Sender transducer for wireless power transfer

• US 9,793,764 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Meredith
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/792,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/18 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/26 Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/341 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 5/00 Amplitude modulation and angle modulation produced simultaneously or at will by the same modulating signal H03C7/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/00 Transducers other than those covered by groups H04R9/00 - H04R21/00 diaphragms for transducers of the distributed-mode type H04R7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sender comprising;

a signal generator;

an amplifier coupled to the signal generator, said amplifier configured to receive power from a power source and to generate an electrical transmission signal adapted to be used to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender transducer coupled to the amplifier, the sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves having a first phase based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier;

a sender communications device adapted to receive input from a receiver communication device, the input including at least one configuration parameter;

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the signal generator, the amplifier and the sender transducer and adapted to change the first phase to a second phase based on the at least one received configuration parameter; and

the receiver comprising;

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer and to generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves and connect to a receiver electrical storage device adapted and configured to store electrical energy based on the receiver electrical signal generated by the receiver transducer;

a receiver communications device adapted and configured to send input to the sender, the input comprising the at least one configuration parameter; and

a receiver controller coupled to at least one of the receiver transducer and the receiver electrical storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a receiver electrical storage device adapted and configured to store electrical energy based on the receiver electrical signal generated by the receiver transducer.

3. A system, comprising:

a signal generator;

an amplifier coupled to the signal generator, said amplifier configured to receive power from a power source and to generate an electrical transmission signal adapted to be used to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender transducer coupled to the amplifier, the sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves having a first phase based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier;

a sender communications device adapted to receive input, the input including at least one configuration parameter; and

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the signal generator, the amplifier and the sender transducer and adapted to change the first phase to a second phase based on the at least one received configuration parameter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system comprises a plurality of transducers arranged in an array.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the array is adapted and configured to produce a beam of ultrasonic energy.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the beam of ultrasonic energy is focused.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the beam of energy is unfocused.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender transducer comprises an electrostatic ultrasound transducer.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender transducer comprises a piezoelectrically actuated flexural mode transducer.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender transducer comprises a piezoelectric-type transducer.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the transducer comprises a mechanical steering element that changes an orientation of the transducer.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the transducer comprises an electronic steering component that controls a focal property of the ultrasonic waves.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein a surface of the sender is convex.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein a surface of the sender is concave.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein a surface of the sender is planar.

16. The system of claim 3, wherein the receiver transducer comprises a flextensional transducer.

17. A method for emitting ultrasonic energy from a sender comprising:

emitting ultrasonic energy having a first phase, the ultrasonic energy having the first phase being converted into electrical energy at a receiver at a first efficiency;

receiving at least one configuration parameter; and

emitting ultrasonic energy having a second phase based on the received at least one configuration parameter, the ultrasonic energy having the second phase being converted into electrical energy at the receiver at a second efficiency, wherein the second efficiency is different than the first efficiency.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one configuration parameter is received from a receiver.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating at least one configuration parameter based upon a signal received from a receiver.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising changing the steering of the transducer.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising changing a focal property of the ultrasonic energy.

22. A method for emitting ultrasonic energy from a sender comprising:

emitting ultrasonic energy having a first phase, the ultrasonic energy having the first phase being converted into electrical energy at a receiver at a first rate;

receiving at least one configuration parameter; and

emitting ultrasonic energy having a second phase based on the received at least one configuration parameter, the ultrasonic energy having the second phase being converted into electrical energy at the receiver at a second rate, wherein the second rate is different than the first rate.