Systems and Methods for Managing and Controlling a Wireless Power Network

• US 20150326051A1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas, Leabman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,211,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• 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: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system for managing a wireless power network is disclosed here. The system includes a graphical user interface from which a user may perform managing functions in a wireless power network. The disclosed system may connect and request information from a plurality of power transmitter manager applications embedded as software in wireless power transmitters. Wireless power transmitters may receive input data from wireless power receivers. Received data may be stored in a device database in memory of the wireless power transmitter. The system may request, modify and update data from the device database in each wireless power transmitter. The system may also determine actions to be performed by the wireless power transmitter.

Claims

1. A wireless power network;

comprising;

at least one transmitter suitable for providing controlled radio frequency waves to produce a plurality of energy pockets suitable for receipt by a receiver at at least one user device; and

at least one power manager suitable for controlling at least the at least one transmitter, said at least one power manager further comprising at least one database comprising identification and attribute information of the at least one transmitter, the at least one receiver, and the at least one user device;

wherein the control by the at least one power manager allows ones of the plurality of energy pockets to charge or power the at least one user device in accordance with the identification and attribute information of the at least one user device.

2. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the identification and attribute information comprise information indicative of the power usage of one of the at least one user device.

3. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the identification and attribute information comprise information indicative of the stored power available to one of the at least one user device.

4. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the identification and attribute information comprise information indicative of the number of power usage of one of the at least one user device.

5. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the identification and attribute information comprise at least one time related to the scheduling of a charge time for the at least one user device.

6. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the communication from the at least one transmitter to the at least one receiver is of a protocol selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WIFI, ZigBee, and combinations thereof.

7. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the at least one power manager communicates with a power transmitter manager application to provide for at least one device status, power schedule, authentication credentials, and combinations thereof.

8. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the at least one power manager performs one of the functions selected from the group consisting of allowing for the charging of at least one user device, and sending a message to ones of the at least one user device.

9. The wireless power network of claim 1, wherein the at least one power manager determines the charging time for each of the at least one user device.

10. A method for providing a wireless power network;

comprising;

transceiving controlled radio frequency waves to produce a plurality of energy pockets for receipt at a user device; and

controlling the transmitting and receiving of said plurality of energy pockets using at least one power manager;

wherein said controlling allows ones of the plurality of energy pockets to charge or power the at least one user device in accordance with identification and attribute information of the at least one user device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication protocol for said transceiving is selected form the group consisting of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WIFI, ZigBee, and or combinations thereof.

12. A wireless power network;

comprising;

at least one receiver at a user device suitable for receiving from a transmitter controlled radio frequency waves that produce a plurality of energy pockets; and

at least one power manager suitable for controlling at least the at least one receiver, said at least one power manager further comprising at least one database comprising identification and attribute information of the transmitter, the at least one receiver, and the at least one user device;

wherein the control by the at least one power manager allows ones of the plurality of energy pockets to charge or power the at least one user device in accordance with the identification and attribute information of the at least one user device.

13. The wireless power network of claim 12, wherein the at least one receiver is not integral to the at least one user device.

14. The wireless power network of claim 12, wherein the at least one receiver is communicatively coupled to a power receiver application suitable for receiving instructions from the at least one power manager.

15. The wireless power network of claim 12, wherein the at least one user device is in communication with a graphical user interface providing the user of the at least one user device control over at least one task performed by the at least one power manager.

16. The wireless power network of claim 12, wherein a user of an at least one user device controls an aspect of the at least one power manager.