# US 10,371,849 B2 · Detecting apparatus, power receiving apparatus, power transmitting apparatus, and contactless power supply system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,849 B2 - Document ID: US10371849B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/085,829 - Filed: 2016-03-30 - Published: 2016-09-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-03-14 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Miyamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371849B2 ## CPC - G01V 3/10: using induction coils - G01N 27/72: by investigating magnetic variables - H01F 5/003: {Printed circuit coils} - H01F 38/14: Inductive couplings - H02J 50/12: of the resonant type - H02J 50/60: responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings - H02J 50/70: involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields - H02J 50/90: involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract There is provided a detecting apparatus including one or a plurality of magnetic coupling elements that include a plurality of coils, a positioning unit disposed near at least one coil from among the plurality of coils included in the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements, and a detector that measures an electrical parameter related to the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements or to a circuit that at least includes the one or plurality of magnetic coupling elements, and determines from a change in the electrical parameter whether a foreign matter capable of generating heat due to magnetic flux is present. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A detecting apparatus, comprising: a plurality of coils over a housing; a plurality of positioning units over the housing, wherein at least one coil of the plurality of coils is wound around at least one positioning unit of the plurality of positioning units, wherein the at least one positioning unit maintains the at least one coil at a position on the housing, wherein the plurality of positioning units is in a vicinity of at least two coils of the plurality of coils, wherein each of the plurality of positioning units comprises a magnetic material, and wherein at least one of a real part of a permeability of the magnetic material, an imaginary part of the permeability, outermost dimensions in X, Y, and Z directions, placement in the X, Y, and Z directions, or quantity of units differ among the plurality of positioning units; and a control circuit configured to detect a foreign matter based on a comparison of at least one electrical parameter of the at least one coil with a threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical parameter of the at least one coil is a quality factor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetic shielding material configured to: reduce outward magnetic flux leakage from the at least one coil; and maintain a positional relationship between the at least one coil and the at least one positioning unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to: measure a value of the at least one electrical parameter of one of the at least one coil or a circuit that comprises the at least one coil; and determine presence of the foreign matter within a threshold distance from the detecting apparatus, based on a change in the value of the at least one electrical parameter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical parameter is a Q factor of one of the at least one coil or a circuit that comprises the at least one coil. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one positioning unit is on an inner side of the at least one coil. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a contactless power supply coil configured to supply power contactlessly, wherein the at least one positioning unit maintains the position of the at least one coil and the contactless power supply coil on a magnetic shielding material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the magnetic material, the real part of the permeability is greater than the imaginary part of the permeability. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first outermost dimension of the magnetic material of the at least one positioning unit is smaller than a second outermost dimension of the at least one coil. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first outermost dimension of the magnetic material of the at least one positioning unit is smaller than an innermost dimension of the at least one coil. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second coil different from the at least one coil, wherein the at least one coil is configured to produce a first magnetic flux that has a first orientation, and wherein the second coil is configured to produce a second magnetic flux that has a second orientation different from the first orientation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The detecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second coil is wound around a second positioning unit of the plurality of positioning units, and the at least one coil and the second coil constitute a figure 8-shape coil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils is electrically connected by at least one of a series connection or a parallel connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one coil is in a resonant circuit.