Motion prediction for wireless power transfer

• US 9,831,920 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Meredith, Reynolds, Paul, Taffler, Sean, Joyce, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): PiHulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/805,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20150333800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0207 Driving circuits specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/51 Electrostatic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/348 using amplitude variation
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

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 first signal generator;

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

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the first signal generator, the first amplifier and the sender transducer, the sender controller adapted and configured to adjust a steering parameter to direct the ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer to a predicted future location of a receiver; and

a sender communications device adapted to communicate with a receiver communications device; and

the receiver comprising;

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer, to generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves, and to 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 communications device; 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, wherein the receiver further comprises:

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 based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier;

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the signal generator, the amplifier and the sender transducer, the sender controller adapted and configured to adjust a steering parameter to direct the ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer to a predicted future location of a receiver; and

a sender communications device adapted to communicate with a receiver and receiver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender controller is further adapted to adjust at least one configuration parameter to orient the ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer based on a predicted future orientation of the sender.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted to receive input from the receiver, the input comprising a control signal comprising an indication of the motion of the receiver.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to adjust the steering parameter based on the control signal comprising the indication of motion of the receiver.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the predicted future location of the receiver is based on one or more of a location history for the receiver, a type of the receiver, and a current location of the receiver.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the control signal comprising the indication of the motion of the receiver comprises data from an accelerometer of the receiver.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to adjust one or more of the phase, focus, power density, frequency, or an amplitude, based on the predicted future location of the receiver.

10. A system comprising:

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by a sender transducer and to generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves, the receiver transducer further adapted and configured to be connected 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 a sender communications device, the input comprising a control signal comprising an indication of one or more of a motion of the receiver and an orientation of the receiver; and

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

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control signal comprising an indication of the motion of the receiver comprises data from an accelerometer of the receiver.

12. The system of claim 10, 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.

13. A method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transducer of a sender, the ultrasonic waves directed at a receiver;

determining a predicted future location of the receiver, wherein the predicated future location of the receiver is based on one or more of a location history of the receiver, a type of the receiver, and a current location of the receiver; and

steering the ultrasonic waves based on the predicted future location of the receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a communication at the sender from the receiver, the communication comprising a control signal comprising an indication of the motion of the receiver; and

determining the predicted future location of the receiver based on the control signal comprising the indication of the motion of the receiver.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein steering the ultrasonic waves based on the predicted future location of the receiver further comprises adjusting one or more of a steering parameter, phase, focus, power density, frequency, or an amplitude, based on the predicted future location of the receiver.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a predicted future location of the receiver further comprises determining a predicted future orientation of the receiver;

and further comprising;

orienting the ultrasonic waves based on the predicted future orientation of the receiver.

17. A method comprising:

receiving ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transducer of a sender at a receiver;

determining a motion of the receiver; and

sending a communication to the sender, the communication comprising a control signal comprising an indication one or more of the motion and an orientation of the receiver.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the motion of the receiver is based on data from an accelerometer of the receiver.