WIRELESS POWER DISTRIBUTION AND CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20110043163A1
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips IP Ventures B.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baarman, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,618,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

A wireless power distribution and control system may be used to supply power wirelessly to various devices. The devices in the system may have control over the system and/or over certain features of other devices. For example, a smartphone charging in the wireless power distribution and control system may have access to and control over other devices in the system, such as the overhead lights, or a projector in a conference room. The identification of other devices, as well as commands for controlling these devices may be communicated over the wireless power link. The type and degree of control of each device in that system may vary based on access control levels for the power supplies and connected devices. The devices that receive power may be configured to automatically connect with the power distribution system and to monitor the other devices connected to the system.

Claims

1. A wireless power distribution system comprising:

a power supply;

a plurality of remote wireless power supplies coupled with the power supply and configure to provide power wirelessly; and

a controller device that is configured to wirelessly receive power from one of the plurality of remote wireless power supplies, and to wirelessly receive a listing of available other devices in the system and control commands for those other devices;

wherein the controller device utilizes the control commands for controlling at least one of the other devices.

2. The wireless power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the other devices are connected with the power distribution system by receiving power wirelessly from the wireless power supply.

3. The wireless power distribution system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the other devices is configured to wirelessly receive a listing of a subset of the other devices and control commands for the subset of the other devices.

4. The wireless power distribution system of claim 3 wherein the at least one of the other devices controls the subset of the other devices, further wherein the controller device controls all the other devices including the at least one of the other devices.

5. The wireless charging power distribution system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the other devices is configured to receive confirmation from the wireless power distribution system before wirelessly receiving the listing of a subset of the other devices and the control commands for the subset of the other devices.

6. The wireless power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the power distribution system is less than 50 volts of direct current (“

VDC”

).

7. The wireless charging power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the controller device comprises:

an power receiver that couples with and receives power wirelessly from the wireless power supply or one of the plurality of remote wireless power supplies;

a software interface that is configured to receive an indication when the device is coupled with the wireless charging power distribution system, and that is configured to control other devices in the wireless charging power distribution system when access restrictions are satisfied; and

a display that includes features that are available for control by the device, wherein those features can be adjusted with the device.

8. The wireless charging power distribution system of claim 7 wherein the software interface is coupled with a memory that stores control commands.

9. The wireless power distribution system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of remote wireless power supplies is associated with a particular location and the listing of available other devices is limited to devices associated with the one of the plurality of remote wireless power supplies that wirelessly provides power.

10. The wireless power distribution system of claim 9 wherein each of the other devices is associated with a location and each of the other devices is only provided in the listing when the controller device is at the associated location.

11. The wireless power distribution system of claim 1 further comprising another controller device that is coupled with the wireless power distribution system over a network and configured to receive a listing of available other devices in the system and control commands for those other devices, further wherein the another controller device utilizes the control commands for controlling at least one of the other devices.

12. The wireless power distribution system of claim 1 wherein the controller device controls voltage or current properties of the power supply.

13. In a computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for connecting with and establishing control in a wireless power distribution network, the storage medium comprising instructions operative for:

identifying the wireless power distribution network;

receiving, as part of a wireless power connection, an indication of other devices coupled with the wireless power distribution network;

establishing access controls for each of the other devices, wherein the access controls comprise features of the other devices that can be controlled; and

controlling the other devices depending on the access controls.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the indication of other devices.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving commands for controlling the other devices.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the commands are received as part of the wireless power connection.

17. A method for establishing control over devices in different wireless power distribution networks comprising:

receiving, at a controller device, an indication of a wireless power distribution network within proximity of the controller device;

automatically receiving a listing of available power supplies and other devices within the indicated wireless power distribution network;

accessing commands for at least some of the available power supplies and the other devices; and

controlling, when granted access, at least some of the available power supplies or the other devices based on the granted access with the controller device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the commands are received at the controller device as part of the wireless power connection.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at a device, an indication of another wireless power distribution network within proximity of the device when the device is within proximity to the another wireless power distribution network.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling of the at least some of the available power supplies comprise adjusting voltage or current properties of the at least some of the available power supplies.

21. A method for allowing control over a wireless power distribution network comprising:

identifying devices connected with the wireless power distribution network, wherein the network is configured to wirelessly provide power to the devices through one or more power supplies;

determining access control restrictions for devices;

providing a list of the connected to devices and command codes for certain devices to those devices whose access control restrictions allow for control over other devices; and

receiving the command codes from those devices for controlling the other devices.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the identifying comprises an identification for each of the connected devices

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the identification for each of the connected devices comprises a serial number for each device.