US 9,312,711 B2 · Battery charger cradle

Abstract

In a battery charger cradle, a battery incorporated in a battery built-in device is charged by electric power induced to an induction coil. The cradle includes a primary coil for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil, a casing having a top plate atop of which the battery built-in device is placed, a movement mechanism for moving the primary coil along an inner surface of the top plate, and a position detection controller for detecting a position of the battery built-in device placed on the top plate and controlling the movement mechanism to bring the primary coil closer to the induction coil in the battery built-in device. When the battery built-in device is placed on the top plate, the position detection controller detects the position of the battery built-in device, and the movement mechanism moves the primary coil closer to the induction coil in the battery built-in device.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A battery charger cradle for use with a battery built-in device having an induction coil and a battery that is rechargeable with power induced by the induction coil, the battery charger cradle comprising:

a top plate on which the battery built-in device can be placed;
a primary coil for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil of the battery built-in device placed on the top plate;
and
a position detection controller for detecting a position of the induction coil and controlling the primary coil to emit an magnetic flux at a position corresponding to the detected position of the induction coil,
wherein the position detection controller includes:
a plurality of position detection coils arrayed along a surface of the top plate and covering substantially an entire region of the battery charger cradle on which the induction coil is to be placed;
a pulsed power source for supplying a pulse signal to one of the position detection coils;
a receiver circuit for receiving an echo signal output from the induction coil that is excited by the pulse signal;
and
a discrimination decision circuit for detecting a level of the echo signal received by the receiver circuit and judging the position of the induction coil on the basis of the level of the echo signal.

7 more elements

a top plate on which the battery built-in device can beplaced;
a primary coil for inducing electromotive force to the induction coil of the battery built-in device placed on the toy plate;
and
a position detection controller for detecting a position of the induction coil and controlling the primary coil to emit an magnetic flux at a position corresponding to the detected position of the induction coil,
wherein the position detection controller includes:
a plurality of position detection coils arrayed along a surface of the top plate;
a pulsed power source for supplying a pulse signal to one of the position detection coils;
a receiver circuit for receiving an echo signal output from the induction coil that is excited by the pulse signal;
a discrimination decision circuit for detecting a level of the echo signal received by the receiver circuit and judging the position of the induction coil on the basis of the level of the echo signal,
wherein the position detection coils are arrayed in two directions along the surface of the plate;
the battery charger cradle further comprising:
a full charge state detection circuit for detecting a full charge state of the battery, wherein:
the top plate is sized so as to allow a plurality of battery built-in devices to be placed thereon;
and
when the full charge state detection circuit detects the full charge state of the battery contained in one of the battery built-in devices being subjected to a charging operation, a position of a non-charged battery built-in device incorporating a battery that is not fully charged is detected, and the primary coil is controlled to emit the magnetic flux at a position corresponding to the detected position of the non-charged battery built-in device for charging the battery contained in the non-charged battery built-in device.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Battery charger cradle

Life of this patent

Battery charger cradle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13