System and method to control a wireless power transmission system by configuration of wireless power transmission control parameters

• US 9,876,648 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Austin
• Application Number:
  US14/465,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20160056966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A system and method to control a wireless power transmission system by configuration of wireless power transmission control parameters is disclosed. The configuration of the system may be performed by an operator using a standard web browser on a computing device where the system configuration GUI presented to the operator may be functionally identical regardless of the computing device running the browser. The system configuration GUI may be connected to system through a system configuration API. According to some aspects of this embodiment, a method to control wireless power transmission system by configuration of wireless power transmission control parameters may include accessing the system configuration GUI, displaying operational or other parameter to configure the system, selecting an operational parameter, configuring the selected operational parameter, and then continuing to configure others operational parameter if needed, storing configuration parameters in the computer memory, and communicating configuration parameters to others system computers.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a wireless power transmission system, comprising:

receiving, by a plurality of wireless power transmitters of the wireless power transmission system, an operating condition that must be satisfied at the respective wireless power receiver before transmission of power waves by at least one of the plurality of wireless power transmitters to the respective wireless power receiver;

detecting, by at least one wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters, a wireless power receiver in a wireless power transmission area assigned to the at least one wireless power transmitter, wherein the wireless power transmission area is one of a plurality of wireless power transmission areas, and each respective wireless power transmission area is defined by an operator of the plurality of wireless power transmitters as an area in which the respective wireless power transmitter transmits wireless power waves to wireless power receivers located within the respective wireless power transmission area;

in response to detecting the wireless power receiver, determining, by the at least one wireless power transmitter, whether a current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition for transmission of power waves; and

in accordance with a determination that the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition for transmission of power waves, transmitting by the at least one wireless power transmitter radio frequency (RF) power waves that converge to form a constructive interference pattern in proximity to a location of the wireless power receiver within the wireless power transmission area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before determining whether the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition, receiving, by the at least one wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters, data from the wireless power receiver indicating the current state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein determining whether the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition is performed in response to receiving the data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the operating condition is satisfied when an orientation of the wireless power receiver matches a predefined orientation; and

the data indicating the current state of the wireless power receiver indicates that an orientation of the wireless power receiver matches the predefined orientation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with determining that an updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition, stopping transmission of the RF power waves by the at least one wireless power transmitter.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

before determining that the updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition, receiving, by the at least one wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters, data from the wireless power receiver indicating the updated state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein determining that the updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition is performed in response to receiving the data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the wireless power receiver is coupled to an electronic device, and

the updated state of the wireless power receiver indicates that the electronic device is being used to perform an action that violates the operating condition.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the action being performed at the electronic device is a telephone call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is received by each wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters from a remote server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting additional RF power waves by an additional wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters that is also assigned to the wireless power transmission area, the additional RF power waves constructively interfering with the RF power waves transmitted by the at least one wireless power transmitter to form the constructive interference pattern in proximity to the location of the wireless power receiver within the power transmission area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an additional wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters is assigned to a different wireless power transmission area that is distinct and separate from the wireless power transmission area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, while transmitting the RF power waves by the at least one wireless power transmitter:

receiving feedback from the wireless power receiver indicating movement of the wireless power receiver towards the different wireless power transmission area; and

upon determining that the wireless power receiver is within the different wireless power transmission area and that the current state of the wireless power receiver continues to satisfy the operating condition, transmitting, by the additional wireless power transmitter, additional RF power waves that converge to form a new constructive interference pattern in proximity to a new location of the wireless power receiver within the different wireless power transmission area.

12. A wireless power transmission system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless power transmitters configured to receive an operating condition that must be satisfied at the respective wireless power receiver before transmission of power waves by at least one of the plurality of wireless power transmitters to the respective wireless power receiver, wherein;

at least one wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters is configured to;

detect a wireless power receiver in a wireless power transmission area assigned to the at least one wireless power transmitter, wherein the wireless power transmission area is one of a plurality of wireless power transmission areas, and each respective wireless power transmission area is defined by an operator of the plurality of wireless power transmitters as an area in which the respective wireless power transmitter transmits wireless power waves to wireless power receivers located within the respective wireless power transmission area;

determine whether a current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition for transmission of power waves in response to detecting the wireless power receiver; and

transmit radio frequency (RF) power waves that converge to form a constructive interference pattern in proximity to a location of the wireless power receiver within the wireless power transmission area in accordance with a determination that the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition for transmission of power waves.

13. The wireless power transmission system of claim 12, wherein the least one wireless power transmitter is further configured to:

before determining whether the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition, receive data from the wireless power receiver indicating the current state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein determining whether the current state of the wireless power receiver satisfies the operating condition is performed in response to receiving the data.

14. The wireless power transmission system of claim 13, wherein:

the operating condition is satisfied when an orientation of the wireless power receiver matches a predefined orientation; and

the data indicating the current state of the wireless power receiver indicates that an orientation of the wireless power receiver matches the predefined orientation.

15. The wireless power transmission system of claim 12, wherein the least one wireless power transmitter is further configured to stop transmission of the RF power waves in accordance with determining that an updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition.

16. The wireless power transmission system of claim 15, wherein the least one wireless power transmitter is further configured to:

before determining that the updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition, receive data from the wireless power receiver indicating the updated state of the wireless power receiver,

wherein determining that the updated state of the wireless power receiver no longer satisfies the operating condition is performed in response to receiving the data.

17. The wireless power transmission system of claim 16, wherein:

the wireless power receiver is coupled to an electronic device, and

the updated state of the wireless power receiver indicates that the electronic device is being used to perform an action that violates the operating condition.

18. The wireless power transmission system of claim 17, wherein the action being performed at the electronic device is a telephone call.

19. The wireless power transmission system of claim 12, wherein the operating condition is received by each wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters from a remote server.

20. The wireless power transmission system of claim 12, further comprising:

an additional wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters that is also assigned to the wireless power transmission area, wherein the additional wireless power transmitter is configured to transmit additional RF power waves that constructively interfere with the RF power waves transmitted by the at least one wireless power transmitter to form the constructive interference pattern in proximity to the location of the wireless power receiver within the wireless power transmission area.