System and method for relaying energy from a space transmitter to an electronic device via an earth station

• US 8,653,784 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Todd Allen Bland
• Original Assignee: Todd Allen Bland
• Inventors: Bland, Todd Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/965,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,165 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/DIG.33, 244/172.7, 322/2.R
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A method and system for solar powered charging of an electronic device is provided. Solar concentrators direct solar energy onto photovoltaic cells on an orbiting space station or a satellite in a geostationary orbit. The photovoltaic cells convert the solar energy to direct current (DC) electrical power. Energy generators convert the DC electrical power to generate energy waves, for example, microwaves. A space transmitter relays the energy waves to one or more earth stations. The electronic device transmits a locator beam indicating its current location. On receiving the locator beam, an earth station transmits the energy waves to the electronic device. A rectenna, in electronic communication with the electronic device, converts the energy waves to DC electrical power and directs the DC electrical power to a charger in electric communication with the electronic device. The charger receives the energy waves or the DC electrical power and charges the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for solar powered charging of an electronic device, comprising:

providing a plurality of photovoltaic cells on one of an orbiting space station and a satellite in a geostationary orbit;

converting solar energy incident on said photovoltaic cells to direct current electrical power, wherein said direct current electrical power is directed to a plurality of energy generators residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit;

converting said direct current electrical power to generate energy waves by said energy generators, wherein said energy waves are directed to a space transmitter residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit;

relaying said energy waves by said space transmitter to one or more earth stations positioned at predetermined locations on an earth surface;

continuously transmitting a beacon signal by each of said one or more earth stations to said electronic device to establish a communication range between said electronic device and each of said one or more earth stations;

selecting one of said one or more earth stations by said electronic device when said electronic device is within said communication range of said one or more earth stations for receipt of said relayed energy waves from said earth stations;

determining a location of said electronic device with respect to said one or more earth stations, comprising;

transmitting a locator beam to one of said one or more earth stations by said electronic device for indicating said location of said electronic device;

receiving said locator beam by said one of said one or more earth stations; and

determining said location of said electronic device from said locator beam by said one of said one or more earth stations;

transmitting a pilot beam by said one of said one or more earth stations to said space transmitter based on said reception of said locator beam from said electronic device, wherein said pilot beam signals said space transmitter to initiate said relaying of said energy waves from said space transmitter to said one of said one or more earth stations,

wherein said electronic device selects one of said one or more earth stations based on strength of said beacon signal of each of said one or more earth stations;

transmitting said relayed energy waves by one of said one or more earth stations to said electronic device;

receiving said relayed energy waves by a charger in electric communication with said electronic device; and

charging said electronic device with said relayed energy waves by said charger.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said relayed energy waves comprise one of microwaves, laser beams, and radio waves.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a rectenna in electronic communication with said electronic device, wherein said one of said one or more earth stations transmits said relayed energy waves to said rectenna.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said rectenna receives said relayed energy waves from said one of said one or more earth stations, converts said relayed energy waves to local direct current electrical power, and directs said local direct current electrical power to said charger for charging said electronic device with said local direct current electrical power.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of solar concentrators on said photovoltaic cells for concentrating said solar energy on said photovoltaic cells, wherein said solar concentrators are a plurality of flexible Fresnel lenses.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing location updates to said one of said one or more earth stations based on a change in location of said electronic device, wherein said electronic device provides said location updates by transmitting locator beams to said one of said one or more earth stations for indicating a current location of said moving electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising amplifying said generated energy waves to high power energy waves by an amplifier residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said space transmitter comprises a phased array antenna for forming and transmitting a beam of said high power energy waves to said one or more earth stations.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising attenuating said high power energy waves by said one or more earth stations to low power energy waves for transmission to said electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated energy waves are low power energy waves, wherein said space transmitter relays said low power energy waves to said one or more earth stations, wherein said one of said one or more earth stations transmits said low power energy waves to said charger for charging said electronic device.

11. A system for solar powered charging of an electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of photovoltaic cells on one of an orbiting space station and a satellite in a geostationary orbit, wherein said photovoltaic cells convert solar energy incident on said photovoltaic cells to direct current electrical power;

a plurality of energy generators residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit, wherein said energy generators convert said direct current electrical power directed to said energy generators by said photovoltaic cells to generate energy waves;

a space transmitter residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit, wherein said space transmitter relays said energy waves directed to said space transmitter by said energy generators to one or more earth stations positioned at predetermined locations on an earth surface;

a transceiver on each of said one or more earth stations, wherein said transceiver is configured to perform;

continuously transmitting a beacon signal to said electronic device to establish a communication range between said electronic device and each of said one or more earth stations;

receiving said relayed energy waves from said space transmitter and transmitting said relayed energy waves to a device charging electronic assembly;

receiving a locator beam;

determining a location of the electronic device from said locator beam;

transmitting a pilot beam to said space transmitter upon receiving said locator beam from said electronic device, wherein said pilot beam signals said space transmitter to initiate said relaying of said energy waves;

said device charging electronic assembly in communication with said one of said one or more earth stations, wherein said electronic device selects one of said one or more earth stations when said electronic device is within said communication range of said one or more earth stations for receipt of said relayed energy waves from said earth stations, wherein said electronic device selects one of said one or more earth stations based on strength of said beacon signal of each of said one or more earth stations, wherein said device charging electronic assembly comprises a charger in electric communication with said electronic device, wherein said charger receives said relayed energy waves transmitted to said device charging electronic assembly by said one of said one or more earth stations and charges said electronic device with said received energy waves.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said energy generators generate one of microwaves, laser beams, and radio waves.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said device charging electronic assembly further comprises a rectenna in electronic communication with said electronic device, wherein said rectenna receives said relayed energy waves transmitted to said rectenna by said transceiver on said one of said one or more earth stations, converts said relayed energy waves to local direct current electrical power, and directs said local direct current electrical power to said charger, and wherein said charger receives said local direct current electrical power from said rectenna and charges said electronic device with said local direct current electrical power.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of solar concentrators on said photovoltaic cells that concentrates said solar energy on said photovoltaic cells, wherein said solar concentrators are a plurality of flexible Fresnel lenses.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising an amplifier residing on one of said orbiting space station and said satellite in said geostationary orbit, wherein said amplifier amplifies said generated energy waves to high power energy waves.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said space transmitter comprises a phased array antenna that forms a beam of high power energy waves from said high power energy waves directed to said space transmitter from said amplifier, controls and transmits said beam of high power energy waves to said transceiver on each of said one or more earth stations.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a beam transmitter in said electronic device that performs:

transmitting said locator beam to said one of said one or more earth stations, wherein said locator beam indicates location of said electronic device; and

transmitting a stop beam to said one of said one or more earth stations, wherein said stop beam indicates termination of said transmission of said relayed energy waves from said one of said one or more earth stations to said electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said beam transmitter provides location updates to said one of said one or more earth stations based on a change in location of said electronic device, when said electronic device is in motion, wherein said beam transmitter provides said location updates by transmitting locator beams to said one of said one or more earth stations for indicating a current location of said electronic device.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a decoder in each of said one or more earth stations, wherein said decoder determines location of said electronic device from the locator beam received from said electronic device.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising an attenuator in each of said one or more earth stations, wherein said attenuator attenuates high power energy waves received from said space transmitter to low power energy waves for transmission to said electronic device.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein said energy generators generate low power energy waves, wherein said space transmitter relays said low power energy waves to said one or more earth stations, wherein said one of said one or more earth stations transmits said low power energy waves to said charger for charging said electronic device with said low power energy waves.