Enhanced Transmitter for Wireless Power Transmission

• US 20150340910A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Petras, Jason, Leabman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,793,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

An enhanced transmitter for wireless power transmission is disclosed. The transmitter may be able to transmit radio frequency (RF) waves or pockets of energy for charging or powering an electronic device. The transmitter may include antenna element arrangements for receiving RF waves from a plurality of wireless sources and process them using a dedicated RF integrated circuit (RFIC) and set of antenna elements for receiving RF input signals from a plurality of wireless power sources. A digital signal processor (DSP) may be used to control reception using the dedicated RFIC and antenna elements of reception and to control transmission of wireless power selecting the transmitting RFICs and configuration of antenna elements to send RF waves or pockets of energy to a wireless receiver. The frequency of RF waves received may be sampled through a down converter array and line addressing devices to send the signals received to a micro-controller including a proprietary algorithm which control switching and processing necessary for faster and enhanced wireless power transmission, thus improving transmission efficiency.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling transmission of pocket-forming wireless signals suitable for charging devices, comprising:

a controller;

at least one receiving circuit, operatively coupled to the controller;

a plurality of transmitting circuits, operatively coupled to the controller; and

an antenna array, comprising a plurality of antenna elements, wherein a first portion of the plurality of antenna elements are respectively coupled to the at least one receiving circuit and wherein a second portion of the plurality of antenna elements are respectively coupled to the transmitting circuits,

the receiving circuit being configured to sample and process frequencies of incoming RF signals using the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the transmitting circuit for pocket-forming based on the processed frequencies.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the transmitting circuit by selecting at least some of the second portion of antenna elements for concentrating transmission of the pocket-forming wireless signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the selected second portion of antenna elements concentrate transmission of the pocket-forming wireless signals by wirelessly broadcasting RF power waves that converge in 3-dimensional space to form pockets of energy in a 3-dimensional shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is one of a microcontroller, a digital signal processor and an ARM microprocessor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to process frequencies by down-converting ranges of frequencies of the RF signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to adjust at least one of phase and relative magnitude of frequencies of the incoming RF signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna elements comprise patch antennas.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communications component, operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the communications component is configured to receive information for processing by the controller to optimize a time and one or more locations for the pocket-forming transmission.

9. An apparatus for controlling transmission of pocket-forming wireless signals suitable for charging devices, comprising:

an antenna array, comprising a plurality of antenna elements, wherein a first portion of the plurality of antenna elements are respectively coupled to at least one receiving circuit and wherein a second portion of the plurality of antenna elements are respectively coupled to a plurality of transmitting circuits; and

a controller, operatively coupled to the at least one receiving circuit and the plurality of transmitting circuits, wherein the controller is configured to send switching signals to the at least one receiving circuit to select a sub-portion of the first portion of antenna elements to receive incoming RF signals,

and wherein the controller is configured to process frequencies of the received RF signals and control operation of the transmitting circuit for pocket-forming based on the processing.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sub-portion comprises at least one or rows and columns of antenna elements in the antenna array

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the transmitting circuit by selecting at least some of the second portion of antenna elements for concentrating transmission of the pocket-forming wireless signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected second portion of antenna elements concentrate transmission of the pocket-forming wireless signals by wirelessly broadcasting RF power waves that converge in 3-dimensional space to form pockets of energy in a 3-dimensional shape.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is one of a microcontroller, a digital signal processor and an ARM microprocessor.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to process frequencies by down-converting ranges of frequencies of the RF signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the receiving circuit is configured to adjust at least one of phase and relative magnitude of frequencies of the incoming RF signals.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the antenna elements comprise patch antennas.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a communications component, operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the communications component is configured to receive information for processing by the controller to optimize a time and one or more locations for the pocket-forming transmission.

18. A method for providing wireless pocket-forming power, comprising:

transmitting and receiving, by one or more antennas in an antenna array coupled to a receiver circuit and a transmitter circuit, RF status signals, the RF status signals including location information of a device;

processing the received RF status signals in a controller;

controlling the generation RF power waves for the transmitter circuit via the controller, at least in accordance with the location information of the processed RF signals; and

transmitting the generated RF power waves to the device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising generating at least two RF power waves.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

phase shifting and gain adjusting one of the at least two RF power waves with respect to the other of the at least two RF power waves, to generate constructive and destructive interference patterns of RF power waves.