Power supply relay device, power supply system, and attachment device

Abstract

Provided is a power supply relay device capable of stably supplying power to a power supply object without changing the configuration of the power supply object. This power supply relay device comprises: a plurality of power input units having one or a plurality of wired power input units to which DC power is input from a wired power supply and one or a plurality of wireless power input units to which DC power is input from a wireless power supply for wireless power transmission; a battery that can be charged by the input power of at least one power input unit of the plurality of power input units; one or a plurality of power output units; and a pass-through circuit unit that outputs, from the one or the plurality of power output units, the input power of at least one power input unit of the plurality of power input units.

Description

Power supply relay device, power supply system and wearing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply relay device that relays wireless power supply by wireless power transmission, a power supply system, and a terminal case.

[0002] Conventionally, a communication system is known in which communication is performed between a base station and a terminal device using at least some of a plurality of radio resources set in a radio frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses wireless communication between a gNB, which is a base station of a mobile communication system, and a tag, which is an IoT device.

[0003] International Publication No. 2017 / 164220

[0004] 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #98-e RP-222918, E-meeting, December 12th-16th, 2022, "Views on Ambient IoT"

[0005] In conventional communication systems, terminal devices that connect to base stations and communicate primarily use power supplied from built-in batteries. These terminal devices require the cumbersome task of charging the built-in battery when the remaining battery power is low. Furthermore, terminal devices that use power supplied from a wired power line rather than a built-in battery are limited to use in locations where such a power line is available. Thus, there is a lack of a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to the various terminal devices that connect to base stations and communicate.

[0006] In the fifth generation and subsequent next-generation mobile communication systems, a rapid increase in terminal devices (e.g., user devices, sensors, IoT devices, tags) that connect to base stations and communicate is expected, and the development of communication infrastructure to handle the huge amount of traffic is underway. However, a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to the huge number of target devices that communicate as described above remains underdeveloped.

[0007] The power supply infrastructure has a problem in that it is desired to supply power to the target devices stably without changing the configuration of the target devices to be supplied with power.

[0008] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a power supply relay device that relays a power supply, the power supply relay device including a plurality of power input units having one or more wired power input units to which DC power is input from a wired power source and one or more wireless power input units to which DC power is input from a wireless power source for wireless power transmission, a battery that can be charged with input power from at least one of the plurality of power input units, one or more power output units, and a pass-through circuit unit that outputs the input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units from the one or more power output units.

[0009] In the power supply relay device, the plurality of power input units may include one or more energy harvesting input units to which DC power is input from an energy harvesting device.

[0010] The power supply relay device may include one or more rectifier circuits connected to an antenna that receives radio waves for wireless power transmission.

[0011] The power supply relay device may include one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission, and the wireless power sources for wireless power transmission may have a plurality of antennas for receiving radio waves for wireless power transmission, and a plurality of rectifier circuits provided to correspond to each of the plurality of antennas.

[0012] The power supply relay device may include an input switching unit that switches between the input power of the one wired power input unit and the input power of the one wireless power input unit, a path control circuit that controls, for the path of the DC power switched by the input switching unit, a pass-through path that supplies the power to the plurality of power output units and a charging path that supplies the power to the battery, a charging control circuit that controls charging of the battery with the input power, and a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to the plurality of power output units.

[0013] The power supply relay device may include an input voltage conversion circuit unit that converts the voltage of the input power of the one wireless power input unit to the same voltage as the input power of the one wired power input unit; an input combining unit that combines the input power of the one wired power input unit and the voltage-converted input power of the one wireless power input unit; a path control circuit unit that controls a pass-through path that supplies the combined DC power combined by the input combining unit to the plurality of power output units and a charging path that supplies the battery; a charging control circuit unit that controls charging of the battery using the input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to the plurality of power output units.

[0014] The power supply relay device may include a DC connection circuit unit having multiple sets of positive input units and negative input units connected to the multiple power input units, respectively, and one set of positive output unit and negative output unit; a path control circuit unit that controls, for the path of DC power output from the DC connection circuit unit, a pass-through path that supplies the DC power to the multiple power output units and a charging path that supplies the DC power to the battery; a charging control circuit unit that controls charging of the battery with the input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to the multiple power output units.

[0015] Here, when a power supply target device is connected to any of the plurality of power output units, the path control circuit unit may switch the path of the DC power output from the DC connection circuit unit to a pass-through path that supplies the DC power to the plurality of power output units.

[0016] The power supply relay device may include a DC connection circuit unit having multiple sets of positive input units and negative input units connected to the multiple power input units, respectively, and one set of positive output unit and negative output unit; a charge control circuit unit that controls a pass-through path for supplying DC power output from the DC connection circuit unit to the multiple power output units and a charge path for supplying DC power to the battery, and controls charging of the battery with the input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to the multiple power output units.

[0017] Here, when a power supply target device is connected to any of the plurality of power output units, the charging control circuit unit may switch the path of the DC power output from the DC connection circuit unit to a pass-through path that supplies the DC power to the plurality of power output units.

[0018] The power supply relay device may include one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission and one or more environmental power harvesting devices, and the wireless power sources for wireless power transmission may have a plurality of antennas for receiving radio waves for wireless power transmission and a plurality of rectifier circuits provided to correspond to each of the plurality of antennas.

[0019] The power supply relay device may include a DC voltage conversion circuit and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit as subsequent circuits to the DC connection circuit unit.

[0020] The power supply relay device may further include a DC voltage conversion circuit and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit between each of the plurality of power input units and the DC connection circuit unit.

[0021] In the power supply relay device, the DC connection circuit section may have a plurality of switches that can be controlled to be turned on and off so as to switch the connection state between the positive input section and the negative input section and the positive output section and the negative output section.

[0022] The power supply relay device may further include a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from a power transmission device of wireless power transmission. Here, the power supply relay device may acquire information on power consumption of a power supply target device in each of a plurality of states, and transmit the information to the power transmission device of wireless power transmission.

[0023] The power supply relay device may be a terminal case or a charging case to which a terminal device having a built-in rechargeable battery can be attached or detached. Here, the terminal device may be a mobile station device of a mobile communication system, or may be a sound output device (e.g., earphones, headphones, etc.) that outputs music, voice, etc. received from another device via wireless or wired short-range communication.

[0024] A power supply system according to another aspect of the present invention includes any one of the power supply relay devices described above, one or more wired power sources, and one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wearable device to which a mobile communication terminal device or a peripheral device connected to the terminal device can be detachably attached, the wearable device comprising: a plurality of power input units having one or more wired power input units to which DC power is input from a wired power source and one or more wireless power input units to which DC power is input from a wireless power source for wireless power transmission; a battery that can be charged with input power from at least one of the plurality of power input units; one or more power output units; and a pass-through circuit unit that outputs the input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units from the one or more power output units.

[0026] The mounting device may be, for example, a case, cover, or stand to which the terminal device or peripheral device is detachably mounted.

[0027] Furthermore, part or all of the program used for the control may be a trained model created by machine learning.

[0028] According to the present invention, power can be stably supplied to a power supply target device without changing the configuration of the power supply target device.

[0029] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example of the configuration of a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal case to which a power supply relay device according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal case in which a power supply relay device according to an embodiment is combined with a strap-like antenna. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal case to which a power supply relay device having a planar rectenna array according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an input-switching type power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a parallel-input type power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-input port type power supply relay device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-input port type power supply relay device having a rectenna array according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of a charging control circuit in a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DC connection circuit of a DC conversion post-installation type in a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DC connection circuit of an individual DC conversion type in a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. Fig. 15 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a multiplexer using a switching circuit applicable to the DC connection circuit in a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device having a wireless communication unit according to an embodiment. Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state change of a power supply target to which power is supplied from a power supply relay device according to an embodiment.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A system according to the embodiments described herein includes a power supply relay device that can switch between or combine multiple input powers input from multiple power input units, including a wired power input unit (wired input port) and a wireless power input unit (wireless input port), to charge an internal battery, and can output the power from an output port (power supply port) using a pass-through function that bypasses the internal battery. This allows stable power supply to a power supply target device without changing the configuration of the power supply target device. In particular, a power receiving device and a power supply system including a power supply relay device according to the present embodiment are suitable for use as an IoT power receiving system that can supply power to a huge number of IoT devices that are expected to be installed in various locations.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply system 10 according to this embodiment. The power supply system 10 of this embodiment includes multiple DC power sources 20 and a power supply relay device 30. The multiple DC power sources 20 include one or more wired power sources 21 that supply DC power via a cable or the like, and one or more wireless power transmission (WPT) power receiving devices (hereinafter also referred to as "WPT power receiving devices") 22, which are wireless power sources. The cable through which DC power is supplied from the DC power source 20 may be, for example, a cable with an interface such as USB or Type-C. The multiple DC power sources 20 may include one or more energy harvesting devices or one or more photovoltaic power generating devices (e.g., power generating devices of a solar power generation system). The energy harvesting device and the photovoltaic power generating device may be included in a wireless power source.

[0032] When the power supply system 10 includes a plurality of WPT power receiving devices 22, each of the plurality of WPT power receiving devices 22 may receive a beam using radio waves of different frequency bands (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) and output DC power. For example, the plurality of WPT power receiving devices 22 may include a first WPT power receiving device that receives a millimeter wave beam and outputs DC power, and a second WPT power receiving device that receives a microwave beam and outputs DC power.

[0033] 1, the wireless power transmission (WPT) system includes a power transmitting device 80 that transmits radio waves of a power transmission signal, and a WPT power receiving device (DC power source) 22 that receives the radio waves transmitted from the power transmitting device 80 and outputs DC power. The radio waves for wireless power transmission are, for example, microwaves or millimeter waves.

[0034] The power transmitting device 80 includes an antenna device 81 that is an array antenna in which a plurality of antenna elements (hereinafter also referred to as "antenna") are arranged two-dimensionally. The array antenna of the power transmitting device 80 may be an array in which a plurality of antennas are arranged one-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

[0035] The WPT power receiving device 22 has an antenna device 221 consisting of an array antenna in which a plurality of antennas 221a are arranged two-dimensionally. The array antenna of the WPT power receiving device 22 may have a plurality of antennas 221a arranged one-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. The WPT power receiving device 22 also has a rectifier circuit group 222 consisting of a plurality of rectifier circuits (DC power sources) provided to correspond to the plurality of antennas 221a of the antenna device 221. A combination of a set of antennas 221a and rectifier circuits is also called a rectenna.

[0036] The energy harvesting device is, for example, at least one of a thermal power generation device, a vibration power generation device, and a radio wave power generation device. The thermal power generation device is, for example, a power generation device that can convert various weak thermal energies generated in the surrounding environment into electric power and output the power. The vibration power generation device is, for example, a power generation device that can convert various weak vibration energies generated in the surrounding environment into electric power and output the power. The radio wave power generation device is, for example, a power generation device that can convert various weak radio wave energies generated in the surrounding environment, such as those for communications and broadcasting, into electric power and output the power.

[0037] 1 , the power supply relay device 30 includes a battery 301, multiple power input units (input ports) 302 and 303, and one or more power output units (hereinafter also referred to as “output ports” or “power supply ports”) 305. The multiple power input units include one or more wired power input units (wired input ports) (hereinafter also referred to as “wired ports”) 302 to which DC power is input from a wired power source 21, and one or more wireless power input units (wireless input ports) (hereinafter also referred to as “wireless ports”) 303 to which DC power is input from a wireless power source, such as a WPT power receiving device 22 of wireless power transmission (WPT). The DC power output from the output port 305 can be supplied to an input port (e.g., a charging port) 902 of a power supply target (e.g., a charging target) 90. Note that power supply from the output port (power supply port) 305 may be either wireless or wired.

[0038] The battery 301 can be charged with input power from at least one of the multiple power input units (e.g., the wired port 302, the wireless port 303, or both). Furthermore, the power supply relay device 30 has a pass-through function for DC power input from the multiple power input units. For example, the power supply relay device 30 includes a pass-through circuit unit that outputs input power from at least one of the multiple power input units from one or more power output units (output ports) 305, bypassing the battery 301. Note that the power supply relay device 30 may also have a function for outputting DC power output from the battery 301 from the power output unit 305.

[0039] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration of a power supply relay device 30 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 shows an example of the basic configuration of the power supply relay device 30. In FIG. 2, the power supply relay device 30 includes a device main body 300, one or more batteries 301 provided in the device main body 300, one wired port 302, one wireless port 303, and one output port (power supply port) 305. Furthermore, the power supply relay device 30 has a pass-through function that outputs DC input power input from the wired port 302, the wireless port 303, or both, from the output port 305 without passing through the battery 301. For example, the power supply relay device 30 includes a pass-through circuit unit that outputs DC input power input from the wired port 302, the wireless port 303, or both, from the output port 305, bypassing the battery 301.

[0040] 2, the power supply relay device 30 may have a function of outputting DC power output from the battery 301 from the output port 305. Also, in FIG. 2, the power supply relay device 30 may not have the wired port 302 as a power input unit, but may have only the wireless port 303.

[0041] Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of the power supply relay device 30 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the power supply relay device 30, which is an extension of the basic configuration of Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, the power supply relay device 30 includes a device main body 300, one or more batteries 301 provided in the device main body 300, at least one or more (m in the example of Fig. 3) wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m), and at least one or more (k in the example of Fig. 3) output ports (power supply ports) 305(1) to 305(k). As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the power supply relay device 30 may include, in addition to wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m), any number (l (lowercase alphanumeric L) in the example of FIG. 3 ) of wired ports 302(1) to 302(l) and any number (n in the example of FIG. 3 ) of energy harvesting input units (hereinafter also referred to as “harvester ports”) 304(1) to 304(n) to which DC power is input from an energy harvesting device (hereinafter also referred to as “harvester”).

[0042] The power supply relay device 30 has a pass-through function that outputs DC input power input from at least one of the wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m) from at least one of the output ports 305(1) to 305(k) without passing through the battery 301. For example, the power supply relay device 30 includes a pass-through circuit unit that outputs DC input power input from at least one of the wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m) from at least one of the output ports 305(1) to 305(k) bypassing the battery 301.

[0043] When the power supply relay device 30 includes wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m), and harvester ports 304(1) to 304(n), the power supply relay device 30 may have a pass-through function that outputs DC input power input from at least one of the plurality of input ports from at least one of the output ports 305(1) to 305(k) without passing through the battery 301. For example, the power supply relay device 30 may include a pass-through circuit unit that outputs DC input power input from at least one of the input ports from at least one of the output ports 305(1) to 305(k) bypassing the battery 301.

[0044] 3, the power supply relay device 30 may have a function of outputting DC power output from the battery 301 from the output port 305. Furthermore, when the power supply relay device 30 has wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m), and harvester ports 304(1) to 304(n), the power supply relay device 30 may have a circuit that integrates multiple DC powers input from these multiple input ports, a circuit that distributes the multiple DC powers, or a circuit that performs the integration and distribution.

[0045] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example configuration of the power supply relay device 30 according to the embodiment. Fig. 4 shows an example configuration of the power supply relay device 30 having a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 314 for wireless power transmission inside the device. In Fig. 4, components common to those in Fig. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0046] 4, the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 310 includes an antenna device 311 configured as an array antenna in which multiple antennas are arranged two-dimensionally, an RF combining circuit 312, and a rectifier circuit group 314. The RF combining circuit 312 combines high-frequency received signals received by the multiple antennas of the antenna device 311 and outputs multiple (m in the example of FIG. 4) wireless power transmission (WPT) radio-frequency (RF) received signals. The rectifier circuit group 314 includes multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) that rectify the multiple (m) RF received signals output from the RF combining circuit 312 and output multiple DC power signals. The multiple DC power signals output from the multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) are input to the corresponding multiple wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m), respectively.

[0047] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal case 31 to which a power supply relay device according to an embodiment is applied. Note that in FIG. 5, components common to those in FIGS. 1 to 4 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a terminal case 31 having the function of the power supply relay device 30 according to the embodiment described above. The terminal case 31 is a mounting device to which a terminal device having a built-in rechargeable battery can be detachably attached. Here, the detachable terminal device is, for example, a mobile station device (e.g., a mobile phone, a UE, etc.) of a mobile communication system, or a sound output device (e.g., earphones, headphones, etc.) that outputs music, voice, etc. received via wireless or wired short-range communication from another device such as the mobile station device. The mounting device may be a case, cover, or stand.

[0048] 5 , terminal case 31 includes battery 301, wired port 302, wireless port 303, and output port (power supply port) 305. The cable from a DC power source connected to wired port 302 may be, for example, a cable with an interface such as USB or Type-C. Terminal case 31 also includes a DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 321 provided in the front-end circuit on the input side of battery 301, and a DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 322 provided in the rear-end circuit on the output side of battery 301. DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 321 converts DC input voltage a [V] input from wired port 302 into a predetermined voltage b [V] suitable for charging battery 301. DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 322 converts output voltage c [V] of battery 301 into a predetermined voltage d [V] suitable for the power supply target.

[0049] The terminal case 31 also has a pass-through circuit section for outputting DC input power input from the wired port 302 from the output port 305 without passing through the battery 301. In Fig. 5 , the pass-through circuit section is configured using, for example, a detour circuit 323 for detouring the battery 301, and a switch 324. The switch 324 switches between the output power output from the battery 301 and the input power detoured by the detour circuit 323, and supplies the power to the output port (power supply port) 305.

[0050] 5 , the DC power input from the wireless port 303 may be combined with the DC power input from the wired port 302 and supplied to the DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 321 and the pass-through circuits 323 and 324. Alternatively, the DC power input from the wireless port 303 and the DC power input from the wired port 302 may be switched and supplied to the DC voltage converter (DC / DC) 321 and the pass-through circuits 323 and 324.

[0051] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a terminal case 32 in which a power supply relay device according to the embodiment is combined with a strap-like antenna 40. Fig. 6 shows another configuration example of a terminal case 32 that functions as the power supply relay device 30 of the above-described embodiment. In Fig. 6, components that are common to Figs. 1 to 5 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0052] In FIG. 6 , the terminal case 32 includes a battery 301, a wired port 302, a wireless port 303, and an output port (power supply port) 305. The terminal case 32 also includes a rectifier circuit 313 constituting a power receiving circuit for wireless power transmission (WPT). The rectifier circuit 313 is connected to a strap-mimicking antenna 40, which functions as an antenna device for wireless power transmission (WPT), via a cable 400 that also serves as a strap for the terminal case. The strap-mimicking antenna 40 includes a ring-shaped antenna 401 and an antenna holder 402. The antenna holder 402 is provided with the aforementioned RF combining circuit and the like. The wireless power transmission (WPT) radio frequency (RF) reception signal output from the strap-mimicking antenna 40 is input to the rectifier circuit 315 of the terminal case 32 via the cable 400. The DC power output from the rectifier circuit 313 is input to the wireless port 303.

[0053] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal case 33 to which a power feed repeater device having a planar rectenna array according to an embodiment is applied. Fig. 7 shows yet another example of the configuration of a terminal case 33 that functions as the power feed repeater device 30 of the above-described embodiment. Note that in Fig. 7, components that are common to Figs. 1 to 6 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0054] 7 , terminal case 33 includes battery 301, wired port 302, wireless port 303, and output port (power supply port) 305. Furthermore, terminal case 32 includes a planar rectenna array on the outer wall surface or inside the case that constitutes a power receiving circuit for wireless power transmission (WPT). The planar rectenna array includes antenna device 311 for wireless power transmission (WPT), in which multiple planar antenna elements 311a are arranged on antenna substrate 311b, and multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) that rectify multiple (m) RF reception signals output from antenna device 311 and output multiple DC power signals. The DC power signals output from multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) are combined and input to wireless port 303. In FIG. 7, the terminal case 33 has the same number of wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m) as the rectifier circuits, and the DC power output from each of the multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) may be input individually to each of the wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m).

[0055] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an input-switching power supply relay device 30 according to an embodiment. Fig. 8 shows an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device 30 that switches between inputting DC power from a wired port 302 and inputting DC power from a wireless port 303. In Fig. 8, components that are common to those in Figs. 1 to 7 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0056] 8 , direct power synthesized and output by an external direct current connection circuit unit (hereinafter also referred to as a “DC connection circuit”) 41 is input to a wireless port 303 of a power supply relay device 30. The DC connection circuit 41 has multiple sets of positive and negative input units connected to multiple power input units, respectively, and one set of positive and negative output units. In the example of FIG. 8 , a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42 serving as a wireless power source for wireless power transmission and multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n) are connected to the multiple sets of positive and negative input units of the DC connection circuit 41.

[0057] The power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42 includes an antenna device 421 configured as an array antenna with multiple antennas arranged therein, an RF combining circuit 422, and multiple rectifying circuits 423(1) to 423(m). The RF combining circuit 422 combines high-frequency received signals received by the multiple antennas of the antenna device 421 and outputs multiple (m in the example of FIG. 8 ) wireless power transmission (WPT) radio-frequency (RF) received signals. The multiple rectifying circuits 423(1) to 423(m) rectify the multiple (m) RF received signals output from the RF combining circuit 422 and output multiple DC power signals. The multiple DC power signals output from the multiple rectifying circuits 423(1) to 423(m) are input to the DC connection circuit 41.

[0058] The DC connection circuit 41 can output any one of the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42 and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n). The DC connection circuit 41 can also output a combined DC power by combining any of the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 313(1) to 313(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42 and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n). By controlling the DC connection circuit 41, it is possible to switch the individual DC powers output from the DC connection circuit 41 or change the combination of the multiple DC powers combined by the DC connection circuit 41. The single DC power output from the DC connection circuit 41 is input to the wireless port 303.

[0059] In FIG. 8 , the device main body 300 of the power supply relay device 30 includes an input switching unit (hereinafter also referred to as a “wired / wireless switcher”) 330, a path control circuit unit (hereinafter also referred to as a “battery charging / pass-through control circuit”) 335, a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit (hereinafter also referred to as a “DC conversion / distribution circuit”) 340, and a charge control circuit unit (hereinafter also referred to as a “charge control circuit”) 345.

[0060] The wired / wireless switcher 330 has a function of switching the input port used for power supply, and switches between the input power of the wired port (wired power input unit) 301 and the input power of the wireless port (wireless power input unit) 302. The wired / wireless switcher 330 may be controlled using the input power, etc.

[0061] The battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335 controls the path of the DC power after switching by the wired / wireless switcher 330 to switch between a pass-through path that supplies power to multiple power supply ports (power output units) and a charging path that supplies power to the battery 301.

[0062] The DC conversion / distribution circuit 340 converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage, and distributes and supplies the voltage-converted power to a plurality of power supply ports (power output sections) 305(1) to 305(k).

[0063] The charge control circuit 345 controls charging of the battery 301 using input power supplied from the battery charge / pass-through control circuit 335 via the charge path.

[0064] 8, the battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335 may have a function of detecting the connection of a power supply target to the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k) and switching between the pass-through path and the charging path. For example, when it detects that a power supply target is connected to any of the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k), it may switch the supply path of the input DC power to the pass-through path, and when it detects that a power supply target is not connected to any of the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k), it may switch the supply path of the input DC power to the charging path. Note that power may be supplied from the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k) either wirelessly or wired.

[0065] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a parallel input type power supply relay device 30 according to an embodiment. Fig. 9 shows an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device 30 that combines and inputs DC power from a wired port 302 and DC power from a wireless port 303. In Fig. 9, components that are common to those in Figs. 1 to 8 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In FIG. 9, the device main body 300 of the power supply relay device 30 includes an input voltage conversion circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as the "DC-DC conversion circuit") 350, an input synthesis section 355, a path control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as the "battery charging / pass-through control circuit") 335, a DC voltage conversion / distribution section (hereinafter also referred to as the "DC conversion / distribution circuit") 340, and a charge control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as the "charge control circuit") 345.

[0067] The DC-DC conversion circuit 350 converts the voltage of the input power to the wireless port (wireless power input section) 302 into the same voltage as the input power to the wired port (wired power input section).

[0068] The input combiner 355 combines the input power of the wired port (wired power input unit) and the input power after voltage conversion of the wireless port (wireless power input unit) 302 .

[0069] The battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335 controls the path of the DC power after it has been combined by the input combining unit 355 so as to switch between a pass-through path that supplies the power to multiple power supply ports (power output units) and a charging path that supplies the power to the battery 301.

[0070] The DC conversion / distribution circuit 340 converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage, and distributes and supplies the voltage-converted power to a plurality of power supply ports (power output sections) 305(1) to 305(k).

[0071] The charge control circuit 345 controls charging of the battery 301 using input power supplied from the battery charge / pass-through control circuit 335 via the charge path.

[0072] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-input port type power supply relay device 30 according to an embodiment. Fig. 10 shows an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device 30 incorporating a DC connection circuit (direct-current connection circuit section) 360. In Fig. 10, components common to those in Figs. 1 to 9 described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0073] 10 , the device main body 300 of the power supply relay device 30 includes a DC connection circuit (DC connection circuit section) 360, a path control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as the “battery charging / pass-through control circuit”) 335, a DC voltage conversion / distribution section (hereinafter also referred to as the “DC conversion / distribution circuit”) 340, and a charge control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as the “charge control circuit”) 345. The direct power that is combined and output by the DC connection circuit 360 inside the device is input to the battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335.

[0074] 10 , the DC connection circuit 360 has multiple sets of positive and negative input units connected to multiple power input units, and one set of positive and negative output units. In the example of Fig. 10 , the multiple sets of positive and negative input units of the DC connection circuit 360 are connected to multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l) that receive DC power from multiple wired power sources, multiple wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m) that receive DC power from multiple rectifier circuits 423(1) to 423(m) of a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42 that serves as a wireless power source for wireless power transmission, and harvester ports 304(1) to 304(n) that receive DC power from multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n).

[0075] The DC connection circuit 360 can output any one of the multiple DC powers input from the multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 423(1) to 423(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42, and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n). The DC connection circuit 360 can also output DC power obtained by combining any of the multiple DC powers input from the multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 423(1) to 423(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 42, and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 43(1) to 43(n). Furthermore, by controlling the DC connection circuit 360, it is possible to switch the individual DC powers output from the DC connection circuit 360 or change the combination of multiple DC powers synthesized by the DC connection circuit 360. The single DC power output from the DC connection circuit 360 is input to the battery charge / pass-through control circuit 335.

[0076] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a multi-input port power supply relay device 30 having a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365 according to an embodiment. Fig. 11 shows an example of the configuration of a power supply relay device 30 incorporating a DC connection circuit (direct-current connection circuit section) 360, a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365, and multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 370(1) to 370(n). Note that in Fig. 11, components common to those in Figs. 1 to 10 described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0077] 11, the device main body 300 of the power supply relay device 30 includes a power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365, a plurality of harvesters (environmental power generation devices) 370(1) to 370(n), a DC connection circuit (direct-current connection circuit section) 360, a path control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as a “battery charging / pass-through control circuit”) 335, a DC voltage conversion / distribution section (hereinafter also referred to as a “direct-current conversion / distribution circuit”) 340, and a charge control circuit section (hereinafter also referred to as a “charge control circuit”) 345.

[0078] The power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365 includes an antenna device 366 consisting of an array antenna in which multiple antennas are arranged, an RF combining circuit 367, and multiple rectifying circuits 368(1) to 368(m). The RF combining circuit 367 combines high-frequency received signals received by the multiple antennas of the antenna device 366 and outputs multiple (m in the example of FIG. 11 ) wireless power transmission (WPT) radio-frequency (RF) received signals. The multiple rectifying circuits 368(1) to 368(m) rectify the multiple (m) RF received signals output from the RF combining circuit 367 and output multiple DC power signals. The multiple DC power signals output from the multiple rectifying circuits 368(1) to 368(m) are input to the DC connection circuit 360.

[0079] 11 , the DC connection circuit 360 has multiple sets of positive and negative input units connected to multiple power input units, and one set of positive and negative output units. In the example of Fig. 11 , the multiple sets of positive and negative input units of the DC connection circuit 360 are connected to multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l) that receive DC power from multiple wired power sources, multiple wireless ports 303(1) to 303(m) that receive DC power from multiple rectifier circuits 368(1) to 368(m) of a built-in power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365, and harvester ports 304(1) to 304(n) that receive DC power from multiple built-in harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 370(1) to 370(n).

[0080] The DC connection circuit 360 can output any one of the multiple DC powers input from the multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 368(1) to 368(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365, and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 370(1) to 370(n). The DC connection circuit 360 can also output DC power obtained by combining any of the multiple DC powers input from the multiple wired ports 302(1) to 302(l), the multiple DC powers output from the multiple rectifier circuits 368(1) to 368(m) of the power receiving circuit (rectenna array) 365, and the multiple DC powers output from the multiple harvesters (environmental power harvesting devices) 370(1) to 370(n). Furthermore, by controlling the DC connection circuit 360, it is possible to switch the individual DC powers output from the DC connection circuit 360 or change the combination of multiple DC powers synthesized by the DC connection circuit 360. The single DC power output from the DC connection circuit 360 is input to the battery charge / pass-through control circuit 335.

[0081] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the charge control circuit 346 in the power supply relay device 30 according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a configuration example in which the power supply relay device 30 shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 is provided with a charge control circuit 346 that has the functionality of the battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335. In FIG. 12, the charge control circuit 346 controls the path of DC power output from the wired / wireless switcher 330 or the like to switch between a pass-through path that supplies power to multiple power supply ports (power output units) and a charging path that supplies power to the battery 301. Furthermore, the charge control circuit 346 controls charging of the battery 301 using input power supplied via the charging path. When using the charge control circuit 346 shown in FIG. 12, the battery charging / pass-through control circuit 335 is not required.

[0082] 12, the charging control circuit 346 may have a function of detecting the connection of a power supply target to the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k) and switching between the pass-through path and the charging path. For example, when it detects that a power supply target is connected to any of the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k), it may switch the supply path of the input DC power to the pass-through path, and when it detects that a power supply target is not connected to any of the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k), it may switch the supply path of the input DC power to the charging path. Note that power may be supplied from the power supply ports 305(1) to 305(k) either wirelessly or via a wire.

[0083] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a DC connection circuit of a DC conversion post-installation type in a power supply relay device 30 according to an embodiment. A DC-DC converter (DC voltage conversion circuit) and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit may be provided as subsequent circuits to the DC connection circuits (DC connection circuit units) 41 and 360 in the power supply relay devices 30 shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 . For example, in FIG. 13 , a DC-DC converter (DC voltage conversion circuit) 375 and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit 380 may be provided as subsequent circuits to the DC connection circuit (DC connection circuit unit) 360 to which the plurality of input ports (power input units) 306(1) to 306(n) including the wired port 302, the wireless port 303, and the harvester port 304 are connected.

[0084] 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an individual DC conversion type DC connection circuit in a power supply relay device according to an embodiment. A DC-DC converter (DC voltage conversion circuit) and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit may be provided between each of the multiple input ports (power input units) in the power supply relay device 30 shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 and the DC connection circuit (DC connection circuit unit) 41, 360. For example, in FIG. 14, DC-DC converters (DC voltage conversion circuits) 375(1) to 375(n) and MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuits 380(1) to 380(n) may be provided between each of the multiple input ports 306(1) to 306(n), including the DC port, wireless port, and harvester port, and the DC connection circuit (DC connection circuit unit) 360.

[0085] FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a multi-sensor using a switching circuit applicable to the DC connection circuit 360 in the power supply relay device according to the embodiment. In FIG. 15 , each switch of the switching circuit constituting the DC connection circuit 360 can be turned on and off by a control unit. In FIG. 15 , a plurality of first connection lines 361 of the positive input of the switching circuit are individually connected to the positive output terminals of the plurality of input ports 306(1) to 306(4). Furthermore, a plurality of second connection lines 362 of the negative input of the switching circuit are individually connected to the negative output terminals of the plurality of input ports 306(1) to 306(4). The DC connection circuit 360 configured using the switching circuit of FIG. 15 is suitable as a multi-sensor that switches, combines, or performs both of the above-described multiple DC powers input from multiple input ports, including the multiple wired ports, multiple wireless ports, and multiple harvester ports, and outputs the combined power.

[0086] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example configuration of a power supply relay device (e.g., a charging case) 30 having a wireless communication unit 307 according to an embodiment. In each of the power supply relay devices 30 shown in FIGS. 1 to 15 described above, the device main body 300 may be provided with a wireless communication unit 307 capable of communicating with a power transmitting device 80 that transmits radio waves of a power transmission signal in a wireless power transmission (WPT) system. The communication method between the power transmitting device 80 and the wireless communication unit 307 of the power supply relay device 30 may be any of various wireless communication methods of mobile communication systems of various generations, or may be a short-range wireless method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Furthermore, the antenna for wireless communication may be the same as the antenna for wireless power transmission (WPT), or may be provided separately from the antenna for wireless power transmission (WPT).

[0087] The communication function of the wireless communication unit 307 of the power supply relay device (e.g., charging case) 30 may allow the power supply relay device 30 and the power transmitting device 80 to share power consumption information of the power supply target, and the shared information may be used to control the operation of the power transmission device (e.g., power transmitting device, power receiving device) and the power supply target.

[0088] For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a plurality of power supply targets to which power is supplied from the power supply relay device 30 consume energy U in a plurality of states such as start-up, operation, sleep, and stop. ｓｔａｒｔ [J], U ｏｐｅ [J], U ｓｌｅｅｐ [J], duration T ｓｔａｒｔ [s], T ｏｐｅ [s], T ｓｌｅｅｐ [s], the number of times the operation is repeated n [times], the number of times the sleep is repeated n-1 [times], and the time T from the time of stopping to the time of restarting ｓｔｏｐ The information on the energy consumption, duration, number of repetitions, etc. of these multiple power supply targets is shared through communication between the power supply relay device 30 and the power transmission device 80, and the power transmission operation plan of the power transmission device 80 is controlled, thereby making it possible to adjust the overall power consumption of the multiple power supply targets.

[0089] As described above, according to this embodiment, by connecting a power supply target to the power supply relay device 30, it is possible to supply power to the power supply target by switching or combining multiple input powers input from multiple power input units, including the wired power input unit (wired input port) 302 and the wireless power input unit (wireless input port) 303. Furthermore, since the multiple input powers can be switched or combined to efficiently charge the built-in battery 301, which can be used to supply power to the power supply target, a decrease in the remaining charge of the built-in battery 301, which can be used to supply power to the power supply target, can be suppressed. Furthermore, a pass-through function that bypasses the built-in battery 301 allows DC power to be supplied to the power supply target even while the built-in battery 301 is charging. Therefore, power can be stably supplied to the power supply target without changing the configuration of the power supply target.

[0090] Furthermore, the present invention can provide a power supply relay device and a power supply system that can stably supply power to a power supply target without changing the configuration of the power supply target, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation."

[0091] It should be noted that the process steps and device and system components described herein may be implemented by various means, for example, these steps and components may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0092] Regarding hardware implementation, means such as processing units used to realize the above steps and components in an entity (e.g., a power supply relay device, a terminal case, a switching circuit, a DC power source, a power receiving device, a power transmitting device, a power generating device, a rectifier circuit, a power supply circuit, various wireless communication devices, a base station device (eNodeB, gNodeB), a terminal device, a hard disk drive device, or an optical disk drive device) may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this specification, computers, or combinations thereof.

[0093] Furthermore, with regard to firmware and / or software implementations, the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above components may be implemented with a program (e.g., code, such as procedures, functions, modules, instructions, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. In general, any computer / processor-readable medium tangibly embodying firmware and / or software code may be used to implement the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above steps and components described herein. For example, the firmware and / or software code may be stored in a memory and executed by a computer or processor, such as in a control device. The memory may be implemented within the computer or processor, or external to the processor. The firmware and / or software code may also be stored on a computer or processor readable medium such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic or optical data storage device, etc. The code may be executed by one or more computers or processors and may cause the computers or processors to perform certain aspects of the functionality described herein.

[0094] The medium may be a non-transitory recording medium. The program code may be in any format as long as it can be read and executed by a computer, processor, or other device or machine. For example, the program code may be in any of source code, object code, and binary code, or may be a mixture of two or more of these codes.

[0095] Moreover, the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0096] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10: Power supply system 20: DC power source 21: Wired power source 22: WPT power receiving device 30: Power feeding relay device 31, 32, 33: Terminal case 40: Strap imitation antenna 41: DC connection circuit 80: Power transmitting device 81: Antenna device 221: Antenna device 221a: Antenna 222: Rectifier circuit group 300: Device main body 301: Battery 302: Wired input port (wired port) 303: Wireless input port (wireless port) 304: Harvester port 305: Power output unit (output port, power feeding port) 306: Input port 307: Wireless communication unit 311: Antenna device 311a: Planar antenna element 311b: Antenna board 312: RF combining circuit 313 : Rectifier circuit 314 : Rectifier circuit group 315 : Rectifier circuit 323 : Bypass circuit 324 : Switch 330 : Wireless switcher 335 : Pass-through control circuit 340 : Distribution circuit 345, 246 : Charging control circuit 350 : DC-DC conversion circuit 355 : Input combining unit 360 : DC connection circuit 366 : Antenna device 367 : RF combining circuit 368 : Rectifier circuit 380 : Control circuit 400 : Cable 401 : Antenna 402 : Antenna holding unit 421 : Antenna device 422 : RF combining circuit 423 : Rectifier circuit

Claims

1. A power supply relay device that relays a power supply, comprising: a plurality of power input units having one or more wired power input units to which DC power is input from a wired power source and one or more wireless power input units to which DC power is input from a wireless power source for wireless power transmission; a battery that can be charged with input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units; one or more power output units; and a pass-through circuit unit that outputs the input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units from the one or more power output units.

2. A power supply repeater according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power input units include one or more energy harvesting input units to which DC power is input from an energy harvesting device.

3. The power supply repeater device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising one or more rectifier circuits connected to an antenna that receives radio waves for wireless power transmission.

4. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission, the wireless power sources for wireless power transmission having a plurality of antennas for receiving radio waves for wireless power transmission, and a plurality of rectifier circuits provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antennas.

5. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: an input switching unit that switches between the input power of said one wired power input unit and the input power of said one wireless power input unit; a path control circuit unit that controls, for the path of the DC power switched by said input switching unit, a pass-through path that supplies power to said plurality of power output units and a charging path that supplies power to said battery; a charging control circuit unit that controls charging of said battery using said input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution unit that converts the voltage of the power supplied to said pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to said plurality of power output units.

6. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: an input voltage conversion circuit section that converts the voltage of the input power of said one wireless power input section to the same voltage as the input power of said one wired power input section; an input combining section that combines the input power of said one wired power input section and the input power after voltage conversion of said one wireless power input section; a path control circuit section that controls, for the path of the DC power combined by said input combining section, a pass-through path that supplies the power to said plurality of power output sections and a charge path that supplies the power to said battery; a charge control circuit section that controls charging of said battery using said input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution section that converts the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributes the voltage-converted power to said plurality of power output sections.

7. A power supply relay device according to claim 1, comprising: a DC connection circuit section having a plurality of sets of positive input sections and negative input sections connected to the plurality of power input sections respectively, and one set of positive output section and negative output section; a path control circuit section for controlling, for the path of DC power output from the DC connection circuit section, a pass-through path for supplying the power to the plurality of power output sections and a charge path for supplying the power to the battery; a charge control circuit section for controlling charging of the battery with the input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution section for converting the voltage of the power supplied to the pass-through path to a predetermined output voltage and distributing the voltage-converted power to the plurality of power output sections.

8. A power supply relay device according to claim 7, wherein the path control circuit section switches the path of the DC power output from the DC connection circuit section to a pass-through path that supplies the DC power to the plurality of power output sections when a power supply target is connected to any one of the plurality of power output sections.

9. A power supply relay device according to claim 1, comprising: a DC connection circuit section having a plurality of sets of positive input sections and negative input sections connected to each of said plurality of power input sections, and one set of positive output section and negative output section; a charge control circuit section for controlling the path of DC power output from said DC connection circuit section, which is a pass-through path that supplies DC power to said plurality of power output sections, and a charge path that supplies DC power to said battery, and for controlling charging of said battery with said input power; and a DC voltage conversion / distribution section for converting the voltage of the power supplied to said pass-through path into a predetermined output voltage, and distributing the voltage-converted power to said plurality of power output sections.

10. A power supply relay device according to claim 9, wherein the charging control circuit section switches the path of the DC power output from the DC connection circuit section to a pass-through path that supplies the DC power to the plurality of power output sections when a power supply target is connected to any one of the plurality of power output sections.

11. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, comprising one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission and one or more environmental harvesting devices, wherein the wireless power sources for wireless power transmission have a plurality of antennas for receiving radio waves for wireless power transmission, and a plurality of rectifier circuits provided corresponding to each of the plurality of antennas.

12. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it has a DC voltage conversion circuit and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit as subsequent circuits to the DC connection circuit section.

13. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that a DC voltage conversion circuit and an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) control circuit are provided between each of the plurality of power input sections and the DC connection circuit section.

14. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the DC connection circuit section has a plurality of switches that can be controlled to turn on and off so as to switch the connection state between the positive input section and the negative input section and the positive output section and the negative output section.

15. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from a power transmission device for wireless power transmission.

16. A power supply relay device according to claim 15, characterized in that it acquires information on power consumption in each of a plurality of states of the power supply target and transmits it to the power transmission device of the wireless power transmission.

17. A power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the power supply relay device is a mounting device to which a power supply target having a built-in rechargeable battery is detachably mounted.

18. A power supply system comprising: a power supply relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 17; one or more wired power sources; and one or more wireless power sources for wireless power transmission.

19. A wearing device to which a mobile communication terminal device is detachably attached, or to which a peripheral device connected to the terminal device is detachably attached, characterized in that the wearing device comprises: a plurality of power input units having one or more wired power input units to which DC power is input from a wired power source and one or more wireless power input units to which DC power is input from a wireless power source for wireless power transmission; a battery that can be charged with input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units; one or more power output units; and a pass-through circuit unit that outputs the input power of at least one of the plurality of power input units from the one or more power output units.

20. The mounting device according to claim 19, characterized in that the mounting device is a case, a cover, or a stand.

Images