System and method for manually selecting and deselecting devices to charge in a wireless power network

• US 9,941,747 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas, Leabman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Austin
• Application Number:
  US14/330,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20160013678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-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: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source

Abstract

A system for selecting a deselecting charging devices in a wireless power network is disclosed here. The system includes a graphical user interface from which a user may select or deselect devices to be charged in a wireless power network. The disclosed system may store records from different components of a wireless power network into a database distributed throughout said network with copies stored within the memory of wireless power transmitters.

Claims

1. A method of selectively charging one or more electronic devices in a wireless power network, the method comprising:

providing a wireless power network comprising a controlling electronic device that includes a display, at least one wireless power transmitter, and a plurality of electronic devices each having an associated wireless power receiver, wherein the controlling electronic device is distinct and separate from the at least one wireless power transmitter;

at the controlling electronic device;

receiving data comprising a charge status for each of the plurality of electronic devices;

displaying, on the display, representations of one or more electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices;

detecting a user selection of one of the representations corresponding to a device selected to be charged; and

upon detecting the user selection, sending a command to the at least one wireless power transmitter to transmit radio frequency (RF) waves that constructively interfere with one another in proximity to a location of a wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying the representations of the one or more electronic devices comprises displaying the representations of the one or more electronic devices in a first region of the display; and

the method further comprises, at the controlling electronic device;

displaying, in a second region of the display that is adjacent to the first region of the display, representations of one or more additional electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

each of the one or more additional electronic devices represented in the second region of the display is currently receiving RF waves from one or more wireless power transmitters included in the wireless power network; and

each of the one or more electronic devices represented in the first region of the display is currently not receiving RF waves.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the user selection comprises:

ceasing to display the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged in the first region of the display; and

displaying the user selected representation in the second region of the display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein ceasing to display the user selected representation in the first region of the display and displaying the user selected representation in the second region of the display comprises animating movement of the user selected representation from the first region of the display to the second region of the display in accordance with a detected movement of the user selected representation.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, at the controlling electronic device:

detecting, in the second region of the display, an additional user selection of the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged; and

in response to detecting the additional user selection, sending another command to the at least one wireless power transmitter to cease transmitting the RF waves.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the additional user selection comprises:

ceasing to display the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged in the second region of the display; and

displaying the user selected representation in the first region of the display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless power network further includes a plurality of wireless power transmitters, including the at least one wireless power transmitter;

the plurality of wireless power transmitters is assigned to a designated area; and

the wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged is located within the designated area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged is within a predefined transmission range of the at least one wireless power transmitter.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving the data from one or more of the plurality of wireless power transmitters.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the representations includes the charge status associated with the one or more electronic devices.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the controlling electronic device:

after sending the command to the at least one wireless power transmitter, adding an indicator to the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged to indicate reception of the RF waves by the wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged.

13. A wireless power system, comprising:

one or more wireless power transmitters;

a plurality of electronic devices each having an associated wireless power receiver; and

a controlling electronic device, which is distinct and separate from the one or more wireless power transmitters, having a display and configured to;

receive data comprising a charge status for each of the plurality of electronic devices;

display, on the display, representations of one or more electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices;

detect a user selection of one of the representations corresponding to a device selected to be charged; and

upon detecting the user selection, send a command to at least one wireless power transmitter of the one or more wireless power transmitters,

wherein the least one wireless power transmitter is configured to, upon receiving the command from the controlling electronic device, transmit radio frequency (RF) waves that constructively interfere with one another in proximity to a location of a wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged.

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

the representations of the one or more electronic devices are displayed in a first region of the display; and

the controlling electronic device is further configured to;

display, in a second region of the display that is adjacent to the first region of the display, representations of one or more additional electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices.

15. The wireless power system of claim 14, wherein:

each of the one or more additional electronic devices represented in the second region of the display is currently receiving RF waves from at least some of the one or more wireless power transmitters; and

each of the one or more electronic devices represented in the first region of the display is currently not receiving RF waves.

16. The wireless power system of claim 14, wherein detecting the user selection comprises:

ceasing to display the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged in the first region of the display; and

displaying the user selected representation in the second region of the display.

17. The wireless power system of claim 16, wherein ceasing to display the user selected representation in the first region of the display and displaying the user selected representation in the second region of the display comprises animating movement of the user selected representation from the first region of the display to the second region of the display in accordance with a detected movement of the user selected representation.

18. The wireless power system of claim 16, wherein:

the controlling electronic device is further configured to;

detect, in the second region of the display, an additional user selection of the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged; and

upon detecting the additional user selection, send another command to the at least one wireless power transmitter to cease transmitting the RF waves; and

the least one wireless power transmitter is configured to, upon receiving the other command from the controlling electronic device, cease transmission of the RF waves.

19. The wireless power system of claim 18, wherein detecting the additional user selection comprises:

ceasing to display the user selected representation corresponding to the device selected to be charged in the second region of the display; and

displaying the user selected representation in the first region of the display.

20. The wireless power system of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more wireless power transmitters are assigned to a designated area; and

the wireless power receiver associated with the device selected to be charged is located within the designated area.