Wireless communication device and wireless communication method

• US 10,284,254 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Ryoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sung S
• Application Number:
  US15/701,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20180269925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/7154 with means for preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a wireless communication device includes a communicator, a transmitter and controlling circuitry. The communicator is communicable using a plurality of first frequency channels. The transmitter transmits a signal using a second frequency channel having a bandwidth larger than that of each of the plurality of first frequency channels. The controlling circuitry selects the first frequency channel, of the plurality of first frequency channels, belonging to a band of the second frequency channel and uses the selected first frequency channel to perform channel estimation to acquire first channel information representing a state of the selected first frequency channel. The controlling circuitry calculates second channel information representing a state of the second frequency channel on a basis of the first channel information and control a directivity of the signal on the basis of the second channel information.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communicator configured to communicate through a first frequency channel of first frequency channels;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal of wireless power transfer to a first wireless communication device through a second frequency channel; and

controlling circuitry configured to estimate a first state of at least one of the first frequency channels, wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to estimate a second state of the second frequency channel based on the first state of at least one of the first frequency channels and control a directivity of the signal on the basis of the second state of the second frequency channel.

2. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

while the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal of wireless power transfer, the communicator is configured to communicate with a second wireless communication device through at least one of third frequency channels which does not overlap the second frequency channel.

3. The wireless communication device according to claim 2, wherein

the communicator is configured to communicate by frequency hopping of the third frequency channels.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal of wireless power transfer during a period of time in which the communicator does not communicate.

5. The wireless communication device according to claim 4, wherein,

the communicator is configured to communicate by frequency hopping of the first frequency channels.

6. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to select two or more of the first frequency channels and estimate first states of the selected first frequency channels, and is configured to estimate the second state of the second frequency channel based on the first states of the selected first frequency channels.

7. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the communicator is configured to transmit information specifying the least one of the first frequency channels to the first wireless communication device,

the communicator is configured to receive a first signal for channel estimation via the specified first frequency channel from the first wireless communication device, and

the controlling circuitry is configured to estimate the first state on the basis of the received first signal for channel estimation.

8. The wireless communication device according to claim 7, wherein

the communicator is configured to select two or more first frequency channels and transmit information specifying the selected first frequency channels to the first wireless communication device,

the communicator is configured to receive a second signal for channel estimation from the first wireless communication device via the specified first frequency channels, and

the controlling circuitry is configured to estimate first states of the selected first frequency channels on the basis of the received second signal for channel estimation and estimate the second state on the basis of the first states.

9. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

a frequency hand of the second frequency channel overlaps frequency bands of the first frequency channels.

10. The wireless communication device according to claim 9, wherein

in a case that a predefined condition regarding the wireless power transfer is met, the controlling circuitry is configured to estimate the first state of the at least one of the first frequency channels.

11. The wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein

the predefined condition is a condition regarding a remaining battery charge of the first wireless communication device, a condition regarding a wireless power transfer efficiency to the first wireless communication device, or a condition regarding a wireless power transfer environment.

12. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to calculate a weight for each of a plurality of antennas on the basis of the second state and the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal of wireless power transfer by forming a beam based on the weight.

13. The wireless communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a phased array antenna, wherein

the controlling circuitry is configured to adjust setting of the phased array antenna on the basis of the second state.

14. A wireless communication method comprising:

communicating through a first frequency channel of first frequency channels;

transmitting a signal of wireless power transfer to a first wireless communication device through a second frequency channel;

estimating a first state of at least one of the first frequency channels;

estimating a second state of the second frequency channels based on the first state of at least one of the first frequency channels; and

controlling a directivity of the signal on the basis of the second state of the second frequency channel.

15. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, comprising:

communicating with a second wireless communication device through at least one of third frequency channels which does not overlap the second frequency channel during a period when the signal of wireless power transfer is transmitted.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 15, comprising:

communicating by frequency hopping of the first frequency channels.

17. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, comprising:

transmitting of wireless power transfer during a period of time in which the communicator does not communicate.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, comprising:

communicating by frequency hopping of the first frequency channels.

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, comprising:

selecting two or more of the first frequency channels;

estimating first states of the selected first frequency channels; and

estimating the second state of the second frequency channel based on the first states of the selected first frequency channels.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 14, comprising:

transmitting information specifying the at least one of the first frequency channels; and

receiving a signal for channel estimation via the specified first frequency channel from the first wireless communication device; and

estimating the first state on the basis of the received signal for channel estimation.