Performance adjustment for wireless power transfer devices

• US 10,116,145 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Reynolds, Paul, Taffler, Sean, Joyce, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/885,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20170110886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• 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

Abstract

Systems and techniques are provided for performance adjustment for wireless power transfer devices. A wireless power transfer device may be activated. A characteristic of the performance of the activated wireless power transfer device may be measured. It may be determined that the measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet a performance requirement for the wireless power transfer device. An adjustment to be applied to the wireless power transfer device may be determined. The adjustment may be based on determining that the measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirement for the wireless power transfer device. The adjustment may be applied to the wireless power transfer device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a wireless power transfer device;

measuring at least one characteristic of the performance of the activated wireless power transfer device;

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet at least one performance requirement for the wireless power transfer device;

determining at least one adjustment to be applied to the wireless power transfer device, wherein the at least one adjustment is based on the determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet at least one performance requirement for the wireless power transfer device, and wherein the at least one adjustment is the removal of mass from the wireless power transfer device, the addition of mass to the wireless power transfer device, the repositioning of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device, or the alteration of stiffness of the wireless power transfer device;

applying the at least one adjustment to the wireless power transfer device;

activating the wireless power transfer device after application of the at least one adjustment;

measuring the at least one characteristic of the performance of the activated wireless power transfer device;

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with a use for the wireless power transfer device, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a use for the wireless power device;

determining that the wireless power transfer device will meet the performance requirements associated with the use after a future manufacturing step; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with the performance requirements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a use for the wireless power device and further comprising:

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with the use for the wireless power transfer device; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is failed for the use associated with the performance requirements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a use for the wireless power device and further comprising:

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with the use for the wireless power transfer device; and

determining at least one additional adjustment to be applied to the wireless power transfer device, wherein the at least one adjustment is based on the difference between the at least one measured characteristic and the performance requirements not met by the at least one measured characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, before determining the at least one additional adjustment, determining that a threshold number of adjustments have not already been made to the wireless power transfer device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a use for the wireless power device and further comprising:

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device meets the performance requirements associated with the use for the wireless power transfer device; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with performance requirements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a first use for the wireless power device and further comprising:

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with the first use for the wireless power transfer device;

determining that the at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device meets a different performance requirement associated with a second use for the wireless power transfer device; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the second use associated with the different performance requirements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating a wireless power transfer device comprises one or more of:

vibrating the wireless power transfer device, supplying an electrical signal to the wireless power transfer device, inducing resonance in the wireless power transfer device, transmitting wireless power to the wireless power transfer device, and transmitting communications data to the wireless power transfer device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transfer device is an ultrasonic device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, an RF device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, or an optical device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one characteristic of the performance of the activated wireless power transfer device is amplitude, frequency, or phase of output from the wireless power transfer device, peak frequency response, bandwidth, efficiency, directivity, electrical amplitude or impedance of the wireless power transfer device, power or power density transferred by the wireless power transfer device, power generated by the wireless power transfer device, or signal-to-noise, sensitivity, data transmission rate or error rate of the wireless power transfer device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance requirements comprise one or more of:

a center frequency at which the wireless power transfer device should be able to emit at or receive at, minimum or maximum amplitude, bandwidth, efficiency, directivity, power level, or power densities that the wireless power transfer device should generate, a minimum number of transducer elements that must be able to vibrate in phase or within a phase range at a given frequency or a minimum number of transducer elements with a phase that can be controlled within a specified margin of error, a minimum level of power generated by the wireless power transfer device when receiving a specified level of transmitted power, a minimum efficiency for transmitting or receiving wireless power at a specified frequency, and a minimum effective range of wireless power transmission.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment further is the modifying, updating, or replacement of firmware of the wireless power transfer device, or the modification of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the use associated with the performance requirements is wireless power transmission, wireless power receiving, communications, imaging, range finding, or obstacle detection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjustment comprises adjusting one or more of the length, width shape, thickness, and electrode of a free moving portion of a cantilever in an ultrasonic transducer.

14. A system for performance adjustment for wireless power transfer devices comprising:

a test device adapted and configured to activate a wireless power transfer device, measure at least one characteristic of a wireless power transfer device that has been activated, and generate performance data from the measured at least one characteristic;

a computing device adapted and configured to compare the performance data to performance requirements associated with a user for the wireless power transfer device, determine whether the performance data meets the performance requirements, and generate adjustment data indicating adjustments to be made to the wireless power transfer device wherein the adjustments comprise one or more of;

the removal of mass from the wireless power transfer device, the addition of mass to the wireless power transfer device, the repositioning of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device, and the alteration of stiffness of the wireless power transfer device, activate the wireless power transfer device after application of at least one of the adjustments, determine that at least one measured characteristic of the activated wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with a use for the wireless power transfer device, wherein the at least one performance requirement is associated with a use for the wireless power device, determine that the wireless power transfer device will meet the performance requirements associated with the use after a future manufacturing step, and indicate that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with the performance requirements;

an adjustment device adapted and configured to apply the adjustments indicated by the adjustment data to the wireless power transfer device;

an activation device adapted and configured to provide activation to the wireless power transfer device to activate the wireless power transfer device; and

a measurement device adapted and configured to measure the at least one characteristic of the wireless power transfer device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the activation device comprises an electrical signal supply, a vibrating plate, a resonator, or a wireless power transmitter.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the measurement device comprises a vibrometer, an ammeter, a voltmeter, a charge meter, a microphone, an RF receiver, a VSWR meter, an optical power meter, or a wireless power receiver.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the wireless power transfer device comprises an ultrasonic device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, an RF device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, or an optical device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further adapted and configured to indicate that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with the performance requirements when the performance data meets the performance requirements.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further adapted and configured to indicate that the wireless power transfer device is failed for the use associated with the performance requirements when the performance data does not meet the performance requirements and no adjustments to the wireless power transfer device are possible.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the computing device is further adapted and configured to determine that no adjustments are possible based on one or more of:

a number of adjustments already applied to the wireless power transfer device, a number of available performance requirements associated with uses for the wireless power transfer device, and deficit between the performance data for the wireless power transfer device and the performance requirements for at least one use.

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving performance data for a wireless power transfer device;

determining that the performance data for the wireless power transfer device does not meet performance requirements for a use for the wireless power transfer device; and

generating adjustment data indicating adjustments to be applied to the wireless power transfer device, wherein the adjustments comprise one or more of;

the removal of mass from the wireless power transfer device, the addition of mass to the wireless power transfer device, the repositioning of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device, and the alteration of stiffness of the wireless power transfer device;

receiving additional performance data for the wireless power transfer device after the application of the adjustments in the adjustment data;

determining based on the additional performance data that the wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with the use for the wireless power transfer device;

determining based on the additional performance data that the wireless power transfer device will meet the performance requirements associated with the use after a future manufacturing step; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with the performance requirements.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the adjustment data indicates at least one adjustment based on a difference between a characteristic in the performance data and a metric in the performance requirements.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving new performance data for the wireless power transfer device;

determining that the new performance data for the wireless power transfer device meets the performance requirements for the use for the wireless power transfer device; and

indicating the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving new performance data for the wireless power transfer device; and

determining that the new performance data for the wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements for the use for the wireless power transfer device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is failed for the use.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining that the new performance data for the wireless power transfer device meets the performance requirements for a second use for the wireless power transfer device; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the second use.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless power transfer device is an ultrasonic device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, an RF device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving, or an optical device capable of at least one of transmitting and receiving.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein performance data for the wireless power transfer device comprises one or more of amplitude, frequency, or phase of output from the wireless power transfer device, peak frequency response, bandwidth, efficiency, directivity, electrical amplitude or impedance of the wireless power transfer device, power or power density transferred by the wireless power transfer device, power generated by the wireless power transfer device, and signal-to-noise, sensitivity, data transmission rate or error rate of the wireless power transfer device.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the performance requirements comprise one or more of:

a center frequency at which the wireless power transfer device should be able to emit at or receive at, minimum or maximum amplitude, bandwidth, efficiency, directivity, power level, or power densities that the wireless power transfer device should generate, a minimum number of transducer elements that must be able to vibrate in phase or within a phase range at a given frequency or a minimum number of transducer elements with a phase that can be controlled within a specified margin of error, a minimum level of power generated by the wireless power transfer device when receiving a specified level of transmitted power, a minimum efficiency for transmitting or receiving wireless power at a specified frequency, and a minimum effective range of wireless power transmission.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein adjustments further comprise one or more:

the modification of firmware of the wireless power transfer device, modifying, updating, or replacing firmware of the wireless power transfer device, or the modification of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the use associated with the performance requirements is wireless power transmission, wireless power receiving, communications, imaging, range finding, or obstacle detection.

32. A method comprising:

receiving performance data for a wireless power transfer data, wherein the performance data comprises data relating to the performance of one or more individual elements of the wireless power transfer device;

storing the received performance data; and

adjusting one or more parameters of operation of the wireless power transfer device based on the performance, wherein the adjusting comprises one or more of;

the removal of mass from the wireless power transfer device, the addition of mass to the wireless power transfer device, the repositioning of one or more components of the wireless power transfer device, and the alteration of stiffness of the wireless power transfer device;

receiving additional performance data for the wireless power transfer device after the adjusting of the one or more parameters of operation of the wireless power transfer device;

determining based on the additional performance data that the wireless power transfer device does not meet the performance requirements associated with the use for the wireless power transfer device;

determining based on the additional performance data that the wireless power transfer device will meet the performance requirements associated with the use after a future manufacturing step; and

indicating that the wireless power transfer device is passed for the use associated with the performance requirements.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the received performance data is stored on the wireless power transfer device.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the received performance data is stored separately from and associated with the wireless power transfer device.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein adjusting the one or more parameters of operation of the wireless power transfer device based on the performance data equalizes performance across individual elements of the wireless power transfer device.