreases. This decrease in contactless charging efficiency can cause overheating and degradation of the battery 22. Furthermore, although not shown in the illustration, if, for example, the lower surface 50 of the mobile terminal 10 is placed on the projection on the negative side of the X-axis direction of the guide portion 40 (i.e., the left side of the page in Figure 2), the distance in the X-axis direction between the receiving coil 16 and the transmitting coil 6 increases. In this case as well, the efficiency of contactless charging between the receiving coil 16m and the transmitting coil 6 may decrease.

[0039] (Anomaly notification processing; Figure 5) Referring to Figure 5, the abnormality notification process for detecting the orientation of the mobile terminal 10 during contactless charging and notifying the user that the mobile terminal 10 is not properly placed on the contactless charging base 4 will be described. The abnormality notification process is triggered when the mobile terminal 10 is placed on the contactless charging base 4 and charging of the mobile terminal 10's battery 22 begins. The following process is executed by the CPU 32 of the control unit 30 of the mobile terminal 10, but here, the control unit 30 will be described as the entity that executes the process.

[0040] In step S2, the control unit 30 obtains a first output value from the acceleration sensor 20. The first output value includes output values ​​(X1, Y1, Z1) indicating the acceleration in each direction at the current orientation of the mobile terminal 10.

[0041] In S4, the control unit 30 determines whether the first output value acquired in S2 falls within the abnormal acceleration range in the memory 34. Specifically, the control unit 30 determines whether the output value X1 in the X-axis direction included in the first output value falls within the value range Xt in the X-axis direction of the abnormal acceleration range. Similarly, the control unit 30 determines whether the output value Y1 in the Y-axis direction and the output value Z1 in the Z-axis direction included in the first output value fall within the abnormal acceleration range.

[0042] If the control unit 30 determines that at least one of the XYZ output values ​​included in the first output value falls within the range of values ​​in the corresponding direction within the abnormal acceleration range (YES in S4), it proceeds to S10. On the other hand, if the control unit 30 determines that none of the XYZ output values ​​included in the first output value fall within the abnormal acceleration range (NO in S4), it proceeds to S6.

[0043] In S6, the control unit 30 monitors the elapsed time. If the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S6), the control unit 30 returns to S2 and obtains a new output value from the acceleration sensor 20.

[0044] Furthermore, in S10, the control unit 30 outputs a notification screen to the display unit 14 indicating that the mobile terminal 10 is not properly placed on the contactless charging base 4. This allows the user to recognize that the contactless charging status of the mobile terminal 10 is abnormal.

[0045] In S12, the control unit 30 monitors the elapsed time of a predetermined period. The predetermined time in S12 may be the same as or different from the predetermined time in S6. If the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S12), the control unit 30 proceeds to S14.

[0046] In S14, the control unit 30 obtains a second output value from the acceleration sensor 20. The second output value includes output values ​​(X2, Y2, Z2) that indicate the acceleration in each direction at the current orientation of the mobile terminal 10.

[0047] In S16, the control unit 30 compares the second output value obtained in S14 with the abnormal acceleration range in memory 34, similar to S4. If the control unit 30 determines that the second output value is included in the abnormal acceleration range (YES in S16), it returns to S14 and obtains a new output value from the acceleration sensor 20. In other words, the control unit 30 repeats the processes in S14 and S16 until it determines that the second output value is not included in the abnormal acceleration range. On the other hand, if the control unit 30 determines that the second output value is not included in the abnormal acceleration range (NO in S16), it proceeds to S18.

[0048] In S18, the control unit 30 stops displaying the notification screen and proceeds to S6. Thus, in this embodiment, after the mobile terminal 10 acquires a first detection value from the acceleration sensor 20 (S4), if a predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S12), it acquires a second detection value from the acceleration sensor 20 (S14) and compares it with the abnormal acceleration range. In this embodiment, the notification can be continued or stopped depending on the change in the contactless charging state of the mobile terminal 10. For example, if the notification screen continues even when the contactless charging state changes from abnormal to normal, the user may mistakenly perceive the contactless charging state as abnormal. By suppressing the continued display of the notification screen in S18, it is possible to prevent the user from misperceiving the situation.

[0049] (Effects of this embodiment) In this way, the mobile terminal 10 determines and notifies the status of contactless charging based on the abnormal acceleration range in the memory 34 and the output value of the acceleration sensor 20. According to this embodiment, there is no need to equip the contactless charging cradle 4 with a special notification mechanism. In particular, in recent years, mobile terminals 10 equipped with an acceleration sensor 20 as standard have appeared. The status of contactless charging can be notified without equipping the contactless charging cradle 4 with a special notification mechanism.

[0050] In contactless charging, the mobile device 10 and the contactless charging pad 4 are not physically connected. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to determine whether or not the mobile device 10 is being contactless charged. For example, there is a conventional technology that uses the current value of the current flowing through the battery 22 of the mobile device 10 to determine the state of contactless charging. However, as mentioned above, even if the battery 22 of the mobile device 10 is being charged, if the positional relationship between the receiving coil 16 and the transmitting coil 6 is misaligned, contactless charging may become inefficient. In this embodiment, the user can be notified if inefficient contactless charging is being performed while contactless charging is in progress.

[0051] (Correspondence) Accelerometer 20 is an example of a "sensor". The abnormal acceleration range (Xth, Yth, Xth) is an example of a "reference value". The first output value (X1, Y1, X1) and the second output value (X2, Y2, X2) are examples of the "first output value" and the "second output value," respectively.

[0052] The processes in S2 and S14 in Figure 5 are examples of processes executed by the "first acquisition unit" and the "second acquisition unit," respectively. The processes in S4 and S16 in Figure 5 are examples of processes executed by the "first determination unit" and the "second determination unit," respectively. The process in S10 in Figure 5 is an example of a process executed by the "notification unit."

[0053] (Second example) Referring to Figure 6, a second embodiment will be described. The charging system 2 of the second embodiment has a similar configuration to the charging system 2 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, some of the contents of the abnormality notification process performed by the control unit 30 differ from those of the first embodiment. Referring to Figure 6, the abnormality notification process of the second embodiment will be described. The abnormality notification process of the second embodiment is performed in the same way as the abnormality notification process of the first embodiment, triggered by the start of charging of the battery 22 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0054] (Anomaly notification processing; Figure 6) In S20, the control unit 30 obtains the third output values ​​(X3, Y3, Z3) from the acceleration sensor 20.

[0055] In S22, the control unit 30 updates the upper limit values ​​(Xth, Yth, Zth) of the abnormal acceleration range in the memory 34 using the third output values ​​acquired in S20. Specifically, the control unit 30 first calculates the difference between the ideal acceleration values ​​(X0, Y0, Z0) in each direction, which are calculated from the inclination angle of the inclined surface 4s of the contactless charging base 4, and the third output values ​​(X3, Y3, Z3) acquired in S20. The ideal acceleration values ​​are the output values ​​of the acceleration sensor 20 when the mobile terminal 10 is properly placed on the contactless charging base 4 with the contactless charging base 4 positioned on an ideal horizontal surface, and are pre-stored in the memory 34 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0056] When a user places the mobile device 10 on the contactless charging base 4, they can carefully position the mobile device 10 correctly on the contactless charging base 4. Therefore, it is presumed that the first output value after the abnormality notification process is started (i.e., the third output value) is the output value when the mobile device 10 is correctly positioned on the contactless charging base 4. On the other hand, the third output value may differ from the ideal acceleration value due to the inclination of the slope on which the contactless charging base 4 is placed. Therefore, the control unit 30 calculates the deviation in the output value caused by the inclination of the slope by comparing the ideal acceleration value (X0, Y0, Z0) with the third output value (X3, Y3, Z3).

[0057] Next, the control unit 30 calculates new upper limits (Xth+X0-X3, Yth+Y0-Y3, Zth+Z0-Z3) by adding the difference between the ideal acceleration value and the third output value (X0-X3, Y0-Y3, Z0-Z3) to the upper limits of the abnormal acceleration range (Xth, Yth, Zth) in the memory 34. The control unit 30 stores the newly calculated upper limits in the memory 34. This updates the abnormal acceleration range in the memory 34. In this way, the mobile terminal 10 updates the abnormal acceleration range based on the third output value. In a modified example, the lower limit of the abnormal acceleration range may also be updated. This allows the control unit 30 to determine whether the output value of the acceleration sensor 20 is included in the abnormal acceleration range, even when the contactless charging base 4 is placed on an inclined surface, by utilizing the abnormal acceleration range that takes into account the inclination of the inclined surface. The processing in S20 and S22 may be triggered when an update instruction is input from the user after the mobile terminal 10 has been placed on the contactless charging base 4. Furthermore, the processes S20 and S22 only need to be performed at least once after the contactless charging base 4 is fixed to the inclined surface. For example, after the processes S20 and S22 have been performed once, the processes S20 and S22 shown in Figure 6 may be omitted.

[0058] The processes S32 to S48, which are executed after S22, are the same as the processes S4 to S18 in Figure 5, except that the abnormal acceleration range used in S34 and S46 is updated. Note that in S32 and S44, the ordinal numbers are changed to distinguish them from output values ​​in other processes (for example, "fourth output value"). In this embodiment, the third output value is an example of "information indicating the attitude of the contactless charging stand," and the process in S22 in Figure 6 is an example of a process executed by the "reference update unit."

[0059] (Third embodiment) Referring to Figure 7, the third embodiment will be described. The charging system 2 of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the charging system 2 of the first embodiment, except that the mobile terminal 10 does not store the abnormal acceleration range in the memory 34. In the third embodiment, some of the contents of the abnormal notification processing performed by the control unit 30 differ from those of the first and second embodiments. Referring to Figure 7, the abnormal notification processing of the third embodiment will be described. The abnormal notification action of the third embodiment is performed when charging of the battery 22 of the mobile terminal 10 is started.

[0060] (Anomaly notification processing; Figure 7) In step S50, the control unit 30 acquires the sixth output values ​​(X6, Y6, Z6) from the acceleration sensor 20.

[0061] In S52, the control unit 30 stores the sixth output value acquired in S50 in the memory 34.

[0062] In S62, the control unit 30 obtains the seventh output values ​​(X7, Y7, Z7) from the acceleration sensor 20.

[0063] In S64, the control unit 30 determines whether the sixth output value stored in S52 matches the seventh output value acquired in S62. If the sixth output value and the seventh output value match (NO in S64), the process proceeds to S66. If the sixth output value and the seventh output value do not match (YES in S64), the process proceeds to S70.

[0064] In S66, the control unit 30 monitors the elapsed time. If the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S66), the control unit 30 returns to S62 and obtains a new output value from the acceleration sensor 20.

[0065] In step S70, the control unit 30 sends a notification to the external device via the communication interface 18 indicating that the mobile terminal 10 is not properly placed on the contactless charging base 4. This allows the user of the external device, who is located far from both the mobile terminal 10 and the contactless charging base 4, to recognize that the mobile terminal 10 is not properly placed on the contactless charging base 4.

[0066] In S72, the control unit 30 monitors the elapsed time of a predetermined period. The predetermined time in S72 may be the same as or different from the predetermined time in S66. If the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in S72), the control unit 30 proceeds to S76.

[0067] In S76, the control unit 30 stops sending the notification sent to the external device in S70, and then proceeds to S66. For example, after a user has properly placed the mobile terminal 10 on the contactless charging stand 4, the orientation of the mobile terminal 10 may change due to an external force. If the orientation of the mobile terminal 10 changes due to an external force, the contactless charging state may become abnormal. In this embodiment, the control unit 30 compares the sixth output value, which is the first value acquired after the abnormality notification process begins, with the seventh output value, which is acquired thereafter, to determine the orientation of the mobile terminal 10 and sends a notification to the external device (S76). This allows the user to recognize the occurrence of a change from the proper orientation. In this embodiment, the sixth output value and the seventh output value are examples of the "first output value acquired" and the "first output value," respectively. The notification sent in S70 in Figure 7 is an example of "information indicating the state of contactless charging."

[0068] The above describes specific examples of the technology disclosed herein, but these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes to the specific examples described above. For example, the following modifications may be adopted.

[0069] (Modification 1) In S10 of Figure 5, for example, the control unit 30 may output a notification sound to the notification unit instead of outputting the notification screen to the display unit 14. In a further modification, for example, in S10 of Figure 5, the control unit 30 may vibrate the vibration device or light up a warning light.

[0070] (Modification 2) The control unit 30 may, for example, in S10 of Figure 5, output a notification screen to the display unit 14 indicating that the mobile terminal 10 is properly positioned on the contactless charging stand 4. In this case, the memory 34 may store the normal acceleration range instead of the abnormal acceleration range. In a further modification, if the control unit 30 determines NO in S4 of Figure 5, it may output a normal notification screen to the display unit 14 indicating that the mobile terminal 10 is properly positioned on the contactless charging stand 4, and in S10, it may output an abnormal notification screen to the display unit 14 indicating that the mobile terminal 10 is not properly positioned on the contactless charging stand 4. The above normal acceleration range is an example of a "reference value".

[0071] (Modification 3) The mobile terminal 10 is not limited to the contactless charging stand 4 provided by the vendor of the mobile terminal 10, but can also be charged with, for example, a general-purpose contactless charging stand. The processes shown in Figures 5 to 7 may also be performed when using a general-purpose contactless charging stand.

[0072] (Modification 4) The contactless charging stand 4 does not need to have a guide section 40. In this modification, for example, the control unit 30 may issue a notification if the mobile terminal 10 is not properly placed on the contactless charging stand 4 due to the intervention of a foreign object between the lower surface 50 of the mobile terminal 10 and the bottom surface 44 of the contactless charging stand 4. In this modification, the "guide section" can be omitted.

[0073] (Modification 5) In the third embodiment, instead of determining in S64 of Figure 7 whether the seventh output value matches the sixth output value in the memory 34, the control unit 30 may determine whether the seventh output value falls within a predetermined range based on the sixth output value. In this case, the control unit 30 may determine YES in S64 if the seventh output value falls within the predetermined range, and NO in S64 if the seventh output value does not fall within the predetermined range. In this modification, the predetermined range based on the sixth output value is an example of a "reference value".

[0074] The technical elements described herein or in the drawings demonstrate technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated herein or in the drawings achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives constitutes technical usefulness in itself. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 2: Charging system 4: Contactless charging stand 4s: Slope 6: Power transmission coil 8: Power cord 10, 10m: Mobile device 10b: Back 10f:Front 12:Operation section 14: Display section 16, 16m: Receiving coil 18: Communication Interface 20: Accelerometer 22: Battery 30: Control Unit 32:CPU 34: Memory 36: Program 40: Guide Section 42L, 42R: Protrusion 44: Bottom 50, 50m: Bottom 52, 52m, 54: Side

Claims

1. A portable device capable of wireless charging, A sensor capable of outputting an output value indicating the orientation of the aforementioned mobile device, A memory that stores a reference value indicating the reference position of the mobile terminal relative to the contactless charging stand, After the mobile terminal is placed on the contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the mobile terminal is started, a first acquisition unit acquires a first output value from the sensor, A first determination unit determines the state of contactless charging of the mobile terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on a first comparison result between the acquired first output value and the reference value, A second acquisition unit acquires a second output value from the sensor when a predetermined time has elapsed since the acquisition of the first output value, When the second output value is obtained, a second determination unit determines the state of contactless charging of the mobile terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on the second comparison result between the obtained second output value and the reference value, A notification unit that notifies the state of the contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result, Equipped with, If the notification unit determines, based on the first comparison result, that the state of the contactless charging is abnormal, it will notify that the state of the contactless charging is abnormal. If, based on the first comparison result, it is determined that the contactless charging state is normal, the contactless charging state is not reported. The notification unit stops notifying that the contactless charging state is abnormal if, after being notified that the contactless charging state is abnormal based on the first comparison result, it determines that the contactless charging state is normal based on the second comparison result. Mobile device.

2. Furthermore, the portable terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a reference update unit that updates the reference value based on information indicating the orientation of the contactless charging stand.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the reference value is the first output value obtained from the sensor before the first output value after the mobile terminal is placed on the contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the mobile terminal has started.

4. The portable terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein notifying the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result includes transmitting information indicating the state of contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result to an external device.

5. A mobile device capable of wireless charging, The mobile device is equipped with a contactless charging stand that performs contactless charging of the mobile device, The aforementioned mobile terminal is A sensor capable of outputting an output value indicating the orientation of the aforementioned mobile device, A memory that stores a reference value indicating the reference position of the mobile terminal relative to the contactless charging stand, After the mobile terminal is placed on the contactless charging stand and contactless charging of the mobile terminal is started, a first acquisition unit acquires a first output value from the sensor, A first determination unit determines the state of contactless charging of the mobile terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on a first comparison result between the acquired first output value and the reference value, A second acquisition unit acquires a second output value from the sensor when a predetermined time has elapsed since the acquisition of the first output value, When the second output value is obtained, a second determination unit determines the state of contactless charging of the mobile terminal placed on the contactless charging stand based on the second comparison result between the obtained second output value and the reference value, The system includes a notification unit that notifies the state of the contactless charging determined based on the first comparison result, If the notification unit determines, based on the first comparison result, that the state of the contactless charging is abnormal, it will notify that the state of the contactless charging is abnormal. If, based on the first comparison result, it is determined that the contactless charging state is normal, the contactless charging state is not reported. The notification unit stops notifying that the contactless charging state is abnormal if, after being notified that the contactless charging state is abnormal based on the first comparison result, it determines that the contactless charging state is normal based on the second comparison result. Charging system.

6. The charging system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the mobile terminal and the contactless charging stand is provided with a guide portion for guiding the mobile terminal to the contactless charging stand.

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