Methods and systems for maximum power point transfer in receivers

• US 9,438,046 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• 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:
  US14/747,995
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/101, 455/572
• 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 comprising:

a first antenna element configured to receive a first wireless signal comprising a first energy resulting from a first constructive interference pattern of a first plurality of wireless power transmission waves;

a first rectifier coupled to the first antenna element, wherein the first rectifier is configured to rectify the first energy received by the first antenna element;

a second antenna element configured to receive a second wireless signal comprising a second energy resulting from a second constructive interference pattern of a second plurality of wireless power transmission signal waves;

a second rectifier coupled to the second antenna element, wherein the second rectifier is configured to rectify the second energy received by the second antenna element;

an input boost converter coupled to the first rectifier, wherein the input boost converter is configured to step up the first energy rectified by the first rectifier, wherein the input boost converter is configured to determine at least one of a global power maximum and a local power maximum produced in the first rectifier; and

a controller coupled to the input boost converter and the second rectifier, wherein the controller is configured to determine an available energy at the second rectifier based on the second energy, wherein the controller is configured to determine a maximum power point (MPP) value from the first rectifier via the input boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to transmit an operational instruction to the input boost converter to further step up the first energy rectified by the first rectifier.

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

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

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to index the available energy and the MPP value in a look-up table.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to compare the available energy to the MPP value and determine the operational instruction thereby.

6. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

an output boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to determine a load requirement for the receiver, and 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.

7. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage element coupled to the input boost converter, wherein the storage element is configured to store at least a portion of the first energy as rectified by the first rectifier, input into the input boost converter, and output from the input boost converter.

8. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a communication component, an output boost converter, and a storage element coupled to the output boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to obtain a measurement of a voltage from at least one of the first rectifier, the input boost converter, the storage element, and the output boost converter, and wherein the controller is configured to communicate the measurement to a load via the communication component.

9. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising an output boost converter, wherein the controller is configured to control an operation of the output boost converter by adjusting a load current limit at the output boost converter.

10. A method of receiver operation, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first antenna element of a receiver, a first wireless signal comprising a first energy resulting from a first constructive interference pattern of a first plurality of wireless power transmission waves;

rectifying, by a first rectifier of the receiver, the first energy received by the first antenna element;

receiving, by a second antenna element of the receiver, a second wireless signal comprising a second energy resulting from a second constructive interference pattern of a second plurality of wireless power transmission signal waves;

rectifying, by a second rectifier of the receiver, the second energy received by the second antenna element;

stepping up, by an input boost converter of the receiver, the first energy rectified by the first rectifier;

determining, by the input boost converter of the receiver, at least one of a global power maximum and a local power maximum produced in the first rectifier;

determining, by a controller of the receiver, an available energy at the second rectifier based on the second energy;

determining, by the controller of the receiver, a maximum power point (MPP) value from the first rectifier via the input boost converter; and

transmitting, by the controller of the receiver, an operational instruction to the input boost converter to further step up the first energy rectified by the first rectifier.

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

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the operational instruction comprises data to configure the input boost converter to further step up the first energy rectified by the first rectifier to the global power maximum.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

indexing, by the controller of the receiver, the available energy and the MPP value in a look-up table.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

comparing, by the controller of the receiver, the available energy to the MPP value; and

determining, by the controller of the receiver, the operational instruction based on the comparing.

15. A receiver comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive a wireless signal comprising energy resulting from a constructive interference pattern of a plurality of wireless power transmission signal waves;

a plurality of rectifiers corresponding to the antenna elements and configured to rectify the energy received by the antenna elements, wherein the rectifiers comprising a first rectifier and a second rectifier;

an input boost converter coupled to the first rectifier and configured to step up the energy rectified by the first rectifier, 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 first rectifier; and

a controller coupled to the input boost converter and the second rectifier and configured to determine an available energy at the second rectifier, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a maximum power point (MPP) value from the first rectifier via the input boost converter, and wherein the controller is further configured to transmit an operational instruction to the input boost converter to further step up the energy rectified by the first rectifier.

16. The unit of claim 15, wherein the input boost converter comprises a second controller coupled to the controller.

17. The unit of claim 15, wherein the operational instruction comprises data to configure the input boost converter to further step up the energy rectified by the first rectifier to the global power maximum.

18. The unit of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to index the available energy and the MPP value in a look-up table.

19. The unit of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to compare the available energy to the at MPP value and determine the operational instruction thereby.

20. The unit of claim 15, wherein the receiver 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.