Systems and methods for communication with remote management systems

• US 9,838,083 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas, Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US14/337,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20160020830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for communication between wireless power transmission systems and remote management systems. The described systems include one or more wireless power transmitters, one or more wireless power receivers and one or more electronic devices. Electronic devices may be able to communicate with wireless power transmitters and wireless power receivers using suitable communications channels. The disclosed systems are capable of performing system assessments and check-ups, periodically generating status reports and sending the status reports to a remote management system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of transmitters, a respective transmitter of the plurality of transmitters comprising an antenna array and one or more communications components, wherein;

the antenna array of the respective transmitter is configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) waves that are transmitted so that they constructively interfere and provide pocket-forming energy in proximity to a respective receiver in a set of respective receivers coupled to respective electronic devices,

the one or more communications components of the respective transmitter is configured to;

receive device data from each receiver in the set of receivers, the device data comprising data that indicates at least respective charge levels for the respective electronic devices coupled to the respective receivers, and

communicate transmitter data associated with the respective transmitter and device data received by the respective transmitter to a respective power server of a plurality of power servers via a first network;

the plurality of power servers, the respective power server coupled via the first network to a set of one or more transmitters of the plurality of transmitters and coupled via a second network to a remote server, and configured to;

receive device data and transmitter data from the respective transmitter in the set of one or more transmitters,

generate, based on (i) the received device data that indicates respective charge levels for the respective electronic devices and (ii) the received transmitter data from the respective transmitter, a charging schedule for the respective transmitter that specifies when and to which respective receivers additional RF waves should be transmitted, wherein the respective transmitter controls transmission of the additional RF waves so that they constructively interfere in proximity to respective receivers in accordance with the charging schedule;

communicate the received data and the generated charging schedule to the remote server; and

the remote server, operatively coupled to each respective power server in the plurality of power servers via each second network for each respective power server, wherein the remote server is configured to process communicated data to determine a status report for the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the status report includes information that is selected from the group consisting of:

a past system status, a present system status, a future system status, a device failure status, and a transmitter failure status.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein

the past system status comprises at least one of a non-end-user report, a logged usage report, an automatic actions report and a location and movement report;

the present system status comprises at least one of a system functioning report, an online users report, a system configuration report and a state of charge report; and

the future system status comprises at least one of component failure forecast data, device state of change forecast data and system configuration analysis data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the respective transmitter comprises an antenna manager configured to control power and direction angle of RF waves transmitted by the antenna array.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device data also comprises data selected from the group consisting of:

device identification data, device voltage range data, device location data, and device signal strength data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter data comprises data of a type selected from the group consisting of:

transmitter identification data, receiver identification data, end-user device name data, system management server identification data, charging schedule data and charging priority data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote server is further configured to generate and send one or more alerts to an appropriate user in response to detecting a type of problem indicated in the status report for the system, and

the appropriate user is determined based on the type of problem.

8. A method for monitoring a wireless power system, comprising:

receiving, by a communications component of a transmitter coupled via a network to a power server, from a receiver of a set of receivers associated with the transmitter, device data associated with an electronic device coupled to the receiver, the device data comprising data that indicates at least a charge level for the electronic device coupled to the receiver;

transmitting, by the transmitter, the device data and transmitter data to the power server, the device data and the transmitter data indicating one or more status of the wireless power system;

receiving, by the transmitter and from the power server, a charging schedule that specifies when and to which receivers of the set of receivers RF waves should be transmitted, wherein the power server generates the charging schedule based on (i) the device data that indicates the charge level for the electronic device and (ii) the transmitter data;

transmitting, by an antenna array of the transmitter, RF waves that are controlled by the transmitter so that the RF waves constructively interfere in proximity to the receiver, according to the charging schedule, wherein the power server sends the device data, the transmitter data, and the generated charging schedule to a remote server that is coupled to the power server via a second network, and the remote server processes the data to determine a status report for the wireless power system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the status report includes information that is selected from the group consisting of:

a past system status, a present system status, a future system status, a device failure status, and a transmitter failure status.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

the past system status comprises at least one of a non-end-user report, a logged usage report, an automatic actions report and a location and movement report;

the present system status comprises at least one of a system functioning report, an online users report, a system configuration report and a state of charge report; and

the future system status comprises at least one of component failure forecast data, device state of change forecast data and system configuration analysis data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling power and direction angle of the RF waves transmitted by the antenna array via an antenna manager of the transmitter.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the device data also comprises data selected from the group consisting of:

device identification data, device voltage range data, device location data, and device signal strength data.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmitter data comprises data of a type selected from the group consisting of:

transmitter identification data, receiver identification data, end-user device name data, system management server identification data, charging schedule data, and charging priority data.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote server also generates and sends one or more alerts to an appropriate user in response to detecting a type of problem indicated in the status report for the system, and wherein the appropriate user is determined based on the type of problem.