Systems and methods for optimally delivering pulsed wireless power

• US 9,553,473 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ossia, Inc.
• Inventors: Clark, K. Kenneth, Zeine, Hatem, Wilson, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US14/171,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 320/141
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence

Abstract

A transmitter assembly is useful in optimizing in the delivery of wireless power to a plurality of receivers. Each receiver measures its own battery need for power and transmits that measurement as a request to the transmitter. The transmitter is configured to normalize and compare battery need requests. The transmitter then allocates pulses of wireless power among the requesting receivers according to their battery need.

Claims

1. A method of delivering pulsed wireless power to wireless power receivers using a power transmitter assembly having a phased array with multiple antennae, the method comprising:

receiving one or more battery charging need requests initiated by one or more of the wireless power receivers;

allocating a plurality of sequential wireless power pulses of a power burst to the wireless power receivers in accordance with the corresponding battery charging need requests; and

delivering wireless power to the wireless power receivers via the allocated sequential wireless power pulses of the power burst,

wherein the power pulses are sequentially delivered to different ones of the wireless power receivers by modifying one or more phases of the multiple antennae of the phased array.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power pulses are sequentially delivered to the different ones of the wireless power receivers by further modifying one or more of transmission frequency, timing, amplitude or direction of the multiple antenna of the phased array.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless power pulses of the power burst are allocated to a subset of the wireless power receivers that have more urgent charging needs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless power pulses include frequency modulated pulses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless power pulses charge at least one of a battery, a capacitor or a super-capacitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more battery charging need requests include at least one metric.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one metric includes one or of a State-of-Charge, a Drain-Rate or a Received-Power.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one metric is encoded, and wherein the metric is received wirelessly by the power transmitter within a data packet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one metric is encrypted.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving beacon signals from one or more of the wireless power receivers, wherein the beacon signal identifies presence of the one or more wireless power receivers.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

normalizing the one or more battery charging need requests initiated by the one or more of the wireless power receivers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the phased array comprises a phased microwave transmission array.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the wireless power pulses allocated to each of the at least one power receiver is optimized.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of wireless power pulses to the wireless power receivers is based on predictive modeling.

15. A wireless power transmitter assembly for delivering pulsed wireless power to a plurality of wireless power receivers, the wireless power transmitter assembly comprising:

a phased array with multiple antennae; and

a processing system configured to;

process battery charging need requests initiated by one or more wireless power receivers;

allocate a plurality of sequential wireless power pulses of a power burst to the wireless power receivers in accordance with the corresponding battery charging need requests; and

direct the multiple antennae of the phased array to transmit the allocated sequential wireless power pulses to the respective wireless power receivers,

wherein the power pulses are sequentially transmitted to different ones of the wireless power receivers by modifying one or more phases of the multiple antennae of the phased array.

16. A method of receiving pulsed wireless power from a power transmitter assembly having a phased array with multiple antennae, the method comprising:

transmitting a battery charging need request to a wireless power transmitter assembly; and

receiving an allocation of a plurality of wireless power pulses of a power burst from multiple antennae of the phased array in accordance with the battery charging need request.

17. A wireless power receiver for receiving pulsed wireless power from a power transmitter assembly having a phased array with multiple antennae, the power receiver comprising:

one or more antennas;

a processing system configured to;

transmit a battery charging need request to a wireless power transmitter assembly; and

receive an allocation of a plurality of wireless power pulses of a power burst from multiple antennae of the phased array in accordance with the battery charging need request.