Optical power supply system, power receiving side optical communication device and data transfer method

A power receiving side optical communication apparatus that is connected to a power supply side optical communication apparatus including an optical power supply unit configured to transmit an optical signal for power supply, a data transmission/reception unit configured to transmit and receive an optical signal of data, and a data control unit configured to superimpose data transmission/reception control information related to transmission/reception of data transmitted/received by the data transmission/reception unit on the optical signal for power supply, the power receiving side optical communication apparatus comprising:

• a power storage medium configured to store power obtained from the optical signal for power supply transmitted by the optical power supply unit;
• a control information detection unit, including one or more processors, configured to detect the data transmission/reception control information superimposed on the optical signal for power supply;
• an optical transmission/reception unit, including one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive the optical signal of the data to and from the data transmission/reception unit;
• an external transmission/reception unit, including one or more processors, configured to transmit and receive the data to and from an external apparatus;
• a data storage medium configured to store data that has not been transmitted to the power supply side optical communication apparatus or the external apparatus;
• and
• a data transfer control unit, including one or more processors, configured to transfer data received by the optical transmission/reception unit to the external transmission/reception unit and transfer data received by the external transmission/reception unit to the optical transmission/reception unit, the data transfer control unit being configured to calculate a data amount of data to be output to each of the optical transmission/reception unit and the external transmission/reception unit on the basis of the data transmission/reception control information detected by the control information detection unit and a data amount of the data stored in the data storage medium, output data equal to or less than a transferable data amount calculated on the basis of an amount of power stored in the power storage medium among the data of the calculated data amount to both or either of the optical transmission/reception unit and the external transmission/reception unit, and store the data exceeding the transferable data amount in the data storage medium.

A data transfer method performed in an optical power supply system including a power supply side optical communication apparatus and a power receiving side optical communication apparatus, the data transfer method comprising:

• supplying, by the power supply side optical communication apparatus, power to the power receiving side optical communication apparatus using an optical signal for power supply;
• storing, by a power storage unit of the power receiving side optical communication apparatus, the supplied power;
• transmitting and receiving, by a data transmission/reception unit of the power supply side optical communication apparatus and an optical transmission/reception unit of the power receiving side optical communication apparatus, optical signals of data;
• transmitting and receiving, by an external transmission/reception unit of the power receiving side optical communication apparatus and an external apparatus, the data;
• recording, in a data storage unit of the power receiving side optical communication apparatus, data that has not been transmitted to the power supply side optical communication apparatus or the external apparatus;
• superimposing, by a data control unit of the power supply side optical communication apparatus, data transmission/reception control information related to transmission/reception of data transmitted/received by the data transmission/reception unit on the optical signal for power supply;
• detecting, by a control information detection unit of the power receiving side optical communication apparatus, the data transmission/reception control information superimposed on the optical signal for power supply;
• and
• calculating, by a data transfer control unit that transfers data received by the optical transmission/reception unit to the external transmission/reception unit in the power receiving side optical communication apparatus and transfers data received by the external transmission/reception unit to the optical transmission/reception unit, a data amount of data to be output to each of the optical transmission/reception unit and the external transmission/reception unit on the basis of the data transmission/reception control information detected by the control information detection unit and a data amount of the data stored in the data storage unit, outputting data equal to or less than a transferable data amount calculated on the basis of an amount of power stored in the power storage unit among the data of the calculated data amount to both or either of the optical transmission/reception unit and the external transmission/reception unit, and storing the data exceeding the transferable data amount in the data storage unit.