JP2009189136A - Charging system, charger and device to be charged - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the impact of energy of magnetic flux on other articles without causing deficiency of electrical quantity of a power accumulator. <P>SOLUTION: A charging system includes a device 3 to be charged and a charger 1 for charging the device 3 to be charged, wherein the device 3 to be charged includes a means for charging a power accumulator by receiving energy of magnetic flux, the charger 1 includes: a portion 10 for mounting the device 3 to be charged and having an area larger than that of a portion 35 to be mounted of the device 3 to be charged; and a means for outputting energy of magnetic flux from the mounting portion 10 to the side of the device 3 to be charged. The means for outputting energy of magnetic flux includes a means for limiting the output range of energy of magnetic flux in correspondence with the mounting position of the device 3 to be charged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging system for charging a rechargeable battery included in a charged device such as an information processing terminal used for searching food orders in a restaurant or a list of karaoke songs in a karaoke store.

In general, information processing terminals such as restaurant order terminals and karaoke store catalog terminals are known.
As shown in FIG. 3, this type of information processing terminal (order terminal) is formed in a portable size so that the user can easily use it, and has a function of wirelessly transmitting order information and the like. Used flexibly on the table.
In addition, the information processing terminal includes a charge type battery and is operated by the power of the battery.
The battery of the information processing terminal is periodically charged by, for example, mounting it on a charging stand of a charging device placed at one corner of the table.

In a charging system including a charging device such as an information processing terminal and a charging device in the charging device, for example, when operated on a table in a restaurant, the charging terminal of the information processing terminal is water or the like. There was a risk of contact failure due to short-circuiting or corrosion of terminals due to getting wet with liquid.
As a technique for solving such a problem, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.
Patent Document 1 describes a technology of a non-contact type charging device that charges without connecting terminals.

In a charging system to which this technology is applied, a device to be charged, which is an information terminal device, receives magnetic flux energy from the charging device by being brought into contact with a charging stand of the charging device.
The device to be charged charges the internal battery according to the magnetic flux energy.

JP 2004-350465 A

However, in such a contact type and non-contact type charging system, the information processing terminal which is a device to be charged is charged by bringing it into contact with the charging stand. There was a risk that the capacity of the battery would be reduced and temporarily unavailable due to battery shortage.
That is, for example, in restaurants and karaoke shops, at least one information processing terminal is often arranged for each table or group of users, until the user is seated, eats, eats, and leaves. Since the terminal is in a state where the user can use it freely, the information processing terminal is easily left on the table or the like by the user.

Further, when the user uses not only the order but also entertainment content such as a game on the information processing terminal, for example, the information processing terminal can continue to be used, so that battery consumption becomes conspicuous.
Therefore, even if the user leaves the seat and the clerk attaches the terminal to the charging base and starts charging, if the next user is seated soon, if the charging is insufficient, the battery will run out while using the terminal. There was also a risk of becoming.

In order to solve this problem, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, it is conceivable to form the charging stand over almost the entire table.
In this way, since the charging stand sends magnetic flux energy to the entire table, the user can charge the information processing terminal without being aware of the charging action of the information processing terminal. When placed, the magnetic flux energy reacts with this, which may cause adverse effects.
In particular, for example, when a metal such as a wristwatch or a metal tableware (fork, knife, etc.) is placed on a table that is a charging stand, the metal reacts to magnetic flux energy and causes the metal to generate heat. There was a fear.
Therefore, in the worst case, the user gets burned by touching the heated metal.

  The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the problems of the conventional techniques as described above, and can reduce the influence of magnetic flux energy on other articles without causing a shortage of electricity in the power storage unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a charging system, a charging device used for the charging system, and a charged device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a charging system of the present invention is a charging system including a device to be charged and a charging device for charging the device to be charged, and the device to be charged receives magnetic flux energy to charge a power storage unit. A charging unit that can mount the charged device and has a larger area than the mounted portion of the charged device, and a magnetic flux from the mounting portion to the charged device side. Magnetic flux energy output means for sending energy, and the magnetic flux energy output means includes output range limiting means for limiting the output range of magnetic flux energy corresponding to the mounting position of the charged device.

  Moreover, the charging device of the present invention is a charging device that charges a device to be charged, and the charging device can mount the device to be charged and has a larger area than the mounting portion of the device to be charged. And a magnetic flux energy output means for sending magnetic flux energy from the placement section to the charged device side, wherein the magnetic flux energy output means corresponds to the placement position of the charged device and the output range of the magnetic flux energy. Output limiting means for limiting.

  The charged device of the present invention is a charged device to be charged by the charging device, and can be mounted on a charging unit that receives magnetic flux energy and charges the power storage unit, and can be mounted on the mounting unit of the charging device. An output range limited to correspond to the placement position of the placement portion relative to the placement portion on the charging device side, the placement portion having a smaller area than the placement portion. A charging system characterized in that charging is performed by receiving magnetic flux energy from.

  According to the charging system, the charging device, and the to-be-charged device of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the influence of magnetic flux energy on other articles without causing a shortage of the amount of electricity in the power storage unit.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a charging system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows a charging system of the present embodiment.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the charging system of the present embodiment.

As shown in these drawings, the charging system includes a charged device and a charging device that charges the charged device.
The to-be-charged device is an information processing terminal, and in the present embodiment, is constituted by an order terminal 3 used when ordering food and drink at a restaurant.
For example, the order terminal is formed in a portable size so that a user can easily use it, and has a function of wirelessly transmitting order information and the like, and is used flexibly on a desk.

The order terminal 3 includes a charging unit that receives magnetic flux energy and charges the power storage unit.
The power storage unit includes a rechargeable battery 30 such as a secondary battery or a large capacity capacitor. The rechargeable battery 30 supplies power to an information processing unit (not shown) that realizes a function of wirelessly transmitting order information of the order terminal 3 and the like.

The charging means includes a charged side planar coil 32 that receives and inducts magnetic flux energy and a charging module 31 that outputs power from the charged side planar coil 32 to the rechargeable battery 30.
The to-be-charged planar coil 32 is provided on the placement portion 35 side, and generates predetermined AC power when receiving magnetic flux energy.
The power receiving module converts AC power from the charged side planar coil 32 into predetermined DC power and outputs it to the rechargeable battery 30.

In addition, the charging apparatus can place the order terminal 3 and has a larger area than the placement part 35 of the order terminal 3, and a magnetic flux energy output that sends magnetic flux energy from the placement part 10 to the order terminal 3 side. Means.
In the present embodiment, the charging device is composed of a table 1 itself installed in a restaurant.
The placement unit 10 is configured by the top plate of the table 1.
The magnetic flux energy output means includes output range limiting means for limiting the output range of magnetic flux energy corresponding to the placement position of the order terminal 3.

The output range limiting means includes a magnetic flux energy generation unit provided for each predetermined portion obtained by partitioning the placement unit 10 in advance.
The magnetic flux energy generating unit is configured by the non-contact charging panel 2 that is disposed over almost the entire surface of the mounting unit 10.
The non-contact charging board 2 is formed integrally with the mounting portion 10 at the upper part thereof, and charging for supplying electric power of a predetermined frequency to the charging board side planar coil 23 that generates magnetic flux energy and the charging board side planar coil 23. A panel-side transmission circuit 22 and a smoothing circuit 21 that smoothes an AC power supply that is a commercial power supply 20 to generate a DC power supply are provided.
The non-contact charging panel 2 is provided in a matrix on the top plate.

The charging panel side planar coil 23 is provided near the top surface of the top plate, and outputs magnetic flux energy upward.
In addition, the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 is connected to the smoothing circuit 21 and generates electric power to be supplied to the charging panel side planar coil 23 using the DC power generated by the smoothing circuit 21.
The commercial power supply 20 is connected in parallel to the smoothing circuit 21 of each contactless charging board 2.

In addition, the charging system includes a specific part selection unit that selects a specific part corresponding to the placement position of the device to be charged among the predetermined parts.
That is, the specific part selection unit selects a specific non-contact charging board 2 (2a) corresponding to the placement position of the order terminal 3 among the plurality of non-contact charging boards 2.

The specific part selecting means is provided for each wireless signal transmitting means for transmitting a predetermined wireless signal from the placed part 35 of the order terminal 3 to the placing part 10 side, and for each non-contact charging board 2 and receives the wireless signal. Possible radio signal receiving means.
Then, the radio signal receiving means selects a specific portion based on the received radio signal.

The wireless signal transmission means includes a terminal-side transmission circuit 33 and a transmission planar coil 34 provided in the charged device.
The terminal-side transmitter circuit 33 is connected to the rechargeable battery 30 and outputs an electric signal of a predetermined power to the transmission planar coil 34 using the DC power from this charging place.
The transmission planar coil 34 receives the electric power of the terminal-side transmission circuit 33, converts this electric signal into a radio signal, and outputs it.
Further, the transmitting planar coil 34 outputs a radio signal downward from the placement portion 35.

The wireless signal receiving means includes a receiving planar coil 25 that can receive a wireless signal, and a reception determining unit 24 connected to the receiving planar coil 25.
The receiving planar coil 25 is provided on the upper surface side of the top plate of the table 1 and receives a radio signal such as a radio signal from the transmitting planar coil 34 and converts it into a predetermined electric signal.
The reception determination unit 24 analyzes the electrical signal sent from the transmission planar coil 34 and determines whether this electrical signal is a radio signal.

In addition, when the electrical signal is a wireless signal, the reception determination unit 24 determines reception of the wireless signal and operates the charging panel side transmission circuit 22.
In addition, the reception determination unit 24 continuously operates the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 while the wireless signal transmitted from the transmission planar coil 34 is continuously transmitted.
Further, the reception determination unit 24 is configured such that the reception planar coil 25 is located outside the transmission range of the wireless signal from the transmission planar coil 34, and an electrical signal corresponding to the wireless signal is not output from the reception planar coil 25. Then, non-reception is determined and the charging board side transmission circuit 22 is deactivated.

In this way, in the charging system, the specific non-contact charging panel 2 is selected by the radio signal from the order terminal 3 side, and the magnetic flux is generated from the charging panel-side planar coil 23 of the selected specific non-contact charging panel 2. Energy is output.
Therefore, the output range of magnetic flux energy can be limited to the vicinity where the order terminal 3 is placed.

Next, the operation of the charging system of the present embodiment configured as above will be described.
The order terminal 3 charges the rechargeable battery 30 in advance.
The order terminal 3 is used by the user while being placed on the table 1.

In the order terminal 3, the terminal-side transmission circuit 33 outputs a predetermined electrical signal to the transmission planar coil 34 by the power from the rechargeable battery 30, and causes the transmission planar coil 34 to always output a radio signal.
Further, the wireless signal transmitted by the transmission planar coil 34 is received by the reception planar coil 25 of any one of the non-contact charging panels 2 (2a).
The radio signal received by the reception planar coil 25 is analyzed by the reception determination unit 24.
When the reception determination unit 24 determines that the wireless signal is from the order terminal 3, the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 is activated.

When the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 is operated by the reception determination unit 24, the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 outputs power of a predetermined frequency to the charging panel side planar coil 23 by the power from the smoothing circuit 21.
The charging panel side planar coil 23 outputs magnetic flux energy when electric power is input from the charging panel side transmission circuit 22.

The magnetic flux energy output from the charging panel side planar coil 23 is received by the charged side planar coil 32.
The to-be-charged planar coil 32 converts magnetic flux energy into predetermined AC power and outputs it to the charging module 31.
When the alternating current power from the to-be-charged planar coil 32 is input, the charging module 31 converts this into direct current power. Then, the rechargeable battery 30 is charged with this DC power.

Next, when the order terminal 3 moves on the table, for example, when the user lifts it, the radio signal transmitted by the transmitting planar coil 34 is received by the receiving planar coil 25 in the specific non-contact charging panel 2a. The electrical signal corresponding to the radio signal is not output from the receiving planar coil 25.
Then, the reception determination unit 24 determines that no radio signal is received.

The reception determination unit 24 deactivates the charging panel side transmission circuit 22 when determining that no radio signal is received.
Then, the order terminal 3 is moved, and another contactless charging panel 2 at the corresponding position outputs magnetic flux energy to the order terminal 3 in the same manner as described above.

As described above, according to the apparatus according to the present embodiment, since the non-contact charging panel 2 provided for each of a plurality of predetermined portions obtained by partitioning the placement unit 10 is provided, the user can charge the battery. The order terminal 3 can be charged without being aware of the place.
In addition, since the non-contact charging board 2 is provided over almost the entire surface of the table 1, the order terminal 3 can be placed on the table 1 without being aware of the charging location. You can charge it just by placing it at that position.

Thereby, even if the information processing terminal is left on the table 1 or the like by the user, the order terminal 3 can be charged, and the degree of freedom in handling the order terminal 3 can be improved.
Further, when the order terminal 3 can use entertainment contents such as games, even if the order terminal 3 continues to be used on the table 1, it is difficult for the remaining charge of the rechargeable battery 30 to be insufficient. The degree of freedom can be improved.

Moreover, since the non-contact charging board 2 which received the radio signal is selected as a specific non-contact charging board 2 and magnetic flux energy can be output only from this specific non-contact charging board 2, the output range is limited. be able to.
Thereby, the influence of the magnetic flux energy with respect to the other articles | goods mounted on the table 1 can be reduced.

That is, especially when installed in a restaurant, even if metal tableware is placed on the table 1, the magnetic flux energy is less likely to affect the tableware because the output range of magnetic flux energy is limited.
Thereby, since the situation where a tableware generates heat is prevented, the situation which burns a user etc. can be prevented.
Moreover, since magnetic flux energy is not output from the whole desktop, energy saving can also be expected.

As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment was shown and demonstrated about the charging system, charging device, and to-be-charged apparatus of this invention, the charging system, charging device, and to-be-charged apparatus which concern on this invention are limited only to embodiment mentioned above. It goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
For example, although the charged device is an order terminal, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be another information processing terminal such as a terminal designating a song of a karaoke shop, a mobile phone, or a laptop personal computer.
The radio signal is a radio signal from a planar coil, but is not limited to this, and may be a signal using infrared rays.
Further, in the above embodiment, the placing portion of the order terminal and the non-contact charging board are formed in the same size, and the magnetic flux energy is output from one non-contact charging board corresponding to the order terminal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the non-contact charging board may be formed smaller than the placement portion of the order terminal, and the magnetic flux energy may be output from two or more non-contact charging boards. There is no problem.

  As described above, according to the charging system, the charging device, and the charged device of the present invention, the charging system, the charging device, and the charged device are used for information processing terminals used for searching food orders, karaoke music catalogs, etc. in restaurants. be able to.

It is a figure which shows the charging system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 1 shows a block diagram of a charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the conventional charging system. It is a figure which shows another example of the conventional charging system.

Explanation of symbols

1 table (charging device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Mounting part 2 Non-contact charging board 20 Commercial power supply 21 Smoothing circuit 22 Charging board side transmission circuit 23 Charging board side planar coil 24 Reception determination part 25 Reception planar coil 3 Order terminal (charged apparatus)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Rechargeable battery 31 Charging module 32 Charge side flat coil 33 Terminal side transmission circuit 34 Transmission flat coil 35 Mounted part

Claims (9)

A charging system comprising a device to be charged and a charging device for charging the device to be charged,
The charged device includes a charging unit that receives magnetic flux energy and charges the power storage unit,
The charging device is
A mounting section on which the charged device can be mounted and has a larger area than the mounted portion of the charged device;
Magnetic flux energy output means for sending magnetic flux energy from the placement unit to the charged device side,
The said magnetic flux energy output means is equipped with the output range limitation means which limits the output range of magnetic flux energy corresponding to the mounting position of the said to-be-charged apparatus, The charging system characterized by the above-mentioned.   The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the output range limiting unit includes a magnetic flux energy generation unit provided for each of a plurality of predetermined portions obtained by partitioning the placement unit in advance. Of the predetermined part, comprising a specific part selection means for selecting a specific part corresponding to the mounting position of the charged device,
The charging system according to claim 2, wherein the output range limiting unit operates a magnetic flux energy generation unit of a predetermined part specified by the specific part selecting unit. The specific part selecting means is
Radio signal transmission means for transmitting a predetermined radio signal from the placement unit of the charged device to the placement unit side,
Radio signal receiving means provided for each predetermined portion of the charging device, capable of receiving the radio signal,
The charging system according to claim 3, wherein the specific part selecting unit selects the specific part based on a radio signal received by the radio signal receiving unit.   The charging system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of predetermined portions are arranged over substantially the entire surface of the mounting portion.   The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the device to be charged is an information processing terminal. A charging device for charging a charged device,
The charging device is
A placement unit that is capable of placing the device to be charged and has a larger area than the placement unit of the device to be charged; and
Magnetic flux energy output means for sending magnetic flux energy from the placement unit to the charged device side,
The charging device, wherein the magnetic flux energy output means includes output limiting means for limiting an output range of magnetic flux energy corresponding to a mounting position of the charged device.   The charging device according to claim 7, wherein the output range limiting unit includes a magnetic flux energy generation unit provided for each of a plurality of predetermined portions obtained by partitioning the placement unit in advance. A device to be charged that is charged by a charging device,
Charging means for receiving the magnetic flux energy and charging the power storage unit;
A placement unit that can be placed on the placement unit of the charging device and has a smaller area than the placement unit;
The charging unit performs charging by receiving magnetic flux energy from a limited output range corresponding to the placement position of the placement portion relative to the placement portion on the charging device side. Charged device.

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