Charge level communications for wireless power transfer

• US 10,468,916 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Meredith
• Primary Examiner(s): Retebo, Metasebia T
• Application Number:
  US15/909,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20180191201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/18 Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/26 Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/341 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• 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 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: H03C 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 5/00 Amplitude modulation and angle modulation produced simultaneously or at will by the same modulating signal H03C7/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/00 Electrostatic transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/00 Transducers other than those covered by groups H04R9/00 - H04R21/00 diaphragms for transducers of the distributed-mode type H04R7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A signal generator generates an electrical signal that is sent to an amplifier, which increases the power of the signal using power from a power source. The amplified signal is fed to a sender transducer to generate ultrasonic waves that can be focused and sent to a receiver. The receiver transducer converts the ultrasonic waves back into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device, such as a battery, or uses the electrical energy to power a device. In this way, a device can be remotely charged or powered without having to be tethered to an electrical outlet.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sender comprising;

a sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender controller adapted and configured to reduce or cease direction of the ultrasonic waves at a receiver in response to receiving a control signal indicating that the receiver has reached a desired charge level, and

a sender communications device adapted and configured to communicate with a receiver communications device and receive the control signal comprising the indication that the receiver has reached the desired charge level; and

the receiver comprising;

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer and generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves, and

a receiver communications device adapted and configured to send the control signal to the sender communications device, the control signal comprising an indication that the receiver has reached the desired charge level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease the emitting of ultrasonic waves directed at the receiver by causing the sender transducer to reduce the generation of ultrasonic waves or cease generating ultrasonic waves.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease the emitting of ultrasonic waves directed at the receiver by steering the ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer away from the receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted and configured to receive a control signal comprising an indication of a distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease direction of the ultrasonic waves at the receiver in response to receiving the control signal comprising the indication of the distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the receiver communications device is further adapted and configured to send the control signal comprising the indication of the distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver to the sender communications device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises a receiver controller adapted and configured to determine the level of charge of the receiver.

8. A system, comprising:

a sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender controller adapted and configured to control the generation of the ultrasonic waves by the sender transducer; and

a sender communications device adapted and configured to communicate with a receiver communications device and receive a control signal comprising an indication that the receiver has reached a desired charge level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease the emitting of ultrasonic waves directed at the receiver in response to receiving the control signal comprising the indication that the receiver has reached the desired charge level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease the emitting of ultrasonic waves directed at the receiver by causing the sender transducer to reduce the generation of ultrasonic waves or cease generating ultrasonic waves.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the sender controller is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease the emitting of ultrasonic waves directed at the receiver by steering the ultrasonic waves generated by the sender transducer away from the receiver.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted and configured to receive a control signal comprising an indication of a distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted and configured to reduce or cease direction of the ultrasonic waves at the receiver in response to receiving the control signal comprising the indication of the distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver.

14. A system comprising:

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by a sender transducer and generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves; and

a receiver communications device adapted and configured to send the control signal to a sender communications device, the control signal comprising an indication that the receiver has reached the desired charge level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver communications device is further adapted and configured to send a control signal comprising an indication of the distribution of acoustic energy from the ultrasonic waves at the receiver to the sender communications device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver further comprises a receiver controller adapted to determine the level of charge of the receiver.