ANTENNA ARRAY CALIBRATION FOR WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20160087337A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Granted Patent: US 9,837,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

Antenna array calibration for wireless charging is disclosed. In one aspect, an initial calibration sequence is performed each time a wireless charging station is powered on. The initial calibration sequence utilizes a reference antenna element, which is an antenna element randomly selected from a plurality of antenna elements in the wireless charging station, to determine relative receiver phase errors between the reference antenna element and each of the other antenna elements in an antenna array. In another aspect, a training sequence is performed after completing the initial calibration sequence to determine total relative phase errors between the reference antenna element and each of the other antenna elements in the antenna array. Adjustments can then be made to match respective total relative phase errors among the plurality of antenna elements to achieve phase coherency among the plurality of antenna elements for improved wireless charging power efficiency.

Claims

1. A wireless charging station, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements each comprising;

a receiver and a transmitter coupled to an antenna; and

a phase shift circuitry coupled to the transmitter and configured to adjust transmitter phase of the transmitter; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of antenna elements and configured to;

select a reference antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements wherein unselected ones of the plurality of antenna elements are non-reference antenna elements; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

transmit a first calibration signal from a transmitter of the reference antenna element;

measure phase a_x of the first calibration signal at a receiver of the reference antenna element;

measure phase b_x of the first calibration signal at a receiver of a non-reference antenna element;

transmit a second calibration signal from a transmitter of the non-reference antenna element;

measure phase a_y of the second calibration signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

measure phase b_y of the second calibration signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

determine relative receiver phase error and relative transmitter phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element based on the phase a_x, the phase a_y, the phase b_x, and the phase b_y.

2. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein:

each of the plurality of antenna elements further comprises a register; and

the controller is further configured to store the relative receiver phase error and the relative transmitter phase error in the register of the reference antenna element and the register of the non-reference antenna element.

3. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

instruct the plurality of antenna elements to transmit a plurality of wireless signals to a receiving device, respectively;

receive a first power measurement from the receiving device indicating a first total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

instruct at least one of the plurality of antenna elements to increase power level of at least one respective wireless signal by a predetermined amount;

receive a second power measurement from the receiving device indicating a second total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase coherent if the second power measurement increases from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount; and

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase incoherent if the second power measurement does not increase from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount.

4. The wireless charging station of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first power measurement and the second power measurement via a wireless link in one of the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands.

5. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

configure the plurality of antenna elements to receive a wireless training signal from a training device;

measure phase t_x of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the reference antenna element based on the phase t_x; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

measure phase t_y of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element based on the phase t_y; and

determine total relative phase error between the transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element and the transmitter phase of the reference antenna element.

6. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to match the total relative phase error among the plurality of antenna elements.

7. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to:

instruct the plurality of antenna elements to transmit a plurality of wireless signals to a receiving device, respectively;

receive a first power measurement from the receiving device indicating a first total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

instruct at least one of the plurality of antenna elements to increase power level of at least one wireless signal by a predetermined amount;

receive a second power measurement from the receiving device indicating a second total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase coherent if the second power measurement increases from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount; and

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase incoherent if the second power measurement does not increase from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount.

8. The wireless charging station of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first power measurement and the second power measurement via a wireless link in one of the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands.

9. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the total relative phase error between the transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element and the transmitter phase of the reference antenna element by adding the phase t_y and the phase b_y and subtracting the phase t_x and the phase b_x.

10. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase t_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element;

a multipath phase shift (P_X) experienced by the wireless training signal when traveling from a transmitter of the training device to the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the transmitter and a receiver in the training device.

11. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase t_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

a multipath phase shift (P_Y) experienced by the wireless training signal when traveling from a transmitter of the training device to the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the transmitter and a receiver in the training device.

12. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the plurality of antenna elements is configured to receive the wireless training signal at a same frequency as the first calibration signal and the second calibration signal.

13. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the relative receiver phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element by:

calculating a first sum by adding the phase a_y and the phase b_x;

calculating a second sum by adding the phase a_x and the phase b_y; and

subtracting the second sum from the first sum and then dividing by two.

14. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the relative transmitter phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element by:

calculating a first sum by adding the phase a_y and the phase b_y;

calculating a second sum by adding the phase a_x and the phase b_x; and

subtracting the second sum from the first sum and then dividing by two.

15. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase a_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_X) associated with the transmitter of the reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (λ

) associated with coupling the receiver of the reference antenna element to the transmitter of the reference antenna element to receive the first calibration signal.

16. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase a_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_Y) associated with the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (λ

) associated with coupling the receiver of the non-reference antenna element to the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element to receive the second calibration signal.

17. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase b_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_X) associated with the transmitter of the reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (P_XY) associated with a signal path that conveys the first calibration signal from the transmitter of the reference antenna element to the receiver of the non-reference antenna element.

18. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase b_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_Y) associated with the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (P_YX) associated with a signal path that conveys the second calibration signal from the receiver of the non-reference antenna element to the transmitter of the reference antenna element.

19. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the non-reference antenna element is configured to transmit the second calibration signal at a same frequency as the first calibration signal.

20. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the non-reference antenna element is configured to transmit the second calibration signal at a different frequency from the first calibration signal.