SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING POWER WAVES IN A WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEM

• US 20170110888A1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: LEABMAN, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,778,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein may generate and transmit power waves that, as result of their physical waveform characteristics (e.g., frequency, amplitude, phase, gain, direction), converge at a predetermined location in a transmission field to generate a pocket of energy. Receivers associated with an electronic device being powered by the wireless charging system, may extract energy from these pockets of energy and then convert that energy into usable electric power for the electronic device associated with a receiver. The pockets of energy may manifest as a three-dimensional field (e.g., transmission field) where energy may be harvested by a receiver positioned within or nearby the pocket of energy.

Claims

1. A method of wireless power transmission system, the method comprising:

calculating, by a transmitter, a specific absorption rate (SAR) value at each spatial location within a transmission field of the transmitter with respect to one or more power waves radiated from one or more antennas of the transmitter;

determining, by the transmitter, a selected portion within the transmission field where the calculated SAR value fails a pre-defined SAR value threshold; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, the one or more power waves to converge destructively at or proximate to the selected portion within the transmission field.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the transmitter, the one or more power waves to converge constructively within portions in the transmission field where the calculated SAR value is less than the pre-defined SAR value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more power waves converge destructively to form the one or more null spaces.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined SAR value is about 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/Kg).

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the transmitter location data about a location associated with one or more receivers within a transmission field of the transmitter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more power waves are selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic wave, radio wave, microwave, acoustics, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises one or more antenna arrays, and wherein each of the one or more antenna arrays comprises one or more antennas.

8. A method of wireless power transmission system, the method comprising:

determining, by a transmitter, a specific absorption rate (SAR) value at each spatial location within a transmission field of the transmitter with respect to one or more power waves radiated from one or more antennas;

determining, by the transmitter, a selected portion within the transmission field where the received SAR value is greater than a pre-defined SAR value;

transmitting, by the transmitter, the one or more power waves to converge destructively at or proximate to the selected portion within the transmission field; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, the one or more power waves to converge constructively to form a null space at remaining portions within the transmission field.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the pre-defined SAR value is about 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/Kg).

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the power waves are selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic wave, radio wave, microwave, acoustics, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter comprises one or more antenna arrays, and wherein each of the one or more antenna arrays comprises the one or more antennas.

12. A system for wireless power transmission, the system comprising:

one or more transmitters, each of the one or more transmitters comprising;

a microprocessor configured to calculate a specific absorption rate (SAR) value at one or more spatial locations within a transmission field of the transmitter, and determine a selected portion within the transmission field where the calculated SAR value is greater than a pre-defined SAR value; and

one or more antenna arrays, wherein one or more of the antenna arrays comprise one or more antennas configured to transmit power waves to converge destructively to form a null space at or proximate to the selected portion within the transmission field.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is configured to, when the calculated SAR value is greater than the pre-defined SAR value, select:

the at least one antenna from the one or more antennas, the output frequency of the power waves, the shape of the one or more antenna arrays, and the spacing of the one or more antennas in the at least one antenna array, to transmit the one or more power waves that converge destructively to form the null space at or proximate to the selected portion within the transmission field.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor is configured to, when the calculated SAR value is less than the pre-defined SAR value, select:

the at least one transmitter from the one or more transmitters, the output frequency of the power waves, the shape of the one or more antenna arrays, and the spacing of the one or more antennas in the at least one antenna array, to transmit the power waves that converge constructively within or proximate to portions in the transmission field where the calculated SAR value is less than the pre-defined SAR value.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the pre-defined SAR value is about 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/Kg).

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the power waves comprise chirp waves having frequency that is continually being varied.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a receiver, the receiver comprising one or more antennas configured to receive energy from the one or more power waves for charging a targeted electronic device.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one antenna of the one or more transmitters is selected from the group consisting of a flat antenna, a patch antenna, and a dipole antenna, and wherein the height of the at least one antenna is from about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch, and wherein the width of at least one antenna is from about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the one or more antennas of the one or more transmitters are configured to operate in independent frequencies that allow a multichannel operation of pocket-forming in at least one of a single array, a pair array, and a quad array.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the power waves are selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic wave, radio wave, microwave, acoustics, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance.