STEERING FOR WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER

• US 20150214764A1
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: uBeam, Inc.
• Inventors: PERRY, Meredith
• Granted Patent: US 9,825,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 first signal generator;

a first amplifier coupled to the first signal generator, said first amplifier configured to receive power from a power source and to generate an electrical transmission signal adapted to be used to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender transducer coupled to the first amplifier, the sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier; and

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the first signal generator, the first amplifier and the sender transducer;

a mechanical tilt mechanism mechanically coupled to the sender transducer and adapted and configured to mechanically steer the sender transducer in at least one dimension;

an electronic steering mechanism adapted and configured to electronically steer the ultrasonic waves generated by sender transducer in at least one dimension; and

a sender communications device adapted to communicate with a receiver communications device; and

the receiver comprising;

a receiver transducer adapted and configured to receive ultrasonic waves generated by the relay transducer, to generate a receiver electrical signal based on the received ultrasonic waves, and to connect to a receiver electrical storage device adapted and configured to store electrical energy based on the receiver electrical signal generated by the receiver transducer;

a receiver communications device adapted and configured to send input to the sender communications device; and

a receiver controller coupled to at least one of the receiver transducer and the receiver electrical storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises:

a receiver electrical storage device adapted and configured to store electrical energy based on the receiver electrical signal generated by the receiver transducer.

3. A system, comprising:

a signal generator;

an amplifier coupled to the signal generator, said amplifier configured to receive power from a power source and to generate an electrical transmission signal adapted to be used to generate ultrasonic waves;

a sender transducer coupled to the amplifier, the sender transducer adapted and configured to generate ultrasonic waves based on the electrical transmission signal received from the amplifier; and

a sender controller coupled to at least one of the signal generator, the amplifier and the sender transducer;

a mechanical tilt mechanism mechanically coupled to the sender transducer and adapted and configured to mechanically steer the sender transducer in at least one dimension;

an electronic steering mechanism adapted and configured to electronically steer the ultrasonic waves generated by sender transducer in at least one dimension; and

a sender communications device adapted to communicate with a receiver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the mechanical tilt mechanism is further adapted and configured to change the elevation of the sender transducer.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the mechanical tilt mechanism is further adapted and configured to tilt the sender transducer in the X and Y dimensions.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic steering mechanism is further adapted and configured to change the azimuth of the ultrasonic waves.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic steering mechanism is further adapted and configured to change the direction of the ultrasonic waves in the Z dimension.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic steering mechanism and the mechanical tilt mechanism are further adapted and configured to work in conjointly direct the ultrasonic waves at the receiver.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the mechanical tilt device comprises a motor.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender communications device is further adapted and configured to receive a configuration parameter comprising at least one steering parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the steering parameter is a steering angle, a dispersion angle, a focal length, a location of the ultrasonic transducer, a distance to a the receiver, a location of the receiver, a location of the sender, and a relative orientation of the ultrasonic transducer and a relative orientation of an ultrasonic transducer of the receiver.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mechanical tilt mechanism and the electronic steering mechanism are further adapted and configured to conjointly change one or more of the direction, focal point, focus size and shape, focal amplitude, and phase distribution of the ultrasonic waves based on the configuration parameter comprising the at least one steering parameter.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender controller comprises the electronic steering mechanism.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein the sender electronic steering mechanism is further adapted and configured to modulate the phase of the electrical transmission signal.

15. A method comprising:

emitting ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transducer of a sender in a first direction;

receiving a communication at the sender, the communication comprising at least one steering parameter; and

steering the ultrasonic waves based on the received at least one steering parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein steering the ultrasonic waves further comprises:

tilting the ultrasonic transducer with a mechanical tilt mechanism of the sender.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein steering the ultrasonic waves further comprises:

directing the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transducer with an electronic steering mechanism of the sender.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein steering the ultrasonic waves further comprises:

modulating a phase of an electrical transmission signal from an amplifier of the sender.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein steering the ultrasonic waves further comprises:

tilting the ultrasonic transducer with a mechanical tilt mechanism and conjointly directing the ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic transducer with an electronic steering mechanism to direct the ultrasonic waves at a receiver based on the steering parameter.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the sender transducer is tilted in the X and Y dimensions.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the ultrasonic waves are directed in the Z dimension.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

changing, conjointly with the mechanical tilt mechanism and the electronic steering mechanism, one or more of the focal point, focus size and shape, focal amplitude, and phase distribution of the ultrasonic waves based on the configuration parameter comprising the at least one steering parameter.