Wireless power supply system, method, program, and information processing device

Abstract

Provided is a wireless power supply system comprising: a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power comprising an AC signal; and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter. The wireless power supply system has at least one controller. The controller executes: a step of, while changing, from a predetermined value, the output value of a data signal that is a transmission signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, outputting the data signal a plurality of times; and a step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter on the basis of the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

Description

Wireless power supply system, method, program, and information processing device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless power supply system, a method, a program, and an information processing device.

[0002] In a wireless power supply system that supplies power wirelessly, there is a technology in which a secondary battery in a receiver is charged by wireless power supply, and power is supplied to a constant voltage generation unit that supplies power supply voltage to a sensor device by wireless power supply when the rectified output voltage of the wireless power supply is above a certain level, or from the secondary battery when it is below a certain level (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-004611

[0004] Since wireless power transfer is dependent on the environment, it is difficult to stably supply a constant amount of power, and the amount of power transferred can fluctuate significantly over time. Therefore, there is a need to reduce power consumption due to data communication between the transmitter and receiver when the power transfer condition is unstable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to realize, in a wirelessly powered receiver, suppression of power consumption in data transmission to a transmitter according to the power receiving state.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless power supply system including a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, wherein the wireless power supply system has at least one controller that executes the steps of: outputting a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value; and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a wirelessly powered receiver, it is possible to reduce power consumption in transmitting data to a transmitter in accordance with the power receiving state.

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a wireless power feeding system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the transmitter and receiver shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the circuit configuration of the receiver according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a functional configuration by a microcomputer of the transmitter according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a functional configuration by a microcomputer of the receiver according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a determination table stored in a storage unit of a microcomputer. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an overall image of the processing flow of the WPT system 1. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a calibration process. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between a set output value of a data signal and a power receiving state of a receiver. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a power transmission process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an output adjustment process.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings describing the embodiments, common components are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments do not unduly limit the content of the present disclosure described in the claims. Furthermore, not all components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration.

[0010] In the following description, a "processor" refers to one or more processors. The at least one processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be another type of processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor may be a single-core or multi-core processor.

[0011] Furthermore, the at least one processor may be a processor in the broad sense, such as a hardware circuit (for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) that performs part or all of the processing.

[0012] In the following explanation, information that produces an output for an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx table," but this information may be data of any structure, or may be a learning model such as a neural network that produces an output for an input. Therefore, a "xxx table" may be called "xxx information."

[0013] Furthermore, in the following description, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

[0014] In addition, in the following explanation, processing may be described using the "program" as the subject, but since a program is executed by a processor to perform specified processing while appropriately using a memory unit and / or an interface unit, etc., the subject of the processing may also be the processor (or a device such as a controller that has that processor).

[0015] The program may be installed in a device such as a computer, or may be stored in, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (e.g., non-transitory) recording medium. In the following description, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0016] Furthermore, in the following description, identification numbers are used as identification information for various objects, but other types of identification information (for example, identifiers including alphabetic characters or symbols) may also be used.

[0017] In addition, in the following description, when describing elements of the same type without distinguishing between them, reference symbols (or common symbols among the reference symbols) may be used, and when describing elements of the same type with distinction between them, the identification numbers (or reference symbols) of the elements may be used.

[0018] In the following description, the control lines and information lines are those that are considered necessary for the description, and do not necessarily represent all the control lines and information lines in the product. All components may be interconnected.

[0019] <0 System Overview> A wireless power supply system (hereinafter also referred to as a WPT system) according to the present disclosure includes a receiver that receives power transmitted from a transmitter based on a wireless power supply method and supplies the power to a device.

[0020] Although details will be described in the embodiments, in the WPT system according to the present disclosure, microwave power (a 920 MHz substantially continuous sine wave (CW)) is received by the receiver antenna, and the radio waves are converted into a DC voltage by a rectifier circuit functionally connected to the antenna. The DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit is controlled by a power management unit, and the voltage is then supplied to a charging unit (mainly a capacitor). The power storage element constituting the charging unit is not particularly limited and may include a capacitor, a lithium ion battery, an electric double layer capacitor, a ceramic capacitor, etc. In the WPT system according to the present disclosure, the charging unit will be described as mainly including a capacitor. The voltage supplied from the power management unit is supplied to the charging unit when the voltage stored in the charging unit is below a predetermined value. When the charging unit is charged to the predetermined voltage, the power supplied and output from the power management unit is supplied to a microcomputer.

[0021] However, because the power receiving state of wireless power transfer is affected by the environment, it is difficult to stably supply a constant amount of power, and the amount of power transferred fluctuates significantly over time. Similarly, the amount of power transferred can also vary with solar cell and laser-based wireless power transfer. Even in such unstable power receiving conditions, it is necessary to diagnose each time whether power transfer is possible in order to continue stable power supply to the receiver's microcomputer and the sensor device contained in the receiver.

[0022] If the diagnostic results are not satisfactory, the information processing device that monitors the transmitter and / or the transmitter and receiver in the WPT system must be notified, and in some cases the system must be shut down normally. This diagnosis is performed at the stage of installing the transmitter / receiver, and during actual operation and maintenance.

[0023] However, as mentioned above, the amount of power supplied to the receiver can fluctuate significantly over time, so the power receiving state of the receiver cannot be accurately determined simply by checking the voltage value inside the receiver. For example, even if the power supply voltage, which is the charging voltage of the charging unit, is a normal voltage value, if the rectified voltage, which is the output value from the rectifier circuit, is a voltage value close to 0, the power supply to the receiver is unstable and there is a possibility that the power supply to the device will eventually be cut off.

[0024] Therefore, it is conceivable that the receiver acquires two voltage values, the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage, and transmits data to the transmitter and / or information processing device, but this requires frequent data transmission, which consumes a lot of power in the receiver.Furthermore, if several tens to nearly 100 receivers are associated with one transmitter, the calculation load on the transmitter (including the information processing device) becomes heavy.

[0025] Therefore, in the WPT system according to the present disclosure, the rectified voltage and power supply voltage of the receiver are compared with respective threshold values ​​to determine whether the receiver can maintain its function of supplying power to a microcomputer, etc.

[0026] It goes without saying that the specific configuration of the WPT system according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above.

[0027] 1. Embodiment 1.1 Overall System Configuration Diagram FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a WPT system 1 according to an embodiment.

[0028] The WPT system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes, for example, a transmitter 100, a receiver 200, a first information processing device 300, and a second information processing device 400. The WPT system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is used, for example, in a building or a factory.

[0029] In this specification, the transmitter 100 is a (power) transmitter 100 in the sense of wirelessly transmitting power, and similarly, the receiver 200 is a (power) receiver 200 in the sense of wirelessly receiving power. As will be described later, the transmitter 100 may transmit, for example, information about the state of the receiver 200 or information about measurement results by a sensor to the transmitter 100 as a data signal, and the transmitter 100 may receive such a data signal. In this case, the transmitter 100 is a receiver that receives the data signal, and the receiver 200 functions as a transmitter that transmits the data signal.

[0030] 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes three transmitters 100, but the number of transmitters 100 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to three. The number of transmitters 100 included in the WPT system 1 may be two or less, or may be four or more.

[0031] 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes seven receivers 200, but the number of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to seven. The number of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1 may be six or less, or eight or more.

[0032] 1 shows an example in which the WPT system 1 includes two first information processing devices 300, but the number of first information processing devices 300 included in the WPT system 1 is not limited to two. The number of first information processing devices 300 included in the WPT system 1 may be one, or three or more.

[0033] The transmitter 100 transmits, for example, a power supply signal or a data signal to the receiver 200. The transmitter 100 transmits the power supply signal to the receiver 200 by radio waves in the 920 MHz band, for example. The transmitter 100 transmits the data signal to the receiver 200 by radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example. The transmitter 100 may transmit the data signal by radio waves in the 920 MHz band.

[0034] The power transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 may be, for example, a continuous wave (CW) sine wave having a predetermined power. The frequency band of the power transmission signal is, for example, the 920 MHz band, taking into account the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200. If the frequency band is higher than the exemplified frequency band, it may be impossible to supply the predetermined power required for the receiver 200 to operate unless the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 is shortened. Therefore, an appropriate frequency band can be determined by taking into account a practical range (for example, the distance between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 being several meters).

[0035] In this case, the laws of the country in which the WPT system 1 is installed may impose restrictions on the intermittent transmission of a power transmission signal having a predetermined power. For example, if the power transmission signal from the transmitter 100 falls under the radio station regulations stipulated in the Radio Act of Japan (regardless of whether it is licensed or not), it may be necessary to provide a certain pause period for the power transmission signal in accordance with the Radio Act. In this case, when considered on a certain time axis, the power transmission signal cannot be considered a continuous wave. However, since it is important to provide a pause period, and this pause period only needs to be short, the power transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 can be considered to be a substantially continuous wave.

[0036] The transmitter 100 may, for example, supply power to one receiver 200, or may supply power to multiple receivers 200. The transmitter 100 may, for example, transmit a data signal to one receiver 200, or may transmit a data signal to multiple receivers 200. The transmitter 100 may, for example, transmit the same data signal as another transmitter 100, or may transmit a data signal different from that of the other transmitters 100. The transmitter 100 may, for example, transmit a predetermined command signal as a data signal to the receiver 200, or may transmit a preset signal as a data signal to the receiver 200.

[0037] The transmitter 100 receives, for example, a data signal transmitted from the receiver 200. The transmitter 100 may receive, for example, a data signal transmitted from one receiver 200, or may receive data signals transmitted from a plurality of receivers 200. The transmitter 100 transmits the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the first information processing device 300. The transmitter 100 transmits information related to the state of the transmitter 100 and / or the receiver 200 to the first information processing device 300.

[0038] The receiver 200 receives, for example, a power supply signal or a data signal transmitted from the transmitter 100. If the receiver 200 has, for example, a charging unit, it converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into electric power and stores the converted electric power in the charging unit. If the receiver 200 has, for example, a predetermined sensor, it converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into electric power and drives the sensor with the converted electric power.

[0039] The receiver 200 transmits, for example, information about the state of the receiver 200 or information about the measurement results of the sensor to the transmitter 100 as a data signal.

[0040] The first information processing device 300 is an information processing device that monitors the operations of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 housed in the WPT system 1. For example, the first information processing device 300 determines whether the transmitter 100 or the receiver 200 is in a preset state based on information about the state of the transmitter 100 and / or the receiver 200 transmitted from the transmitter 100. If it is determined that the transmitter 100 or the receiver 200 is in a preset state, the first information processing device 300 transmits predetermined information to the second information processing device 400.

[0041] Furthermore, the first information processing device 300 accumulates information about the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 accommodated in the WPT system 1. For example, the first information processing device 300 stores information about the states of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200, which is transmitted from the transmitter 100, in a storage unit provided in the first information processing device 300.

[0042] In addition, the first information processing device 300 controls the operation of the transmitter 100 and / or the receiver 200 housed in the WPT system 1 .

[0043] The second information processing device 400 is an information processing device operated by a user as an administrator of the WPT system 1. When the second information processing device 400 receives a notification from the first information processing device 300 that the transmitter 100, the receiver 200, or both of them housed in the WPT system 1 are in a predetermined state, the second information processing device 400 notifies the user that the transmitter 100, the receiver 200, or both of them are in the predetermined state.

[0044] Furthermore, the second information processing device 400 analyzes information about the status of the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 stored in the first information processing device 300, and presents predetermined information to the user. The predetermined information is, for example, the following: Information about the location of the transmitter 100 Information about the location of the receiver 200 Information about power consumption Information about power intensity

[0045] 1.2 Configuration of Transmitter and Receiver FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the transmitter 100 and receiver 200 shown in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are, for example, spaced apart by a predetermined distance. For example, the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are installed at a distance of approximately several meters. Specifically, for example, the transmitter 100 is fixedly installed at a high location indoors, such as a predetermined high position on a ceiling or wall. The receiver 200 is installed in a predetermined device indoors or placed near a device requiring power supply. The receiver 200 may also be carried by a user. The transmitter 100 transmits a power supply signal to the receiver 200 using radio waves at a predetermined frequency, for example, the 920 MHz band. The receiver 200 converts the power supply signal transmitted from the transmitter 100 into power and uses the converted power to charge or supply the converted power to a predetermined device.

[0046] The transmitter 100 includes, for example, an oscillator 101, a transmitting antenna 102, a microcomputer 103, a data transceiver 104, and a data transmitting / receiving antenna 105. The oscillator 101, the microcomputer (controller) 103, and the data transceiver 104 may be mounted on, for example, a PCB (printed circuit board).

[0047] The oscillator 101 oscillates a signal in a predetermined frequency band, for example, the 920 MHz band. The oscillated signal may be amplified and unwanted frequency components may be removed, if necessary.

[0048] The transmitting antenna 102 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit radio waves in the 920 MHz band, for example, and emits a signal oscillated by the oscillator 101 as a power supply signal.

[0049] The microcomputer 103 controls the operation of the transmitter 100. The microcomputer 103 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor device equipped with an ARM processor. The microcomputer 103 controls, for example, the transmission of radio waves by the transmission antenna 102.

[0050] For example, in a WPT system 1 used in a factory, it is desirable for the receiver 200 to supply power equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Therefore, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmission of radio waves from the transmitting antenna 102 based on a feedback signal transmitted from the receiver 200. The feedback signal may relate to, for example, a voltage value at a predetermined location within the receiver 200. The feedback signal may allow the electric field strength of the receiver 200 to be ascertained in a pseudo manner. For example, if the transmitting antenna 102 has multiple antenna elements, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmitting antenna 102 so that the power feed signal is transmitted from the optimal antenna element. For example, the microcomputer 103 adjusts the polarization direction of the power feed signal by switching the antenna element to be driven. Furthermore, the microcomputer 103 adjusts the directivity of the power feed signal by adjusting the drive timing of the antenna elements.

[0051] In addition, in the WPT system 1 used indoors in a building or the like, the microcomputer 103 controls the transmission of radio waves by the transmitting antenna 102 based on a feedback signal transmitted from the receiver 200. When the transmitting antenna 102 is, for example, a single antenna element, the microcomputer 103 optimizes the power transmission output from the transmitting antenna 102, for example.

[0052] The data transceiver 104 performs processes such as converting digital data to analog data and modulating the analog data. The data transceiver 104 also performs processes such as demodulating a signal extracted from a data signal received by the data transceiver antenna 105 and digitizing the demodulated analog data. For example, the data transceiver 104 extracts a feedback signal from the data signal received by the data transceiver antenna 105, converts it into digital data, and transmits it to the microcomputer 103.

[0053] The data transmission / reception antenna 105 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit and receive radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example. The data transmission / reception antenna 105 radiates data signals supplied from the data transceiver 104. The data transmission / reception antenna 105 also receives data signals transmitted from the receiver 200.

[0054] The receiver 200 includes, for example, a receiving antenna 201, a rectifier circuit (rectifier unit) 202, a power management unit 203, a charging unit 204, a microcomputer (controller) 205, a data transceiver 206, and a data transmitting / receiving antenna 207. The rectifier circuit 202, the power management unit 203, the charging unit 204, the microcomputer 205, and the data transceiver 206 may be mounted on, for example, a PCB or an FPC (flexible printed circuit).

[0055] The receiving antenna 201 is configured to be able to efficiently receive radio waves in the 920 MHz band, for example. The receiving antenna 201 receives the power supply signal radiated from the transmitting antenna 102.

[0056] The rectifier circuit 202 rectifies the radio waves received as the power supply signal and converts them into a DC voltage.

[0057] The power management unit 203 manages the DC voltage. For example, the power management unit 203 controls the charging voltage based on the DC voltage. The power management unit 203 charges the charging unit 204 by controlling the charging voltage. Furthermore, for example, when the charging unit 204 stores power equal to or greater than a predetermined capacity, the power management unit 203 supplies the DC voltage to a connected component.

[0058] Furthermore, the power management unit 203 discharges the power stored in the charging unit 204 in response to control from the microcomputer 205 .

[0059] The charging unit 204 stores power in response to an instruction from the power management unit 203. The charging unit 204 also discharges the stored power in response to an instruction from the power management unit 203.

[0060] Microcontroller 205 controls the operation of receiver 200. Microcontroller 205 is driven by a DC voltage supplied from power management unit 203 or by power stored in charging unit 204. Microcontroller 205 controls power management unit 203 to cause charging unit 204 to release the power stored therein.

[0061] For example, various sensors can be connected to the receiver 200. For example, a heat sensor, a temperature sensor, a light sensor, a humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, etc. are connected to the receiver 200. The sensors connected to the receiver 200 are driven, for example, by a DC voltage supplied from the power management unit 203 or by power discharged from the charging unit 204. The microcomputer 205 continuously or intermittently monitors the voltage values ​​at predetermined locations of the receiver 200, the status of the sensors connected to the receiver 200, information detected by the sensors, etc. The microcomputer 205 transmits the voltage values ​​at predetermined locations of the receiver 200, the status of the sensors connected to the receiver 200, information detected by the sensors, etc. as digital data to the data transceiver 206.

[0062] The data transceiver 206 performs processes such as converting digital data supplied from the microcomputer 205 to analog data and modulating the analog data. The data transceiver 206 also performs processes such as demodulating the analog data and digitizing the demodulated analog data. The data transceiver 206 is driven by, for example, a DC voltage supplied from the power management unit 203 or power discharged from the charging unit 204.

[0063] The data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 is configured to be able to efficiently transmit and receive radio waves in the 2.4 GHz band, for example. The data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 radiates data signals supplied from the data transceiver 206. The data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 also receives data signals transmitted from the transmitter 100. For example, the data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 is driven by a DC voltage supplied from the power management unit 203 or by power emitted from the charging unit 204.

[0064] The transmission format of the data signal transmitted (radiated) from the data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 is arbitrary. In particular, since the data signal radiated from the data transmitting / receiving antenna 207 is a radio wave in the 2.4 GHz band, it may be a signal conforming to Bluetooth (registered trademark) or IEEE 802.11x (i.e., so-called wireless LAN) formats. In this case, it is preferable that the data transceiver 104 of the transmitter 100 also has a function of analyzing a data signal in a format that matches the format of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200. Alternatively, the first information processing device 300 may have such a function.

[0065] <1.3 Circuit Configuration of Receiver> Figure 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the circuit configuration of the receiver 200 shown in Figure 2. Note that in the following explanation, detailed explanation of the components of the receiver 200 explained with reference to Figure 2 will be omitted. Also, only the main parts of the components of the receiver 200 shown in Figure 2 are shown.

[0066] In FIG. 3, the rectified voltage, which is the voltage at the downstream side of the rectifier circuit 202 (i.e., the output side of the rectifier circuit 202), and the power supply voltage, which is the charging voltage of the charging unit 204, are input to the microcomputer 205, converted into digital values ​​by the A / D conversion unit of the microcomputer 205, and used to determine the power receiving state, which will be described later.

[0067] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the microcomputer 103 included in the transmitter 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the microcomputer 103 has functions as a storage unit 1031 and a control unit 1032.

[0068] The storage unit 1031 includes, for example, an application program 10311 for causing the control unit 1032 to execute functions.

[0069] The control unit 1032 is realized by a processor mounted on the microcomputer 103 reading an application program 10311 stored in its own storage unit 1031 and executing instructions included in the application program 10311. The control unit 1032 operates in accordance with the application program 10311 to perform functions indicated as a reception control module 10321, a transmission control module 10322, and a setting value calculation module 10323.

[0070] The reception control module 10321 controls the process in which the microcomputer 103 receives signals from external devices such as the transmitter 100 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0071] The transmission control module 10322 controls the process in which the microcomputer 103 transmits a signal to an external device such as the transmitter 100 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0072] In a calibration process (S1000) described below, the set value calculation module 10323 calculates an optimum output value of a data signal to be transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 in a power transmission process (S2000) based on the reception strength of the data signal received from the receiver 200. The calibration process (S1000) and the power transmission process (S2000) will be described in detail later.

[0073] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the microcomputer 205 included in the receiver 200. As shown in FIG. 5, the microcomputer 205 has functions as an A / D conversion unit 2051, a storage unit 2052, and a control unit 2053.

[0074] The A / D conversion unit 2051 converts analog signals input to the microcomputer 205 into digital signals. The A / D conversion unit 2051 may include an A / D converter as a circuit. The A / D conversion unit 2051 of this embodiment converts the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, which are analog signals, into digital values.

[0075] The storage unit 2052 includes, for example, an application program 20521 for causing the control unit 2053 to execute functions, a determination table 20522, and the like.

[0076] The determination table 20522 is a table that describes how to determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the condition of whether the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are each equal to or less than a threshold value. The determination table 20522 may be created in advance when the receiver 200 or the microcomputer 205 is manufactured and stored in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205, or may be transmitted from at least one of the transmitter 100, the first information processing device 300, and the second information processing device 400 after the receiver 200 is installed.

[0077] Here, a configuration is also conceivable in which the receiver 200 acquires only the digital values ​​of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, sends these digital values ​​to the transmitter 100, and the transmitter 100 and / or the first information processing device 300 and the second information processing device 400 determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200, and there is no intention to exclude such a configuration in the WPT system 1 of the present disclosure.

[0078] On the other hand, by having the receiver 200 determine its own power receiving state, there is an advantage that detailed and flexible operation control can be performed based on the determination result, such as by the receiver 200 changing its own operation state, as will be described later. In addition, as shown in Fig. 1, if the transmitter 100 is configured to receive data from multiple receivers 200, if the transmitters 100 etc. determine the power receiving state of each receiver 200, the calculation load of the transmitters 100 etc. will increase. For the above reasons, in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure, the receiver 200 is mainly responsible for determining the power receiving state.

[0079] The first threshold and the second threshold, which are the basis for determining the power receiving state, may be different values. For example, the power management unit 203 may convert the voltage value of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit 202 and supply it to the charging unit 204 and the microcomputer 205. Therefore, the appropriate value of the rectified voltage, which is the output value from the rectifier circuit 202, may differ from the appropriate value of the power supply voltage related to the output value from the power management unit 203. The specific values ​​of the first threshold and the second threshold may be determined appropriately depending on the circuit configuration of the receiver 200. For example, if the standard value in the circuit design is, for example, 5 V for the output voltage from the rectifier circuit 202, the first threshold may be set to a value slightly below 5 V. Similarly, if the standard value in the circuit design is 3.3 V for the output voltage from the power management unit 203, the second threshold may be set to a value slightly below 3.3 V. Furthermore, since the power supply voltage is the charging voltage to the charging unit 204 and can also be considered as the voltage of the operating power supply for the microcontroller 205, the second threshold value can also be defined as a voltage value that enables charging to the charging unit 204 and / or a voltage value at which the microcontroller 205 can operate.

[0080] The first threshold value and the second threshold value are stored in advance in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205. The first threshold value and the second threshold value can also be updated based on data transmission from the transmitter 100.

[0081] The control unit 2053 is realized by a processor mounted on the microcomputer 205 reading an application program 20521 stored in its own storage unit 2052 and executing instructions included in the application program 20521. The control unit 2053 operates in accordance with the application program 20521 to perform functions shown as a reception control module 20531, a transmission control module 20532, a voltage acquisition module 20533, and a power receiving state determination module 20534.

[0082] The reception control module 20531 controls the process in which the microcomputer 205 receives signals from external devices such as the transmitter 100 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0083] The transmission control module 20532 controls the processing in which the microcomputer 205 transmits a signal to an external device such as the transmitter 100 in accordance with a communication protocol. Furthermore, in a calibration processing (S1000) described below, the transmission control module 20532 outputs a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value. Furthermore, in a power transmission processing (S1000) described below, if the transmission control module 20532 determines that the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is normal, the transmission control module 20532 causes the transmitter to transmit a data signal at a calculated optimal output value and changes the output value of the data signal based on the power receiving state of the receiver 200. Details of the calibration processing (S1000) and the power transmission processing (S2000) will be described later.

[0084] The voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires, for example, values ​​obtained by converting the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage into digital values ​​from the A / D conversion unit 2051. The timing and interval at which the voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are arbitrary, and the voltage acquisition module 20533 may acquire them periodically, or may acquire them in accordance with the timing at which the transmission control module 20532 transmits a physical quantity measured by a sensor as a data signal to the transmitter 100, etc. The term "in accordance" here includes the meaning of "in accordance with the timing at which a signal indicating the determination result can be transmitted to the transmitter 100, etc. approximately simultaneously with the data signal," taking into account the time required for the determination operation by the power receiving state determination module 20534, which will be described later.

[0085] The timing at which the voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage is synchronized with the timing at which the transmission control module 20532 transmits the physical quantities measured by the sensors as data signals to the transmitter 100, etc., because it is believed that, since the microcomputer 205 consumes a large amount of power when transmitting data signals, the power reception state of the receiver 200 can be appropriately determined by determining the power reception state of the receiver 200 when the microcomputer 205 is consuming power. When not transmitting data signals, it is believed that the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage increase due to wireless power supply from the transmitter 100, and the power reception state improves.

[0086] The voltage acquisition module 20533, which has acquired the digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage, stores the acquired voltage values ​​at least temporarily in the memory unit 2052. Furthermore, the voltage acquisition module 20533 may store the acquired voltage values ​​in the memory unit 2052 in association with the time of voltage value acquisition measured by a timer (not shown). The storage period in the memory unit 2052 is arbitrary, and the values ​​may be stored continuously after the receiver 200 is installed and the microcomputer 205 starts operating, or may be deleted when the power supply from the transmitter 100 is interrupted and the receiver 200 becomes temporarily inoperable, or may be deleted when the power receiving state determination module 20534 has completed the power receiving state determination.

[0087] The power receiving state determination module 20534 compares the digital value of the rectified voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533 with a predetermined rectified voltage threshold (first threshold), and compares the digital value of the power supply voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533 with a predetermined power supply voltage threshold (second threshold). Then, the power receiving state determination module 20534 refers to the determination table 20522 stored in the storage unit 2052, and determines the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the comparison results.

[0088] Here, a configuration is also conceivable in which the receiver 200 acquires only the digital values ​​of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, sends these digital values ​​to the transmitter 100, and the transmitter 100 and / or the first information processing device 300 and the second information processing device 400 determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200, and there is no intention to exclude such a configuration in the WPT system 1 of the present disclosure.

[0089] On the other hand, by having the receiver 200 determine its own power receiving state, there is an advantage that detailed and flexible operation control can be performed based on the determination result, such as by the receiver 200 changing its own operation state, as will be described later. In addition, as shown in Fig. 1, if the transmitter 100 is configured to receive data from multiple receivers 200, if the transmitters 100 etc. determine the power receiving state of each receiver 200, the calculation load of the transmitters 100 etc. will increase. For the above reasons, in the WPT system 1 according to the present disclosure, the receiver 200 is mainly responsible for determining the power receiving state.

[0090] The first threshold and the second threshold, which are the basis for determining the power receiving state, may be different values. For example, the power management unit 203 may convert the voltage value of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit 202 and supply it to the charging unit 204 and the microcomputer 205. Therefore, the appropriate value of the rectified voltage, which is the output value from the rectifier circuit 202, may differ from the appropriate value of the power supply voltage related to the output value from the power management unit 203. The specific values ​​of the first threshold and the second threshold may be determined appropriately depending on the circuit configuration of the receiver 200. For example, if the standard value in the circuit design is, for example, 5 V for the output voltage from the rectifier circuit 202, the first threshold may be set to a value slightly below 5 V. Similarly, if the standard value in the circuit design is 3.3 V for the output voltage from the power management unit 203, the second threshold may be set to a value slightly below 3.3 V. Furthermore, since the power supply voltage is the charging voltage to the charging unit 204 and can also be considered as the voltage of the operating power supply for the microcontroller 205, the second threshold value can also be defined as a voltage value that enables charging to the charging unit 204 and / or a voltage value at which the microcontroller 205 can operate.

[0091] The first threshold value and the second threshold value are stored in advance in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205. The first threshold value and the second threshold value can also be updated based on data transmission from the transmitter 100.

[0092] An example of the determination table 20522 used by the power receiving state determination module 20534 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the determination table 20522 stored in the storage unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205.

[0093] Determination table 20522 describes the association between the comparison results of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage with the second threshold and the first threshold, and the determination results of the power receiving state of receiver 200 based on these comparison results. In the example shown in Fig. 6, O indicates a voltage value equal to or greater than the first threshold or the second threshold, and X indicates a voltage value less than the first threshold or the second threshold. There are two comparison results for the rectified voltage and two for the power supply voltage, so there are four types of determination results for the power receiving state.

[0094] If at least one of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage is less than the threshold value, the power receiving state determination module 20534 determines that the power reception is unstable.

[0095] Specifically, if the power supply voltage is O and the rectified voltage is also O, it is determined that the power receiving state is stable and normal. Next, if the power supply voltage is O but the rectified voltage is X, it can be inferred that power for operating the microcomputer 205 is currently secured by the charging unit 204, but if the rectified voltage is X, it is determined that wireless power supply from the transmitter 100 is currently unstable and that the power supply voltage is expected to eventually drop as the microcomputer 205 continues to operate. Furthermore, if the power supply voltage is X but the rectified voltage is O, it is determined that a period of unstable wireless power supply has continued immediately prior to the time of determination, the state of charge (SOC) of the charging unit 204 is low, and a time will soon come when power for operating the microcomputer 205 cannot be secured. Then, if both the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are X, it is determined that the entire receiver 200 cannot operate. However, if the power supply voltage is lower than the operating voltage of the microcontroller 205, the power receiving status determination module 20534 itself cannot perform the determination operation in the first place, so even if both the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are ×, the power supply voltage is considered to be higher than the operating voltage of the microcontroller 205.

[0096] Then, the power receiving state determination module 20534 transmits the determination result based on the determination table 20522 to the transmitter 100 or the like via the transmission control module 20532. The timing for transmitting the determination result is arbitrary, but the determination result may be transmitted periodically, similar to the timing at which the voltage acquisition module 20533 acquires the digital values ​​of the rectified voltage and the power supply voltage, or may be transmitted in accordance with the timing at which the transmission control module 20532 transmits the physical quantity measured by the sensor as a data signal to the transmitter 100 or the like.

[0097] The method of transmitting the determination result by the power receiving status determination module 20534 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a mode of transmitting two types of signals indicating only "normal" and "abnormal" (where "abnormal" includes both "unstable power reception" and "abnormal"), a mode of transmitting three types of signals indicating "good", "normal", and "unstable power reception", or a mode of transmitting four types of signals indicating the four patterns of the power receiving status determination module 20534 shown in Fig. 6, or any other mode. In the case of other modes, the threshold values ​​of the rectified voltage and / or power supply voltage may be set appropriately according to the number of determination results.

[0098] <1.6 Processing Flow> An example of the operation of the microcomputer 205 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0099] 7 is a diagram showing an overall picture of the processing flow of the WPT system 1. As shown in FIG. 7, first, a calibration process is executed in step S1000. After the calibration process is executed, a power transmission process is executed in step S2000. Each process will be described in detail below.

[0100] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the calibration process (S1000). In step S1110, the first information processing device 300 transmits a calibration process start instruction to the transmitter 100. In step S1210, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives the calibration process start instruction.

[0101] In step S1220, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits a calibration processing start instruction to the receiver 200. In step S1310, the reception control module 20531 of the receiver 200 receives the calibration processing start instruction.

[0102] In step S1320, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 transmits a data signal multiple times to the transmitter 100. In step S1230, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives the data signal. Steps S1320 and S1230 are repeated multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal to be transmitted.

[0103] Specifically, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 outputs the data signal while increasing the output value of the data signal by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value. As an example, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 may be configured to transmit the data signal a predetermined number of times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount. In this way, by transmitting a data signal with the same output value multiple times, it becomes possible to reliably detect the signal strength on the transmitter 100 side.

[0104] Furthermore, transmission control module 20532 of receiver 200 may provide a predetermined time (a so-called idle period) during which no data signal is transmitted while outputting the data signal a predetermined number of times. By adopting such specifications, data signals can be transmitted in a manner that reduces power consumption in receiver 200.

[0105] Furthermore, it is preferable that the storage unit 1031 included in the microcomputer 103 of the transmitter 100 stores the minimum output value and the maximum output value of the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200. By adopting such specifications, the microcomputer 103 of the transmitter 100 can detect the timing of start and end of transmission of the data signal by the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200.

[0106] In step S1240, the setting value calculation module 10323 of the transmitter 100 calculates a setting power value based on the reception strength of the received data signal. The setting power value may include an optimal power value, a good power value, an unstable power value, etc. This will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 9.

[0107] 9 is a diagram showing the set output value of the data signal. The set value calculation module 10323 calculates, based on the reception strength of signal data received from the receiver 200, an output value that ensures a predetermined margin (surplus) from the limit output value Tr, which is the limit at which the data signal can be transmitted and received from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, as the optimal output value Tx. The optimal output value Tx is the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 when the receiver 200 is in a normal power receiving state.

[0108] Furthermore, the set value calculation module 10323 calculates a good output value Tx+α, which is the output value of a data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 when the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is good, and an unstable output value Tx-β, which is the output value of the data signal when the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is unstable. Here, the values ​​of the predetermined amount of margin (=Tx-Tr), α, and β are set appropriately in consideration of the smooth transmission and reception of the data signal from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 and the reduction of power consumption in the receiver 200.

[0109] 8 , in step S1250, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits the set output power value calculated by the set value calculation module 10323 to the receiver 200. In step S1330, the reception control module 20531 of the receiver 200 receives the set output power value calculated by the set value calculation module 10323.

[0110] In step S1340, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 stores and sets the received set output values ​​(for example, the optimum output value, the good output value, and the unstable output value) in the memory unit 2052 of the microcomputer 205.

[0111] In step S1350, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 transmits a notification that the setting of the set output value has been completed to the transmitter 100. In step S1260, the reception control module 10321 of the transmitter 100 receives the notification that the setting of the set output value has been completed.

[0112] In step S1270, the transmission control module 10322 of the transmitter 100 transmits a notification that the setting of the set output value has been completed to the first information processing device 300. In step S1120, the first information processing device 300 receives the notification that the setting of the set output value has been completed.

[0113] 1, it is assumed that the transmitter 100 included in the WPT system 1 transmits power to a plurality of receivers 200. Therefore, it is preferable that the calibration process (S1000) is executed for each of the plurality of receivers 200, and a set output value is set for each of the receivers 200.

[0114] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the calibration process (S1000) is executed by the setting value calculation module 10323 of the microcomputer (controller) 103 in the receiver 200 and the transmission control module 20532 of the microcomputer (controller) 205 in the transmitter 100, but this is not limitative. That is, the calibration process can be executed by a controller included in at least one of the transmitter 100, the receiver 200, and the first information processing device 300, and can be executed by one or more controllers.

[0115] Next, the power transmission process (S2000) will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the microcomputer 205 in the receiver 200 during the power transmission process. The operation shown in Fig. 10 may be started in synchronization with the acquisition timing of the digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage by the voltage acquisition module 20533.

[0116] In steps S2310 and S2320, the control unit 2053 acquires the digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage from the A / D conversion unit 2051. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 acquires the digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage from the A / D conversion unit 2051 using the voltage acquisition module 20533. The control unit 2053 stores the acquired digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage in the storage unit 2052 at least temporarily.

[0117] Next, in step S2330, the control unit 2053 compares the voltage values ​​of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage acquired in S2310 and S2320 with the judgment table 20522. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 uses the power receiving state judgment module 20534 to compare the acquired voltage values ​​of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage with the judgment table 20522. The operation of comparing with the judgment table 20522 in step S2330 does not need to be performed immediately after steps S2310 and S2320, and may be performed independently of the timing of acquiring the voltage values ​​in S2310 and S2320.

[0118] Next, based on the comparison result, the control unit 2053 determines the power receiving state of the receiver 200. Specifically, for example, the control unit 2053 determines the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the comparison result between the acquired voltage values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage and the determination table 20522 by the power receiving state determination module 20534.

[0119] In step S2400, the control unit 2053 executes the output adjustment process. The output adjustment process (S2400) will be described in detail below.

[0120] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the output adjustment process (S2400). In step S2410, if it is determined in step S2330 that the power receiving state has deteriorated and is unstable (Yes in S2410), the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 executes step S2420. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power receiving state is not unstable (No in S2410), the transmission control module 20532 executes step S2430.

[0121] In step S2420, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 changes the output value of the data signal to an unstable output value, thereby decreasing the output value.

[0122] In step S2430, if it is determined in step S2330 that the power receiving state has improved and is now good (Yes in S2430), the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 executes step S2440. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power receiving state is not good (No in S2430), the process ends.

[0123] In step S2440, the transmission control module 20532 of the receiver 200 changes the output value of the data signal to a good output value, thereby increasing the output value.

[0124] 1.7 Effects of the Embodiment As described above in detail, the WPT system 1 of the present embodiment includes a transmitter 100 that wirelessly transmits transmission power composed of an AC signal, and a receiver 200 that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter 100. The WPT system 1 has at least one controller that executes the following steps: a step (S1320) of outputting a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 from a predetermined value; and a step (S1240) of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter 100. With this configuration, the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver 200 to the transmitter 100 can be set to an optimal value depending on the environment in which the transmitter 100 and the receiver 200 are installed. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption in data transmission to the transmitter 100 in the wirelessly powered receiver 200.

[0125] Furthermore, in the step of calculating the optimum output value (S1240), the controller causes receiver 200 to output a data signal multiple times while increasing the output value from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value by a predetermined amount, and calculates the optimum output value based on the reception strength of the data signal received by transmitter 100. By transmitting data while increasing the output value from the minimum output value to the maximum output value in this manner, it is possible to precisely determine the optimum output value.

[0126] Furthermore, receiver 200 may transmit the data signal a predetermined number of times each time the output value of the data signal is increased by a predetermined amount. In this way, by transmitting a data signal with the same output value multiple times, transmitter 100 can reliably detect the signal strength.

[0127] Furthermore, the receiver 200 may be configured to not transmit the data signal for a predetermined period of time while outputting the data signal a predetermined number of times at a time. By using such a configuration, the data signal can be transmitted in a manner that reduces the power consumption of the receiver 200.

[0128] It is also preferable that the minimum output value and maximum output value of the data signal transmitted from receiver 200 are stored in the storage unit of the controller. By adopting such specifications, transmitter 100 can detect the start and end timings of transmission of the data signal by transmission control module 20532 of receiver 200.

[0129] Furthermore, the controller calculates, as the optimum output value, an output value that secures a predetermined amount from the limit output value, which is the limit at which data signals can be transmitted and received from receiver 200 to transmitter 100, based on the reception strength of the data signal received by transmitter 100. With this configuration, it is possible to set an optimum output value that ensures reliable transmission and reception of data signals.

[0130] Furthermore, it is preferable that the controller executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal for each of the plurality of receivers 200. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to reduce power consumption in each of the plurality of receivers 200 included in the WPT system 1, and the operation of the entire WPT system 1 becomes stable.

[0131] Furthermore, when the controller determines that the power receiving state of receiver 200 is normal, it causes the transmitter to transmit a data signal at the calculated optimal output value, and changes the output value of the data signal based on the power receiving state of the receiver. Specifically, when the controller determines that the power supply voltage and power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and the power receiving state of receiver 200 has deteriorated from the normal state, it causes receiver 200 to transmit a data signal to transmitter 100 at an output value that is lower than the optimal output value by a predetermined amount. Furthermore, when the controller determines that the power supply voltage and power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and the power receiving state of receiver 200 has improved from the normal state, it causes receiver 200 to transmit a data signal to transmitter 100 at an output value that is higher than the optimal output value by a predetermined amount. With this configuration, in a WPT system in which the power receiving state is prone to change, it is possible to transmit data from receiver 200 to transmitter 100 at an optimal output value according to the power reception.

[0132] <1.8 Modifications> In the WPT system 1 of this embodiment described above, the microcomputer 205 of the receiver 200 is configured to include the A / D conversion unit 2051. However, in the WPT system 1 of this embodiment, the configuration for acquiring the digital values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage is not limited to this. As an example, a comparator that compares the voltage value with a first threshold value and a second threshold value may be disposed before the input to the microcomputer 205, and the output value of the comparator may be input to the microcomputer 205. In this case, the output value of the comparator may be a digital value, so there is no need to provide the A / D conversion unit 2051. Furthermore, a reset IC may be used instead of the comparator.

[0133] In this way, it is quite possible to configure the comparison of the power supply voltage and rectified voltage with the first and second threshold values ​​without relying on the internal processing of the microcomputer 205 .

[0134] Furthermore, in the WPT system 1 of the present embodiment described above, the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are compared with the first threshold and the second threshold, but these first threshold and second threshold may have a plurality of thresholds. In other words, the first threshold and the second threshold may have a plurality of thresholds with different voltage values, and a detailed power receiving state determination may be made depending on whether the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage are equal to or lower than the first threshold or the second threshold, respectively.

[0135] Furthermore, in the calibration process (S1000) in the above-described embodiment, three set output values ​​are calculated: a good output value, an optimal output value, and an unstable output value, as shown in Fig. 9 , but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the unstable state in Fig. 9 may be further divided into two or more states, and the good state may be further divided into two or more states. In this case, the threshold values ​​of the power supply voltage and the rectified voltage corresponding to each power receiving state may be appropriately set.

[0136] In the above-described embodiment, the calibration process (S1000) is performed before the power transmission process (S2000), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the calibration process may be performed based on the power receiving state of the receiver 200 while the power transmission process is being performed. Specifically, the calibration process may be performed when the power receiving state of the receiver 200 is unstable enough to satisfy a predetermined condition.

[0137] 2. Supplementary Notes Note that the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, some of the configurations of each embodiment may be added to, deleted from, or replaced with other configurations.

[0138] As an example, in the above-described embodiment, the determination of the power receiving state of the receiver is mainly performed by the receiver 200, but the receiver 200 may transmit the values ​​(digital values) of the rectified voltage and power supply voltage as signals to the transmitter 100 and the first information processing device 300, and the transmitter 100 and the first information processing device 300 may determine the power receiving state of the receiver 200 based on the values ​​of the rectified voltage, etc. transmitted from the receiver 200. That is, in Fig. 5, a configuration is also possible in which the power receiving state determination module 20534 is provided in at least one of the transmitter 100 and the first information processing device 300, and the transmission control module 20532 transmits the rectified voltage and power supply voltage acquired by the voltage acquisition module 20533 to at least one of the transmitter 100 and the first information processing device 300.

[0139] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a so-called WPT system 1 in which transmission power consisting of an AC signal is wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter 100 to the receiver 200. However, the present invention can also be applied to systems that provide power to the receiver 200 by other methods. Since such systems are known, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Examples include a system that transmits power generated by solar power generation to the receiver 200 via a wired or wireless connection, and a system that transmits power to the receiver 200 via a laser beam via a wired or wireless connection. The present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which vibration or sound is applied to the receiver 200, and the receiver 200 converts the power of the vibration or the like into electric power. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to systems that use known contactless power transfer technologies other than those that wirelessly receive transmission power consisting of an AC signal, such as a contactless power transfer technology using a magnetic field coupling system.

[0140] Furthermore, some or all of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The present invention can also be realized by software program code that implements the functions of the embodiments. In this case, a storage medium on which the program code is recorded is provided to a computer, and a processor included in the computer reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium on which it is stored constitute the present invention. Examples of storage media for providing such program code include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disks, SSDs, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs.

[0141] Furthermore, the program code that realizes the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programming or scripting languages, such as assembler, C / C++, perl, Shell, PHP, and Java (registered trademark).

[0142] Furthermore, the program code of the software that realizes the functions of the embodiments may be distributed via a network and stored in a storage means such as a computer's hard disk or memory, or in a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R, and the processor of the computer may read and execute the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium.

[0143] The matters described in the above embodiments will be supplemented below.

[0144] (Supplementary Note 1) A wireless power feeding system comprising: a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal; and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, the wireless power feeding system having at least one controller that executes the steps of: outputting a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from the receiver to the transmitter, and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. (Supplementary Note 2) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein in the step of calculating the optimal output value, the controller causes the receiver to output the data signal multiple times while increasing the output value from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value by a predetermined amount, and calculates the optimal output value based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. (Supplementary Note 3) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the receiver is caused to transmit the data signal a predetermined number of times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount. (Supplementary Note 4) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the receiver is caused to not transmit a data signal for a predetermined time while outputting the data signal a predetermined number of times. (Supplementary Note 5) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein the controller includes a storage unit, and the minimum output value and the maximum output value of the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver are stored in the storage unit. (Supplementary Note 6) The wireless power feeding system according to any of Supplements 1 to 5, wherein the controller calculates, as the optimal output value, an output value that ensures a predetermined amount from a limit output value that is a limit at which data signals can be transmitted and received from the receiver to the transmitter, based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter. (Supplementary Note 7) The wireless power feeding system according to any of Supplements 1 to 6, wherein the wireless power feeding system includes a plurality of the receivers, and the controller executes the step of calculating the optimal output value of the data signal for each of the plurality of receivers.(Supplementary Note 8) The wireless power supply system according to any one of Supplements 1 to 7, wherein the controller executes the step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal based on a power receiving state of the receiver. (Supplementary Note 9) The wireless power supply system according to any one of Supplements 1 to 8, wherein the receiver has: a rectifier unit that rectifies the transmission power; a power management unit that manages a rectified voltage from the rectifier unit; and a charging unit that is charged by an output voltage from the power management unit, wherein the controller detects the rectified voltage and a power supply voltage that is a charging voltage of the charging unit, determines the power receiving state of the receiver by comparing the detected rectified voltage with a first threshold value set for the rectified voltage and comparing the detected power supply voltage with a second threshold value set for the power supply voltage, and when it is determined that the power receiving state of the receiver is a normal state, causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to a transmitter at the calculated optimal output value, and changes the output value of the data signal based on the power receiving state of the receiver. (Supplementary Note 10) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein, when it is determined that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and the power receiving state of the receiver has deteriorated from a normal state, the controller causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to a transmitter at an output value that is lower than the optimal output value by a predetermined amount. (Supplementary Note 11) The wireless power feeding system according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein, when it is determined that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and the power receiving state of the receiver has improved from a normal state, the controller causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to a transmitter at an output value that is higher than the optimal output value by a predetermined amount.

[0145] 1: WPT system, 100: transmitter, 101: oscillator, 102: transmitting antenna, 103: microcomputer (controller), 104: data transceiver, 105: data transmitting / receiving antenna, 200: receiver, 201: receiving antenna, 202: rectifier circuit, 203: power management unit, 204: charging unit, 205: microcomputer (controller), 206: data transceiver, 207: data transmitting / receiving antenna, 300: first information processing device, 400: second information processing device, 1031: memory unit, 103 2: Control unit, 2051: A / D conversion unit, 2052: Memory unit, 2053: Control unit, 10311: Application program, 10321: Reception control module, 10322: Transmission control module, 10323: Setting value calculation module, 20521: Application program, 20522: Determination table, 20531: Reception control module, 20532: Transmission control module, 20533: Voltage acquisition module, 20534: Power receiving status determination module.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply system comprising: a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal; and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, the wireless power supply system having at least one controller that executes the following steps: outputting a data signal, which is a transmission signal transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value; and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

2. The wireless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein in the step of calculating the optimum output value, the controller causes the receiver to output the data signal a plurality of times while increasing the output value by a predetermined amount from a predetermined minimum output value to a predetermined maximum output value, and calculates the optimum output value based on a reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

3. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the receiver is caused to transmit the data signal a predetermined number of times each time the output value is increased by a predetermined amount.

4. The wireless power supply system according to claim 3, wherein the receiver is caused not to transmit a data signal for a predetermined period of time while outputting the data signal a predetermined number of times.

5. The wireless power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the controller includes a memory unit, and the minimum output value and the maximum output value of the output value of the data signal transmitted from the receiver are stored in the memory unit.

6. A wireless power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller calculates, based on the reception strength of a data signal received by the transmitter, an output value that secures a predetermined amount from the limit output value that is the limit at which a data signal can be transmitted and received from the receiver to the transmitter, as the optimal output value.

7. The wireless power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wireless power supply system comprises a plurality of the receivers, and the controller executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal for each of the plurality of receivers.

8. A wireless power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller executes a step of calculating an optimal output value of the data signal based on a power receiving state of the receiver.

9. A wireless power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the receiver has: a rectification unit that rectifies the transmission power; a power management unit that manages the rectified voltage from the rectification unit; and a charging unit that is charged by the output voltage from the power management unit; and the controller detects a power supply voltage which is the rectified voltage and the charging voltage of the charging unit, determines a power receiving state of the receiver by comparing the detected rectified voltage with a first threshold value set for the rectified voltage and comparing the detected power supply voltage with a second threshold value set for the power supply voltage, and when it is determined that the power receiving state of the receiver is normal, causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to a transmitter at the calculated optimal output value, and changes the output value of the data signal based on the power receiving state of the receiver.

10. The wireless power supply system according to claim 9, wherein the controller, when it determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy a predetermined condition and that the power receiving state of the receiver has deteriorated from a normal state, causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to the transmitter at an output value that is a predetermined amount less than the optimal output value.

11. The wireless power supply system of claim 9, wherein the controller, when it determines that the power supply voltage and the power supply voltage satisfy predetermined conditions and that the power receiving state of the receiver has improved from a normal state, causes the receiver to transmit a data signal to the transmitter at an output value that is a predetermined amount higher than the optimal output value.

12. A method for operating a wireless power supply system comprising a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, wherein the wireless power supply system has at least one controller, and the controller executes the following steps: causing the receiver to output a data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value; and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

13. A program for causing at least one controller included in a wireless power supply system having a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, to execute the steps of: causing the receiver to output a data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value; and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

14. An information processing device that operates a wireless power supply system including a transmitter that wirelessly transmits transmission power consisting of an AC signal, and a receiver that receives the transmission power transmitted from the transmitter, the information processing device having at least one controller, the controller executing the following steps: outputting a data signal, which is a transmission signal to be transmitted to the transmitter, to the receiver multiple times while changing the output value of the data signal from a predetermined value; and calculating an optimal output value of the data signal to be transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter based on the reception strength of the data signal received by the transmitter.

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