Power receiver circuit

• US 10,110,017 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Bolus, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Skibinski, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/940,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20180219383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 208 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for a power receiver circuit. A power receiver circuit may include power generating elements that may generate alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include group circuits that may connect power generating elements in parallel to combine the alternating current from the power generating elements into a single alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include rectifier circuits which may include rectifier channels connected to the group circuits and may include a rectifier that may generate direct current from alternating current. The power receiver circuit may include a step down converter connected to rectifier circuits that may convert direct current to direct current of a target voltage level. An output switch and linear regulator may be connected to the step down converter, and a microcontroller may be connected to the linear regulator and the output switch and may control the output switch.

Claims

1. A power receiver circuit device comprising:

a voltage bus comprising two or more capacitors;

two or more undervoltage lockouts, each undervoltage lockout having an input connected to one of the capacitors and an output, each of the two or more undervoltage lockouts configured to disconnect its output when a voltage level input to the undervoltage lockout drops below a predetermined threshold, and wherein the predetermined threshold is different for at least two of the two or more undervoltage lockouts; and

two or more DC/DC converters, each DC/DC converter connected to one of the undervoltage lockouts, each DC/DC converter configured to convert a direct current signal of a predetermined voltage level to a direct current signal of a target voltage level, wherein the predetermined voltage level is different for at least two of the two or more DC/DC converters.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitors of the voltage bus receive direct current from one or more rectifiers.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more capacitors receive direct current of a different voltage than at least one other of the two or more capacitors.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the two more undervoltage lockouts is connected to one of the two or more capacitors, and wherein the undervoltage lockout is further connected to one of the two or more DC/DC converters.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the one of the two or more undervoltage lockouts is configured to disconnect its output into the one of the two or more DC/DC converters when a voltage level of a direct current signal input to the one of the two or more undervoltage lockouts drops below the predetermined threshold for the one of the two or more undervoltage lockouts.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the one of the two or more DC/DC converters is configured to convert a direct current signal of the predetermined voltage level to a direct current signal of the target voltage level.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a power generating mechanism comprising power generating elements that generate alternating current signals that are converted into direct current signals input to the two or more capacitors.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the power generating mechanism comprises a transducer array, and wherein the power generating elements comprise transducers.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the transducer array is an ultrasonic transducer array, and wherein the transducers are ultrasonic transducers.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the power generating mechanism comprises a radio frequency array.

11. A power receiver circuit device comprising:

a step down converter connected to one or more rectifier circuits, the step down converter configured to convert a direct current signal to a direct current signal of a target voltage level;

an output switch connected to the step down converter;

a linear regulator connected to the step down converter;

a microcontroller connected to the linear regulator and the output switch and configured to control the output switch.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the linear regulator is configured to convert a direct current signal from the step down converter to a direct current signal with a native voltage of the microcontroller.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the microcontroller is configured to control the output switch by opening the output switch and closing the output switch.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the microcontroller further comprises a radio configured to communicate with a transmitting device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate with the transmitting device using the radio when the linear regulator supplies sufficient power to operate the microcontroller.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the communication with the transmitting device comprises one or of sending a measurement of a voltage of a direct current signal input into the step down converter, sending a measurement of a voltage of a direct current signal input to the output switch, sending a measurement of an amperage of a direct current signal output by the output switch, sending a message indicating that voltage of the direct current input to the output switch has fallen below a predetermined threshold, receiving a message instructing the microcontroller to open the output switch, and receiving a message instructing the microcontroller to close the output switch.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the output switch is configured to output a direct current signal received from the step down converter when the output switch is closed and to output no signal when the output switch is open.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the step down converter is further configured to receive the direct current signal from the one or more rectifier circuits.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the direct current signal from the one or rectifier circuits has a varying voltage.

20. The device of claim 18, further comprising a power generating mechanism that generates one or more alternating current signals output to the one or more rectifier circuits.