MULTI-LAYERED SAFETY SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a transmitter to generate a power beam;
a receiver to receive at least a portion of the power beam;
a plurality of sensors arranged to independently detect when an object is impinging on the power beam, at least a first set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a first detection volume between the transmitter and the receiver, at least a second set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a second detection volume between the transmitter and the receiver, the first detection volume different from the second detection volume; and
a controller to interrupt transmission of the power beam to the receiver when, based on information from one or more of the plurality of sensors, the object is determined to be impinging on the power beam.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are directed towards a safety system that can be used with a high-flux power beam, such as in wireless power transmission. The system includes a transmitter that generates and transmits a power beam and a receiver that receives the power beam. A plurality of sensors is configured to independently detect if an object is near, impeding, or about to impede (i.e., impinging) the power beam. Each of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect the object at different distances between the transmitter and the receiver. A controller triggers the transmitter to stop generating the power beam when any one or more of the plurality of sensors detects the object or a combination of the plurality of sensors detects the object. The controller triggers the transmitter to re-generate and transmit the power beam when each of the plurality of sensors fails to detect the object.
59 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a transmitter to generate a power beam; a receiver to receive at least a portion of the power beam; a plurality of sensors arranged to independently detect when an object is impinging on the power beam, at least a first set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a first detection volume between the transmitter and the receiver, at least a second set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a second detection volume between the transmitter and the receiver, the first detection volume different from the second detection volume; and a controller to interrupt transmission of the power beam to the receiver when, based on information from one or more of the plurality of sensors, the object is determined to be impinging on the power beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method, comprising:
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transmitting a power beam from a transmitter toward a receiver; employing a plurality of sensors arranged to independently detect when an object is impinging on the power beam, at least a first set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a first distance between the transmitter and the receiver, at least a second set of one or more sensors of the plurality of sensors arranged to detect the object at or within a second distance between the transmitter and the receiver, the first distance different from the second distance; receiving, from at least one of the plurality of sensors, information caused by the object impinging on the power beam; determining, using the information from the at least one of the plurality of sensors, that the object is impinging on the power beam; disabling transmission of the power beam in response to the determination that the object is impinging on the power beam. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A system, comprising:
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a transmitter that generates a power beam; a receiver that receives the power beam; a reflector positioned in proximity to the receiver; at least one single-sided sensor, including; a timing source configured to generate a time-varying electrical signal; an emitter positioned in proximity to the transmitter, the emitter electrically coupled to the timing source and configured to utilize the time-varying electrical signal to emit a time-varying optical signal toward the reflector; a detector configured to generate a light-intensity output and a pulsed output based on a return signal derived from a reflection of the time-varying optical signal; intensity-threshold circuitry electrically coupled to the detector and configured to generate a first trigger when the light-intensity output crosses a first threshold; time-of-flight circuitry electrically coupled to the timing source and the detector, the time-of-flight circuitry configured to generate a second trigger when a delay between the pulsed output and the time-varying electrical signal crosses a second threshold; and a controller electrically coupled to the intensity-threshold circuitry and the time-of-flight circuitry, the controller configured to generate a third trigger, the third trigger arranged to cause interruption of the power beam when the intensity-threshold circuitry generates the first trigger or the time-of-flight circuitry generates the second trigger; and a processor that interrupts transmission of the power beam when the third trigger is received from the controller. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification