Synchronous rectifier design for wireless power receiver

• US 9,859,797 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Moody, Kyle J
• Application Number:
  US14/584,901
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 363 2106, 363 2114, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/05 Capacitor coupled rectifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/2195 the switches being synchronously commutated at the same frequency of the AC input voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Synchronous rectifier circuit topologies for a wireless power receiver receiving a supply of power from a wireless transmitter are disclosed. The synchronous rectifier circuit topologies include a half-bridge diode-FET transistor rectifier for rectifying the wireless power into power including a DC waveform, using a control scheme that may be provided by a delay-locked loop clock, or phase shifters, or wavelength links to control conduction of FET transistors in the synchronous rectifier circuit topology, and maintaining a constant switching frequency to have the diodes, coupled to FET transistors, to allow current to flow through each one respectively at the appropriate timing, focusing on high conduction times. The synchronous rectifier circuit topologies may enable power transfer of high-frequency signals at enhanced efficiency due to significant reduction of forward voltage drop and lossless switching.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

an antenna configured to receive power transmission waves; and

a synchronous rectifier coupled to the antenna and configured to synchronously rectify an alternating current (AC) voltage of the power transmission waves to generate a direct current (DC) voltage, wherein the synchronous rectifier includes;

a first rectifying diode that includes a first anode terminal and a first cathode terminal, wherein the first rectifying diode is configured to receive a first portion of the AC voltage that has a positive polarity;

a second rectifying diode that includes a second anode terminal and a second cathode terminal, wherein the second rectifying diode is configured to receive a second portion of the AC voltage that has a negative polarity;

a first transistor that includes a first source terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first gate terminal, wherein the first anode and the first cathode terminals are connected to the first transistor;

a second transistor that includes a second source terminal, a second drain terminal, and a second gate terminal, wherein the second anode and the second cathode terminals are connected to the second transistor; and

circuitry that is configured to introduce a timing delay between driving the first and second transistors;

a first boost converter in electrical communication with the synchronous rectifier, the first boost converter configured to match an impedance of a load associated with the receiver.

2. The receiver of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transistor or the second transistor is a field effect transistor (FET).

3. The receiver of claim 2, wherein the circuitry that is configured to introduce the timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes a delay-locked loop coupled to at least one of the first transistor or the second transistor.

4. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the circuitry that is configured to introduce the timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes at least one phase shifter.

5. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising an input boost converter coupled to the synchronous rectifier so that the synchronous rectifier is between the antenna and the input boost converter, wherein the input boost converter is configured to increase the DC voltage from the synchronous rectifier.

6. The receiver of claim 5, further comprising a storage element coupled to the input boost converter and configured to store power from the DC voltage boosted by the input boost converter.

7. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the first boost converter is an output boost converter coupled to the storage element.

8. The receiver of claim 7, further comprising a processor configured to control an operation of the input boost converter and the output boost converter in accordance with the load associated with the receiver.

9. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the circuitry that is configured to introduce the timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes at least one wavelength link.

10. A method for receiving wireless power, the method comprising:

receiving, by an antenna of a receiver, power transmission waves;

rectifying, by a synchronous rectifier of the receiver, an alternating current (AC) voltage of the power transmission waves to generate a direct current (DC) voltage; and

matching, by a first boost converter that is in electrical communication with the synchronous rectifier, an impedance of a load associated with the receiver, and wherein the synchronous rectifier includes;

a first rectifying diode that includes a first anode terminal and a first cathode terminal, wherein the first rectifying diode is configured to receive a first portion of the AC voltage that has a positive polarity;

a second rectifying diode that includes a second anode terminal and a second cathode terminal, wherein the second rectifying diode is configured to receive a second portion of the AC voltage that has a negative polarity;

a first transistor that includes a first source terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first gate terminal, wherein the first anode and the first cathode terminals are connected to the first transistor;

a second transistor that includes a second source terminal, a second drain terminal, and a second gate terminal, wherein the second anode and the second cathode terminals are connected to the second transistor; and

circuitry that is configured to introduce a timing delay between driving the first and second transistors.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

introducing the timing delay between driving the first and second transistors in accordance with at least one of a received voltage and a frequency of the power transmission waves.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the circuitry that is configured to introduce a timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes at least one phase shifter.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

increasing, by an input boost converter of the receiver, the DC voltage, wherein the input boost converter is coupled to the synchronous rectifier so that the synchronous rectifier is between the antenna and the input boost converter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing power, by a storage element of the receiver, from the DC voltage boosted by the input boost converter, wherein the storage element is coupled to the input boost converter.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein the first boost converter is an output boost converter of the receiver, and the output boost converter is coupled to the storage element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

controlling, by a controller of the receiver, the increasing and the matching in accordance with the load associated with the receiver.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein introducing the timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes frequency division demultiplexing the power transmission waves using at least one wavelength link.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the power transmission waves includes receiving a pocket of energy.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the circuitry that is configured to introduce a timing delay between driving the first and second transistors includes a delay-locked loop coupled to at least one of the first transistor or the second transistor.