MODULAR ANTENNAS IN WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

• US 20170187246A1
• Filed: 03/03/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: LEABMAN, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,008,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves

Abstract

A wireless power transmission system includes a transmitter configured to transmit power waves including printed circuit boards where a printed circuit board and antenna boards, where each antenna board comprises one or more antenna elements, at least one antenna board resides on a printed circuit board, and the at least one antenna board is connected with a power feeding line. The transmitter further includes a heat sink attached to the at least one printed circuit board, wherein placement of the heat sink with respect to the at least one antenna board comprising the one or more antenna elements and shape of the heat sink is configured such that the heat sink operates as a reflector to direct wireless power waves transmitted from the at least one antenna board in a pre-determined direction.

Claims

1. A transmitter in a wireless power transmission system comprising:

a transmitter board comprising one or more ports configured to receive one or more antenna boards;

an antenna board comprising one or more antenna elements configured to transmit power waves, wherein the antenna board is configured to removably connect to the one or more ports of the transmitter board; and

a heat sink attached to the transmitter board configured to absorb heat generated by the transmitter board, the heat sink configured to reflect the power waves transmitted by the antenna board in a pre-determined direction.

2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein placement of the heat sink in relation to the antenna board is selected such that the heat sink reflect the power waves transmitted by the antenna board in the pre-determined direction.

3. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein shape of the heat sink is U-shaped.

4. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the heat sink is substantially parabolic.

5. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein shape of the heat sink is configured to enable high radiation gain of the one or more antenna elements.

6. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the one or more antenna elements are made of ceramic, and wherein the ceramic is alumina.

7. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the one or more antenna elements are patch antennas configured to irradiate wireless signals.

8. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter board comprises a plurality of surfaces, and wherein the antenna board and the heat sink are positioned on opposite sides of a same surface of the plurality of surfaces.

9. The transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a casting of a dielectric embedding the one or more antenna elements, wherein the casting of dielectric is silicon.

10. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the one or more antenna elements transmits the power waves to a receiver embedded in an electronic device to charge the electronic device.

11. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the one or more antenna elements are configured to operate in a frequency band of 5.8 GHz.

12. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter board comprises a processor configured to determine when the antenna board is connected to the port.

13. The transmitter according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to control power wave transmission operations of the antenna board connected to the port.

14. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein a radio frequency integrated circuit is connected to the antenna board.

15. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein one or more antenna switches are connected to the one or more antenna elements, and wherein one or more filters are connected to the one or more antenna switches.

16. A method for making transmitter components, the method comprising:

forming a transmitter board comprising one or more ports configured to receive one or more antenna boards, wherein each antenna board is configured to removably connect to the transmitter board, and wherein the antenna board comprises one or more antenna elements configured to transmit power waves, and

attaching a heat sink to the transmitter board configured to absorb heat generated by the transmitter board, wherein the heat sink is configured to reflect the power waves transmitted by the antenna board in a pre-determined direction.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein placement of the heat sink in relation to the antenna board is selected such that the heat sink reflect the power waves transmitted by the antenna board in the pre-determined direction.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the one or more antenna elements have a mutual coupling among them, and wherein the mutual coupling is inductive or capacitive coupling between the one or more antenna elements.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter board comprises a plurality of surfaces, and wherein the antenna board and the heat sink are positioned on opposite sides of a same surface of the plurality of surfaces.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein shape of the heat sink is substantially U-shaped.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the heat sink has a substantially parabolic shape.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the height of at least one antenna element of the one or more antenna elements is from about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch,

wherein the width of the at least one antenna element is from about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch, and

wherein the distance between two adjacent antenna elements of the one or more antenna elements is between about 1/12 Lambda to about 1 Lambda.