NEAR FIELD TRANSMITTERS FOR WIRELESS POWER CHARGING

• US 20170187226A1
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: HOSSEINI, Alister, LEABMAN, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,116,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Disclosed is a system including RF circuitry configured to generate an RF signal; a plurality of unit cells configured to receive the RF signal and to cause an RF energy signal having a center frequency to be present within the unit cells; and receiver circuitry configured to charge an electronic device in response to an antenna of the electronic device receiving the RF energy signal when the antenna is tuned to the center frequency and positioned in a near-field distance from one or more of the unit cells.

Claims

1. A method for charging a device, the method comprising:

applying an RF signal to a plurality of unit cells of a charging surface to cause an RF energy signal to be present within the unit cells of the charging surface; and

filtering the RF energy signal using a harmonic screen filter element to produce the RF energy signal for charging the electronic device in response to an antenna of the electronic device being positioned in a near-field distance from at least one of the unit cells.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising leaking, by at least one of the unit cells, the filtered RF energy signal to the antenna of the electronic device when the antenna is tuned to a center frequency and the RF energy signal operates at the center frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the near-field distance is less than about 4 mm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit cells include a metamaterial.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the unit cells includes at least a portion of the harmonic screen filter element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the RF energy signal includes filtering the RF energy signal with the harmonic screen filter element formed on a surface of the at least one of the unit cells.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the RF energy signal includes filtering the RF energy signal with the harmonic screen filter element positioned above at least one of the unit cells.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the harmonic screen filter element includes a metamaterial.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the harmonic screen filter element includes an RF filter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining the filtered RF energy signal in one or more of the unit cells of the charging surface.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising leaking the filtered RF energy signal through an aperture positioned in one of the unit cells.

12. A charging surface device comprising:

circuitry configured to generate an RF signal;

a plurality of unit cells configured to receive the RF signal and to cause an RF energy signal to be present within one or more of the unit cells; and

a harmonic screen filter element configured to filter the RF energy signal for charging the electronic device in response to an antenna of the electronic device being positioned in a near-field distance from at least one of the unit cells.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the RF energy signal is filtered to have a center frequency, and the unit cells are configured to leak the filtered RF energy signal to the antenna of the electronic device when the antenna is tuned to the center frequency.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the near-field distance is less than about 4 mm.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the unit cells include a metamaterial.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein each of the unit cells includes at least a portion of the harmonic screen filter element.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the harmonic screen filter element is formed on a surface of at least one of the unit cells.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the harmonic screen filter element is positioned above at least one of the unit cells.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the harmonic screen filter element includes a metamaterial.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the harmonic screen filter element includes an RF filter.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the filtered RF energy signal is stored in one or more of the unit cells.

22. A method of manufacturing a charging surface device, the method comprising:

coupling circuitry configured to generate an RF signal to a plurality of unit cells, the plurality of unit cells configured to receive the RF signal and to cause an RF energy signal to be present within one or more of the unit cells; and

attaching a harmonic screen filter element configured to filter the RF energy signal for charging the electronic device in response to an antenna of the electronic device being positioned in a near-field distance from at least one of the unit cells.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the RF energy signal is filtered to have a center frequency, and the unit cells are configured to leak the filtered RF energy signal to the antenna of the electronic device when the antenna is tuned to the center frequency.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the near-field distance is less than about 4 mm.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the unit cells include a metamaterial.