Detection and Navigation in Wireless Charging

• US 20170240061A1
• Filed: 02/21/2017
• Published: 08/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiBotic Inc.
• Original Assignee: WiBotic Inc.
• Inventors: Waters, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 10,858,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/38 by wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• 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

Abstract

A transmit charging coil is driven to wirelessly transfer energy to a receiving charging coil. The wireless energy transfer can be adjusted in response to detecting the receive charging coil. Navigation of an un-manned vehicle may be adjusted in response to the wireless energy transfer.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly delivering energy, the method comprising:

initiating a detect mode that includes;

enabling a wireless power transmitter for a time period, wherein enabling the wireless power transmitter includes driving a first signal through a transmit charging coil configured to transmit wireless energy; and

detecting when a receive charging coil is positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil; and

enabling a charge mode of the wireless power transmitter in response to detecting the receive charging coil is positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil, wherein enabling the charge mode of the wireless power transmitter includes driving a second signal through the transmit charging coil, the second signal driven through the transmit charging coil having a higher electrical power than the first signal driven through the transmit charging coil.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting when the receive charge coil is positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil includes sensing a magnitude of the wireless energy transmitted by the wireless power transmitter by measuring a current provided to an amplifier of the wireless power transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting when the receive charge coil is positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil includes sensing a magnitude of the wireless energy received by the receive charging coil by wirelessly receiving a rectifier value representative of a rectifier voltage of a rectifier within a receive circuit coupled to the receive charging coil, wherein the rectifier value is received by a wireless radio of the wireless power transmitter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the receive charging coil is positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil includes:

performing a first sensing procedure including receiving a light measurement from a photosensor of the wireless power transmitter;

comparing the light measurement to a threshold light value;

disabling the wireless power transmitter for a second time period following the time period when the light measurement is outside a predetermine value range;

performing a second sensing procedure when the light measurement is within the predetermined value range;

disabling the wireless power transmitter for a second time period following the time period when the second sensing procedure is failed; and

continuing to the charge mode when the second sensing procedure is passed.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

disabling the wireless power transmitter for a second time period following the time period when the receive charging coil is not positioned to receive the wireless energy from the transmit charging coil; and

returning to the detect mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the time period is shorter than the second time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a ramping signal is driven onto the transmit charging coil to gradually increase the wireless energy transmitted by the transmit charging coil from the first signal to the second signal.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

during the charge mode, dynamically tuning a reactance of the transmit charging coil or the receive charging coil to increase a charging efficiency at a frequency of the wireless energy transmitted from the transmit charging coil to the receive charging coil.

9. A system comprising:

a charger including;

a power delivery module including a transmit charging coil for transmitting wireless energy;

a sensing module configured to generate an output signal in response to sensing a signal; and

processing logic coupled to receive the output signal from the sensing module, wherein the processing logic is configured to adjust a transmission of the wireless energy in response to the output signal; and

an un-manned vehicle including;

a battery; and

a charging module coupled to charge the battery with the wireless energy received from the transmit charging coil by a receive charging coil included in the charging module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the charger includes an infrared motion detector positioned to sense motion in an environment around the charger, the infrared motion detector outputting the output signal in response to received infrared light,

the processing logic configured to disable the transmitting of wireless energy when the output signal indicates motion in the environment around the charger.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensing module includes an image sensor for capturing images, and wherein the charger further includes a memory coupled to be read by the processing logic, and wherein the processing logic is configured to enable the transmitting of the wireless energy based upon image signal processing of the images compared to one or more images stored in the memory.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensing module includes a thermal camera coupled to generate the output signal.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the un-manned vehicle includes a propulsion blade, and wherein the sensing module includes a microphone coupled to generate an audio signal as the output signal,

the processing logic configured to enable the transmission of the wireless energy when the output signal includes a sound of the propulsion blade of the un-manned vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the un-manned vehicle includes a light emitting diode centered within the receive charging coil, the light emitting diode configured to emit a wavefront within a frequency band, and wherein the sensing module includes a photosensor coupled to generate the output signal, the photosensor centered within the transmit charging coil and configured to receive light within the frequency band and reject light outside the frequency band,

and wherein the processing logic is configured to increase the wireless energy transmitted by the transmit charging coil based on a magnitude of the light received that is inside the frequency band.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the charger further includes a first wireless radio and the un-manned vehicle includes a second wireless radio.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing logic is also configured to adjust the transmission of the wireless energy based on radio data received by the first wireless radio from the second wireless radio of the un-manned vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the un-manned vehicle further includes vehicle processing logic and a propulsion mechanism, wherein the vehicle processing logic is configured control the propulsion mechanism in response to radio data received by the second wireless radio from the first wireless radio of the charger.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the charger further includes an amplifier configured to drive the transmit charging coil, and wherein the processing logic is further configured to adjust the transmission of the wireless energy in response to measuring a current provided to the amplifier.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein the un-manned vehicle further includes a rectifier coupled to the receive charging coil, vehicle processing logic, and a propulsion mechanism, wherein the vehicle processing logic is configured to control the propulsion mechanism in response to an electrical measurement of the rectifier.

20. A method of navigating an un-manned vehicle to a charging station, the method comprising:

receiving by a receive charging coil of an un-manned vehicle, a first wireless energy signal from a transmit charging coil of the charging station, wherein the receive charging coil is coupled to charge a battery that powers the un-manned vehicle;

navigating the un-manned vehicle based on a magnitude of the first wireless energy signal, wherein navigating the un-manned vehicle include navigating the un-manned vehicle closer to the transmit charging coil of the charging station;

receiving by the receive charging coil of the un-manned vehicle, a second wireless energy signal from the transmit charging coil, wherein the second wireless energy signal is greater than the first wireless energy signal; and

charging the battery of the un-manned vehicle using the second wireless energy signal.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

measuring an electric field or magnetic field strength by a first and second sensor at two different points of the un-manned vehicle, wherein navigating the un-manned vehicle is further based on a first measurement from the first sensor and a second measurement from the second sensor.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

measuring a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of a radio communication transmitted by the charging station, wherein navigating the un-manned vehicle is further based on the RSSI.