TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a technique for identifying a partner apparatus in wireless power transfer.

BACKGROUND ART

With a wireless power transfer technique for wirelessly transferring electric power, a control signal is transmitted or received when electric power is supplied and received. Methods for transmitting or receiving the control signal includes an in-band method with which communication is performed using the same method as an electric power transfer method, and an out-of-band method with which communication is performed using a method that is different from the electric power transfer method. The in-band method, with which the communication rate is as low as 1 Mbps or lower, is frequently used since sufficient performance can be achieved if only the control signal for electric power transfer is transmitted.

On the other hand, in recent years, more and more apparatuses have a high-speed and large-capacity wireless communication function, such as a wireless LAN, in accordance with an increasing demand for a higher data communication rate. A control signal for electric power transfer is sufficiently smaller in size than data that is transmitted or received in general data communication, and if the control signal is transmitted with a high-speed and large-capacity communication system, the influence that the transmission of the control signal gives to transmission of other data is extremely small. For this reason, a method has also been studied for transmitting or receiving the control signal with the out-of-band method, rather than the in-band method, using the aforementioned high-speed and large-capacity communication system (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-075302).

When Bluetooth, a wireless LAN, or the like is used for out-of-band communication, the range of wireless power transfer does not coincide with the range in which communication can be performed, and accordingly there are cases where wireless power transfer cannot be performed even though the control signal can be transmitted or received. For example, inFIG. 8, a first electric power receiving apparatus802on an electric power supply apparatus801is within an electric power transfer range804and also within a control communication range805. For this reason, the first electric power receiving apparatus802can receive electric power, and can also transmit or receive the control signal. On the other hand, a second electric power receiving apparatus803is out of the electric power transfer range804, and is within the control communication range805. For this reason, the second electric power receiving apparatus803can transmit or receive the control signal but cannot receive electric power.

In this situation, a problem arises in that the electric power supply apparatus cannot determine whether or not an apparatus near the electric power supply apparatus is the same as an apparatus transmitting or receiving the control signal. That is to say, in the example inFIG. 8, there can be the case where the electric power supply apparatus801is transmitting or receiving the control signal for supplying electric power to/from the first electric power receiving apparatus802, but the electric power supply apparatus801does not supply electric power to the first electric power receiving apparatus802and incorrectly supplies electric power to the second electric power receiving apparatus803.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem, and provides a technique for identifying a partner apparatus to be the target of wireless power transfer.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: first communication means having a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with a partner apparatus; and second communication means having an electric power supply function for wirelessly supplying electric power to the partner apparatus and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with the partner apparatus, wherein the second communication function is for transmitting a specific data sequence to the partner apparatus in response to reception of predetermined data from the partner apparatus, and the electric power supply function is for supplying electric power to the partner apparatus in a case of receiving from the partner apparatus, with the first communication means, a signal indicating that the partner apparatus has received the data sequence.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: first communication means having a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with a partner apparatus; and second communication means having an electric power receiving function for wirelessly receiving electric power from the partner apparatus and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with the partner apparatus, wherein the second communication function is for transmitting predetermined data to the partner apparatus, and for receiving a specific data sequence that is transmitted from the partner apparatus in response to transmission of the predetermined data, the first communication function is for transmitting to the partner apparatus, in response to reception of the data sequence with the second communication function, a signal indicating reception of the data sequence, and the electric power receiving function is for receiving electric power that is supplied if the partner apparatus receives the signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a communication apparatus that includes first communication means having a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with a partner apparatus, and second communication means having an electric power supply function for wirelessly supplying electric power to the partner apparatus and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with the partner apparatus, the method comprising: transmitting a specific data sequence to the partner apparatus in response to reception of predetermined data from the partner apparatus, by the second communication function, and supplying electric power to the partner apparatus in a case of receiving from the partner apparatus, with the first communication means, a signal indicating that the partner apparatus has received the data sequence, by the electric power supply function.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a communication apparatus that includes first communication means having a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with a partner apparatus, and second communication means having an electric power receiving function for wirelessly receiving electric power from the partner apparatus and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with the partner apparatus, the method comprising: transmitting predetermined data to the partner apparatus, by the second communication function; receiving specific data sequence that is transmitted from the partner apparatus in response to transmission of the predetermined data, by the second communication function; transmitting to the partner apparatus, in response to reception of the data sequence with the second communication function, a signal indicating reception of the data sequence, by the first communication function; and receiving electric power that is supplied if the partner apparatus receives the signal, by the electric power receiving function.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).

