Method and system for a battery charging station utilizing multiple types of power transmitters for wireless battery charging

• US 9,407,111 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Array IP LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Golba LLC
• Inventors: Moshfeghi, Sina, Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US14/791,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/114, 320/115, 320/138, 700/297, 713/310, 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charging station is equipped with radio frequency power transmitters, induction power transmitters, and ultrasound power transmitters so as to concurrently charge electronic devices. The battery charging station is operable to network the electronic devices through wireless communication. In this regard, the battery charging station may coordinate or arrange the radio frequency power transmitters, the induction power transmitters and/or the ultrasound power transmitters so that the resulting power transmission from the battery charging station to one or more intended networked electronic devices may be maximized. The battery charging station may wirelessly communicate with the electronic devices for device networking. The networked electronic devices may be connected to a computer network for various network services such as, for example, network advertising and software downloading or uploading. Both direct and in-direct device-to-device communication may be supported among the networked electronic devices. The battery charging station maintains data communication during battery charging.

Claims

1. A method of processing signals, the method comprising:

in a battery charging station that comprises a set of sensors, and a radio frequency power transmitter comprising a plurality of transceivers, each transceiver comprising a plurality of antennas;

by the set of sensors, sensing a location of a battery adapter of an electronic device;

based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, configuring antenna patterns of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of the transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals comprising radio frequency energy to the battery adapter of the electronic device; and

charging the electronic device utilizing said radio frequency signals'"'"' energy transmitted from the power transmitter to the electronic device.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising connecting said electronic device to a computer network that is accessible via said battery charging station.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising routing at least one of software and media content between said computer network and said electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising routing advertisements received from a set of content servers of said computer network to said electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising utilizing said radio frequency power transmitter to concurrently communicate data with the electronic device and charging the electronic device.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a transmit power of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a radio frequency of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a direction of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a radio frequency beam polarization of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising configuring, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a channel coding of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, wherein the battery charging station further comprises an ultrasound power transmitter, the method further comprising:

concurrently;

charging the first electronic device utilizing said radio frequency power transmitter; and

charging a second electronic device utilizing said ultrasound power transmitter.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, wherein the battery charging station further comprises an induction power transmitter, the method further comprising:

concurrently;

charging the first electronic device utilizing said radio frequency power transmitter; and

charging a second electronic device utilizing said induction power transmitter.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising networking the first and second electronic devices during or after said charging, wherein the first and second electronic devices communicate among one another via the battery charging station.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising networking the first and second electronic devices during or after said charging, wherein the first and second electronic devices directly communicate among one another without communicating via said battery charging station.

15. A battery charging station comprising a set of sensors, one or more processors and a radio frequency power transmitter comprising a plurality of transceivers, each transceiver comprising a plurality of antennas,

the set of sensors operable to:

sense a location of a battery adapter of an electronic device; and

provide the location of the battery adapter to the set of processors;

said one or more processors operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, antenna patterns of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of the transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals comprising radio frequency energy to the battery adapter of the electronic device; and

said one or more transceivers operable to charge the electronic device utilizing said radio frequency signals'"'"' energy transmitted from the power transmitter to the electronic device.

16. The battery charging station according to claim 15, wherein said one or more processors are operable to connect said electronic device to a computer network that is accessible via said battery charging station.

17. The battery charging station according to claim 16, wherein said one or more processors are operable to route at least one of software and media content between said computer network and said electronic device.

18. The battery charging station according to claim 16, wherein said one or more processors are operable to route advertisements received from a set of content servers of said computer network to said plurality of electronic device.

19. The battery charging station according to claim 15, wherein said one or more processors are operable to utilize said radio frequency power transmitter to concurrently communicate data with said electronic device and charge said electronic device.

20. The battery charging station according to claim 15, said one or more processors further operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a transmit power of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

21. The battery charging station according to claim 15, said one or more processors further operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a radio frequency of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

22. The battery charging station according to claim 15, said one or more processors further operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a direction of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

23. The battery charging station according to claim 15, said one or more processors further operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a radio frequency beam polarization of the plurality of antennas of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

24. The battery charging station according to claim 15, said one or more processors further operable to configure, based on the location of the battery adapter of the electronic device, a channel coding of one or more transceivers in the plurality of transceivers to transmit radio frequency signals to the battery adapter of the electronic device.

25. The battery charging station according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, wherein the battery charging station further comprises an ultrasound power transmitter, the battery charging station further operable to concurrently:

charge the first electronic device utilizing said radio frequency power transmitter; and

charge a second electronic device utilizing said ultrasound power transmitter.

26. The battery charging station according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, wherein the battery charging station further comprises an induction power transmitter, the battery charging station further operable to concurrently:

charge the first electronic device utilizing said radio frequency power transmitter; and

charge a second electronic device utilizing said induction power transmitter.

27. The battery charging station according to claim 26, said one or more processors further operable to network the first and second electronic devices during or after said charging, wherein the first and second electronic devices communicate among one another via the battery charging station.

28. The battery charging station according to claim 26, said one or more processors further operable to network the first and second electronic devices during or after said charging, wherein the first and second electronic devices directly communicate among one another without communicating via said battery charging station.