Systems and methods of object detection in wireless power charging systems

• US 9,893,538 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Original Assignee: Energous Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Douglas, Leabman, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/053,137
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein discloses a wireless charging system configured to generate and transmit power waves that, due to physical waveform characteristics converge at a predetermined location in a transmission field to generate a pocket of energy. Receivers associated with an electronic device being powered by the wireless charging system, may extract energy from these pocket of energy and then convert that energy into usable electric power for the electronic device associated with a receiver. The pocket of energy may manifest as a three-dimensional field (e.g., transmission field) where energy may be harvested by a receiver positioned within or nearby the pocket of energy. Video sensors capture actual video images of fields of view within the transmission field, and a processor identifies selected objects, selected events, and/or selected locations within the captured video images.

Claims

1. A method for wireless power transmission comprising:

generating, by an imaging sensor in communication with a transmitter, visual imaging data for a living being or sensitive object within at least a portion of a transmission field of the transmitter;

generating, by at least two ultrasound transducers in communication with the transmitter, ultrasound detection data identifying one or more objects;

determining, by the transmitter, a location of the living being or the sensitive object in the transmission field based upon the visual imaging data and the ultrasound detection data; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, power waves that converge at a location of a receiver based upon the location of the living being or sensitive object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a thermal imaging camera, and wherein the visual imaging data corresponds to visually contiguous body temperature pixels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a video camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein imaging sensor generates the visual image data of its field of view overlapping at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step comprises capturing first ultrasound detection data for the living being or the sensitive object by a first ultrasound transducer, and capturing second ultrasound detection data for the living being or the sensitive object by a second ultrasound transducer, further comprising the step of processing the first ultrasound detection data and the second ultrasound detection data to provide ranging information for the living being or the sensitive object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the imaging sensor is located substantially at a midpoint between the first ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual imaging data for the living being or sensitive object within the field of view of the imaging sensor indicates one or more of centroid, area, length, width, radius, velocity, shape, color, and temperature of the living being or sensitive object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual imaging data corresponds to a two-dimensional plane of visual imaging data for the living being or the sensitive object within at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter, and the ultrasound detection data corresponds to a two-dimensional plane of visual imaging data for the living being or the sensitive object within at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter, and

wherein the location of the living being or the sensitive object in the transmission field is determined when a location of the living being or sensitive object in the two-dimensional plane of the visual imaging data corresponds to a location of an object in the two-dimensional plane of the ultrasound detection data.

9. A transmitter for wireless power transmission comprising:

an imaging sensor configured to generate visual imaging data for a living being or sensitive object within at least a portion of a transmission field of the transmitter;

at least two ultrasound transducers configured to generate ultrasound detection data identifying one or more objects; and

a processor configured to determine a location of the living being or the sensitive object in the transmission field based upon the visual imaging data and the ultrasound detection data, and control transmission of power waves that converge at a location of a receiver based upon the location of the living being or sensitive object.

10. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein the imaging sensor is a thermal imaging camera, and wherein the visual imaging data corresponds to visually contiguous body temperature pixels.

11. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein the imaging sensor is a video camera.

12. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein imaging sensor generates the visual image data of its field of view overlapping at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter.

13. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein a first ultrasound transducer generates first ultrasound detection data for the living being or the sensitive object, and a second ultrasound transducer generates second ultrasound detection data for the living being or the sensitive object, and wherein the processor processes the first ultrasound detection data and the second ultrasound detection data to provide ranging information for the living being or the sensitive object.

14. The transmitter of claim 13, wherein the imaging sensor is located substantially at a midpoint between the first ultrasound transducer and the second ultrasound transducer.

15. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein the visual imaging data for the living being or sensitive object within the field of view of the imaging sensor indicates one or more of centroid, area, length, width, radius, velocity, shape, color, and temperature of the living being or sensitive object.

16. The transmitter of claim 9, wherein the visual imaging data corresponds to a two-dimensional plane of visual imaging data for the living being or the sensitive object within at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter, and the ultrasound detection data corresponds to a two-dimensional plane of visual imaging data for the living being or the sensitive object within at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter, and

wherein the location of the living being or the sensitive object in the transmission field is determined when a location of the living being or sensitive object in the two-dimensional plane of the visual imaging data corresponds to a location of an object in the two-dimensional plane of the ultrasound detection data.

17. A transmitter for wireless power transmission comprising:

an imaging sensor configured to generate visual imaging data in a two-dimensional plane for a living being or sensitive object within at least a portion of a transmission field of the transmitter;

at least two ultrasound transducers configured to generate ultrasound detection data in a two-dimensional plane identifying one or more objects; and

a processor configured to determine a location of the living being or the sensitive object in the transmission field when a location of the living being or sensitive object in the two-dimensional plane of the visual imaging data corresponds to a location of an object in the two-dimensional plane of the ultrasound detection data, and control transmission of power waves that converge at a location of a receiver based upon the determined location of the living being or sensitive object.

18. The transmitter of claim 17, wherein the imaging sensor is a thermal imaging camera, and wherein the visual imaging data corresponds to visually contiguous body temperature pixels.

19. The transmitter of claim 17, wherein imaging sensor generates the visual image data of its field of view overlapping at least the portion of the transmission field of the transmitter.

20. The transmitter of claim 17, wherein the visual imaging data for the living being or sensitive object within the field of view of the imaging sensor indicates one or more of centroid, area, length, width, radius, velocity, shape, color, and temperature of the living being or sensitive object.