Wireless power transmission device having antennas oriented in three dimensions

• US 10,050,470 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/861,443
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein may generate and transmit power waves that, as result of their physical waveform characteristics (e.g., frequency, amplitude, phase, gain, direction), converge at a predetermined location in a transmission field to generate a pocket of energy. Receivers associated with an electronic device being powered by the wireless charging system, may extract energy from these pockets of energy and then convert that energy into usable electric power for the electronic device associated with a receiver. The pockets of energy may manifest as a three-dimensional field (e.g., transmission field) where energy may be harvested by a receiver positioned within or nearby the pocket of energy.

Claims

1. A system for wireless power transmission, the system comprising:

a transmitter comprising;

a plurality of antennas configured to transmit power waves that constructively interfere with one another to form a pocket of energy to power a targeted electronic device coupled with a receiver; and

a processor configured to (i) dynamically adjust respective positions of each of the plurality of antennas and (ii) determine a location of the receiver,

wherein;

the plurality of antennas is arranged in a three-dimensional non-planar shape,

the processor is also configured to;

dynamically adjust at least a respective position of a first antenna of the plurality of antennas so that the three-dimensional non-planar shape is dynamically adjusted based on the location of the receiver, and

select two or more antennas from the plurality of antennas to actively transmit the power waves, and

further wherein;

while the plurality of antennas has the dynamically adjusted shape, the two or more antennas are configured to transmit the power waves with a radiation pattern that has a main lobe axis directed towards the location of the receiver, and

a first amount of energy associated with the pocket of energy is greater than a second amount of energy present outside a periphery of the pocket of energy.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the non-planar shape is selected from the group consisting of a spherical concave shape, a spherical convex shape, a parabolic concave shape, and a parabolic convex shape.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas is positioned in such a way with respect to each other while the plurality of antennas has the dynamically adjusted non-planar shape that the power waves transmitted by the two or more antennas do not form the pocket of energy outside a periphery of a receiver.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas are mounted upon movable elements comprising mechanical actuators that are controlled by the processor of the transmitter for dynamically adjusting respective positions of the one or more antennas.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of antennas has a same size.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the two or more antennas are configured to transmit the power waves at a different time from each other depending on placement of the two or more antennas within the plurality of antennas.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one antenna in the plurality of antennas of the transmitter is selected from the group consisting of:

a flat antenna, a patch antenna, and a dipole antenna.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas is asymmetrically located within a three-dimensional antenna array.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas is evenly spaced within a three-dimensional antenna array.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas of the transmitter is configured to operate in a frequency band ranging from about 900 MHz to about 100 GHz.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas includes at least 1000 antennas.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the three dimensional antenna array allows the transmission of the power waves into any one of large range of directions.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas is in a three dimensional array that includes at least two two-dimensional arrays.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein adjacent antennas of the plurality of antennas are arranged in such a way that no radiation is transmitted from a center of the plurality of the antennas while the plurality of antennas is used to transmit power waves.

15. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of antennas is positioned at a depth between 3 to 6 inches with respect to each other.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket of energy is formed about 360 degrees around the receiver.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the location of the receiver is determined based on heat mapping data received by the transmitter.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of antennas operate at different frequency bands.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas comprises a first set of antennas and a second set of antennas, and wherein the first set of antennas and the second set of antennas are placed at a different angles in relation to each other.

20. A method for wireless power transmission, the method comprising:

at a transmitter comprising;

a plurality of antennas arranged in a three-dimensional non-planar shape and configured to transmit power waves that constructively interfere with one another to form a pocket of energy to power a targeted electronic device coupled with a receiver; and

a processor;

determining a location of the receiver,

dynamically adjusting at least a respective position of a first antenna of the plurality of antennas so that the three-dimensional non-planar shape is dynamically adjusted based on the location of the receiver,

selecting two or more antennas from the plurality of antennas to actively transmit the power waves, and

while the plurality of antennas has the dynamically adjusted shape, transmitting, via the two or more antennas, the power waves with a radiation pattern that has a main lobe axis directed towards the location of the receiver,

wherein a first amount of energy associated with the pocket of energy is greater than a second amount of energy present outside a periphery of the pocket of energy.