Wireless charging platform using environment based beamforming for wireless sensor network

• US 10,211,662 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices Global Unlimited Company (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stein, Yosef, Trogan, Roman, Primo, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US14/461,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20160049824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A wireless charging network system is disclosed that includes wirelessly charged sensor nodes. The wireless network system can include a gateway node configured to aggregate data from sensor nodes within a coverage area of the gateway node. The gateway node is further configured to wirelessly transmit power to the sensor nodes using a beamformed signal, wherein the gateway node adjusts the beamformed signal to maximize wireless power transfer to sensor nodes within each sector of the coverage area. Location information can be used to adjust the beamformed signal. For example, in various embodiments, the gateway node includes a beamformer sector profile table that defines channel adaptive beam profiles for the beamformed signal for each sector of the coverage area. The gateway node can use location information to define the beam profiles.

Claims

1. A wireless charging network system that includes wirelessly charged sensor nodes, the wireless charging network system comprising:

a gateway node configured to evaluate an environment associated with the sensor nodes and to aggregate data from sensor nodes comprising location of within a coverage area of the gateway node and wirelessly transmit power to the sensor nodes using a beamformed signal, wherein the gateway node includes a programmable beamformer sector profile table that stores and defines adaptive beam profiles for the beamformed signal for each sector of the coverage area based upon the evaluation of the environment for each sector and selects and adjusts the beamformed signal to maximize wireless power transfer to the sensor nodes within each sector of the coverage area.

2. The wireless charging network system of claim 1, wherein the gateway node is configured to use the location information in defining the adaptive beam profiles.

3. The wireless charging network system of claim 2 configured as a global positioning system (GPS) denied environment.

4. The wireless charging network system of claim 2, wherein the sensor nodes include inertial measurement units (IMUs), and the gateway node is configured to receive the location information from the IMUs.

5. The wireless charging network system of claim 2, wherein the gateway node includes an Internet of Things (IoT) interface connected to an IoT network, wherein the gateway node is configured to receive the location information over the IoT network via the IoT interface.

6. The wireless charging network system of claim 5, wherein the sensor nodes include inertial measurement units (IMUs), and the gateway node receives the location information from a network element over the IoT network, wherein the network element includes knowledge of positional data obtained by the IMUs.

7. The wireless charging network system of claim 5, wherein the sensor nodes include robots that have inertial measurement units (IMUs), and the gateway node receives the location information from a robot communications network via IoT connectivity.

8. The wireless charging network system of claim 2, wherein the sensor nodes include robots that have inertial measurement units (IMUs), and the gateway node is configured to receive the location information from a robot communications network.

9. The wireless charging network system of claim 8. wherein the gateway node is configured to update the beamformer sector profile table based on communications between robots.

10. The wireless charging network system of claim 9, wherein the gateway node is configured to update the beamformer sector profile table based on collective wisdom between robots.

11. The wireless charging network system of claim 1 configured as a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, wherein the gateway node is an RED reader and the sensor nodes include RFID tags.

12. A method performed by a gateway node to wirelessly charge sensor nodes within a coverage area of the gateway node using a beamformed signal, the method comprising:

defining sectors of the coverage area of the gateway node;

receiving location information of the sensor nodes at the gateway node;

storing a beamformer sector profile table that defines beam profiles for a plurality of environments;

evaluating an environment associated with sensor nodes for each of the sectors;

for each sector, selecting a beam profile and adjusting the beamformed signal based on the evaluation of the environment and location information, wherein the adjusted beamformed signal maximizes wireless power transfer to the sensor nodes within each sector; and

wirelessly transmitting power to the sensor nodes within each sector using the adjusted beamformed signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further including defining a beam profile associated with each sector, wherein the beam profile defines a radiation pattern for the beamformed signal based on sector characteristics, wherein the beamformed signal is adjusted according to the beam profile associated with the sector.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining the beam profiles using the location information.

15. The method of claim 14, further including obtaining the location information from are IoT network.

16. The method of claim 13, further including defining the beam profile based on a defined quality of service.

17. A wireless charging platform for a wireless sensor network, the wireless charging platform comprising:

a radio frequency energy distributor and data aggregator (REDDA) system that includes an Internet of Things (IoT) interface connected to an IoT network and a transceiver, wherein the REDDA system is configured to aggregate data wirelessly transmitted from sensor nodes within a coverage area of the REDDA system, evaluate an environment associated with the sensor nodes, and wirelessly transmit power to the sensor nodes using a beamformed RF signal, both the wirelessly transmitted aggregated data and wirelessly transmitted power are in different bands of the transceiver;

wherein the REDDA system adjusts the beamformed RF signal to maximize wireless power transfer to sensor nodes within each sector of the coverage area, based upon the evaluation of the environment in which the sensor nodes are disposed.

18. The wireless charging platform of claim 17, wherein the REDDA system includes a beamformer sector profile table that defines beam profiles for the beamformed signal for each sector of the coverage area, wherein the REDDA system is configured to receive location information for use in defining the beam profiles.

19. The wireless charging platform of claim 18, wherein the REDDA system is configured to receive the location information from the IoT network.