Two-wire power transmitting/receiving device and its method

A power receiving communication device, which is supplied with power from a power transmitting side device connected via two power transmission wires, for performing intercommunications with the power transmitting side device, the power receiving communication device comprising:

• a power receiving side power source section operable to store power having a first power level, which is supplied from the power transmitting side device via the power transmission wire;
• a power receiving side data processing section operable to receive and process transmission data having a second power level from the power transmitting side device, and to generate the reply data making a reply to the power transmitting side device;
• a power receiving side transmitting section operable to convert the reply data output from the power receiving side data processing section into reply data having a third power level for replying to the power transmission wire, during a reply data reception period, in which the power transmitting side device is operable to perform time-sharing and transmit a data reception signal having a power level different from the first power level;
• and
• a power level detection section operable to detect a power level of the power transmission wire and to output power level detection results to the power receiving side data processing section,
• wherein the power receiving side data processing section is operable to select and receive data from the power transmission wire based on the power level detection results from the power level detection section, and to output the reply data to the power receiving side transmitting section by detecting reception of the data reception signal.

A power transmitting communication device for performing power supply and intercommunications with at least one power receiving side device connected via two power transmission wires, the power transmitting communication device comprising:

• a power transmitting side power source section operable to output power having a first power level to the power receiving side device;
• a power transmitting side data processing section operable to generate transmission data giving an instruction to the power receiving side device, and to receive and process reply data from the power receiving side device;
• a power transmitting side period control section operable to perform time-sharing control for a period of supplying the power, a data transmission period of transmitting the transmission data, and a reply data reception period of receiving the reply data;
• and
• a transmitting side synthesis section operable to supply the power having the first power level, which is output from the power transmitting side power source section, to the power transmission wire during the power supply period, to convert the transmission data into transmission data having a second power level for transmission to the power transmission wire during the data transmission period, and to transmit to the power receiving side device, a data reception signal having a power level different from the first power level via the power transmission wire during the reply data reception period,
• wherein the power transmitting side data processing section is operable to distinguish the reply data having a third power level from other power levels for reception.

A power transmitting/receiving communication method for performing power supply and intercommunications between a device on a power transmitting side and at least one device on a power receiving side, which are interconnected via two power transmission wires, the power transmitting/receiving communication method comprising:

• on the power transmitting side,
• a power transmitting side power supplying step of outputting power having a first power level;
• a power transmitting side data processing step of generating transmission data giving an instruction to the power receiving side device, and receiving and processing reply data from the power receiving side device;
• a power transmitting side period controlling step of performing time-sharing control for a period of supplying the power, a data transmission period of transmitting the transmission data, and a reply data reception period of receiving the reply data, and
• a power transmitting side synthesis step of supplying the power having the first power level, which is output from the power transmitting side power source section, to the power transmission wire during the power supply period, converting the transmission data into transmission data having a second power level for transmission to the power transmission wire during the data transmission period, and transmitting, to the power transmission wire, a data reception signal having a power level different from the first power level during the reply data reception period, and
• on the power receiving side,
• a power receiving side power storing step of storing the power having the first power level, which is supplied via the power transmission wire;
• a power receiving side data processing step of receiving and processing the transmission data having the second power level from the power transmitting side device, and generating the reply data making a reply to the power transmitting side device;
• a power receiving side transmitting step of converting the reply data output from the power receiving side data processing section into reply data having a third power level for replying to the power transmission wire during the reply data reception period, and
• a power level detecting step of detecting a power level of the power transmission wire and outputting power level detection results to the power receiving side data processing section,
• wherein the power receiving side data processing step selects and receives data from the power transmission wire based on the power level detection results by the power level detecting step, and further outputs the reply data to the power receiving side transmitting step by detecting reception of the data reception signal.