TECHNIQUES FOR DELIVERING PULSED WIRELESS POWER

• US 20170085129A1
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Inventors: Zeine, Hatem, Wilson, Thomas H., Clark, K. Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 10,312,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A transmitter assembly is useful in optimizing in the delivery of wireless power to a plurality of receivers. Each receiver measures its own battery need for power and transmits that measurement as a request to the transmitter. The transmitter is configured to normalize and compare battery need requests. The transmitter then allocates pulses of wireless power among the requesting receivers according to their battery need.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission apparatus comprising:

allocation means for allocating wireless power pulses among wireless power receivers in accordance with battery charging requests received from one or more of the wireless power receivers; and

control means for directing multiple antennae of an antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses to different ones of the wireless power receivers by modifying phases of at least a subset of the multiple antennae.

2. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving the battery charging requests from the one or more wireless power receivers.

3. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 2, wherein the battery charging requests are received with beacon signals from the one or more wireless power receivers, the beacon signals indicating relative locations of the one or more wireless power receivers in a wireless power delivery environment.

4. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 2, wherein the battery charging requests are received within data packets from the one or more wireless power receivers via a side-channel.

5. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means are further configured for modifying one or more of transmission frequency, timing, amplitude or direction of the multiple antennae of the antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses.

6. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the allocation means allocates the wireless power pulses to a subset of the wireless power receivers based on charging needs of the wireless power receivers, and wherein the battery charging requests indicate the charging needs of the corresponding wireless power receivers.

7. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 6, wherein the allocation means further allocates the of wireless power pulses to the wireless power receivers based on a predictive model.

8. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the battery charging requests includes at least one metric, the metric comprising one or more of a State-of-Charge, a Drain-Rate or a Received-Power.

9. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 8, wherein the metric is encoded or encrypted.

10. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

processing means for normalizing the battery charging need requests.

11. The wireless power transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna array comprises a phased transmission array.

12. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to;

allocate wireless power pulses among wireless power receivers in accordance with battery charging requests received from one or more of the wireless power receivers; and

direct multiple antennae of an antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses to different ones of the wireless power receivers by modifying phases of at least a subset of the multiple antennae.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to extract the battery charging requests from beacon signals received from the one or more wireless power receivers.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to extract the battery charging requests from data packets received from the one or more wireless power receivers via a side-channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, further direct the processing system to modify one or more of transmission frequency, timing, amplitude or direction of the multiple antennae of the antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to allocates the wireless power pulses to a subset of the wireless power receivers based on charging needs of the wireless power receivers, wherein the battery charging requests indicate the charging needs of the corresponding wireless power receivers.

17. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

an antenna array comprising multiple antennae;

a processing system configured to;

allocate wireless power pulses among wireless power receivers in accordance with battery charging requests received from one or more of the wireless power receivers; and

direct multiple antennae of an antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses to different ones of the wireless power receivers by modifying phases of at least a subset of the multiple antennae.

18. The wireless power transmission system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive the battery charging requests from the one or more wireless power receivers.

19. The wireless power transmission system of claim 17, wherein the battery charging requests are received with beacon signals from the one or more wireless power receivers or within data packets from the one or more wireless power receivers via a side-channel.

20. The wireless power transmission system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is further configured to modify one or more of transmission frequency, timing, amplitude or direction of the multiple antennae of the antenna array to transmit the allocated wireless power pulses.