SENDER CONTROLLER FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20160218564A1
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Meredith
• Granted Patent: US 10,097,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/18 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/26 Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/341 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic 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 7/00 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 5/00 Amplitude modulation and angle modulation produced simultaneously or at will by the same modulating signal H03C7/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/00 Transducers other than those covered by groups H04R9/00 - H04R21/00 diaphragms for transducers of the distributed-mode type H04R7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a signal generator;

an amplifier coupled to the signal generator, said amplifier configured to receive power from a power source and to generate an electrical transmission signal adapted to be used to generate waves;

a sender transducer coupled to the amplifier, the sender transducer adapted and configured to generate waves having a first phase based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier;

a sender communications device; and

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the signal generator, the amplifier the sender transducer and the sender communications device, the controller receiving a signal from the communications device and changing a configuration parameter of the sender based upon the received signal, the sender controller adapted to change the first phase to a second phase based on the changing of the configuration parameter, energy from the waves having the first phase being converted into electrical energy at a first efficiency, energy from the waves having the second phase being converted into electrical energy at a second efficiency, and wherein the first efficiency is different than the second efficiency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller causes the sender transducer to emit the waves based on the proximity of the sender transducer to a receiver transducer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller changes a steering parameter based on the signal received from the communications device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller causes the sender transducer to emit waves having at least one amplitude and to change the amplitude of at least some of the waves based on the proximity of the sender transducer to a receiver transducer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller is adapted and configured to modulate the phase of the electrical signal delivered to at least one aperture to change the focus of the energy radiated by the aperture.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sender controller is adapted and configured to send a first electrical signal having a first phase to a first aperture and a second electrical signal having a second phase to a second aperture.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller is adapted and configured to control the focal length of the energy.

8. A method for controlling a transducer at a sender having at least a first value of a configuration parameter, comprising:

causing the sender transducer to send energy having a first phase to a receiver in accordance with the first value of the configuration parameter, the energy having the first phase being converted into electrical energy at a first efficiency; and

causing the sender transducer to send energy having a second phase to the receiver in accordance with a second value of the configuration parameter, the energy having the second phase being converted into electrical energy at a second efficiency, wherein the second efficiency is different than the first efficiency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second value of the configuration parameter is received from a receiver.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second value of the configuration parameter is generated based on input from a receiver.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second configuration parameter is a power level at which the energy is sent.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameter is a steering parameter.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameter is a characteristic of a receiver.