System for tracking and reporting status and usage information in a wireless power management system

• US 9,991,741 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• 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): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/587,025
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored.

Claims

1. An electronic device for managing a network of wireless power transmitters, comprising:

a display;

a connection to a remote server;

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to;

receive, from the remote server, usage data for one or more wireless power transmitters, the usage data identifying a physical location of each of the one or more transmitters and respective amounts of power wirelessly delivered by each of the one or more wireless power transmitters to each of a plurality of wireless power receivers;

display, on the display, a first representation of the usage data, the first representation including a respective amount of power wirelessly delivered by each of the one or more wireless power transmitters to all of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

while displaying the first representation of the usage data, detect a user selection of a first wireless power transmitter of the one or more wireless power transmitters; and

upon detecting the user selection, display, a second representation that includes respective amounts of power wirelessly delivered by the first wireless power transmitter to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

wherein the one or more wireless power transmitters are each configured to;

track transmissions of radio frequency (RF) power waves that constructively interfere with one another to form a pocket of energy in proximity to a location of a respective wireless power receiver associated with a client device, the respective wireless power receiver extracting power from the pocket of energy to charge the client device, and

send data regarding the tracked transmissions of RF power waves to the remote server, and

further wherein the usage data is based on the data regarding the tracked transmission of RF power waves.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to generate a record of the received usage data.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to generate an analysis of the received usage data.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display uses a graphical user interface (GUI).

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device is configured to:

in response to determining that a new wireless power transmitter has been registered as one of the one or more wireless power transmitters, update the first representation to include additional usage data for the new wireless power transmitter.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is associated with one of the plurality of wireless power receivers for charging the electronic device with energy generated by the one or more wireless power transmitters.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a workstation that is not charged with the energy generated by the one or more wireless power transmitters.

8. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device is configured to download the executable instructions from an application store.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the usage data further comprises at least one of errors, faults, trouble reports, logs of operational events, a command issued by at least one wireless power receiver, wireless power receiver and wireless power transmitter hardware configurations, amount of power transmitted per wireless power transmitter and per wireless power receiver, metrics of software and hardware activity, metrics of automatic operation performed by system software, location of the at least one wireless power receiver, a transmitter communications transition, and wireless power receiver charge scheduling configuration.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the usage data further comprises at least one of client device battery level information, receiver antenna voltage, client device geographic location data, client device hardware configurations, metrics of client device charging activity, and client device charge scheduling.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to receive the usage data by one of XML and SMTP.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the connection to the remote server is via a network that comprises one of a local area network (LAN), virtual private network (VPN) and a wireless area network (WAN).

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to communicate the usage data to a business cloud.

14. A method for managing a network of wireless power transmitters, comprising:

at an electronic device having a display and a connection to a remote server;

receiving, from the remote server, usage data for one or more wireless power transmitters, the usage data identifying a physical location of each of the one or more transmitters and respective amounts of power wirelessly delivered by each of the one or more wireless power transmitters to each of a plurality of wireless power receivers;

displaying, on the display, a first representation of the usage data, the first representation including a respective amount of power wirelessly delivered by each of the one or more wireless power transmitters to all of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

while displaying the first representation of the usage data, detecting a user selection of a first wireless power transmitter of the one or more wireless power transmitters; and

upon detecting the user selection, displaying, a second representation that includes respective amounts of power wirelessly delivered by the first wireless power transmitter to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

wherein the one or more wireless power transmitters are each configured to;

track transmissions of radio frequency (RF) power waves that constructively interfere with one another to form a pocket of energy in proximity to a location of a respective wireless power receiver associated with a client device, the respective wireless power receiver extracting power from the pocket of energy to charge the client device, and

send data regarding the tracked transmissions of RF power waves to the remote server, and

further wherein the usage data is based on the data regarding the tracked transmission of RF power waves.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the electronic device, a record of the received usage data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating, by the electronic device, an analysis of the received usage data.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the usage data further comprises at least one of errors, faults, trouble reports, logs of operational events, a command issued by at least one wireless power receiver, wireless power receiver and wireless power transmitter hardware configurations, amount of power transmitted per wireless power transmitter and per wireless power receiver, metrics of software and hardware activity, metrics of automatic operation performed by system software, location of the at least one wireless power receiver, a transmitter communications transition, and power receiver charge scheduling configuration.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the usage data further comprises at least one of client device battery level information, receiver antenna voltage, client device geographic location data, client device hardware configurations, metrics of client device charging activity, and client device charge scheduling.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising communicating, by the electronic device, the usage data to a business cloud.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in response to determining that a new wireless power transmitter has been registered as one of the one or more wireless power transmitters, updating the first representation to include additional usage data for the new wireless power transmitter.