Systems and methods for operating a plurality of antennas of a wireless power transmitter

• US 10,396,604 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas, Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mourad, Rasem
• Application Number:
  US15/854,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20180337534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for transmitting wireless power. One example method includes: receiving, by at least one of a plurality of antennas of a wireless power transmitter, a first communication signal from a wireless power receiver coupled with an electronic device, the first communication signal including information identifying a location of the electronic device and device parameters associated therewith. The method also includes: splitting, by the transmitter, the plurality of antennas into at least one communication antenna and a first group of power-transmission antennas; assigning, by the transmitter, the first group of power-transmission antennas to the receiver based on the device parameters; and transmitting, by the transmitter, two or more power transmission waves from the first group of power-transmission antennas such that the two or more power transmission waves converge as constructive interference patterns to form a pocket of energy at the location associated with the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting wireless power, comprising:

at a wireless power transmitter having a plurality of power-transmission antennas;

concurrently transmitting, via at least a subset of the power-transmission antennas, respective transmission waves to each of a plurality of wireless power receivers;

receiving a communication from an additional wireless power receiver;

determining whether the plurality of antennas includes a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver;

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of power-transmission antennas does not include a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver, switching from a concurrent power mode to a time division multiplexing mode to transmit respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

while operating in the time division multiplexing mode;

determining whether at least one wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver is receiving less than a predetermined amount of power; and

in accordance with determining that the at least one wireless power receiver is receiving less than the predetermined amount of power, ceasing to transmit respective transmission waves to the at least one wireless power receiver; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of power-transmission antennas includes a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver, concurrently transmitting respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers comprises transmitting two or more power transmission waves to each wireless power receiver so as to form a respective pocket of energy at a location of the wireless power receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein concurrently transmitting respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers comprises:

assigning a set of the plurality of power-transmission antennas to the additional wireless power receiver; and

utilizing the set of power-transmission antennas to transmit two or more transmission waves to a location of the additional wireless power receiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the set of power-transmission antennas to the additional wireless power receiver includes re-assigning one or more power-transmission antennas from a wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers to the additional wireless power receiver.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning the set of power-transmission antennas to the additional wireless power receiver comprises assigning one or more power-transmission antennas not assigned to the plurality of wireless power receivers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while in the time division multiplexing mode, receiving a transmission to cease powering a first wireless power receiver;

ceasing to transmit respective transmission waves to the first wireless power receiver; and

switching from the time division multiplexing mode to the concurrent power mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the time division multiplexing mode includes transmitting transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers at regular intervals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the time division multiplexing mode includes:

assigning a respective time interval to each wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver; and

transmitting transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers in accordance with the assigned time intervals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers is coupled to a respective electronic device that receives usable power from the respective wireless power receiver.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, from a first wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers, a first communication with one or more device parameters for a respective electronic device that is coupled to the first wireless power receiver; and

based on the one or more device parameters, assigning a first set of the plurality of power-transmission antennas to the first wireless power receiver.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the first wireless power receiver, a second communication with one or more updated device parameters; and

based on the one or more updated device parameters, assigning a second set of the plurality of power-transmission antennas to the first wireless power receiver, wherein the second set of power-transmission antennas is different from the first set of power-transmission antennas.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, from the first wireless power receiver, a second communication with one or more updated device parameters; and

based on the one or more updated device parameters, determining whether to operate in the time division multiplexing mode.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein transmission of the respective transmission waves to the at least one wireless power receiver is ceased until the additional wireless power receiver receives at least the predetermined amount of power.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of power is at least 2.5 watts.

23. The system of claim 3, wherein transmission of the respective transmission waves to the at least one wireless power receiver is ceased until the additional wireless power receiver receives at least the predetermined amount of power.

24. The system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined amount of power is at least 2.5 watts.

13. A system, comprising:

a wireless power transmitter having a plurality of power-transmission antennas, the wireless power transmitter configured for;

concurrently transmitting, via at least a subset of the power-transmission antennas, respective transmission waves to each of a plurality of wireless power receivers;

receiving a communication from an additional wireless power receiver;

determining whether the plurality of antennas includes a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver;

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of power-transmission antennas does not include a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver, switching from a concurrent power mode to a time division multiplexing mode to transmit respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers;

while operating in the time division multiplexing mode;

determining whether at least one wireless power receiver of the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver is receiving less than a predetermined amount of power; and

in accordance with determining that the at least one wireless power receiver is receiving less than the predetermined amount of power, ceasing to transmit respective transmission waves to the at least one wireless power receiver; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of power-transmission antennas includes a sufficient number of antennas to concurrently power the plurality of wireless power receivers and the additional wireless power receiver, concurrently transmitting respective transmission waves to the additional wireless power receiver and to each of the plurality of wireless power receivers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of power-transmission antennas includes one or more of:

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

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of power-transmission antennas is configured to operate in one or more of:

a 900 MHz frequency band, a 2.5 GHz frequency band, and a 5.8 GHz frequency band.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of power-transmission antennas is configured to have a polarization including one or more of:

a vertical pole and a horizontal pole.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless power transmitter further comprises a communication component, and wherein the communication from the additional wireless power receiver is received via the communication component.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication component is configured to utilize one or more of:

a Wi-Fi protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, and a ZigBee protocol.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising the plurality of wireless power receivers.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising one or more additional wireless power transmitters and a base station configured to govern operation of the wireless power transmitter and the one or more additional wireless power transmitter.