Boost Converter and Controller for Increasing Voltage Received from Wireless Power Transmission Waves

• US 20180131238A1
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Published: 05/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,186,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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: H02M 1/0022 the disturbance parameters being input voltage fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/05 Capacitor coupled rectifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/066 particular circuits having a special characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

An exemplary method of receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmitter includes, at a wireless power receiver having a controller, an antenna, a rectifier coupled with the antenna, and a boost converter coupled with the rectifier: (i) rectifying, by the rectifier, energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage, (ii) increasing, by the boost converter, the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller, and (iii) controlling, by the controller, an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

Claims

1. A wireless power receiver comprising:

a controller;

a rectifier coupled to an antenna of the wireless power receiver, the rectifier being configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;

a boost converter coupled to the rectifier, the boost converter being configured to increase the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and

the controller configured to control an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

2. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein the comparison involves comparing the first voltage with a reference voltage generated by the controller.

3. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and

the amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage is controlled by the controller based also at least in part on a power level required by the electronic device.

4. The wireless power receiver of claim 3, wherein the electronic device houses the wireless power receiver.

5. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein the antenna receives the wireless power transmission waves from a remote wireless power transmitter.

6. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmission waves are radio frequency power transmission waves.

7. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein the controller is a microcontroller.

8. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the antenna is one of a plurality of antennas; and

the rectifier is one a plurality of rectifiers, and each of the plurality of rectifiers, including the rectifier, is configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the plurality of antennas into the first voltage.

9. The wireless power receiver of claim 8, wherein:

the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and

a number of rectifiers is included in the plurality of rectifiers so as to supply a power level power required by the electronic device.

10. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, further comprising an inductor coupled to the rectifier, the inductor being configured to:

receive the first voltage from the rectifier, and

provide the second voltage to an output terminal of the boost converter.

11. The wireless power receiver of claim 10, wherein:

the wireless power receiver further comprises a plurality of transistors coupled to the inductor and the controller; and

the controller is configured to control the amount of increase in voltage by controlling the plurality of transistors.

12. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the energy rectified by the rectifier is an alternating current; and

the antenna is configured to convert energy from the wireless power transmission waves into the alternating current.

13. The wireless power receiver of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is coupled with a comparator; and

the comparison is performed by the comparator.

14. An electronic device comprising:

a wireless power receiver, comprising;

a controller;

a rectifier coupled to an antenna of the wireless power receiver, the rectifier being configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;

a boost converter coupled to the rectifier, the boost converter being configured to increase the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and

the controller configured to control an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

15. A method of receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmitter, the method comprising:

at a wireless power receiver having a controller, an antenna, a rectifier coupled with the antenna, and a boost converter coupled with the rectifier;

rectifying, by the rectifier, energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;

increasing, by the boost converter, the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and

controlling, by the controller, an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.