Systems and methods for nullifying energy levels for wireless power transmission waves

• US 10,135,295 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• 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:
  US14/861,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 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 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 methods to generate and transmit power waves are disclosed herein. An example method includes: receiving, by a transmitter, from one or more sensors, location data about a location associated with one or more objects within a transmission field of the transmitter. The one or more sensors may include a proximity sensor configured to send the location data of the one or more objects, and the one or more objects are associated with a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) level. The method also includes: transmitting, by the transmitter, one or more power waves to converge to form a pocket of energy at a location of an electronic device; and transmitting, by the transmitter, one or more power waves to converge destructively to form a null space at the location of the one or more objects, the null space having a power density level that is below the MPE level.

Claims

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

receiving, by a transmitter, from one or more sensors, location data about a location associated with one or more objects within a transmission field of the transmitter, wherein;

the one or more sensors include a proximity sensor configured to send the location data of the one or more objects, and

the one or more objects are associated with a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) level;

transmitting, by the transmitter, one or more power waves to converge to form a pocket of energy at a location of an electronic device; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, one or more power waves to converge destructively to form a null space at the location of the one or more objects, the null space having a power density level that is below the MPE level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the one or more power waves to converge destructively to form the null space at the location of the one or more objects is performed in accordance with a determination that a power density level at the location of the one or more objects exceeds the MPE level associated with the one or more objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor configured to sense the power density level and send data indicating the power density level to the transmitter.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is externally located outside of the transmitter and electronically sends the location data to the transmitter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a millimeter wave sensor, and wherein the millimeter wave sensor is configured to send information that exactly identifies the location of the electronic device to the transmitter.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the transmitter, a location of a receiver based on heat mapping data; and

generating, by the transmitter, the null space proximate to the location of the receiver.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising,

receiving, by the transmitter, a location of a receiver from an internal or external sensor device;

and

generating, by the transmitter, the null space proximate to the location of the receiver.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the null space comprises a space where a pocket of energy does not form.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using, by the transmitter, generation of the null space to reduce or eliminate energy in a pocket of energy that is located in a certain direction or dimension.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein generation of the null space is cancelled when the one or more objects have moved outside a pre-defined distance from the transmission field.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a power density level is approximately five thousand times less at the generated null space in relation to a power density level at the pocket of energy.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitter includes an antenna array,

a first subset of antennas of the antenna array is used to transmit the one or more power waves that converge destructively to generate the null space, and

a second subset of antennas of the antenna array is used to transmit the one or more power waves that converge to form the pocket of energy.

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

one or more transmitters, each of the one or more transmitters comprising one or more antenna arrays, each of the one or more antenna arrays comprising one or more antennas, wherein the one or more antenna arrays of a respective transmitter are configured to;

transmit one or more power waves that converge to create a pocket of energy at a location of an electronic device, and

transmit one or more power waves that converge destructively to generate a null space at a location of one or more objects, the location of the one or more objects based on location data received from one or more sensors indicating that the location of one or more objects is within a transmission field of the one or more transmitters,

wherein;

the one or more sensors include a proximity sensor configured to send the location data of the one or more objects,

the one or more objects are associated with a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) level, and

the null space has a power density level that is below the MPE level.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising a sensor device configured to determine the location data associated with the one or more objects in a pre-defined distance from the transmitter, receiver, or one or more power waves travelling between the transmitter and the receiver.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more antenna arrays comprise a first antenna array and a second antenna array, and wherein the first antenna array is configured to create the pocket of energy and the second antenna array is configured to create the null space.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more antenna arrays comprise a first antenna array and a second antenna array, and wherein the first antenna array and the second antenna array are each configured to create both the pocket of energy and the null space.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more transmitters receive a location of a receiver based on heat mapping data, and generate the null space proximate to the location of the receiver.

18. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more transmitters receive location of a receiver from an internal or external sensor device, and generate the null space proximate to the location of the receiver.

19. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more transmitters select a size and a depth of the pocket of energy based on the location data of the one or more objects received.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more antenna arrays transmit the one or more power waves to generate the null space at the location of the one or more objects in accordance with a determination that a power density level at the location of the one or more objects exceeds the MPE level associated with the one or more objects.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one sensor configured to sense the power density level and send data indicating the power density level to the transmitter.