Systems and methods for wireless power charging

• US 10,312,715 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isla, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres Ruiz, Johali A
• Application Number:
  US14/856,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20170077736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

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 computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a communications component of a user device and from a transmitter that is distinct from the user device, a communications signal containing one or more parameters indicating one or more characteristics of one or more power waves transmitted by the transmitter into a transmission field, wherein at least one characteristic is a power level for the one or more power waves;

identifying, by a processor implemented in the user device located at a receiver location, an amount of energy received by a receiver coupled to the user device from the one or more power waves;

determining, by the processor implemented in the user device using the one or more parameters, a pocket location for a pocket of energy, wherein the pocket location is where the one or more power waves having the one or more characteristics converge and constructively interfere with one another in the transmission field and the pocket location for the pocket of energy is distinct from a location of the transmitter; and

when the pocket location has a higher power level than the receiver location, generating and displaying, by the processor implemented in the user device, a user interface having an indicator indicating a direction to the pocket location relative to the receiver location,

wherein the user device is configured to receive energy from the one or more power waves at the pocket of energy to power or charge the user device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the user device, the pocket location relative to the receiver location based upon the one or more parameters and the amount of energy received by the user device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein identifying the pocket location relative to the receiver location further comprises:

comparing, by the user device, the amount of energy transmitted via the one or more power waves according to the one or more parameters, against the amount of energy received by the receiver coupled to the user device from the one or more power waves.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the direction indicated by the indicator is based upon the pocket location relative to the receiver location.

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

generating, by the user device, a response communication signal containing one or more updated parameters indicating the amount of energy received by the user device; and

transmitting, by the user device, the response communication signal containing the one or more updated parameters to the transmitter.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein generating the response communication signal further comprises:

identifying, by the user device, the first location relative to the transmitter, based upon the amount of energy received, the receiver location relative to the pocket location, and the pocket location relative to the transmitter.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving, by the user device, one or more updated power waves having one or more updated characteristics, the one or more updated characteristics causing the one or more updated power waves to converge and constructively interfere with one another at the receiver location, thereby resulting in a pocket of energy forming at the receiver location.

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

receiving, by the user device, a beacon message from the transmitter; and

associating, by the user device, with the transmitter, according to a wireless communications protocol associated with the communications signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising transmitting, by the user device, a set of credentials associated with a user account authenticating the user device with a power transmission system, wherein the user device associates with the transmitter upon authentication.

10. A user device comprising:

a wireless communications component configured to receive from a transmitter a communications signal containing one or more parameters indicating one or more characteristics for one or more power waves;

one or more antennas configured to gather power from a pocket of energy formed by the one or more power waves converging and constructively interfere with one another at a pocket location, wherein the pocket location for the pocket of energy is distinct from a location of the transmitter; and

a receiver processor implemented in the user device and configured to;

identify an amount of energy received from the one or more power waves;

identify an amount of energy transmitted in the one or more power waves, based upon one or more parameters received in the communications signal;

determine the pocket location; and

generate and display a user interface having an indicator that indicates a direction to the pocket location relative to a receiver location,

wherein the user device is distinct from the transmitter.

11. The device according to claim 10, further comprising one or more antennas configured to receive the one or more power waves.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the receiver processor is further configured to identify the pocket location relative to the receiver location, based upon the one or more parameters and the amount of energy received.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the receiver processor is further configured to compare the amount of energy transmitted in the one or more power waves as indicated by the one or more parameters, against the amount of energy received by the user device from the one or more power waves.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the direction indicated by the indicator is based on the pocket location relative to the receiver location.

15. The device according to claim 10,

wherein the receiver processor is further configured to generate a response communication signal containing one or more updated parameters indicating the amount of energy received by the user device;

and

wherein the communications component is further configured to transmit the response communication signal containing the one or more updated parameters to the transmitter.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the receiver processor is further configured to identify the receiver location relative to the transmitter, based upon the amount of energy received, the first location relative to the pocket location, and the pocket location relative to the transmitter.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the one or more power waves having one or more updated characteristics causing the one or more power waves to converge and constructively interfere with one another at the receiver location within the transmitter field, thereby forming the pocket of energy at the receiver location.

18. The device according to claim 10,

wherein the communications component of the receiver is further configured to receive a beacon message from the transmitter;

and

wherein the receiver processor is further configured to associate with the transmitter, according to a wireless communications protocol associated with the communications signal.

19. The device according claim 18, wherein the communications component of the receiver is further configured to transmit a set of credentials associated with a user account authenticating the user device with a power transmission system, wherein the user device associates with the transmitter upon authentication.