Wireless charging and powering of healthcare gadgets and sensors

• US 9,824,815 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Leabman, Michael A., Brewer, Gregory Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US14/051,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides wireless charging and powering methods for healthcare gadgets and wireless sensors. The method may include wireless power transmission through suitable techniques such as pocket-forming. The methods may include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers. In some embodiments the transmitters and receivers may be embedded to medical devices and wireless sensors, respectively. In other embodiments, the receiver may be integrated into wireless sensors. In yet another embodiment, the transmitters may be positioned on strategic places so as to have a wider range for wireless power transmission to portable electronic medical devices and wireless sensors.

Claims

1. A method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor, the method comprising:

generating pocket forming power radio frequency (RF) signals from a RF circuit embedded within a transmitter connected to a power source;

generating communication signals from a communication circuit embedded within the transmitter, wherein the transmitter comprises a communication antenna configured to transmit and receive communications signals to and from a receiver coupled to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a medical device or a sensor;

controlling the generated power RF signals and the communication signals with a digital signal processor coupled to the transmitter;

transmitting the power RF signals by at least two antennas electrically connected to the RF circuit within the transmitter;

wherein an antenna of the receiver is configured to capture energy from the pocket of energy produced by the pocket-forming power RF signals in converging in 3-D space, and wherein the receiver is configured to convert the energy into a DC voltage for charging or powering the medical device or the sensor coupled to the receiver; and

transmitting, by the communication circuit of the transmitter, instructions in the communication signals to the receiver to generate location data, power requirements, and timing data; and

receiving, by the communication circuit, the communications signals from the receiver, wherein the communication signals received from the receiver provide an optimum time and location data indicating the location associated with the electronic device coupled to the receiver for converging the power RF signals to form the pocket of energy in 3-D space at the location.

2. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the pocket-forming transmitter is centrally located in a recovery room, operating room, patient room, emergency room or common area of a hospital for charging the electronic medical device or the sensor.

3. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least two antennas of the transmitter are located on a ceiling in a room for charging the electronic device.

4. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the electronic medical device or the sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a portable blood glucose meter, portable ultrasound machine, infrared electronic thermometer, electronic pads with electronic medical records, blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, and portable EKG.

5. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the digital processor and the RF circuit of the transmitter control the power RF waves through phase and relative amplitude adjustments to form constructive interference patterns to form the pocket of energy in the 3-D space.

6. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the receiver is embedded or attached to the electronic device.

7. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least two antennas in the transmitter and the antenna of the receiver operate in the frequency range of 900 MHz to 5.8 GHz.

8. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, further comprising generating multiple pockets of energy from a plurality of antennas of the transmitter,

wherein the plurality of antennas of the transmitter includes the at least two antennas of the transmitter, and

wherein antennas of the plurality of antennas is configured to transmit a power RF signal.

9. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processor is a microprocessor or microcontroller controlling the RF circuit and the communication circuit.

10. The method for wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating between the sensor receiver and the transmitter through the communication signals using one or more wireless communication protocols, including a wireless communication protocol selected from the group consisting of:

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and FM radio signals.

11. The wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 1, wherein the receiver is embedded or attached on a front or a side of a portable ultrasound machine.

12. A wireless transmission system providing power to an electronic medical device or a sensor, the system comprising:

a pocket-forming transmitter coupled to a power source and comprising;

a plurality of antennas configured to transmit a plurality of power RF waves that converge in three-dimensional (3-D) space to form a controlled constructive interference pattern that generates a pocket of energy at a location of a receiver coupled to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a medical device or a sensor; and

a communication circuit configured to transmit and receive communication signals to and from the receiver coupled to the electronic device,

wherein an antenna of the receiver is configured capture energy from the pocket of energy and convert the energy into a DC voltage for charging or powering a battery in the electronic, and device

wherein at least a portion of communications signals received by the communication circuit of the transmitter from the receiver provides time data and location data indicating the location of the receiver and a time to transmit the power RF waves to the location of the receiver for converging the power RF waves to form the pocket of energy in 3-D space at the location.

13. The wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 12, wherein the pocket-forming transmitter is centrally located in a medical facility or patient room to power or charge the battery in multiple portable electronic medical devices or sensors.

14. The wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 12, wherein at least two antennas of the plurality of antennas of the pocket-forming transmitter are located on a ceiling of a room to power or charge the battery.

15. The wireless transmission of power to an electronic medical device or a sensor of claim 12, wherein the receiver is embedded or attached in a back side of a blood glucose meter or blood pressure monitor.

16. A system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device, the system comprising:

a portable transmitter comprising;

at least two or more antenna elements configured to transmit a plurality of radio frequency (RF) power waves that converge to form controlled constructive interference patterns in three-dimensional (3-D) space to generate a pocket of energy at a location of a receiver coupled to an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is a medical device or a sensor;

at least one RF integrated circuit configured to generate the plurality of RF power waves;

at least one digital signal processor configured to control the RF integrated circuit and an communication circuit; and

the communication circuit configured to transmit and receive communication signals to and from the receiver, wherein the communication circuit receives from the receiver at least one communication signal providing time data indicating a time to transmit the RF power waves and location data indicating the location of the receiver for converging the power RF signals to form the pocket of energy in 3-D space at the location of the receiver

wherein the receiver is configured to capture energy from the pocket of energy and convert the energy into DC voltage to charge or power the electronic device coupled to the receiver, and

wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit instructions in the communication signals to the receiver to generate the location data and the time data.

17. The system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device of claim 16, wherein the communication circuit of the transmitter is configured to communicate with a communication circuit of the receiver using a wireless communication protocol selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, FM radio, and Zigbee.

18. The system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of antennas of the transmitter further includes at least one type of antenna element selected from the group consisting of a flat antenna element, a patch antenna, and a dipole antenna element, and wherein at least one antenna element of the plurality antennas has a height ranging from approximately 1/24 inches to about 1 inch, and a width from approximately 1/24 inches to about 1 inch.

19. The system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of antennas of the transmitter operate in a frequency range of 900 MHz to 5.8 GHz.

20. The system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device of claim 16, wherein at least two antennas of the plurality of antennas of the transmitter operate in independent frequencies that allow a multichannel operation of pocket-forming in a single array, pair array, or quad array.

21. The system for wireless power transmission to an electronic medical device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of antennas of the transmitter include a polarization selected from the group consisting of:

vertical pole, horizontal, circularly polarized, left hand polarized, and right hand polarized.