Systems and methods for wireless power system with improved performance and/or ease of use

• US 9,842,684 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Original Assignee: WiTricity Corporation
• Inventors: John, Michael Sasha, Hall, Katherine L., Kulikowski, Konrad J., Kesler, Morris P., Kurs, Andre B., Roy, Arunanshu M., Guckaya, Gozde
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngon, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US14/082,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140142876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 702 60
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/50 using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A device for testing a wireless power network is disclosed. The network includes at least one power source, at least one load, and multiple resonators configured to couple wireless power from the at least one power source to the at least one load. The device includes: a user interface for receiving input from a user and providing information to the user; a measurement module for measuring, whether directly or indirectly, at least one operational characteristic of the wireless power network and information about the geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators in the wireless power network; a memory for storing design specifications about the wireless power network; and an electronic processor configured to calculate information about a performance of the wireless power network based on the measured operational characteristic, the information about the geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators, and the stored design specifications, and further configured to provide the performance information to the user through the user interface.

Claims

1. A device for testing a wireless power network, the network including at least one power source, at least one load, and multiple resonators configured to couple wireless power from the at least one power source to the at least one load, the device comprising:

a. a user interface for receiving input from a user and providing information to the user;

b. a measurement module for measuring, whether directly or indirectly, at least one operational characteristic of the wireless power network and information about a geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators in the wireless power network, the multiple resonators comprising at least three resonators;

c. a memory for storing design specifications about the wireless power network; and

d. an electronic processor configured to calculate information about a performance of the wireless power network based on the measured operational characteristic, the information about the geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators, and the stored design specifications, and further configured to provide the performance information to the user through the user interface to assist the user in activating, positioning, or otherwise adjusting at least one of the multiple resonators to optimize energy transfer efficiency in the wireless power network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the measurement component comprises hardware internal to the device for directly measuring at least some of the information about the geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators in the wireless power network.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the internal hardware comprises a camera.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the internal hardware comprises a processor configured for creating a 3-dimensional model of the network.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the internal hardware comprises a camera and software for creating at least a two dimensional model of the network.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the measurement component comprises a measurement coil configured to directly measure one or more properties of electromagnetic fields generated by the resonators to determining the at least one operational characteristic.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristic is measured within the wireless power network, and the measurement component in the device comprises a communication module for communicating with the wireless power network to access the measured operational characteristic and thereby measure indirectly the operational characteristic.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate wirelessly with the wireless power network.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device comprises a mechanical interface for creating a pluggable wired electrical connection with a resonator in the wireless power network, and wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the wireless power network through pluggable wired connection.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a portable handheld device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises information about adjusting the wireless power network to improve the performance of the wireless power network.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the information about adjusting the wireless power network to improve the performance of the wireless power network comprising information about re-arranging the geometric arrangement of the multiple resonators.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the components in the wireless power network is adjustable, and wherein the device further comprises a communication module configured to communicate with the wireless power network to adjust the adjustable component based on the performance information calculated by the electronic processor.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the adjustable component in the wireless power network is a tunable capacitor.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an assessment of the measured operational characteristic in relation to a modeled operational characteristic computed by a modeling module.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an assessment of the power usage of the network for a specified amount of time.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an assessment of the cost to operate the network for a specified amount of time.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information includes an assessment of the cost to operate the network in standby mode for a specified amount of time based upon a calculated rate of power drain for the standby mode.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information is derived using a calibration routine designed to adjust an operational parameter of a network component and to record a measurement corresponding to this adjustment.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the performance information is derived using a calibration routine designed to communicate with the network in order to cause an adjustment of an operational parameter of a network component and to record a measurement corresponding to this adjustment.