Wireless power transmission system and method
First Claim
1. A switched-beam wireless power transmission system, comprising:
- at least one electromagnetic radiation source;
a plurality of wireless power receivers each collocated with a beacon that radiates a pilot signal when the beacon is in an active state; and
an array of transmitting antennas that receives the pilot signal from the active beacon and radiates electromagnetic radiation from the at least one electromagnetic radiation source in the direction of the wireless power receiver collocated with the beacon in the active state,wherein the direction of the radiated electromagnetic radiation is switched among the wireless power receivers based upon which beacon is in an active state;
wherein the wireless power receivers and the beacons are on a single object;
wherein the beacons are successively activated to successively direct the electromagnetic radiation to different of the wireless power receivers on the single object; and
wherein the transmitting antennas are retrodirective antennas that are steered at least in part electronically successively to the different of the wireless power receivers on the single object.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless power transmission system including at least one source of electromagnetic radiation, a plurality of wireless power receivers that receive radiated electromagnetic energy, a beacon collocated with each wireless power receiver, wherein the beacon generates and radiates a pilot signal when the beacon is in an active state, and an array of transmitting antennas connected to the source of electromagnetic radiation that radiates the electromagnetic radiation in the direction of the beacon in the active state. The electromagnetic radiation can be electronically steered from one wireless power receiver to another by activating and deactivating the beacons collocated with each wireless power receiver.
310 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A switched-beam wireless power transmission system, comprising:
-
at least one electromagnetic radiation source; a plurality of wireless power receivers each collocated with a beacon that radiates a pilot signal when the beacon is in an active state; and an array of transmitting antennas that receives the pilot signal from the active beacon and radiates electromagnetic radiation from the at least one electromagnetic radiation source in the direction of the wireless power receiver collocated with the beacon in the active state, wherein the direction of the radiated electromagnetic radiation is switched among the wireless power receivers based upon which beacon is in an active state; wherein the wireless power receivers and the beacons are on a single object; wherein the beacons are successively activated to successively direct the electromagnetic radiation to different of the wireless power receivers on the single object; and wherein the transmitting antennas are retrodirective antennas that are steered at least in part electronically successively to the different of the wireless power receivers on the single object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of wirelessly transmitting power from a retrodirective array to an array of wireless power receivers on a single movable object, the method comprising:
-
(i) activating a beacon on a wireless power receiver on the object by radiating a pilot signal with the beacon; (ii) receiving the pilot signal, extracting the phase from the pilot signal, and forming a conjugated signal with a receiving unit on each element in the retrodirective array; (iii) amplifying each conjugated signal with an amplifier; (iv) radiating each amplified signal in the direction of the activated beacon with a transmitting antenna on each element in the retrodirective array; (v) receiving the amplified signal with the wireless power receiver that is collocated with the activated beacon; and (vi) deactivating the activated beacon by extinguishing the pilot signal and repeating steps (i)-(v) for a beacon on a different wireless power receiver on the object; wherein the radiating of each amplified signal further comprises radiating the amplified signal such that the signals radiated from each transmitting antenna add in phase successively at the different activated beacons, thereby steering the amplified signal electronically between the wireless power receivers. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification