Joint Selection of Antennas and Transmission Power Level for Wireless Energy Transfer

• US 20180109150A1
• Filed: 10/15/2016
• Published: 04/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khan, Talha Ahmed, YAZDAN PANAH, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 10,236,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for jointly selecting a plurality of antennas and a transmission power level, for transmitting a wireless energy transfer (WET) signal from a base station to a device are disclosed. One apparatus includes a base station, wherein the base station includes a plurality of N antennas configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, and a controller connected to the plurality of N antennas through a plurality of RF (radio frequency) chains. The controller is configured to jointly select a plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and a transmission power level, for transmitting a wireless energy transfer (WET) signal from the base station to a device based on an activation threshold of the device and a saturation level of the device.

Claims

1. A base station, comprising:

a plurality of N antennas configured to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals;

a controller, the controller connected to the plurality of N antennas through a plurality of RF (radio frequency) chains, wherein the controller is configured to;

jointly select a plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and a transmission power level, for transmitting a wireless energy transfer (WET) signal from the base station to a device based on an activation threshold of the device and a saturation level of the device.

2. The base station of claim 1, wherein the activation threshold is a level of the wireless energy transfer signal needed to activate the device.

3. The base station of claim 1, wherein the saturation level of the device is a level of the wireless energy transfer signal wherein wireless energy transfer signal energy above this level does not provide additional energy to the device.

4. The base station of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operative to determine the activation threshold of the device and the saturation level of the device based on uplink communication from the device to the base station.

5. The base station of claim 4, wherein the base station receives the uplink communication after transmitting the wireless energy transfer signal to the device above the activation threshold.

6. The base station of claim 4, wherein the base station is further configured to jointly select the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level based on a channel estimate of a communication channel between the base station and the device.

7. The base station of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the channel estimate based on a training signal within at least a portion of the uplink communication from the device to the base station.

8. The base station of claim 1, wherein downlink wireless energy transfer (WET) signals and uplink wireless information transfer (WIT) signals are scheduled according to frames.

9. The base station of claim 8, wherein the base station is further configured to jointly select the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level based on a percentage or fraction of one or more of the frames that is allocated for WET signals.

10. The base station of claim 1, wherein the base station is further configured to jointly select the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level based on a number of devices communicating with the base station.

11. The base station of claim 1, wherein the base station is further configured to jointly select the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level based on a system bandwidth between base station and the device.

12. The base station of claim 1, wherein the base station is further configured to jointly select the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level based on an efficiency of a power amplifier of the base station.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by one or more of a plurality of N antennas of a base station, an electromagnetic signal to a device;

jointly selecting, by a controller of the base station, a plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and a transmission power level, for transmitting a wireless energy transfer (WET) signal from the base station to a device based on an activation threshold of the device and a saturation level of the device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining, by the controller, the activation threshold of the device and the saturation level of the device based on uplink communication from the device to the base station.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the base station receives the uplink communication after transmitting the wireless energy transfer signal to the device above the activation threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the jointly selecting, by the controller of the base station, the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level is further based on a channel estimate of a communication channel between the base station and the device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein downlink wireless energy transfer (WET) signals and uplink wireless information transfer (WIT) signals are scheduled according to frames.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the jointly selecting, by the controller of the base station, the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level is further based on a percentage or fraction of one or more of the frames that is allocated for WET signals.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the jointly selecting, by the controller of the base station, the plurality of M of the plurality of N antennas and the transmission power level is further based on an efficiency of a power amplifier of the base station.