Wireless power supply method

• US 10,014,729 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tani, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tra, Quan
• Application Number:
  US15/066,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

A rotational deviation and a positional deviation of a power transmission antenna and a power reception antenna are adjusted using an amount of electric power received in adjustment antenna elements provided on the same plane as the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna.

Claims

1. A wireless power supply method for transmitting electric power by microwaves between a power transmission antenna and a power reception antenna configured by arranging a plurality of antenna elements on a plane, the wireless power supply method comprising:

receiving a microwave beam that is radiated from the power transmission antenna by a plurality of adjustment antenna elements arranged at equal distances from a center of the power reception antenna on the same plane as the power reception antenna; and

adjusting rotational deviation and positional deviation of the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna based on an amount of electric power that is received in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements,

providing on at least one rotation axis passing through the center of the power reception antenna on the same plane as the power reception antenna to the plurality of adjustment antenna elements when the plurality of adjustment antenna elements adjust the rotational deviation and the positional deviation of the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna based on the amount of electric power received in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements,

detecting the amount of electric power in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements provided on the rotation axis;

performing a rotation adjustment for the power reception antenna up to an angle where a value of the detected amount of electric power is maximized;

calculating a difference of the amount of electric power detected in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements provided on the rotation axis; and

moving the power reception antenna along the rotation axis until the calculated difference is included within a threshold.

2. The wireless power supply method according to claim 1,

wherein when the rotation axis comprises two ration axes orthogonal to each other at the center of the power reception antenna, and the plurality of adjustment antenna elements adjust the rotational deviation and the positional deviation of the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna based on the amount of electric power received in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements, the plurality of adjustment antenna elements being provided on two locations that are equal distances from the center of the power reception antenna along the respective rotation axes, the amount of electric power is detected in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements provided on each of the two rotation axes, the rotation adjustment for the power reception antenna is performed up to the angle where the value of the detected amount of electric power is maximized, the differences of the amount of electric power detected in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements provided on at least one rotation axis of the two rotation axes are calculated, and the power reception antenna is moved along the one of the rotation axes until the calculated difference is included within a threshold.

3. A wireless power supply method for transmitting electric power by microwaves between a power transmission antenna and a power reception antenna configured by arranging a plurality of antenna elements on a plane, the wireless power supply method comprising:

receiving a microwave beam that is radiated from the power transmission antenna by a plurality of adjustment antenna elements arranged at equal distances from a center of the power reception antenna on the same plane as the power reception antenna; and

adjusting rotational deviation and positional deviation of the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna based on an amount of electric power that is received in the plurality of adjustment antenna elements,

wherein, in the adjusting, the rotational deviation and the positional deviation are adjusted by switching the microwave beam transmitted from the power transmission antenna to a weak electromagnetic wave, when adjusting the rotational deviation and the positional deviation of the power transmission antenna and the power reception antenna.