Abstract: A relay apparatus in a wireless power transmission system includes a relay power reception antenna that receives power transmission alternating current power from a power transmission power transmission antenna, a relay rectifier that converts the power transmission alternating current power into relay direct current power, a relay inverter circuit that converts the relay direct current power into relay alternating current power, and a relay power transmission antenna that wirelessly transmits the relay alternating current power. When the relay apparatus has received binary relay received data, the relay apparatus reverses a sign of the binary relay received data and eliminates a difference between a first voltage of the relay direct current power and a second voltage of the relay direct current power on the basis of the reversed binary relay received data.

Abstract: A power receiving device includes a power receiving antenna that receives AC power from a power transmitting antenna, a rectifier circuit that converts the AC power into DC power, a detection circuit that detects the DC power, a load driven by the DC power, a battery that charges the DC power, a switching circuit that provides i) connection and disconnection between the rectifier circuit and the load and ii) connection and disconnection between the load and the battery, and a control circuit that controls the power receiving device. The control circuit controls the switching circuit to disconnect the rectifier circuit from the load and connect the load to the battery if the DC power is less than or equal to a power threshold value, and drive the load by the DC power charged in the battery.

Abstract: A foreign object detector detects a metallic foreign object between a first resonator and a second resonator which is composed of a parallel resonant circuit including a coil and a capacitor. The foreign object detector includes the first resonator; an oscillator circuit capable of oscillating at a first frequency (f1) which is lower than a resonant frequency (fr) of the second resonator and at a second frequency (f2) which is higher than the resonant frequency (fr); and a measurement circuit to measure changes in input impedance of the first resonator. The measurement circuit detects a metallic foreign object between the first resonator and the second resonator based on: changes in input impedance of the first resonator as measured by the measurement circuit while the oscillator circuit is oscillating at the first frequency f1; and changes in input impedance of the first resonator as measured by the measurement circuit while the oscillator circuit is oscillating at the second frequency f2.

Abstract: A power transmitting system in an embodiment is usable in a wireless power transmission system based on an electric field coupling method. The power transmitting system includes a first power transmitting device; and a second power transmitting device. The first power transmitting device includes a first power transmitting electrode pair, and a first matching circuit connected with the first power transmitting electrode pair. The second power transmitting device includes a second power transmitting electrode pair, and a second matching circuit connected with the second power transmitting electrode pair. A parasitic capacitance between the electrodes of the first power transmitting electrode pair is smaller than a parasitic capacitance between the electrodes of the second power transmitting electrode pair. The first matching circuit has a shunt capacitance larger than a shunt capacitance of the second matching circuit.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes: a solar cell; a light reflector above a surface of the solar cell or around the solar cell, the light reflector being elongated and including a light reflective film and an insulating component; a protective component that covers the surface of the solar cell; and an encapsulant between (i) the solar cell and the light reflector and (ii) the protective component. The light reflective film has an uneven structure in which a recessed portion and a protruding portion are repeated in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the light reflector, and a tangential direction of at least part of a ridge line of the protruding portion and the longitudinal direction intersect when the solar cell is seen in a plan view.

Abstract: A power transmission device having a surface a part of which defines a power transmission plane, the device includes: a power transmission circuit converting DC power into AC power; and a power transmission coil structure including 2N planar coils laminated in a direction which is perpendicular to the power transmission plane, the power transmission coil structure wirelessly transmitting the converted AC power to a power receiving coil of a power receiving device via the power transmission plane and being disposed on a side toward the power transmission plane in the power transmission device. The 2N planer coils constitute coil groups including a coil group in which a planar coil having an i'th highest inductance out of the 2N planar coils and a planar coil having an i'th-lowest inductance are connected in series and the coil groups are connected in parallel to each other.

Abstract: A power transmission device having a surface a part of which defines a power transmission plane. The device includes: a power transmission coil structure including 2N planar coils laminated in a perpendicular direction to the power transmission plane and wirelessly transmitting AC power to a power receiving device via the power transmission plane and being disposed on a side toward the power transmission plane; and a magnetic substance disposed on a side of the power transmission coil opposite from the power transmission plane, wherein the 2N planer coils constitute coil groups including a coil group in which an i'th closest planar coil to the power transmission plane out of the 2N planar coils and the i'th-closest planar coil to the magnetic substance out of the 2N planar coils are connected in series, and the coil groups are connected in parallel to each other.

Abstract: An electrode unit is used in a power transmitting device or a power receiving device of a wireless power transmission system based on an electric field coupling method. The electrode unit includes: a first electrode to which a first voltage is applied when power is transferred; a second electrode to which a second voltage antiphase to the first voltage is applied when power is transferred; and a third electrode spaced apart from the first and second electrodes, the third electrode having a third voltage whose amplitude is less than amplitudes of the first and second voltages when power is transferred. The first and second electrodes are arranged along an electrode installation plane. At least a portion of the third electrode does not overlap the first and second electrodes as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the electrode installation plane.

Abstract: A power transmitter includes: a first power transmission electrode having a flat surface; a second power transmission electrode that is spaced from the first power transmission electrode in a direction along the surface of the first power transmission electrode and has a flat surface; a power transmission circuit that is electrically connected to the first and second power transmission electrodes and outputs AC power to the first and second power transmission electrodes; a first conductive shield that is disposed between the first and second power transmission electrodes, the first conductive shield being spaced from each of the first and second power transmission electrodes; and at least one second conductive shield that is spaced from the first and second power transmission electrodes in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first power transmission electrode and covers at least one of a first gap and a second gap, the first gap being disposed between the first power transmission electrode and the

Abstract: A power transmitting device determines transmitting power P(t1) at a beginning of a first unit time, and transmitting power P(t2) at an end of the first unit time, stores a control parameter Q(t3) that determines a voltage of the transmitting power at a beginning of a second unit time, and a control parameter Q(t4) that determines a voltage of the transmitting power at an end of the second unit time, determines a power difference ?P=P(t2)?P(t1) and a difference ?Q=Q(t4)?Q(t3) in the control parameter Q, and, if the ?P is equal to or larger than a first threshold and an absolute value of the ?Q is equal to or larger than a second threshold, determines that there is a foreign object between a receiver resonator and a transmitter resonator and decreases the transmitting power output from an inverter circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a first well region of a first conductivity type; a second well region of a second conductivity type provided in an upper portion of the first well region; a first current suppression layer of a second conductivity type being provided to be separated from the first well region in a lower portion of a base-body of the second conductivity type directly under the first well region and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the base-body; and a second current suppression layer of the first conductivity type provided under the first current suppression layer so as to be exposed from a bottom surface of the base-body.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first well region of a second conductivity type formed in an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate, a second well region of the first conductivity type formed in an upper portion of the first well region, an insulating layer formed separated from the first well region on a bottom portion of the semiconductor substrate that is directly beneath the first well region, and a rear surface electrode layer formed on a bottom of the insulating layer.

Abstract: A solar cell module includes: first and second solar cell strings each including solar cells arranged in an arrangement direction and electrically connected to one another; and a light diffusion sheet disposed between the first and second solar cell strings. The first and second solar cell strings are disposed adjacent to each other and parallel to each other along the arrangement direction. The light diffusion sheet is disposed such that both side edge portions of the light diffusion sheet overlap light-receiving surface sides of side edge portions of the first and second solar cell strings.

Abstract: A wireless power transmission system according to the present disclosure includes: a pair of antennas, between which power is transmissible wirelessly by resonant magnetic coupling at a frequency f0, one of which is a series resonant circuit, and the other of which is a parallel resonant circuit; and a control section, which controls a transmission frequency according to the magnitude of the power being transmitted between the antennas. If the power transmitted between the antennas is greater than a reference value P1, the control section sets the transmission frequency to be a value that falls within a first level range that is higher than the frequency f0. But if the power is smaller than the reference value P1, then the control section sets the transmission frequency to be a value that falls within a second level range that is lower than the first level range.

Abstract: A wireless power transmission system includes: a power transmitting device; a power receiving device; and a relay device. In a state where the relay side switch circuit has the relay side rectifier and the relay side load in a non-contact state, and the receiving side switch circuit has the receiving side rectifier and the receiving side load in a non-contact state, power is transmitted from the power transmitting device to the power receiving device via the relay device. After a DC voltage output from the receiving side rectifier reaching a requested voltage of the power receiving device, the receiving side switch circuit connects the receiving side rectifier to the receiving side load at a timing T2 that is different from a timing T1 at which the relay side switch circuit connects the relay side rectifier to the relay side load.

Abstract: A power transmission device includes an inverter using a frequency f11 lower than a frequency f0 between a first resonator and a second resonator or a frequency f12 higher than the frequency f0 to generate a first power; an oscillator using a frequency f10 lower than a frequency fr between the first resonator and the second resonator or a frequency f20 higher than the frequency fr to generate a second power; and a power transmission control circuitry setting a foreign object detection period between first and second transmission periods, using the frequency f11 or frequency f12 in the first transmission period, using the frequency f10 or frequency f20 in the foreign object detection period, and if it is determined that a substance is present in the foreign object detection period, transmitting power in the second transmission period at a frequency different from the frequency used in the first transmission period.

Abstract: An electric power transmission device includes a first power transmitting electrode, a second power transmitting electrode, a conductive first shield disposed between the first power transmitting electrode and the second power transmitting electrode, a conductive second shield that covers at least one of a first gap between the first power transmitting electrode and the first shield or a second gap between the second power transmitting electrode and the first shield, and a conductive third shield that covers at least one of a plurality of gaps between a plurality of divided portions of the second shield.

Abstract: A power transmission device includes power transmission coils arranged in a line, a power transmission circuit connected to the power transmission coils and supplying the AC power to the power transmission coils, and control circuitry that switches an electrical connection state between the power transmission circuit and each of the power transmission coils, detect a relative position between the power receiving coil and each of the power transmission coils, selects a number of power transmission coils adjacent to each other based on the detected relative position, the selected number of power transmission coils being fixed, and causes the power transmission circuit to supply the AC power to the selected number of power transmission coils. In an array direction of the power transmission coils, a width Dwt of each of the power transmission coils is shorter than a width Dwr of the power receiving coil and Dwt/Dwr?0.875.

Abstract: A power transmitter wirelessly transmits electric power to a power receiver that includes a reception antenna. The power transmitter includes: an inverter circuit; a transmission antenna which sends out the AC power having been output from the inverter circuit; and a control circuit which, based on measurement values of voltage and current to be input to the inverter circuit, determines a value of a control parameter defining an output voltage from the inverter circuit and controls the inverter circuit by using the determined value of the control parameter. When at least one of the measurement values of voltage and current to be input to the inverter circuit changes, the control circuit changes the value of the control parameter based on the measurement values of voltage and current so that a voltage to be output from the power receiving circuit is maintained within a predetermined range.