Panasonic Corporation

Hirohiko Yoshida

Yasuji Nakamura

Masanori Oshimi

Eiji Machii

Norihito Mochida

Akihiko Sekiguchi

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device capable of receiving payment of a charge required for a charging process even though a secondary battery of the electronic device ran into an overdischarge state and also extricating itself from the overdischarge state, and a charger used for the same. A charger () executes a power transmission before it conducts a proximity noncontact communication with an electronic device (), continues this power transmission until a preliminary charging stop notification signal is sent from the electronic device (), and conducts the proximity noncontact communication regarding to a billing process with the electronic device () when the preliminary charging stop notification signal is sent. After the communication regarding to the billing process is ended, the charger () gives a charge of electricity to the electronic device () again. The electronic device () charges a secondary battery () by using the power transmission, then executes the charging up to a level at which the proximity noncontact communication regarding to the billing process can be conducted, then conducts the proximity noncontact communication regarding to the billing process with the charger (), and then restarts the power transmission from the charger () to execute the charging until the secondary battery () is fully charged. In this manner, the noncontact charging and the proximity noncontact communication are executed between the electronic device () and the charger () in a time-division system.

Electronic device, battery charger, and electronic device battery-charging system

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device which is capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication even if charging of a secondary battery is not fully completed and also whose secondary battery never falls into an overdischarge state during the proximity noncontact communication. An electronic device () employs a secondary battery (), which is rechargeable by a charger () that gives a charge of electricity in a noncontact manner, as a power source, and is capable of conducting a proximity noncontact communication with the charger (). The electronic device () repeats a charging process, in which this equipment charges the secondary battery () for a predetermined period (Tb) by receiving a supply of an electric power from the charger () via a noncontact power-receiving secondary coil (), and a communication process, in which this equipment conducts a data communication for a predetermined period (Ta) when a voltage of the secondary battery () at a time of charging start is below a predetermined value (Va), and also repeats a charging process, in which this equipment charges the secondary battery () for a predetermined period (Tb) by receiving a supply of the electric power from the charger () via the noncontact power-receiving secondary coil (), and a communication process, in which this equipment conducts the data communication for a predetermined period (Ta)(&#x3e;Ta) when the voltage of the secondary battery () at a time of charging start is more than a predetermined value (Va).

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hirohiko Yoshida