Methods and systems for maximum power point transfer in receivers

• US 9,438,045 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Xuan
• Application Number:
  US14/584,869
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

A MPPT management method in a receiver used for wireless power transmission may include the monitoring of the power extracted from RF waves at a dedicated antenna element in the receiver; detecting MPPT at an intelligent input boost converter in the receiver; comparing the detected MPPT with MPPT tables stored or calculated within a main system micro-controller in the receiver; adjusting the MPPT at the intelligent boost converter to find a suitable maximum peak that may enable an optimal power extraction from RF waves.

Claims

1. A receiver for charging a device utilizing power transmission waves received at a plurality of antennas, the receiver comprising:

a first rectifier coupled to a first antenna element and configured to rectify a first enemy received at the first antenna element;

a second rectifier coupled to a second antenna element and configured to rectify a second energy received at the second antenna element;

an input boost converter coupled to the second rectifier and configured to adjust the second energy rectified by the second rectifier; and

a controller coupled to the first rectifier and the input boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to compare an available energy at the first rectifier with an energy received from the second rectifier via the input boost converter, and

transmit an operational instruction to the input boost converter to adjust the energy rectified by the second rectifier.

2. The receiver according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive a plurality of wireless power transmission signal waves.

3. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the input boost converter is further configured to determine at least one of a global power maximum and a local power maximum produced in the second rectifier.

4. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a maximum power point (MPP) value from the second rectifier via the input boost converter.

5. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the input boost converter comprises a second controller coupled to the controller.

6. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the operational instruction comprises data to configure the input boost converter to further step up the energy rectified by the first rectifier to a global power maximum.

7. The receiver according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to index the MPP value in a look-up table.

8. The receiver according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to compare an available energy to the MPP value to determine the operational instruction thereby.

9. The receiver according to claim 8, further comprising an output boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to determine a load requirement for the receiver, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of at least one of the input boost converter and the output boost converter based on the load requirement.

10. A method for charging a device utilizing power transmission waves received at a plurality of antennas of a receiver, the method comprising:

rectifying, by a first rectifier of a receiver, a first enemy received at a first antenna element coupled to the first rectifier;

rectifying, by a second rectifier of the receiver, a second enemy received at a second antenna element coupled to the second rectifier;

adjusting, by an input boost converter of the receiver and coupled to the second rectifier, the second enemy rectified by the second rectifier; and

comparing, by the receiver, an available energy at a first rectifier with an energy received from a second rectifier via an input boost converter; and

transmitting, by the receiver, an operational instruction to the input boost converter to adjust the energy rectified by the second rectifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising stepping up, by the input boost converter, the energy rectified by the second rectifier.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining, by the receiver, at least one of a global power maximum and a local power maximum produced in the second rectifier.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining, by the receiver, a maximum power point (MPP) value from the second rectifier via the input boost converter.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the input boost converter comprises a second controller coupled to the controller.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the operational instruction comprises data to configure the input boost converter to further step up the energy rectified by the second rectifier to the global power maximum value.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising indexing, by the receiver, the MPP value in a look-up table.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

comparing, by the receiver, the energy from the first rectifier to the MPP value; and

determining, by the receiver, the operational instruction based on the comparison.