JP2018504874A - TV system with wireless power transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for transmitting wireless power is provided. An apparatus including a television system and a transmitter coupled to the television system. The transmitter is configured to emit multiple wireless power waves and thereby define an energy pocket so that the receiver can interface with the energy pocket and thereby charge the device. And the device is coupled to the receiver.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 13 / 950,492 filed Jul. 25, 2013 entitled “TV with Integrated Wireless Power Transmitter”. Is fully incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

  This application is based on US Patent Application No. 13 / 891,430 entitled “Methodology For Pocket-forming” filed May 10, 2013, “Methodology for Multiple Pocket” filed June 24, 2013. US Patent Application No. 13 / 925,469 entitled “Forming”; US Patent Application No. 13 / 946,082 entitled “Method for 3 Dimensional Pocket-forming” filed on July 19, 2013; US Patent Application No. 13 / 891,399, filed May 10, 2013, entitled “Receivers for Wireless Power Transmission”, named “Transmitters for Wireless Power Transmission”, filed May 10, 2013 US Patent Application No. 13 / 891,445, filed May 7, 2014, US Patent Application No. 1 entitled "Systems and Method For Wireless Transmission of Power" US Patent Application No. 14 / 272,066, May 7, 2014, filed May 7, 2014, entitled "Systems and Methods for Managing and Controlling a Wireless Power Network" U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 272,124 entitled "System and Method for Controlling Communication Between Wireless Power Transmitter Managers" filed, "System and Method for Smart Registration of Wireless Power" filed July 21, 2014 U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 336,987 entitled "Receivers in a Wireless Power Network" and U.S. Patent Application No. 14 entitled "Systems and Methods for Communication with Remote Management Systems" filed July 21, 2014. / 337,002, "System & Method for a Self-System Analysis in a Wireless Power Transmission Net" filed May 23, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 286,129 entitled "Work", US Patent Application No. 14 entitled "System and Method for Generating a Power Receiver Identified in a Wireless Power Network" filed May 23, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 286,232, filed July 14, 2014, entitled "Systems and Methods For Power Payment Based on Proximity" filed May 23, 2014 U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 330,931 entitled "System and Method for Enabling Automatic Charging Schedules in a Wireless Power Network to One or More Devices", "System and Method for US Patent Application No. 14 / 330,936 entitled “Manually Selecting and Deselecting Devices to Charge in a Wireless Power Network” filed on August 21, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 465,487 entitled “Systems and Methods for Automatically Testing the Communication Between Power Transmitter and Wireless Receiver”, “Method for Automatically Testing the Operational Status of a” filed on August 21, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 465,508 entitled “Wireless Power Receiver in a Wireless Power Transmission System”, “Systems and Methods for Tracking the Status and Usage Information of a Wireless Power Transmission” filed on August 21, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 465,532 entitled "System", United States of America entitled "System and Method to Control a Wireless Power Transmission System by Configuration of Wireless Power Transmission Control Parameters" filed on August 21, 2014 Patent application No. 14 / 465,545, filed Aug. 21, 2014, “Systems and Methods for a Configuration Web Service to Provide Configuration of a Wireless Power Transmitter within a Wireless Power Transmission System, US Patent Application No. 14 / 465,553, filed June 25, 2013, “Wireless Power Transmission” U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 926,020 entitled "with Selective Range", U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 583,625, 2014, filed December 27, 2014, "Receivers for Wireless Power Transmission" US Patent Application No. 14 / 583,630 entitled “Methodology for Pocket-Forming” filed on December 27, 2011, and “Transmitters for Wireless Power Transmission” filed on December 27, 2014 US Patent Application No. 14 / 583,634, filed December 27, 2014, “Methodology for Multiple Pocket-For” US Patent Application No. 14 / 583,640 entitled “Ming”, US Patent Application No. 14 / 583,641 entitled “Wireless Power Transmission with Selective Range” filed December 27, 2014, 2014 With reference to US patent application Ser. No. 14 / 583,643, filed Dec. 27, entitled “Method for 3 Dimensional Pocket-Forming”, all of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. .

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to wireless power transmission.

BACKGROUND Portable electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks and other electronic devices have become a daily necessity for people to communicate and interact with others. Frequent use of these devices requires a significant amount of power, which can easily drain the batteries attached to these devices. Thus, users frequently need to plug device into a power source and recharge such devices. This may require the electronic device to be charged at least once a day (multiple times a day in the case of high demand electronic devices).

  Such activities are cumbersome and can be burdensome for the user. For example, a user may need to carry a charger if the electronic device has insufficient power. In addition, the user must find an available power source to connect. Finally, the user must plug into a wall outlet or other power source so that the electronic device can be charged. However, such activities can render the electronic device inoperable during charging.

Current solutions to this problem can include devices with rechargeable batteries. However, the above-described approach requires the user to carry an extra battery and also make sure that the extra battery set is charged. Solar battery chargers are also known, but solar cells are expensive and large arrays of solar cells may need to charge a significant capacity of the battery. Other approaches involve mats or pads that allow the device to be charged by using electromagnetic signals without physically connecting the device plug to a power outlet. In this case, the device still needs to be in a specific location for a certain time for charging. Assuming a single source power transfer of an electromagnetic (EM) signal, the EM signal power is reduced over a distance r by a factor proportional to 1 / r ² (in other words, attenuated in proportion to the square of the distance). To do). Therefore, the power received over a long distance from the EM transmitter is a small part of the transmitted power. To increase the power of the received signal, the transmission power will have to be increased. Assuming that the transmitted signal has an efficient reception state at 3 centimeters from the EM transmitter, it is necessary to increase the transmitted power by 10,000 times in order to receive the same signal power over an effective distance of 3 meters. Will be done. Although energy is transmitted, most of it is not received by the intended device, may be harmful to biological tissue, likely to interfere with most nearby electronic devices, and heat Such power transmission is useless.

  Yet another approach, such as directional power transfer, generally requires knowing the location of the device so that the signal can be directed in the right direction to increase power transfer efficiency. However, even if the device is positioned, efficient transmission is not guaranteed due to reflections and interference of objects in the path or near the receiving device. In addition, in many use cases, the device is not fixed, which is a further problem.

Overview Embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transfer signal (eg, a radio frequency (RF) signal wave) to generate a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or incorporated into the electronic device and receives power from the pocket of energy. The transmitter can position at least one receiver in three-dimensional space using a communication medium (eg, Bluetooth technology). The transmitter generates a waveform to generate a pocket of energy around each of the at least one receiver. The transmitter uses algorithms to direct, focus and control the waveform in three dimensions. A receiver can convert a transmission signal (eg, an RF signal) into electricity to power an electronic device and / or to charge a battery. Accordingly, embodiments for wireless power transfer can enable powering and charging of multiple electrical devices wirelessly.

  In one embodiment, an apparatus for transmitting wireless power is provided. An apparatus including a television system and a transmitter coupled to the television system. The transmitter is configured to emit multiple wireless power waves and thereby define an energy pocket so that the receiver can interface with the energy pocket and thereby charge the device. The device is coupled to the receiver.

  In one embodiment, a method for transmitting wireless power is provided. The method includes coupling the television system to a transmitter. The transmitter is configured to emit a plurality of wireless power waves and thereby define an energy pocket so that the receiver can interface with the energy pocket and thereby charge the device. And the device is coupled to the receiver.

  Additional features and advantages of the embodiments are described in the following description, and will be apparent to some extent from the description. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the exemplary embodiments in the accompanying drawings.

  It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended for purposes of illustration only and are intended to provide a further description of the claimed invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, but instead focus on illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. In the figures, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different figures. Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure have been described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be scaled. Unless depicted as representing background art, the figures represent aspects of the present disclosure.

1 shows a system overview according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates steps of wireless power transmission according to an exemplary embodiment. 1 illustrates an architecture for wireless power transfer according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 illustrates components of a system for wireless power transfer using a pocketing procedure, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates a step of feeding a plurality of receiver devices according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a waveform for wireless power transmission in a selected range that can be unified into a single waveform. Fig. 4 shows a waveform for wireless power transmission in a selected range that can be unified into a single waveform. FIG. 4 illustrates wireless power transfer in a selected range that can generate multiple energy pockets along various radii from a transmitter. FIG. 4 illustrates wireless power transfer in a selected range that can generate multiple energy pockets along various radii from a transmitter. FIG. 3 illustrates an architecture diagram for wirelessly charging a client computing platform, according to an example embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates an architecture diagram for wirelessly charging a client computing platform, according to an example embodiment. 6 illustrates wireless power transfer using multiple pocket formations, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 6 illustrates multiple adaptive pocket formations according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a system architecture for charging client devices wirelessly, according to an exemplary embodiment. 6 illustrates a method for determining the location of a receiver using antenna elements, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates an array subset configuration according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 illustrates an array subset configuration according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 shows a planar transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 shows a transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 shows a box transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an architecture diagram for incorporating a transmitter into different devices, according to an example embodiment. 2 illustrates a transmitter configuration according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of rectifiers connected in parallel to an antenna element, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of antenna elements connected in parallel to a rectifier, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of antenna element outputs combined with and connected to a parallel rectifier, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a group of antenna elements connected to different rectifiers, according to an exemplary embodiment. 1 illustrates a device comprising an embedded receiver according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a battery with an embedded receiver according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates external hardware that can be attached to a device, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. Fig. 3 shows hardware in the form of a case according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 2 shows hardware in the form of a printed film or a flexible printed circuit board according to an exemplary embodiment. 2 illustrates internal hardware according to an exemplary embodiment. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a television (TV) system that outputs wireless power. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the internal structure of a TV system. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a tile architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which form a part hereof. Other embodiments may be used and / or other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description are not intended to limit the objects presented here. Further, various components and embodiments described herein can be combined to form additional embodiments not explicitly described without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

  Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe it. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will be able to conceive of alternatives and further modifications to the features of the invention shown herein, as well as additional applications of the principles of the invention as shown herein. Are to be considered within the scope of the present invention.

1. System and method for wireless power transmission Component System Embodiment FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for wireless power transfer by forming an energy pocket 104. The system 100 may include a transmitter 101, a receiver 103, a client device 105, and a pocket detector 107. The transmitter 101 can transmit a power transmission signal including a power transmission wave that can be captured by the receiver 103. Receiver 103 may include antennas, antenna elements, and other circuitry (described in detail below) to convert the captured waves into a usable electrical energy source on behalf of client device 105 associated with receiver 103. be able to. In some embodiments, the transmitter 101 is configured with a power transmission wave by manipulating the phase, gain and / or other waveform characteristics of the power transmission wave and / or by selecting a different transmit antenna. Power transmission signals can be transmitted in one or more trajectories. In such an embodiment, the transmitter 101 can manipulate the trajectory of the power transmission signal, so that the underlying power transmission wave is concentrated at a specific location in space, resulting in a specific form of interference. . “Constructive interference”, one of the types of interference generated in a power transmission wave concentration, is due to the power transmission wave concentration, where the power transmission waves add to each other and strengthen the energy gathered at that location. In contrast to what may be the field of energy that arises, called “cancelling interference”, which add to each other to subtract from each other and reduce the energy gathered at that location. Sufficient energy accumulation in constructive interference can establish an energy field or “energy pocket” 104, where the antenna operates at the frequency of the power transfer signal. In such a case, it can be captured by the antenna of the receiver 103. Accordingly, the power transmission wave establishes a pocket of energy 104 at a specific location in space, and the receiver 103 can receive, capture and convert the power transmission wave into usable electrical energy, which Thus, the associated electric client device 105 can be powered or charged. The detector 107 is a device including the receiver 103 and can generate a notification or a warning in response to reception of the power transmission signal. As an example, a user looking for an optimal placement of the receiver 103 to charge the user's client device 105 can use a detector 107 that includes LED light 108, which is used by the detector 107. May be brightened when a power transfer signal is captured from a single beam or energy pocket 104.

1. Transmitter The transmitter 101 can transmit or broadcast a power transmission signal to a receiver 103 associated with the device 105. Although some of the embodiments mentioned below describe power transmission signals as radio frequency (RF) waves, power transmission can propagate through space and can be converted to an electrical energy source 103. It should be understood that it can be a physical medium. The transmitter 101 can transmit the power transmission signal as a single beam directed to the receiver 103. In some instances, one or more transmitters 101 can transmit multiple power transfer signals that can be propagated in multiple directions and reflected by physical obstacles (eg, walls). A plurality of power transmission signals can be concentrated at a specific location in a three-dimensional space to form an energy pocket 104. A receiver 103 within the boundary of the energy pocket 104 can capture the power transmission signal and convert it to a usable energy source. The transmitter 101 can control pocket formation based on the phase and / or relative amplitude adjustment of the power transfer signal to form a constructive interference pattern.

  Although the exemplary embodiments describe the use of RF wave transmission techniques, wireless charging techniques should not be limited to RF wave transmission techniques. Rather, it should be understood that possible wireless charging techniques may include any number of alternative or additional techniques for transmitting energy to a receiver that converts the transmitted energy into power. Non-limiting exemplary transmission techniques for energy that can be converted to power by the receiving device may include ultrasonic, microwave, resonant and induced magnetic fields, laser light, infrared or other forms of electromagnetic energy. In the ultrasound case, for example, the one or more transducer elements may be arranged to form a transducer array that transmits the ultrasound towards a receiving device that receives the ultrasound and converts them into electrical power. it can. In the case of resonant or induced magnetic fields, the magnetic field is generated in the transmitter coil and converted to power by the receiver coil. In addition, although the exemplary transmitter 101 is shown as a single unit that potentially includes multiple transmitters (transmitting arrays), the RF transmission of power and other powers mentioned in this paragraph. For both transmission methods, the transmit array may include multiple transmitters that physically extend throughout the room, rather than a compact regular structure.

  The transmitter includes an antenna array, and the antenna is used to transmit a power transmission signal. Each antenna transmits a power transmission wave, and the transmitter applies different phases and amplitudes to signals transmitted from different antennas. Similar to the formation of energy pockets, the transmitter can form a phased array of delayed versions of the transmitted signal, then apply different amplitudes to the delayed version of the signal and then transmit the signal from the appropriate antenna To do. For a sinusoidal waveform such as an RF signal, ultrasound, microwave or others, the signal delay is similar to applying a phase shift to the signal.

2. Energy Pocket The energy pocket 104 can be formed at the location of the constructive interference pattern of the power transfer signal transmitted by the transmitter 101. The energy pocket 104 may appear as a three-dimensional field where energy can be captured by a receiver 103 located within the energy pocket 104. The pockets 104 of energy generated by the transmitter 101 during pocket formation are captured by the receiver 103, converted to electric charge, and then an electronic client device 105 (eg, laptop computer, smartphone, Rechargeable battery). In some embodiments, there may be multiple transmitters 101 and / or multiple receivers 103 that power various client devices 105. In some embodiments, adaptive pocketing can adjust the transmission of power transfer signals to adjust power levels and / or identify movement of device 105.

3. Receiver The receiver 103 can be used to power or charge the associated client device 105, and the associated client device 105 can be coupled to or integrated with the receiver 103. Electrical device. The receiver 103 can receive power transmission waves from one or more power transmission signals originating from one or more transmitters 101. The receiver 103 can receive the power transmission signal as a single beam generated by the transmitter 101, or the receiver 103 can receive a plurality of power transmission waves generated by one or more transmitters 101. The power transmission waves can be captured from the pockets 104 of energy, which can be a three-dimensional field in the space resulting from the concentration of. The receiver 103 may include an array 112 of antennas configured to receive power transmission waves from the power transmission signal and capture energy from the power transmission signal in a single beam or energy pocket 104. The receiver 103 may include a circuit that converts the energy of a power transmission signal (eg, high frequency electromagnetic radiation) into electrical energy. The rectifier of the receiver 103 can convert electrical energy from AC to DC. Other types of adjustments can also be applied. For example, the voltage regulation circuit can increase or decrease the voltage of electrical energy as required by the client device 105. The relay can then transfer electrical energy from the receiver 103 to the client device 105.

  In some embodiments, the receiver 103 may include a communication component that transmits control signals to the transmitter 101 for exchanging data in real time or near real time. The control signal may include status information about the client device 105, the receiver 103 or the power transfer signal. The status information may include, for example, the current location information of the device 105, the amount of charge received, the amount of charge used, and user account information, among other types of information. Further, in some applications, the receiver 103 including the rectifier it includes can be incorporated into the client device 105. For practical purposes, receiver 103, wire 111, and client device 105 may be a single unit contained in a single package.

4). Control Signal In some embodiments, the control signal may serve as a data input used by various antenna elements that serve to control the generation and / or pocket formation of the power transfer signal. Control signals are generated by receiver 103 or transmitter 101 using an external power source (not shown) and a local oscillator circuit chip (not shown) (which may include the use of piezoelectric material in some cases). can do. The control signal can be an RF wave or any other communication medium or protocol capable of data communication between processors (Bluetooth, RFID, infrared, near field communication (NFC), etc.). As will be detailed later, the control signal is used to convey information used to condition the power transmission signal between the transmitter 101 and the receiver 103, as well as status, efficiency, user data, Information related to power consumption, billing, geographic location and other types of information may be included.

5. Detector The detector 107 may include hardware similar to the receiver 103 so that the detector 107 can receive power transmission signals originating from one or more transmitters 101. The detector 107 can be used by the user to identify the location of the energy pocket 104 so that the user can determine the preferred placement of the receiver 103. In some embodiments, the detector 107 may include an indicator light 108 that indicates when the detector is placed in the energy pocket 104. By way of example, in FIG. 1, the detectors 107a, 107b are located in the energy pocket 104 generated by the transmitter 101, so that the detectors 107a, 107b receive the power transfer signal in the energy pocket 104. , It can cause the detectors 107a, 107b to turn on the respective indicator lights 108a, 108b. On the other hand, the indicator light 108c of the third detector 107c located outside the energy pocket 104 is turned off because the third detector 107c does not receive the power transmission signal from the transmitter 101. It should be understood that the detector functionality (such as indicator lights) can be incorporated into the receiver or, in alternative embodiments, into the client device.

6). Client Device Client device 105 can be any electrical device that requires continuous electrical energy or requires power from a battery. Non-limiting examples of client device 105 include laptops, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, music players, toys, batteries, flashlights, lamps, electronic watches, cameras, games, among other types of electrical devices It may include consoles, appliances, GPS devices, and wearable devices or what are called “wearables” (eg, fitness bracelets, pedometers, smart watches).

  In some embodiments, the client device 105a may be a different physical device than the receiver 103a associated with the client device 105a. In such an embodiment, client device 105a may connect to the receiver over wire 111 that carries electrical energy converted from receiver 103a to client device 105a. In some cases, other types of data such as power consumption status, power usage metrics, device identifiers and other types of data may be transported over the wire 111.

  In some embodiments, the client device 105b can be permanently incorporated into the receiver 103b or removably coupled with the receiver 103b, thereby forming a single integrated product or unit. As an example, the client device 105b can be placed in a sleeve embedded in the receiver 103b and in a sleeve that can be removably coupled to the power input of the device 105b that can normally be used to charge the battery of the device 105b. In this example, device 105b can be separated from the receiver, but can remain in the sleeve regardless of whether device 105b requires charging or is used. In another example, instead of having a battery that holds a charge for device 105b, device 105b may include an integrated receiver 105b, which forms an indistinguishable product, device, or unit. Can be permanently incorporated into the device 105b. In this example, device 105b may rely almost entirely on integrated receiver 103b to generate electrical energy by capturing energy pocket 104. The connection between the receiver 103 and the client device 105 may be a wire 111, an electrical connection on a circuit board or integrated circuit, or a wireless connection such as inductive or magnetic. This should be clear to those skilled in the art.

B. Method of Wireless Power Transmission FIG. 2 shows the steps of wireless power transmission according to an exemplary method 200 embodiment.

  In a first step 201, the transmitter (TX) establishes a connection with the receiver (RX) or otherwise associates with the receiver (RX). That is, in some embodiments, the transmitter and the receiver can communicate with a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth (R), Bluetooth (R) Low Energy) that is capable of transmitting information between the two processors of the electrical device. (BLE), Wi-Fi, NFC, ZigBee (registered trademark)) can be used to communicate control data. For example, in embodiments that implement Bluetooth® or a variation of Bluetooth®, the transmitter can scan the broadcast advertising signal of the receiver, or the receiver can transmit the advertising signal. Can be transmitted to the machine. The advertisement signal can inform the transmitter of the presence of the receiver and can cause the transmitter and receiver to be associated. As described herein, in some embodiments, the advertising signal may be transmitted to various devices (eg, transmitters, client devices, server computers, other receivers) to perform and manage the pocketing procedure. ) Can transmit information that can be used. The information included in the advertisement signal may include a device identifier (eg, MAC address, IP address, UUID), received electrical energy voltage, client device power consumption, and other types of data related to power transmission. The transmitter can use the transmitted advertising signal to identify the receiver, and in some cases can locate the receiver in two-dimensional space or three-dimensional space. When the transmitter identifies the receiver, the transmitter establishes a connection associated with the receiver at the transmitter so that the transmitter and receiver can communicate control signals on the second channel. Can do.

  In a next step 203, the transmitter can determine a series of power transmission signal characteristics for transmitting the power transmission signal and then use the advertising signal to establish a pocket of energy. Non-limiting examples of power transmission signal characteristics may include phase, gain, amplitude, magnitude, and direction, among other things. The transmitter uses the information contained in the advertising signal of the receiver or the subsequent control signal received from the receiver to generate the power transmission signal so that the receiver can receive the power transmission signal. Can be determined. In some instances, the transmitter can transmit the power transfer signal in a manner that establishes an energy pocket in which the receiver can capture electrical energy. In some embodiments, the transmitter transmits a power transfer signal required to establish an energy pocket based on information received from the receiver, such as a voltage of electrical energy captured by the receiver from the power transfer signal. A processor may be included that executes a software module that can automatically identify features. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the functionality of the processor and / or software module may be implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

  Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the advertisement signal or a subsequent signal transmitted by the receiver on the second communication channel may exhibit one or more power transfer signal characteristics, and the transmitter may be One or more power transfer signal features can be used to generate and transmit a power transfer signal to establish a pocket of energy. For example, in some cases, a transmitter can automatically identify the phase and gain needed to transmit a power transfer signal based on the device location and the receiver or device type, In such cases, the receiver can inform the transmitter of the phase and gain for effectively transmitting the power transfer signal.

  In the next step 205, after determining the appropriate characteristics for the transmitter to use when transmitting the power transmission signal, the transmitter starts transmitting the power transmission signal on a different channel than the control signal. can do. The power transmission signal can be transmitted to establish a pocket of energy. The antenna element of the transmitter can transmit the power transmission signal such that the power transmission signal is concentrated in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space around the receiver. The resulting field around the receiver forms an energy pocket from which the receiver can capture electrical energy. One antenna element can be used to transmit a power transfer signal to establish a two-dimensional energy transfer, and in some cases, transmit a power transfer signal to establish a three-dimensional energy pocket. For this, a second or additional antenna element can be used. In some cases, multiple antenna elements can be used to transmit a power transfer signal to establish a pocket of energy. Further, in some cases, the multiple antenna elements may include all of the transmitter antennas, and in some cases, the multiple antenna elements include many antennas of the transmitter, but the transmitter antennas. Less than everything.

  As previously mentioned, the transmitter can generate and transmit a power transmission signal according to a determined series of power transmission signal features, which can include external power sources and local oscillations. Circuit chips (including piezoelectric materials) can be used to generate and transmit. The transmitter may include an RFIC that controls the generation and transmission of power transmission signals based on information related to power transmission and pocketing received from the receiver. This control data can be transmitted over a different channel from the power transmission signal using a wireless communication protocol such as BLE, NFC or ZigBee®. The RFIC of the transmitter can automatically adjust the phase and / or relative magnitude of the power transfer signal as needed. Pocket formation is accomplished by the transmitter transmitting the power transmission signal in a manner that creates a constructive interference pattern.

  When transmitting a power transmission signal during pocket formation, the transmitter antenna element uses the concept of wave interference to determine specific power transmission signal characteristics (eg, transmission direction, power transmission signal wave phase). be able to. An antenna element can also generate a pocket of energy using the concept of constructive interference, but it uses the concept of destructive interference to transmit zero region (transmission null) at a specific physical location. ) Can also be generated.

  In some embodiments, the transmitter can provide power to multiple receivers using pocket formation, which requires the transmitter to perform a procedure for multiple pocket formations. . A transmitter including a plurality of antenna elements automatically calculates the phase and gain of the power transmission signal wave for each antenna element of the transmitter responsible for the task of transmitting the power transmission signal to each receiver. A plurality of pockets can be formed. Multiple wave paths for each power transfer signal can be generated by the transmitter antenna element to transmit the power transfer signal to the respective antenna element of the receiver, so that the transmitter has phase and gain. It can be calculated independently.

  As an example of a phase / gain adjustment operation for two antenna elements transmitting two signals X and Y (Y is a 180 degree phase shift version of X (Y = −X)). In the physical location where the cumulative received waveform is XY, the receiver receives XY = X + X = 2X, while in the physical location where the cumulative received waveform is X + Y, the receiver is X + Y. = X−X = 0 is received.

  In a next step 207, the receiver can capture or otherwise receive electrical energy from a single beam or energy pocket power transfer signal. The receiver can include a rectifier and an AC / DC converter, which can convert electrical energy from AC current to DC current, and then the rectifier of the receiver rectifies the electrical energy. Which results in usable electrical energy for a client device (such as a laptop computer, smartphone, battery, toy or other electrical device) associated with the receiver. The receiver can utilize the pocket of energy generated by the transmitter during pocket formation to charge the electronic device or otherwise power it.

  In a next step 209, the receiver may generate control data that includes information indicating the effectiveness of a single beam or energy pocket that provides a power transfer signal to the receiver. The receiver can then transmit a control signal including control data to the transmitter. The control signal can be transmitted intermittently depending on whether the transmitter and receiver are in synchronous communication (ie, the transmitter is to receive control data from the receiver). In addition, the transmitter can continuously transmit the power transmission signal to the receiver regardless of whether the transmitter and receiver are transmitting control signals. The control data may include information related to the transmission of power transfer signals and / or the establishment of an effective energy pocket. Some information in the control data tells the transmitter how to effectively generate and transmit the characteristics of the power transmission signal (in some cases, how to adjust effectively) can do. The control signal is independent of the power transfer signal using a wireless protocol capable of transmitting the power transfer signal and / or control data related to pocket formation, such as BLE, NFC, Wi-Fi or the like, It can be transmitted and received on the second channel.

  As mentioned, the control data may include information indicating the effectiveness of the power transfer signal due to the establishment of a single beam or energy pocket. The control data may be generated by a receiver processor that monitors various aspects of the receiver and / or client device associated with the receiver. The control data may include the voltage of electrical energy received from the power transmission signal, the quality of power transmission signal reception, the quality of battery charging, among other types of information useful for adjusting the power transmission signal and / or pocket formation. It may be based on various types of information such as power reception quality, receiver location or movement.

  In some embodiments, the receiver can determine the amount of power received from the power transmission signal transmitted from the transmitter, and then the power transmission signal for which the transmitter does not make the power transmission signal less powerful. May indicate that it should be “split” or segmented. Less powerful power transfer signals are bounced off objects or walls near the device, thereby reducing the amount of power transmitted directly from the transmitter to the receiver.

  In the next step 211, the transmitter calibrates the antenna transmitting the power transmission signal so that the antenna transmits a power transmission signal having a more effective set of characteristics (eg, direction, phase, gain, amplitude). can do. In some embodiments, the transmitter processor can automatically determine more effective characteristics for generating and transmitting the power transfer signal based on the control signal received from the receiver. . The control signal can include control data and can be transmitted by the receiver using any number of wireless communication protocols (eg, BLE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee®). The control data may include information that clearly indicates the more effective characteristics of the power transmission wave, or the transmitter may be more effective based on the waveform characteristics (eg, shape, frequency, amplitude) of the control signal. Can be determined automatically. The transmitter can then automatically reconfigure the antenna to transmit a re-calibrated power transfer signal according to the newly determined more effective features. For example, the processor of the transmitter may have other power transfer features to adjust to changes in the location of the receiver after the user moves the receiver outside the three-dimensional space where the energy pocket is established. Among other features, the gain and / or phase of the power transfer signal can be adjusted.

C. System Architecture of Power Transfer System FIG. 3 shows an architecture 300 for wireless power transfer using pocket formation, according to an example embodiment. “Pocketing” may refer to generating two or more power transmission waves 342 that concentrate at a particular location in a three-dimensional space and creating a constructive interference pattern at that location. The transmitter 302 can transmit and / or broadcast controlled power transmission waves 342 (eg, microwaves, radio waves, ultrasonic waves) that can be concentrated in a three-dimensional space. These power transmission waves 342 can be controlled through phase and / or relative amplitude adjustments to form a constructive interference pattern (pocket formation) where the energy pocket is intended. The transmitter uses the same principle to create destructive interference at that location, thereby causing transmission zero regions (ie, transmitted power transmission waves to substantially cancel each other and significant energy is received by the receiver. It should also be understood that (where not collected) can be generated. In typical use cases, the goal is to aim the power transfer signal at the receiver location, while in other cases it may be desirable to explicitly avoid power transfer to a particular location, In the case, it may be desirable to specifically avoid transmission to the second location while simultaneously aiming the power transmission signal to a particular location. The transmitter considers use cases when calibrating the antenna for power transfer.

  The antenna elements 306 of the transmitter 302 can operate in a single array, a pair array, a quad array, or any other suitable arrangement that can be designed according to the desired application. The pocket of energy can be formed with a constructive interference pattern in which the power transmission wave 342 accumulates to form a three-dimensional field of energy around which the destructive interference pattern One or more corresponding transmission zero regions at a particular physical location may be generated. A transmission zero region at a particular physical location may refer to an area or region of space in which no energy pocket is formed due to the destructive interference pattern of the power transmission wave 342.

  The receiver 320 can then utilize the power transmission wave 342 emitted by the transmitter 302 to establish a pocket of energy for charging or powering the electronic device 313 and thus wirelessly. Power transmission is effectively provided. An energy pocket may refer to an area or region of space where energy or power accumulates in the form of a constructive interference pattern of power transmission waves 342. In other situations, there may be multiple transmitters 302 and / or multiple receivers 320 to simultaneously power various electronic devices such as, for example, smartphones, tablets, music players, toys and others. In other embodiments, adaptive pocket formation can be used to adjust the power on the electronic device. Adaptive pocketing may refer to dynamically adjusting pocketing to adjust the power of one or more targeted receivers.

  Receiver 320 can communicate with transmitter 302 by generating a short signal through antenna element 324 to indicate its position relative to transmitter 302. In addition, in some embodiments, the receiver 320 may communicate with other devices or components of the system 300 over the network 340, such as a cloud computing service that manages a collection of several transmitters 302. A network interface card (not shown) or similar computer networking component can be utilized. The receiver 320 may include a circuit 308 for converting the power transfer signal 342 captured by the antenna element 324 into electrical energy that can be provided to the electrical device 313 and / or the battery 315 of the device. In some embodiments, the circuit may provide electrical energy to the receiver battery 335 that does not communicatively couple the electrical device 313 with the receiver 320. Can be stored.

  The communication component 324 enables the receiver 320 to communicate with the transmitter 302 by transmitting a control signal 345 over a wireless protocol. The wireless protocol can be a proprietary protocol or a conventional wireless protocol such as Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, NFC, ZigBee and the like can be used. The communication component 324 then identifies the electronic device 313 identifier and other information that may be useful at the transmitter 302 in determining when to send battery level information, geographic location data or power to the receiver 320, and It can be used to transfer information such as where to transmit power transmission waves 342 that generate pockets of energy. In other embodiments, adaptive pocket formation can be used to adjust the power provided to the electronic device 313. In such embodiments, the communication component 324 of the receiver may transmit voltage data indicating the amount of power received at the receiver 320 and / or the amount of voltage provided to the electronic device 313b or the battery 315. it can.

  When the transmitter 302 identifies and locates the receiver 320, a channel or path for the control signal 345 can be established, through which the transmitter 302 can control the control signal 345 coming from the receiver 320. Gain and phase can be known. The antenna element 306 of the transmitter 302 can initiate transmission or broadcasting of a controlled power transmission wave 342 (eg, high frequency, ultrasound), where the controlled power transmission wave 342 includes at least two antenna elements 306. Can be concentrated in a three-dimensional space by manipulating the power transmission wave 342 emitted from each antenna element 306. These power transmission waves 342 can be generated by using an external power source and a local oscillator circuit chip (using a suitable piezoelectric material). The power transmission wave 342 can be controlled by the transmitter circuit 301, which can include a unique chip for adjusting the phase and / or relative magnitude of the power transmission wave 342. The phase, gain, amplitude and other waveform characteristics of the power transmission wave 342 may serve as input to the antenna element 306 to form constructive and destructive interference patterns (pocketing). In some implementations, the microcontroller 310 or other circuit of the transmitter 302 can generate a power transmission signal, which includes a power transmission wave 342, the power transmission signal being a transmitter circuit. Depending on the number of antenna elements 306 connected to 301, the transmitter circuit 301 can divide it into multiple outputs. For example, if four antenna elements 306a-d are connected to one transmitter circuit 301a, the power transmission signal is split into four different outputs, each output being a power transmission wave generated from the respective antenna element 306. The antenna element 306 is directed to be transmitted as 342.

  Pocket formation can take advantage of interference to change the orientation of the antenna element 306, constructive interference creates an energy pocket, and destructive interference creates a transmission zero region. The receiver 320 can then utilize the pocket of energy generated by the pocket formation to charge or power the electronic device, thus effectively providing wireless power transfer.

  Multiple pocketing can be achieved by computing the phase and gain from each antenna 306 to each receiver 320 of the transmitter 302.

D. Components of the System for Creating an Energy Pocket FIG. 4 illustrates components of an exemplary system 400 for wireless power transfer using a pocketing procedure. The system 400 may include one or more transmitters 402, one or more receivers 420, and one or more client devices 446.

1. Transmitter Transmitter 402 can be any device capable of broadcasting a wireless power transmission signal, which can be an RF wave 442 for wireless power transmission, as described herein. The transmitter 402 may be responsible for performing tasks related to transmission of power transfer signals, and tasks may include pocket formation, adaptive pocket formation, and multiple pocket formation. In some implementations, the transmitter 402 can transmit wireless power transmission to the receiver 420 in the form of RF waves that can include any radio signal having any frequency or wavelength. The transmitter 402 is required for one or more antenna elements 406, one or more RFICs 408, one or more microcontrollers 410, one or more communication components 412, a power source 414, and the transmitter 402. It can include a housing to which all components can be assigned. Various components of transmitter 402 may include and / or be manufactured using metamaterials, circuit microprinting, nanomaterials, and the like.

  In the exemplary system 400, the transmitter 402 can transmit or otherwise broadcast a controlled RF wave 442 that concentrates at a particular location in three-dimensional space, thereby forming an energy pocket 444. These RF waves can be controlled through phase and / or relative amplitude adjustments to form a constructive or destructive interference pattern (ie, pocket formation). The energy pocket 444 can be a field formed with a constructive interference pattern and can be of a three-dimensional shape. On the other hand, the destructive interference pattern can generate a transmission zero region at a specific physical location. The receiver 420 can capture electrical energy from the pocket 444 of energy generated by the pocket formation to charge or power the electronic client device 446 (eg, laptop computer, cell phone). . In some embodiments, the system 400 may include multiple transmitters 402 and / or multiple receivers 420 for powering various electronic devices. At the same time, non-limiting examples of client devices 446 may include smartphones, tablets, music players, toys and others. In some embodiments, adaptive pocket formation can be used to regulate power on an electronic device.

2. Receiver Receiver 420 can include a housing, which can include at least one antenna element 424, one rectifier 426, one power converter 428, and a communication component 430.

  The housing of receiver 420 can be made from any material capable of facilitating signal or wave transmission and / or reception, such as, for example, plastic or hard rubber. For example, the housing may be external hardware that can be added to an electronic device having a different case shape, or may be embedded in the electronic device.

3. Antenna Element The antenna element 424 of the receiver 420 may include any type of antenna capable of transmitting and / or receiving signals in the frequency band used by the transmitter 402A. The antenna element 424 may include a combination of vertical or horizontal polarization, right or left polarization, elliptical polarization or other polarization, as well as any number of polarizations. The use of multiple polarizations can be beneficial in devices that do not have a preferred orientation in use or whose orientation can change continuously over time (eg, smartphones or portable gaming systems). In the case of a device with a well-defined expected orientation (eg a two-hand video game controller), the antenna may have a preferred polarization, so that the percentage of a given polarization relative to the number of antennas Can be determined. The antenna type of the antenna element 424 of the receiver 420 may include a patch antenna, the patch antenna having a height of about 1/8 inch to about 6 inches and a width of about 1/8 inch to about 6 inches. obtain. The patch antenna may preferably have a polarization that depends on the connectivity (ie, the polarization may vary depending on from which direction the patch is supplied). In some embodiments, the antenna type can be any type of antenna that can dynamically change the antenna polarization to optimize wireless power transfer, such as a patch antenna.

4). Rectifier The rectifier 426 of the receiver 420 may include diodes, resistors, inductors and / or capacitors for rectifying the alternating current (AC) voltage generated by the antenna element 424 to a direct current (DC) voltage. The rectifier 426 can be placed as close to the antenna element A24B as technically possible to minimize the loss of electrical energy collected from the power transfer signal. After rectifying the AC voltage, the resulting DC voltage can be adjusted using power converter 428. The power converter 428 can be a DC / DC converter that can help provide a constant voltage output to an electronic device or to a battery, such as the exemplary system 400, regardless of input. A typical voltage output can be from about 5 volts to about 10 volts. In some embodiments, the power converter may include an electronic switching mode DC / DC converter that can provide high efficiency. In such embodiments, receiver 420 may include a capacitor (not shown) that is placed in front of power converter 428 to receive electrical energy. The capacitor may ensure that sufficient current is provided to the electronic switching device (eg, a switched mode DC / DC converter) to operate effectively. When charging an electronic device (eg, a phone or laptop computer), an initial high current that exceeds the minimum voltage required to activate the operation of the electronic switching mode DC / DC converter may be required. In such cases, a capacitor (not shown) can be added to the output side of the receiver 420 to provide the additional energy required. Thereafter, lower power can be provided. For example, 1/80 of the total initial power that can be used while still storing charge on the phone or laptop.

5. Communication Component The communication component 430 of the receiver 420 can communicate with one or more other devices of the system 400, such as other receivers 420, client devices and / or transmitters 402. As described in the following embodiments, different antenna, rectifier or power converter arrangements are possible for the receiver.

E. Method of Pocket Formation for Multiple Devices FIG. 5 shows the steps for feeding multiple receiver devices according to an exemplary embodiment.

  In a first step 501, the transmitter (TX) establishes a connection with the receiver (RX) or otherwise associates with the receiver (RX). That is, in some embodiments, the transmitter and receiver can communicate with a wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, NFC) that is capable of transmitting information between the two processors of the electrical device. , ZigBee®) can be used to communicate control data above. For example, in embodiments that implement Bluetooth® or a variation of Bluetooth®, the transmitter can scan the broadcast advertising signal of the receiver, or the receiver can transmit the advertising signal. Can be transmitted to the machine. The advertisement signal can inform the transmitter of the presence of the receiver and can cause the transmitter and receiver to be associated. As will be described later, in some embodiments, advertising signals are used by various devices (eg, transmitters, client devices, server computers, other receivers) to perform and manage pocketing procedures. Information that can be transmitted. Information included in the advertisement signal may include device identifiers (eg, MAC address, IP address, UUID), received electrical energy voltage, client device power consumption and other types of data related to power transmission waves. . The transmitter can use the transmitted advertising signal to identify the receiver, and in some cases can locate the receiver in two-dimensional space or three-dimensional space. When the transmitter identifies the receiver, the transmitter establishes a connection associated with the receiver at the transmitter so that the transmitter and receiver can communicate control signals on the second channel. Can do.

  As an example, when a receiver that includes a Bluetooth processor is turned on or brought into the detection range of the transmitter, the Bluetooth processor is connected to the receiver according to the Bluetooth standard. You can start advertising. The transmitter can recognize the advertisement and initiate establishment of a connection for communicating control signals and power transfer signals. In some embodiments, the advertising signal may include a unique identifier so that the transmitter can receive the advertisement and ultimately its from all other nearby Bluetooth devices in range. The receiver can be distinguished.

  In a next step 503, when the transmitter detects the advertising signal, the transmitter can automatically establish a communication connection with the receiver, so that the transmitter and receiver can control signals and power. A transmission signal can be transmitted. The transmitter can then instruct the receiver to begin transmitting real-time sample data or control data. The transmitter can also start transmission of the power transmission signal from the antenna of the antenna array of the transmitter.

  Then, in a next step 505, the receiver can measure the voltage, among other metrics related to the effectiveness of the power transfer signal, based on the energy received by the receiver antenna. The receiver can generate control data that includes the measured information and then transmit a control signal that includes the control data to the transmitter. For example, the receiver can sample voltage measurements of received electrical energy, for example, at a rate of 100 times per second. The receiver can send voltage sample measurements back to the transmitter 100 times per second in the form of control signals.

  In a next step 507, the transmitter may execute one or more software modules that monitor metrics (such as voltage measurements) received from the receiver. The algorithm can vary the generation and transmission of the power transfer signal by the transmitter antenna to maximize the effectiveness of the energy pockets around the receiver. For example, the transmitter can adjust the phase at which the antenna of the transmitter transmits the power transmission signal until its power received by the receiver indicates an effective establishment of pocket energy around the receiver. Once the optimal configuration for the antenna is identified, the transmitter memory can store the configuration to maintain the transmitter's broadcast at its highest level.

  In a next step 509, the transmitter algorithm can determine when the power transmission signal needs to be adjusted, and in response to the determination that such adjustment is necessary, the transmit antenna. It is also possible to change the configuration. For example, the transmitter can determine that the power received at the receiver is less than the maximum value based on the data received from the receiver. The transmitter can then automatically adjust the phase of the power transfer signal, but at the same time it can continue to receive and monitor the voltage being reported back from the receiver.

  In a next step 511, once the determined time has elapsed for communication with a particular receiver, the transmitter may scan advertisements from other receivers that may be within range of the transmitter and / or It can be detected automatically. The transmitter can establish a connection with the second receiver in response to the Bluetooth advertisement from the second receiver.

  In a next step 513, after establishing a second communication connection with the second receiver, the transmitter can proceed to adjust one or more antennas of the antenna array of the transmitter. In some embodiments, the transmitter may identify the subset of antennas to serve the second receiver, thereby analyzing the array into a subset of the array associated with the receiver. it can. In some embodiments, the entire antenna array can serve a first receiver for a predetermined time, and then the entire array can serve a second receiver for that time.

  A manual or automatic process performed by the transmitter can select a subset of the array for servicing the second receiver. In this example, the array of transmitters can be split in half to form two subsets. As a result, half of the antennas can be configured to transmit power transmission signals to the first receiver, and half of the antennas can be configured for the second receiver. In this step 513, the transmitter can apply similar techniques discussed above to configure or optimize a subset of antennas for the second receiver. While selecting a subset of the array for transmitting the power transfer signal, the transmitter and the second receiver can communicate control data. As a result, by the time the transmitter returns to communication with the first receiver and / or moves to scan for a new receiver, the transmitter effectively transmits the power transmission wave to the second receiver. Thus, a sufficient amount of sample data has already been received to adjust the phase of the waves transmitted by the second subset of the transmitter's antenna array.

  In a next step 515, after adjusting the second subset to transmit the power transmission signal to the second receiver, the transmitter may return to communicating control data with the first receiver or additional Transition to receiver scanning can be made. The transmitter can reconfigure the first subset of antennas and then transition between the first receiver and the second receiver at predetermined intervals.

  In the next step 517, the transmitter can continue to move between receivers at a predetermined interval and scan for new receivers. As each new receiver is detected, the transmitter can establish a connection and begin transmitting power transmission signals accordingly.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the receiver can be electrically connected to a device such as a smartphone. The transmitter processor will scan any Bluetooth device. The receiver can initiate an advertisement through the Bluetooth chip that it is a Bluetooth device. There may be a unique identifier within the ad, so that when the transmitter scans the ad, it sends it from all other nearby Bluetooth devices in range The receiver can be distinguished. When the transmitter detects the advertisement and recognizes that it is a receiver, the transmitter quickly establishes a communication connection with the receiver and receives it to begin transmitting real-time sample data. You can command the machine.

  The receiver will then measure the voltage at its receive antenna and send the voltage sample measurement back to the transmitter (eg, 100 times per second). The transmitter can start changing the configuration of the transmit antenna by adjusting the phase. As the transmitter adjusts the phase, the transmitter monitors the voltage returned from the receiver. In some implementations, the higher the voltage, the more energy can be in the pocket. The antenna phase can be changed until the voltage is at the highest level and there is a maximum energy pocket around the receiver. The transmitter can keep the antenna in a particular phase so that the voltage is at the highest level.

  The transmitter can change each individual antenna one by one. For example, if the transmitter has 32 antennas and each antenna has 8 phases, the transmitter will consider all 8 phases of the first antenna, starting with the first antenna. The receiver can then return the power level for each of the eight phases of the first antenna. The transmitter can then store the maximum phase of the first antenna. The transmitter can repeat this process for the second antenna and consider its eight phases. Again, the receiver can return the power level from each phase, and the transmitter can store the highest level. The transmitter can then repeat the process for the third antenna until the eight phases of all 32 antennas have been considered. At the end of the process, the transmitter can transmit the maximum voltage to the receiver in the most efficient manner.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the transmitter may detect an advertisement for the second receiver and form a communication connection with the second receiver. When the transmitter forms a communication with the second receiver, the transmitter directs the original 32 antennas towards the second receiver and each of the 32 antennas towards the second receiver. The phase process can be repeated for When the process is complete, the second receiver can obtain as much power as possible from the transmitter. The transmitter can communicate with the second receiver for 1 second and then return to the first receiver for a predetermined time (eg, 1 second), where the transmitter is the first at a predetermined time interval. The transition between the receiver and the second receiver can continue.

  In yet another implementation, the transmitter can detect advertisements of the second receiver and form a communication connection with the second receiver. Initially, the transmitter communicates with the first receiver, reassigns half of the exemplary 32 antennas intended for the first receiver, and dedicate only 16 to the first receiver. Can do. The transmitter can then allocate the other half of the antennas to the second receiver and dedicate 16 antennas to the second receiver. The transmitter can adjust the phase for the other half of the antenna. Once the 16 antennas have considered each of the 8 phases, the second receiver can obtain the maximum voltage in the most efficient way for the receiver.

F. Wireless power transmission in selected range Constructive Interference FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an exemplary system 600 that implements wireless power transfer principles that can be implemented during an exemplary pocketing process. A transmitter 601 that includes multiple antennas in an antenna array can adjust the phase and amplitude of the power transmission wave 607 being transmitted from the antenna of the transmitter 601, among other possible attributes. As shown in FIG. 6A, without phase or amplitude adjustment, power transmission waves 607a are transmitted from each of the antennas, reach different locations, and have different phases. These differences are often due to different distances from each antenna element of transmitter 601a to one receiver 605a or multiple receivers 605a located at each location.

  Continuing with FIG. 6A, receiver 605a can receive a plurality of power transmission signals, each including power transmission wave 607a, from a plurality of antenna elements of transmitter 601a. In this example, the power transmission waves add destructively to each other, so the composite of these power transmission signals can be essentially zero. That is, the antenna element of the transmitter 601a can transmit exactly the same power transmission signal (that is, including the power transmission wave 607a having the same characteristics such as phase and amplitude), and as a result, the power transmission of each power transmission signal. When the waves 607a reach the receiver 605a, they cancel each other out by 180 degrees. As a result, the power transmission waves 607a of these power transmission signals “cancel” each other. In general, signals that cancel each other out in this way can be referred to as "destructive" and thus result in "destructive interference".

  In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6B, in the case of so-called “constructive interference”, signals including power transmission waves 607b that reach the receiver completely “in phase” with each other are combined to reduce the amplitude of each signal. Increase, resulting in a stronger complex than each constituent signal. Note that in the illustrative example of FIG. 6A, the phase of the power transmission wave 607a of the transmitted signal is the same at the transmission location, and then eventually deductively adds at the location of the receiver 605a. In contrast, in FIG. 6B, the phase of the power transmission wave 607b of the transmitted signal is adjusted at the transmission location, so that the power transmission wave 607b reaches the receiver 605b in a phase aligned state, resulting in: The power transmission wave 607b is applied constructively. In an illustrative example, in FIG. 6B there is a resultant energy pocket located around receiver 605b, and in FIG. 6A there is a transmission zero region located around the receiver.

  FIG. 7 depicts wireless power transmission in the selection range 700, where the transmitter 702 can generate a pocket formation for multiple receivers associated with the electrical device 701. The transmitter 702 can generate the pocket formation through wireless power transfer at the selection range 700, which includes one or more wireless charging radii 704 and one or more at a particular physical location. Transmission zero region radius 706. Multiple electronic devices 701 can be charged or powered at a wireless charging radius 704. Thus, several energy spots are generated, and such spots can be employed to allow restrictions on power supply and charging of the electronic device 701. As an example, the restriction may include operation of a particular electronic device at a particular or restricted spot contained within the wireless charging radius 704. In addition, safety restrictions can be implemented by using wireless power transfer in the selection range 700, which avoids energy pockets on areas or zones where energy needs to be avoided. Such areas can include devices that are sensitive to energy pockets and / or areas that include people who do not want energy pockets on and / or near their heads. In embodiments such as those shown in FIG. 7, transmitter 702 may include antenna elements that are viewed on a different plane than the receiver associated with electrical device 701 in the service area. For example, the receiver of electrical device 701 can be in a room where transmitter 702 can be mounted on the ceiling. A selection range for establishing a pocket of energy using power transmission waves, which can be represented as concentric circles by placing the antenna array of the transmitter 702 on the ceiling or other high place, and the transmitter 702 A power transmission wave can be emitted that creates a “cone” of energy pockets. In some embodiments, the transmitter 701 can control the radius of each charging radius 704, thereby establishing a service area spacing to create a pocket of energy that points to a lower planar area. Depending on the spacing, the width of the cone can be adjusted through appropriate selection of antenna phase and amplitude.

  FIG. 8 depicts wireless power transmission in the selection range 800, where the transmitter 802 can generate pocket formations for multiple receivers 806. The transmitter 802 can generate a pocket formation through wireless power transfer at the selection range 800, which can include one or more wireless charging spots 804. Multiple electronic devices can be charged or powered at the wireless charging spot 804. Energy pockets can be generated on multiple receivers 806 regardless of the obstacles 804 surrounding the multiple receivers 806. The pocket of energy can be generated by creating constructive interference at the wireless charging spot 804 in accordance with the principles described herein. The energy pocket location allows multiple communications by adding a receiver 806 and, among other things, by various communication systems such as Bluetooth technology, infrared communications, Wi-Fi, FM radio, etc. This can be done by enabling the protocol.

G. Exemplary System Embodiment Using Heat Map FIGS. 9A and 9B show diagrams of architectures 900A, 900B for charging a client computing platform wirelessly, according to an exemplary embodiment. In some implementations, the user may be in a room and hold an electronic device (eg, smartphone, tablet) in his hand. In some implementations, the electronic device may be on furniture in the room. The electronic device may include a receiver 920A, 920B that is embedded in the electronic device or connected to the electronic device as a separate adapter. The receivers 920A, 920B may include all the components described in FIG. The transmitters 902A and 902B may be hung on the wall directly behind the user among the walls of the room. Transmitters 902A, 902B may also include all components described in FIG.

  Since the user also appears to be blocking the path between the receivers 920A, 920B and the transmitters 902A, 902B, it may be difficult to direct the RF wave to the receivers 920A, 920B in a linear direction. However, since the short signals generated from the receivers 920A, 920B can be omnidirectional for the type of antenna element used, these signals are transmitted to the walls 944A, 944A, 904A, until reaching the transmitters 902A, 902B. There is a possibility of bouncing back at 944B. Hot spots 944A, 944B can be any item in the room that reflects RF waves. For example, a large metal clock on the wall can be used to reflect RF waves on the user's mobile phone.

  The transmitter microcontroller adjusts the signal transmitted from each antenna based on the signal received from the receiver. The adjustment may include forming a conjugate of the signal phase received from the receiver and further adjusting the transmit antenna phase to account for the built-in phase of the antenna element. The antenna elements can be controlled simultaneously to advance the energy in a predetermined direction. Transmitters 902A, 902B can scan the room looking for hot spots 944A, 944B. When calibration is performed, transmitters 902A, 902B can focus the RF wave on a channel that follows a path that may be the most efficient path. The RF signals 942A, 942B can then form an energy pocket on the first electronic device and another energy pocket on the second electronic device while avoiding obstacles such as users and furniture.

  When scanning the service area (rooms in FIGS. 9A and 9B), the transmitters 902A, 902B may employ different methods. As an illustrative example, but without limiting the methods that may be used, the transmitters 902A, 902B detect the phase and magnitude of the signal coming from the receiver and use them to, for example, A series of transmit phases and magnitudes can be formed by calculating their conjugates and applying them during transmission. As another illustrative example, the transmitter applies all possible phases of the transmit antenna one by one in subsequent transmissions and observes information related to the signals from the receivers 920A, 920B. The intensity of the energy pocket formed by each combination can be detected. The transmitters 902A, 902B then repeat this calibration periodically. In some implementations, the transmitters 902A, 902B do not have to search for all possible phases, but based on previous calibration values, search for a series of phases that are likely to result in a strong energy pocket. can do. In yet another illustrative example, the transmitters 902A, 902B may use transmit phase preset values for the antennas to form pockets of energy directed to different locations within the room. The transmitter can scan the physical space in the room up and down and left and right, for example, by using a preset phase value for the antenna in subsequent transmissions. The transmitters 902A, 902B then detect the phase value resulting from the most powerful energy pocket around the receivers 920a, 920b by observing the signals from the receivers 920a, 920b. It should be understood that there are other possible ways to scan a service area for heat mapping that can be employed without departing from the scope or spirit of the embodiments described herein. Regardless of which method is used, the result of the scan is a hot spot that indicates the best phase and magnitude value to use for the transmit antenna to maximize the pocket of energy around the receiver. It is the heat map of the service area (for example, room, shop) which transmitter 902A, 902B can identify from there.

  Transmitters 902A, 902B can use a Bluetooth connection to determine the location of receivers 920A, 920B, and RF bands can be directed to different receivers 920A, 920B. Different non-overlapping parts can be used. In some implementations, the transmitters 902A, 902B can perform a room scan to determine the location of the receivers 920A, 920B, and pockets of energy that are orthogonal to each other due to non-overlapping RF transmission bands. Is generated. Using multiple energy pockets to direct energy to the receiver is not very powerful transmission, but the integrated power transfer signal received at the receiver is powerful May be inherently safer than alternative power transmission methods.

H. Exemplary System Embodiment FIG. 10A illustrates wireless power transfer using multiple pocketing 1000A that may include one transmitter 1002A and at least two or more receivers 1020A. Receiver 1020A can communicate with transmitter 1002A, which is further described in FIG. By knowing the gain and phase coming from receiver 1020A when transmitter 1002A identifies and locates receiver 1020A, a channel or path can be established. The transmitter 1002A can initiate transmission of a controlled RF wave 1042A, and the controlled RF wave 1042A can be concentrated in a three-dimensional space by using a minimum of two antenna elements. These RF waves 1042A can be generated using an external power source and a local oscillator circuit chip (using a suitable piezoelectric material). The RF wave 1042A can be controlled by the RFIC, which can function as an input to the antenna elements to form constructive and destructive interference patterns (pocketing), and the phase and / or relative of the RF signal. It can include its own tip to adjust the size. Pocket formation can exploit interference to change the orientation of the antenna elements, constructive interference creates an energy pocket 1060A, and destructive interference creates a transmission zero region. The receiver 1020A can then utilize the energy pocket 1060A generated by pocketing to charge or power the electronic devices (eg, laptop computer 1062A and smartphone 1052A), and thus Wireless power transmission is effectively provided.

  Multiple pocket formation 1000A can be achieved by computing the phase and gain from each antenna of transmitter 1002A to each receiver 1020A. Since multiple paths can be generated from the antenna element from the transmitter 1002A to the antenna element from the receiver 1020A, the computation can be calculated independently.

I. Exemplary System Embodiment FIG. 10B is an exemplary illustration of a plurality of adaptive pocket formations 1000B. In this embodiment, the user is in a room and holds an electronic device (which in this case may be tablet 1064B) in his hand. In addition, the smartphone 1052B is on the furniture in the room. Tablet 1064B and smartphone 1052B may each include a receiver that is embedded in each electronic device or connected as a separate adapter to tablet 1064B and smartphone 1052B. The receiver may include all components described in FIG. The transmitter 1002B is hung on the wall directly behind the user among the walls of the room. The transmitter 1002B may also include all the components described in FIG. Since the user also appears to be blocking the path between the receiver and transmitter 1002B, it may be difficult to direct the RF wave 1042B to each receiver with a line of sight. However, since the short signals generated from the receiver can be omnidirectional for the type of antenna element used, these signals can bounce off the wall until the transmitter 1002B is found. Nearly instantaneously, a microcontroller that may be present in transmitter 1002B regains the transmitted signal based on the received signal transmitted by each receiver by adjusting the gain and phase to form a power transmission wave concentration. Can be tuned so that the power transmission waves add to each other and strengthen the energy gathering at that location, which adds to each other in a subtractive manner and reduces the energy gathering at that location. In contrast to what is referred to as "interference", it is a further adjustment of the transmit antenna phase taking into account the conjugate of the signal phase received from the receiver and the built-in phase of the antenna elements. When calibration is performed, the transmitter 1002B can focus the RF wave following the most efficient path. Then, while taking into account obstacles such as the user and furniture, an energy pocket 1060B can be formed on the tablet 1064B and another energy pocket 1060B can be formed on the smartphone 1052B. The aforementioned characteristics are that wireless power transmission using multiple pocketing 1000B is inherently safe because the transmission along each pocket of energy is not very strong and the RF transmission is generally reflected from living tissue and does not penetrate. Can be beneficial in that it can be.

  By knowing the gain and phase coming from the receiver when the transmitter 1002B identifies and locates the receiver, a channel or path can be established. The transmitter 1002B can initiate transmission of the controlled RF wave 1042B, and the controlled RF wave 1042B can be concentrated in a three-dimensional space by using a minimum of two antenna elements. These RF waves 1042B can be generated using an external power source and a local oscillator circuit chip (using a suitable piezoelectric material). The RF wave 1042B can be controlled by the RFIC, which can function as an input to the antenna elements to form constructive and destructive interference patterns (pocketing) and the phase and / or relative of the RF signal. It can include its own tip to adjust the size. Pocket formation can take advantage of interference to change the orientation of the antenna elements, constructive interference creates energy pockets, and destructive interference creates zero regions at specific physical locations To do. The receiver can then take advantage of the pockets of energy generated by the pocket formation to charge or power electronic devices (eg, laptop computers and smartphones) and thus wireless power transfer Provided effectively.

  Multiple pocketing 1000B can be achieved by computing the phase and gain from each antenna of the transmitter to each receiver. Since multiple paths can be generated by the antenna elements from the transmitter to the antenna elements from the receiver, the computation can be calculated independently.

  Examples of operations on at least two antenna elements may include determining the phase of the signal from the receiver and applying the conjugate of the received parameters to the antenna elements for transmission.

  In some embodiments, two or more receivers can operate at different frequencies during wireless power transmission to avoid power loss. This can be achieved by including in the transmitter 1002B an array of multiple embedded antenna elements. In one embodiment, a single frequency can be transmitted by each antenna in the array. In other embodiments, some of the antennas in the array can be used to transmit at different frequencies. For example, one half of the antennas in the array can be operated at 2.4 GHz while the other half can be operated at 5.8 GHz. In another example, one third of the antennas in the array can be operated at 900 MHz, another third can be operated at 2.4 GHz, and the remaining antennas in the array can be operated at 5.8 GHz.

  In another embodiment, each array of antenna elements can be substantially divided into one or more antenna elements during wireless power transmission, and each set of antenna elements in the array transmits at a different frequency. Can do. For example, the antenna element of the transmitter can transmit a power transmission signal at 2.4 GHz, but the corresponding antenna element of the receiver can be configured to receive a power transmission signal at 5.8 GHz. . In this example, the transmitter processor may adjust the transmitter antenna elements to substantially or logically divide the array antenna elements into multiple patches that can be supplied independently. As a result, one quarter of the array of antenna elements can be transmitted at 5.8 GHz as required by the receiver, while another set of antenna elements can be transmitted at 2.4 GHz. Thus, by substantially dividing the array of antenna elements, the electronic device coupled to the receiver can continue to receive wireless power transmission. For example, one set of antenna elements can be transmitted at about 2.4 GHz, and other antenna elements can be transmitted at 5.8 GHz, and thus in a given array in cooperation with a receiver operating at a different frequency. This can be beneficial because the number of antenna elements can be adjusted. In this example, the array is divided into sets of the same amount of antenna elements (eg, four antenna elements), but the array can be divided into sets of different amounts of antenna elements. In an alternative embodiment, each antenna element can transition between selected frequencies.

  The efficiency of wireless power transfer and the amount of power that can be transmitted (using pocket formation) can be a function of the total number of antenna elements 1006 used in a given receiver and transmitter system. For example, if transmitting about 1 watt for about 15 feet, the receiver may include about 80 antenna elements while the transmitter may include about 256 antenna elements. Another identical wireless power transfer system (about 1 watt to about 15 feet) may include a receiver having about 40 antenna elements and a transmitter having about 512 antenna elements. To reduce the number of antenna elements in the receiver in half, it may be necessary to double the number of antenna elements in the transmitter. In some embodiments, because there are far fewer transmitters than receivers in a system scale deployment, it may be beneficial to have more transmitter antenna elements than receivers for cost reasons. However, the reverse can be achieved, for example, by placing more antenna elements at the receiver than at the transmitter as long as the transmitter 1002B has at least two antenna elements.

II. Transmitter-Systems and Methods for Wireless Power Transfer A transmitter may have the role of pocket formation, adaptive pocket formation and multiple pocket formation using the components described below. The transmitter can transmit the wireless power transfer signal to the receiver in any physical medium form that can be propagated through space and converted to usable electrical energy, examples of which include RF waves, Infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic fields and ultrasound may be included. One skilled in the art should understand that a power transmission signal can be almost any radio signal having any frequency or wavelength. The transmitter has been described with reference to RF transmission by way of example only, but the scope should not be limited to RF transmission alone.

  The transmitter may be located in many places, surfaces, mountings or embedded structures (such as desks, tables, floors, walls and the like). In some instances, the transmitter may be located on a client computing platform, which is any computing device that includes a processor and software module capable of performing the processes and tasks described herein. But it can be. Non-limiting examples of client computing platforms may include desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, tablet computing platforms, netbooks, smartphones, game consoles and / or other computing platforms. In other embodiments, the client computing platform may be a variety of electronic computing devices. In such embodiments, each of the client computing platforms may have a different operating system and / or physical component. The client computing platform can run the same operating system and / or the client computing platform can run a different operating system. A client computing platform and / or device may be capable of running multiple operating systems. In addition, the box transmitter can include several arrangements of printed circuit board (PCB) layers and can be oriented in the X, Y, or Z axis, or any combination thereof.

  It should be understood that wireless charging techniques are not limited to RF wave transmission techniques and may include alternative or additional techniques for transmitting energy to a receiver that converts the transmitted energy into power. Non-limiting exemplary transmission techniques for energy that can be converted to power by the receiving device may include ultrasonic, microwave, resonant and induced magnetic fields, laser light, infrared or other forms of electromagnetic energy. In the ultrasound case, for example, the one or more transducer elements may be arranged to form a transducer array that transmits the ultrasound towards a receiving device that receives the ultrasound and converts them into electrical power. it can. In the case of resonant or induced magnetic fields, the magnetic field is generated in the transmitter coil and converted to power by the receiver coil.

A. Transmitter Device Components FIG. 11 shows a diagram of a system 1100 architecture for wirelessly charging client devices, according to an example embodiment. System 1100 can include a transmitter 1101 and a receiver 1120, each of which can include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC of the transmitter 1101 includes one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) 1104, one or more antenna elements 1106, one or more radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) 1108, one or more microcontrollers ( MC) 1110, communication component 1112, and power source 1114. The transmitter 1101 can be placed in a housing, which can assign all components necessary for the transmitter 1101. The components of transmitter 1101 can be fabricated using metamaterials, circuit microprinting, nanomaterials, and / or any other material. One skilled in the art should appreciate that the entire transmitter or receiver can be implemented on a single circuit board, and that one or more of the functional blocks can be implemented on separate circuit boards. It is.

1. Printed Circuit Board In some implementations, the transmitter 1101 may include a plurality of PCB 1104 layers, where the plurality of PCB 1104 layers provide antenna element 1106 and / or RFIC to provide better control of pocket formation. 1108 may be included to enhance the response for targeting the receiver. PCB 1104 provides mechanical support for the electronic components described herein using conductive tracks, pads and / or other features etched from a copper plate laminated on a non-conductive substrate. And can be electrically connected. The PCB can be single-sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers) and / or multiple layers. Multiple PCB 1104 layers can increase the range and amount of power that can be transferred by the transmitter 1101. The PCB 1104 layer may connect to a single MC 1110 and / or a dedicated MC 1110. Similarly, the RFIC 1108 can be connected to the antenna element 1106 as depicted in the previous embodiments.

  In some implementations, a box transmitter that includes a plurality of PCB 1104 layers therein may include an antenna element 1108 to provide better control of pocket formation for targeting the receiver. The reaction can be enhanced. Furthermore, the range of wireless power transmission can be increased by a box transmitter. Multiple PCB 1104 layers may increase the range and amount of power waves (eg, RF power waves, ultrasound) that can be wirelessly transferred and / or broadcast by the transmitter 1101 due to the high density of antenna elements 1106. it can. The PCB 1104 layer can be connected to a single microcontroller 1110 and / or a microcontroller 1110 dedicated to each antenna element 1106. Similarly, the RFIC 1108 can control the antenna element 1101 as depicted in the previous embodiments. Further, the box-type transmitter 1101 can increase the activity rate of wireless power transmission.

2. Antenna Element Antenna element 1106 may be directional and / or omnidirectional and may include planar antenna elements, patch antenna elements, dipole antenna elements, and any other suitable antenna for wireless power transmission. Suitable antenna types may include, for example, a patch antenna having a height of about 1/8 inch to about 6 inches and a width of about 1/8 inch to about 6 inches. The shape and orientation of the antenna element 1106 may vary depending on the desired characteristics of the transmitter 1101, and the orientation may be various orientation types and combinations in a planar and three-dimensional arrangement in the X, Y, and Z axis directions. The antenna element 1106 material may include any suitable material that can enable high efficiency, good heat dissipation, and RF signal transmission with the like. The amount of antenna element 1106 can vary with respect to the desired range and the power transfer capability of transmitter 1101, with more antenna elements 1106 having a wider range and higher power transfer capability.

  The antenna elements 1106 may include suitable antenna types for operating in frequency bands such as 900 MHz, 2.5 GHz, or 5.8 GHz because these frequency bands are federal communications committee (FCC) regulation 18th. This is to comply with the department (industrial, scientific and medical equipment). The antenna element 1106 can operate at an independent frequency, allowing multi-channel operation of pocket formation.

  In addition, the antenna element 1106 may have at least one polarization or a selected polarization. Such polarization may include vertical polarization, horizontal polarization, circular polarization, left polarization, right polarization, or a combination of polarizations. The selected polarization may vary depending on the characteristics of the transmitter 1101. In addition, antenna element 1106 may be located on various surfaces of transmitter 1101. The antenna elements 1106 can operate in a single array, a pair array, a quad array, or any other suitable arrangement that can be designed according to the desired application.

  In some implementations, the entire surface of the printed circuit board PCB 1104 can be tightly packed with antenna elements 1106. The RFIC 1108 can be connected to a plurality of antenna elements 1106. Multiple antenna elements 1106 can surround a single RFIC 1108.

3. The high frequency integrated circuit RFIC 1108 can receive an RF signal from the MC 1110 and split the RF signal into a plurality of outputs, each output linked to an antenna element 1106. For example, each RFIC 1108 can be connected to four antenna elements 1106. In some implementations, each RFIC 1108 can be connected to 8, 16 and / or multiple antenna elements 1106.

  RFIC 1104 may include a plurality of RF circuits that may include digital and / or analog components such as amplifiers, capacitors, oscillators, piezoelectric crystals, and the like. The RFIC 1104 can control the characteristics of the antenna element 1106 such as gain and / or phase for pocket formation and manage it by direction, power level and the like. The phase and amplitude of pocket formation at each antenna element 1106 can be adjusted by a corresponding RFIC 1108 to produce the desired pocket formation and transmission zero region steering. In addition, the RFIC 1108 can be connected to the MC 1110, which can utilize digital signal processing (DSP), ARM, PIC class microprocessors, central processing units, computers and the like. The smaller number of RFICs 1108 present in the transmitter 1101 may correspond to desired features such as low control multiple pocket formation, low level granularity and low cost embodiments. In some implementations, the RFIC 1108 can be coupled to one or more MCs 1110, which can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1101.

  In some implementations of transmitter 1101, the phase and amplitude of each pocket formation at each antenna element 1106 can be adjusted by a corresponding RFIC 1108 to produce the desired pocket formation and transmission zero region steering. . A selected RFIC 1108 coupled to each antenna element 1106 can reduce processing requirements and increase control of pocket formation, thereby providing multiple pocket formation and granularity at low load on the MC 1110. Finer pocket formation, and a higher number of higher reactions of multiple pocket formations. Furthermore, the multiple pocket formation can charge a larger number of receivers and can allow a better trajectory to such receivers.

  The RFIC 1108 and antenna element 1106 can operate in any suitable arrangement that can be designed according to the desired application. For example, transmitter 1101 may include a planar array of antenna elements 1106 and RFIC 1108. 4, 8, 16, and / or any number of subsets of antenna elements 1106 may be connected to a single RFIC 1108. The RFIC 1108 can be embedded directly behind each antenna element 1106, and such integration can reduce losses due to the short distance between components. In some implementations, the rows or columns of antenna elements 1106 may be connected to a single MC 1110. An RFIC 1108 connected to each row or column can enable a low cost transmitter 1101 that can generate pocket formation by changing the phase and gain between rows or columns. In some implementations, the RFIC 1108 can output 2-8 volts of power for the receiver 1120 to obtain.

  In some implementations, a cascaded arrangement of RFICs 1108 can be implemented. A planar transmitter 1101 that uses a cascaded arrangement of RFICs 1108 can provide better control of pocket formation, can enhance the response to target the receiver 1106, and can multiplex RFICs 1108. Higher reliability and accuracy can also be achieved due to redundancy.

4). Microcontroller MC 1110 may include a processor executing an ARM and / or DSP. ARM is a family of general purpose microprocessors based on reduced instruction set computing (RISC). A DSP is a general purpose signal processing chip that can provide mathematical manipulation of an information signal to modify or improve it in some way, a discrete time, discrete frequency and / or other discrete domain signal with a series of numerical values or symbols. As well as the processing of these signals. The DSP can measure, filter and / or compress continuous real-world analog signals. The first step may be the conversion of the signal from analog to digital form by sampling and then digitizing it using an analog / digital converter (ADC), which converts the analog signal into a stream of discrete digital values Can be converted to The MC 1110 can also run Linux and / or any other operating system. MC 1110 can also connect to Wi-Fi to provide information over network 1140.

  The MC 1110 can control various features of the RFIC 1108, such as time release of pocket formation, direction of pocket formation, bounce angle, power intensity and the like. Furthermore, the MC 1110 can control multiple pocket formations on multiple receivers or a single receiver. The transmitter 1101 can enable distance identification for wireless power transmission. In addition, the MC 1110 can manage and control communication protocols and signals by controlling the communication component 1112. The MC 1110 tracks the receiver and concentrates the high frequency signal 1142 on the receiver (ie, energy pocket), so that communication can be sent to and received from the receiver. Information received by component 1112 can be processed. Other information may also be transmitted from and to the receiver 1120, such information may include an authentication protocol, among other things over the network 1140.

MC 1110 may communicate with communication component 1112 through a serial peripheral interface (SPI) and / or an inter-integrated circuit (I ² C) protocol. SPI communication can be used for short-distance single master communication in embedded systems, sensors and SD cards, for example. The devices communicate in master / slave mode and the master device starts a data frame. Multiple slave devices are allowed with individual slave select lines. I ² C is a multi-master, multi-slave, single-ended serial computer bus used to attach low speed peripherals to computer motherboards and embedded systems.

5. Communication Component The communication component 1112 can include and can be combined with, among other things, Bluetooth technology, infrared communication, Wi-Fi, FM radio. The MC 1110 can determine the optimal time and location for pocket formation, including the most efficient trajectory for transmitting the pocket formation, in order to reduce losses due to failure. Such trajectories may include direct pocket formation, bounce and pocket formation distance identification. In some implementations, the communication component 1112 can communicate with multiple devices, which can include a receiver 1120, a client device, or other transmitter 1101.

6). Power Source The transmitter 1101 can be supplied by a power source 1114 that can include an AC or DC power source. The strength of the voltage, power and current provided by the power source 1114 may vary depending on the required power to be transmitted. The conversion of power into radio signals can be managed by MC 1110 and performed by RFIC 1108, which can generate multiple radio signals with a wide variety of frequencies, wavelengths, intensities, and other characteristics. Methods and components can be utilized. As an exemplary use of various methods and components for radio signal generation, an oscillator and a piezoelectric crystal can be used to generate and modify high frequencies in different antenna elements 1106. In addition, various filters can be used to smooth the signal and amplifiers can be used to increase the transmitted power.

  The transmitter 1101 can emit an RF power wave that pockets with a power capability from the small wattage required by a particular rechargeable electronic device to a predetermined wattage. Each antenna can manage a certain power capability. Such power capability may be relevant to the application.

7). In addition to the housing, an independent base station may also include an MC 1110 and a power source 1114, so that several transmitters 1101 can be managed by a single base station and a single MC 1110. Such capability allows the location of the transmitter 1101 to be in various strategic locations (such as ceilings, decorations, walls and the like). The antenna elements 1106, RFIC 1108, MC 1110, communication component 1112 and power source 1114 can be connected in multiple arrangements and combinations, which may depend on the desired characteristics of the transmitter 1101.

B. Exemplary Power Transfer Method FIG. 12 is a method 1200 for determining the location of a receiver using antenna elements. The method 1200 for determining the receiver location may be a series of programmed rules or logic managed by the MC. The process can begin step 1201 by capturing a first signal with a first subset of antennas from an antenna array. Immediately thereafter, the process can proceed by switching to a different subset of antenna elements and in the next step 1203 by capturing a second signal with the second subset of antennas. For example, the first signal can be captured using a row of antennas and the second capture can be performed using a column of antennas. The antenna rows can provide a degree of horizontal orientation, such as an azimuth angle in a spherical coordinate system. The array of antennas can provide a degree of vertical orientation such as elevation. The antenna elements used for first signal acquisition and second signal acquisition can be aligned in a linear, vertical, horizontal or diagonal orientation. The first and second subsets of antennas can be aligned in a cruciform structure to cover the area surrounding the transmitter.

  Once both the vertical and horizontal values are measured, the MC may determine the appropriate values of phase and gain for the vertical and horizontal antenna elements used to capture the signal in the next step 1205. it can. Appropriate values for phase and gain can be determined by the position of the receiver relative to the antenna. The value can be used by the MC to adjust the antenna element to form a pocket of energy that can be used by the receiver to charge the electronic device.

  Data regarding the initial values of all antenna elements in the transmitter can be pre-calculated and stored for use by the MC to assist in calculating appropriate values for the antenna elements. In the next step 1207, after determining appropriate values for the vertical and horizontal antennas used to capture the signal, the process uses the stored data to determine appropriate values for all antennas in the array. You can continue by making a decision. The stored data may include initial test values for phase and gain for all antenna elements of the array at different frequencies. Different data sets can be stored for different frequencies, and the MC can select the appropriate data set accordingly. Then, in the next step 1209, the MC can tune all antennas through the RFIC to form an energy pocket at the appropriate location.

C. Array Subset Configuration FIG. 13A shows an exemplary embodiment of an array subset configuration 1300A that can be used in a method for determining the location of a receiver. The transmitter may include an array of antennas 1306A. Initially, antenna row 1368A can be used to capture signals transmitted by the receiver. The antenna row 1368A can then forward the signal to the RFIC, where the signal can be converted from a radio signal to a digital signal and sent to the MC for processing. The MC can then determine the appropriate adjustments to the phase and gain in antenna row 1368A to form an energy pocket at the appropriate location based on the location of the receiver. The second signal can be captured by antenna array 1370A. The array of antennas 1370A can then forward the signal to the RFIC, where the signal can be converted from a radio signal to a digital signal and sent to the MC for processing. The MC can then determine the appropriate adjustments to the phase and gain in the antenna array 1370A to form a pocket of energy at the appropriate location based on the location of the receiver. Once the appropriate adjustments are determined for antenna row 1368A and antenna column 1370A, the MC uses the pre-stored data for the antenna to result from antenna row 1368A and antenna column 1370A. Can be used to determine appropriate values for the remainder of the antenna elements 1306A of the antenna array 1368A.

D. Configuration for transmitters, transmitter components, antenna tiles and systems associated with transmitters Exemplary System FIG. 13B shows another exemplary embodiment of an array subset configuration 1300B. In the array subset configuration 1300B, both initial signals are captured by two diagonal subsets of antennas. The process follows the same path so that each subset is adjusted accordingly. Based on the adjustments made and pre-stored data, the remaining portions of antenna elements 1306B of the array of antennas are adjusted.

2. Planar Transmitter FIG. 14 depicts a front view of a planar transmitter 1402 and a rear view of some embodiments. Transmitter 1402 may include a planar array of antenna elements 1406 and RFIC 1408. The RFIC 1408 can be embedded directly behind each antenna element 1406, and such integration can reduce losses due to the short distance between components.

  In one embodiment of transmitter 1402 (ie, display 1), the pocketing phase and amplitude of each antenna element 1406 is adjusted by a corresponding RFIC 1408 to produce the desired pocketing and transmission zero region steering. be able to. The selected RFIC 1408 coupled to each antenna element 1406 can reduce processing requirements and increase control of pocket formation, thereby reducing multiple pocket formation and granularity at low load on the MC 1410. Finer pocket formation, thus allowing a higher number of higher reactions of multiple pocket formations. Furthermore, the multiple pocket formation can charge a larger number of receivers and can allow a better trajectory to such receivers. As described in the embodiment of FIG. 11, RFIC 1408 can be coupled to one or more MCs 1410 and microcontroller 1410 can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1402.

  In another embodiment (ie, display 2), a subset of the four antenna elements 1406 can be connected to a single RFIC 1408. The smaller number of RFICs 1408 present in the transmitter 1402 may correspond to desired features such as low control multiple pocket formation, low level granularity and low cost embodiments. As described in the embodiment of FIG. 11, RFIC 1408 can be coupled to one or more MCs 1410 and microcontroller 1410 can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1402.

  In yet another embodiment (ie, display 3), the transmitter 1402 may include a planar array of antenna elements 1406 and RFIC 1408. A row or column of antenna elements 1406 can be connected to a single MC 1410. The smaller number of RFICs 1408 present in the transmitter 1402 may correspond to desired features such as low control multiple pocket formation, low level granularity and low cost embodiments. An RFIC 1408 connected to each row or column enables a low cost transmitter 1402 and can generate pocket formation by changing the phase and gain between rows or columns. As described in the embodiment of FIG. 11, RFIC 1408 can be coupled to one or more MCs 1410 and microcontroller 1410 can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1402.

  In some embodiments (ie, display 4), the transmitter 1402 may include a planar array of antenna elements 1406 and RFIC 1408. In this exemplary embodiment, a cascade sequence is depicted. Two antenna elements 1406 can be connected to a single RFIC 1408, and then this single RFIC 1408 can be connected to a single RFIC 1408, and the connected RFIC 1408 can be connected to the final RFIC 1408. And then this final RFIC 1408 can be connected to one or more MCs 1410. A planar transmitter 1402 using a cascaded arrangement of RFICs 1408 can provide better control of pocket formation and can enhance the response for targeting the receiver. In addition, higher reliability and accuracy can be achieved due to the multiple redundancy of RFIC 1408. As described in the embodiment of FIG. 11, RFIC 1408 can be coupled to one or more MCs 1410 and microcontroller 1410 can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1402.

3. Multiple Printed Circuit Board Layers FIG. 15A provides better control of pocket formation and may include multiple PCB layers 1204A that may include antenna elements 1506A to enhance response for targeting the receiver. The machine 1502A is depicted. Multiple PCB layers 1504A can increase the range and amount of power that can be transferred by transmitter 1502A. The PCB layer 1504A can be connected to a single MC or a dedicated MC. Similarly, the RFIC can be connected to the antenna element 1506A as depicted in the previous embodiments. The RFIC can be coupled to one or more MCs. Further, the MC can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1502A.

4). Box Transmitter FIG. 15B includes a plurality of PCB layers 1504B inside that may provide antenna elements 1506B to provide better control of pocket formation and enhance response for targeting the receiver. The resulting box transmitter 1502B is depicted. Further, the range of wireless power transmission can be increased by the box transmitter 1502B. Multiple PCB layers 1504B can increase the range and amount of RF power waves that can be wirelessly transferred or broadcast by transmitter 1502B because of the high density of antenna elements 1506B. The PCB layer 1504B can be connected to a single MC or an MC dedicated to each antenna element 1506B. Similarly, the RFIC can control the antenna element 1506B as depicted in the previous embodiments. Further, the box-type transmitter 800 can increase the activity rate of wireless power transfer, so the box-type transmitter 1502B is located on multiple surfaces such as desks, tables, floors and the like. obtain. In addition, the box transmitter 1502B can include several arrays of PCB layers 1504B and can be oriented in the X, Y, and Z axes, or any combination thereof. The RFIC can be coupled to one or more MCs. Further, the MC can be included in an independent base station or transmitter 1502B.

5. Irregular Array for Various Types of Products FIG. 16 depicts a diagram of an architecture 1600 for incorporating a transmitter 1602 into different devices. For example, planar transmitter 1602 can be applied to a frame of television 1646 or across a frame of soundbar 1648. Transmitter 1602 may include a plurality of tiles 1650 having a planar array of antenna elements and RFICs. The RFIC can be embedded directly behind each antenna element, and such integration can reduce losses due to the short distance between components.

  The tile 1650 can be bonded to any surface of any object. Such coupling may be via any method such as tightening, mating, interlocking, gluing, soldering or others. Such a surface may be smooth or rough. Such a surface may be of any shape. Such an object may be a stationary object (such as a part of a building or an appliance) or a movable object (whether self-propelled such as a vehicle or via another object such as a handheld). The tile 1650 can be used in a modular fashion. For example, the tiles 1650 can be arranged to form a 2d or 3d shape, whether open or closed, symmetrical or asymmetric. In some embodiments, the tiles 1650 can be arranged in a figure shape or device / structure shape (such as a tower). The tiles 1650 can be configured to couple together, such as via interlocking, mating, clamping, gluing, soldering, or the like. The tiles 1650 can be configured to operate independently of each other or independently of each other, whether synchronously or asynchronously. The tiles 1650 can be configured to be supplied in series or in parallel, whether individually or as a group. The tile 1650 can be configured to output from at least one surface such as a top surface, a side surface, or a bottom surface. The tile 1650 can be rigid, soft or elastic. In some embodiments, at least one other component can be positioned between at least two tiles 1650, whether digital, analog, mechanical, electrical, or non-electric. In some embodiments, at least one tile 1650 can be executed via a hardware processor coupled to the memory.

  The tile 1650 can be used for heat map techniques, as described herein. For example, the transmitter 1602 may include a plurality of tiles 1650 having a planar array of antenna elements and RFICs, such that when the tile 1650 transmits a BLE identifier for heat map generation, the particular receiver It is possible to facilitate the creation of a heat map for a group of tiles 1650. In some embodiments, a group of tiles 1650 is defined via tiles 1650 located within a specified distance, and some of the tiles 1650 located within a specified distance transmit signals, Scanning the area and receiving receiver input such as location input. It should also be noted that such performance can occur simultaneously under different communication protocols such as BLE® and ZigBee®. In some embodiments, at least two groups of tiles 1650 perform different tasks. In some embodiments, the group of tiles 1650 includes two tiles, such as when each of the two tiles is 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. In some embodiments, the entire array can be extended along the perimeter of the television 1646, where the array is arranged in groups of tiles 1650 or tiles that function as groups of tiles 1650. 1650, because each such group can obtain a different heat map, as described herein, and different heat maps are better for large heat maps. Later you can analyze together to gain an understanding. Accordingly, multiple heat map sets can exist without matching each other, since each of the heat map sets can contain different information. For example, a first heat map can be associated with a first device and a second heat map can be associated with a second device that is different from the first device.

  For example, the television 1646 may have a bezel around the television 1646 that includes a plurality of tiles 1650, each tile being configured with a certain number of antenna elements. For example, if there are 20 tiles 1650 around the bezel of the television 1646, each tile 1650 may have 24 antenna elements and / or any number of antenna elements.

  Note that tile 1650 is arranged or configured to avoid signal interference with television 1646 or wiring coupled to television 1646. Alternatively or additionally, the television 1646 can block such signal interference. Similar configurations can be applied to the soundbar 1648 or any other type of speaker, whether a stand-alone speaker or a component of a larger system. It should be noted, however, that such tiles 1650 can be arranged on any device, whether electronic or non-electronic, whether a stand-alone device or a component of a larger system.

  In tile 1650, the phase and amplitude of each pocket formation at each antenna element can be adjusted by the corresponding RFIC to produce the desired pocket formation and transmission zero region steering. A selected RFIC coupled to each antenna element can reduce processing requirements and increase control of pocket formation, thereby reducing multiple pocket formation and granularity at low load on the microcontroller. Fine pocket formation is possible, thus allowing a higher number of higher reactions of multiple pocket formations. Furthermore, the multiple pocket formation can charge a larger number of receivers and can allow a better trajectory to such receivers.

  The RFIC can be coupled to one or more microcontrollers, which can be included in a tile 1650 of an independent base station or transmitter 1602. The rows or columns of antenna elements can be connected to a single microcontroller. In some implementations, the smaller number of RFICs present in transmitter 1602 may correspond to desired features such as low control multiple pocket formation, low level granularity and low cost embodiments. The RFICs connected to each row or column can allow cost reduction by having fewer components, as fewer RFICs are required for each control of the transmitter 1602. The RFIC can generate a pocket-forming power transmission wave by changing the phase and gain between rows or columns.

  In some implementations, the transmitter 1602 can provide a better control of pocket formation and can include a cascaded array of tiles 1650 that include RFICs that can enhance the response to target the receiver. Can be used. Furthermore, higher reliability and accuracy can be achieved from the multiple redundancy of the RFIC.

  In one embodiment, multiple PCB layers including antenna elements can provide better control of pocket formation and can enhance the response for targeting the receiver. Multiple PCB layers can increase the range and amount of power that can be transferred by the transmitter 1602. The PCB layer can be connected to a single microcontroller or a dedicated microcontroller. Similarly, the RFIC can be connected to an antenna element.

  Box transmitter 1602 may include an antenna element to provide better control of pocket formation and may include multiple PCB layers within it that may enhance the response to target the receiver. Further, the range of wireless power transmission can be increased by the box transmitter 1602. Multiple PCB layers can increase the range and amount of RF power waves that can be transferred or broadcast wirelessly by the transmitter 1602 due to the high density of antenna elements. The PCB layer can be connected to a single microcontroller or a dedicated microcontroller for each antenna element. Similarly, the RFIC can control antenna elements. The box-type transmitter 1602 can increase the activity rate of wireless power transmission. Thus, the box transmitter 1602 may be located on multiple surfaces such as a desk, table, floor, and the like. In addition, the box transmitter can include several arrays of PCB layers and can be oriented in the X, Y, and Z axes or any combination thereof.

  In some embodiments, the sound bar 1648 is elongated, such as by being 4 feet long and 2 inches high. Such a shape is a condition of the tile 1650 along the longitudinal axis of the soundbar 1648 such that at least some of the tiles 1650 can transmit or receive signals, as described herein, in a surrounding manner. I will provide a.

6). Multiple Antenna Elements FIG. 17 is an example of a transmitter configuration 1700 that includes multiple antenna elements 1706. The antenna elements 1706 may form an array by arranging antenna rows 1768 and antenna columns 1770. The transmitter configuration may include at least one RFIC 1708 for controlling characteristics of the antenna element 1706 such as gain and / or phase for pocket formation and managing it by direction, power level and the like. An array of antenna elements 1706 can be connected to MC 1710, which includes the most efficient trajectory for transmitting pocket formation to reduce losses due to obstructions. Can determine the best time and place. Such trajectories may include direct pocket formation, bounce and pocket formation distance identification.

  The transmitter device can utilize the antenna element 1706 to determine the location of the receiver to determine how to adjust the antenna element 1706 to form a pocket of energy at the appropriate location. The receiver can send a train signal to the transmitter to provide information. The continuous signal can be any conventionally known signal that can be detected by the antenna element 1706. The signal transmitted by the receiver may include information such as phase and gain.

III. Receiver-systems and methods for receiving and utilizing wireless power transmission Receiver Device Components Returning to FIG. 11, which shows a diagram of a system 1100 architecture for wirelessly charging client devices, according to an exemplary embodiment, the system 1100 may include a transmitter 1101 and a receiver 1120, each May include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The ASIC of the receiver 1120 may include a printed circuit board 1122, an antenna element 1124, a rectifier 1126, a power converter 1129, a communication component 1130 and / or a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 1132. The receiver 1120 can also include a housing to which all necessary components can be assigned. The various components of the receiver 1120 can include or be made using metamaterials, circuit microprinting, nanomaterials, and the like.

1. Antenna Element Antenna element 1124 may include a suitable antenna type to operate in a frequency band similar to that described for antenna element 1106 of transmitter 1101. The antenna element 1124 may include vertical or horizontal polarization, right or left polarization, elliptical polarization or other suitable polarization, as well as a combination of suitable polarizations. The use of multiple polarizations can be beneficial in devices that do not have a preferred orientation in use or whose orientation can change continuously over time (eg, smartphones or portable gaming systems). In contrast, in the case of a device with a well-defined orientation (eg, a two-hand video game controller), the antenna may have a preferred polarization, so the number of antennas of a given polarization The ratio to can be determined. Suitable antenna types may include patch antennas, which may have a height of about 118 inches to about 6 inches and a width of about 1/8 inch to about 6 inches. Patch antennas may have the advantage that the polarization depends on connectivity (ie, the polarization can change depending on from which direction the patch is supplied). This can further prove advantageous as a receiver, such as receiver 1120, and its antenna polarization can be dynamically changed to optimize wireless power transmission. As described in the embodiments herein, different antennas, rectifiers or power converter arrangements are possible for the receiver.

2. Rectifier The rectifier 1126 can convert an alternating current (AC) that periodically changes direction into a direct current (DC) that does not take a negative value. Due to the AC nature of the input AC sine wave, it produces a DC current consisting of non-negative but non-negative current pulses only by the rectification process. The output of the rectifier can be smoothed by an electronic filter to produce a steady current. The rectifier 1126 may include diodes, resistors, inductors and / or capacitors for rectifying the alternating current (AC) voltage generated by the antenna element 1124 to a direct current (DC) voltage.

  In some implementations, the rectifier 1126 may be a full wave rectifier. A full wave rectifier can convert the entire input waveform to one of a certain polarity (positive or negative) on its output side. Full-wave rectification converts both polarities of the input waveform to pulsating DC (direct current) and can provide a higher average output voltage. For a full wave rectifier, two diodes and a center tap transformer and / or four diodes in a bridge configuration and any AC source (including non-center tap transformers) can be utilized. In the case of single-phase AC, if the transformer is a center tap type, a full-wave rectifier is connected using two diodes in a back-to-back connection (cathode and cathode or anode and anode depending on the required output polarity) Can be formed. To obtain the same output voltage for the bridge rectifier requires twice the number of turns on the secondary side of the transformer, but the power rating remains the same. The rectifier 1126 can be placed as close to the antenna element 1124 as is technically possible to minimize losses. After rectifying the AC voltage, the DC voltage can be adjusted using the power converter 1129.

3. Power Converter The power converter 1129 can be a DC / DC converter that can help in providing a constant voltage output and / or help in raising the voltage to the receiver 1120. In some implementations, the DC / DC converter may be a maximum power point tracker (MPPT). The MPPT is an electronic DC / DC converter that converts a high voltage DC output to a low voltage necessary for charging the battery. A typical voltage output can be from about 5 volts to about 10 volts. In some embodiments, the power converter 1129 may include an electronic switching mode DC / DC converter that can provide high efficiency. In such cases, a capacitor may be included before power converter 1129 to ensure that sufficient current is provided for operation of the switching device. When charging an electronic device (eg, a phone or laptop computer), an initial high current above the minimum voltage level required to activate the operation of the electronic switching mode DC / DC converter may be required. In such cases, a capacitor can be added to the output side of the receiver 1120 to provide the additional energy required. Later, lower power can be provided as needed to provide the appropriate amount of current (e.g., the total initial power used while still storing charge on the phone or laptop). 1/80).

  In one embodiment, multiple rectifiers 1126 can be connected in parallel to one antenna element 1124. For example, four rectifiers 1126 can be connected in parallel to one antenna element 1124. However, some more rectifiers 1126 can be used. This arrangement may be advantageous because each rectifier 1126 requires only a quarter of the total power to be processed. If 1 watt is to be delivered to the electronic device, each rectifier 1126 requires only 1/4 of a watt to process. This arrangement can significantly reduce costs because the use of multiple low power rectifiers 1126 can be less expensive than the use of a single high power rectifier 1126 while processing the same amount of power. In some embodiments, the total power processed by rectifier 1126 can be combined and input to power converter 1129. In other embodiments, there may be one power converter 1129 for each rectifier 1126.

  In other embodiments, multiple antenna elements 1124 can be connected in parallel to a single rectifier 1126, and then the DC voltage can be adjusted through the power converter 1129. In this example, four antenna elements 1124 can be connected in parallel to a single rectifier 1126. This arrangement may be advantageous because each antenna element 1124 requires only a quarter of the total power. In addition, this arrangement can allow the use of differently polarized antenna elements 1124 in a single rectifier 1126 because the signals can not cancel each other. Because of the aforementioned characteristics, this arrangement may be suitable for electronic client devices that are not clearly defined or have other orientations that change over time. Finally, this arrangement may be beneficial when using antenna elements configured for equal polarization and not significantly different phase. However, in some embodiments, there may be one rectifier 1126 per antenna element 1124 and / or multiple rectifiers 1126 per antenna element 1124.

  In an exemplary implementation, an array can be implemented that allows multiple antenna element 1124 outputs to be combined and connected to a parallel rectifier 1126 and the outputs of the parallel rectifier 1126 to be further combined in one power converter 1129. There are 16 antenna elements 1124 whose outputs can be combined in four parallel rectifiers 1126. In other embodiments, the antenna elements 1124 can be subdivided into several (eg, four) groups and connected to independent rectifiers 1126.

  In yet another embodiment, an array can be implemented in which groups of antenna elements 1124 can be connected to different rectifiers 1126 and then different rectifiers 1126 can also be connected to different power converters 1129. In this embodiment, each of four groups of antenna elements 1124 (each including four antenna elements 1124 in parallel) can be independently connected to four rectifiers 1126. In this embodiment, the output of each rectifier 1126 can be directly connected to a power converter 1129 (four total). In other embodiments, all outputs of the four rectifiers 1126 can be combined before each power converter 1129 to process the total power in parallel. In some embodiments, the combined output of each rectifier 1126 can be connected to a single power converter 1129. This arrangement may be beneficial in that it allows excellent proximity between the rectifier 1126 and the antenna element 1124. This property may be desirable because losses can be minimized.

4). Communication Component Communication component 1130 can be included in receiver 1120 to communicate with a transmitter or other electronic device, similar to that of transmitter 1101. In some implementations, the receiver 1120 can communicate with a given transmitter 1120 based on requirements provided by the processor, such as battery level, user-defined charging profiles, or the like (eg, Bluetooth (registered trademark) built-in communication component can be used. The transmitter 1101 includes one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) 1104, one or more antenna elements 1106, one or more radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) 1108, one or more microcontrollers (MC). 1110, communication component 1112 and power source 1114 may be included. The transmitter 1101 can be placed in a housing, which can assign all components necessary for the transmitter 1101. The components of transmitter 1101 can be fabricated using metamaterials, circuit microprinting, nanomaterials, and / or any other material. The type of information conveyed by the communication component between the receiver and transmitter is not limited to these, among other things, the current power level in the battery, the signal strength being received at the receiver And power levels, timing information, phase and gain information, user identification, client device privileges, security-related calls, emergency calls and authentication exchanges.

5. PMIC
A power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 1132 is an integrated circuit and / or system block of system-on-chip devices for managing the power requirements of the host system. PMIC 1132 may include battery management, voltage regulation and charging functions. PMIC 1132 may include a DC / DC converter to allow dynamic voltage scaling. In some implementations, the PMIC 1132 can provide up to 95% power conversion efficiency. In some implementations, the PMIC 1132 can be combined and integrated with dynamic frequency scaling. PMIC 1132 may be implemented in battery powered devices such as mobile phones and / or portable media players. In some implementations, the battery can be replaced with an input capacitor and an output capacitor. The PMIC 1132 can be connected directly to a battery and / or a capacitor. When the battery is directly charged, the capacitor need not be mounted. In some implementations, the PMIC 1132 can be coiled around the battery. The PMIC 1132 may include a power management chip (PMC) that acts as a battery charger and is connected to the battery. The PMIC 1132 may use pulse frequency modulation (PFM) and pulse width modulation (PWM). The PMIC 1132 can use a switching amplifier (class D electronic amplifier). In some implementations, the PMIC 1132 can also include an output converter, rectifier, and / or BLE.

6). Housing The housing can be made from any suitable material that allows signal or wave transmission and / or reception, such as, for example, plastic or hard rubber. The housing may be external hardware that can be added to different electronic devices, for example in the form of a case, or may be embedded in the electronic device.

7). Network Network 1140 may include any common communication architecture that facilitates communication between transmitter 1101 and receiver 1120. One skilled in the art will appreciate that network 1140 may be the Internet, a dedicated intranet, or some hybrid of the two. It should also be apparent to those skilled in the art that network components can be implemented in dedicated processing equipment or alternatively in a cloud processing network.

B. System configuration associated with receiver, receiver component and receiver 1.1 Multiple rectifiers connected in parallel to one antenna element FIG. 18A can connect multiple rectifiers 1826A in parallel to one antenna element 1824A. Sequence 1800A is shown. In this example, four rectifiers 1826A can be connected in parallel to one antenna element 1824A. However, some more rectifiers 1826A can be used. Array 1800A may be advantageous because each rectifier 1826A requires only 1/4 of the total power to be processed. If 1 watt is to be delivered to the electronic device, each rectifier 1826F only requires 1/4 of a watt to process. While processing the same amount of power, the use of multiple low power rectifiers 1826A can be less expensive than the use of one high power rectifier 1826A, so array 1800A can significantly reduce costs. In some embodiments, the total power processed by rectifier 1826A can be combined and input to DC / DC converter 1828A. In other embodiments, there may be one DC / DC converter 1828A for each rectifier 1826A.

2. Multiple antenna elements connected in parallel to one rectifier FIG. 18B allows multiple antenna elements 1824B to be connected in parallel to one rectifier 1826B and then adjusts the DC voltage through a DC / DC converter 1828B. The sequence 1800B is shown. In this example, four antenna elements 1824B can be connected in parallel to a single rectifier 1826B. The array 1800B may be advantageous because each antenna element 1824B requires only ¼ processing of the total power. In addition, the array 1800B can allow the use of differently polarized antenna elements 1824B in a single rectifier 1826B because the signals can not cancel each other. Because of the aforementioned characteristics, the array 1800B may be suitable for electronic devices that are not clearly defined or have other orientations that change over time. Finally, the array 1800B may be beneficial in using antenna elements 1824B configured for equal polarization and not significantly different phase. However, in some embodiments, there may be one rectifier 1826B per antenna element 1824B or multiple rectifiers 1826B per antenna element 1824B (as described in FIG. 18A).

3. Multiple antenna elements connected in parallel to multiple rectifiers FIG. 19A can combine the outputs of multiple antenna elements 1924A and connect to parallel rectifier 1926A, and further combine the outputs of parallel rectifier 1926A in one DC converter 1928A. Array 1900A is shown. Array 1900A, by way of example, shows 16 antenna elements 1924A, whose outputs can be combined in four parallel rectifiers 1926A. In other embodiments, antenna element 1924A can be subdivided into several groups (eg, four groups) and connected to independent rectifiers, as shown in FIG. 19B below.

4). Group Reordering FIG. 19B shows an arrangement 1900B in which a group of antenna elements 1624B can be connected to different rectifiers 1926B, and then different rectifiers 1926B can also be connected to different DC converters 1928B. In array 1900B, each of four groups of antenna elements 1924B (each including four antenna elements 1924B in parallel) can be independently connected to four rectifiers 1926B. In this embodiment, the output of each rectifier 1926B can be directly connected to DC converter 1928B (four total). In other embodiments, all outputs of the four rectifiers 1926B can be combined before each DC converter 1928B to parallelize the total power. In other embodiments, the combined output of each rectifier 1926B can be connected to a single DC converter 1928B. This arrangement 1900B may be beneficial in that it allows for excellent proximity between the rectifier 1926B and the antenna element 1924B. This property may be desirable because loss can be minimized.

  The receiver is on an electronic device or equipment that may rely on power to perform its intended function, such as a telephone, laptop computer, TV remote, children's toy or any other such device Can be implemented, connected to it, or embedded in it. A receiver that utilizes pocket formation can be used to fully charge the battery of the device while it is “on” or “off”, or while it is being used or not being used. In addition, battery life can be greatly enhanced. For example, a device operating at 2 watts using a receiver capable of delivering 1 watt can increase its battery life by up to about 50%. Finally, some devices that are currently battery operated can be fully powered using the receiver, after which the battery may no longer be needed. This last characteristic can be beneficial for devices that are cumbersome or difficult to achieve battery replacement, such as wall clocks. The following embodiments provide some examples of how receiver integration can be performed on an electronic device.

5. Embedded Receiver FIG. 20A shows an implementation scheme in which a device 2000A, which may represent a typical telephone, computer or other electronic device, may include an embedded receiver 2020A. Device 2000A may also include a power source, a communication component 2030A, and a processor. Receiver 2020A may utilize pocket formation to provide power from device 2000A to a power source. In addition, the receiver 2020A can communicate with a given transmitter 2000A (eg, Bluetooth (registered) based on requirements provided by the processor, such as battery level, user-defined charging profiles, or others. Trademark)) built-in communication component 2030A.

6). Battery with Embedded Receiver FIG. 20B shows another implementation scheme in which device 2000B may include a battery with embedded receiver 2020B. The battery can receive power wirelessly through pocket formation and can be charged through its embedded receiver 2020B. The battery can function as a power source for a power source or as a backup power source. This configuration can be advantageous in that it does not require removal of the battery for charging. This can be particularly useful in game controllers or game devices where the battery (usually AA or AAA) needs to be continuously replaced.

7). External Communication Component FIG. 20C shows an alternative implementation scheme 2000C that can include the receiver 2020C and the communication component 2030C on external hardware that can be attached to the device. The hardware can take any suitable form, such as a case that can be placed on a telephone, computer, remote controller and others that can be connected through a suitable interface such as a universal serial bus (USB). In other embodiments, the hardware can be printed on a flexible film and then affixed to the electronic device or otherwise attached. This option can be advantageous because it can be produced at low cost and can be easily incorporated into a variety of devices. As in previous embodiments, the communication component 2030C can generally be included in hardware that can provide communication to a transmitter or electronics.

8). Receiver casing or housing connected to USB FIG. 21A shows hardware in the form of a case that includes a receiver 2102A that can be connected to a smartphone and / or any other electronic device through a flexible cable or USB. In other embodiments, the housing or case may be a computer case, a phone case and / or a camera case, among other such options.

9. PCB on print film
FIG. 21B shows hardware in the form of a printed film or flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that may include multiple print receivers 2102B. The print film can be affixed or otherwise attached to an electronic device and can be connected through a suitable interface such as USB. Print films can be advantageous in that sections can be cut from the print film to meet specific electronic device sizes and / or requirements. The efficiency of wireless power transfer and the amount of power that can be transmitted (using pocket formation) can be a function of the total number of antenna elements used in a given receiver and transmitter system. For example, if transmitting about 1 watt for about 15 feet, the receiver may include about 80 antenna elements while the transmitter may include about 256 antenna elements. Another identical wireless power transfer system (about 1 watt to about 15 feet) may include a receiver having about 40 antenna elements and a transmitter having about 512 antenna elements. To reduce the number of antenna elements in the receiver in half, it may be necessary to double the number of antenna elements in the transmitter. In some cases, having more transmitter antenna elements than receivers can be cost effective. However, as long as the transmitter has at least two antenna elements, the reverse (put more antenna elements at the receiver than at the transmitter) can be achieved.

IV. Antenna hardware and functions Spacing Configuration FIG. 22 shows internal hardware, where the receiver 2220 can be used to receive wireless power transmission at an electronic device 2252 (eg, a smartphone). In some implementations, the electronic device 2252 can include a receiver 2220, which can be embedded around the inner edge of a case 2254 (eg, a smartphone case) of the electronic device 2252. In other embodiments, the receiver 2220 can be mounted to cover the back side of the case 2254. Case 2254 may be one or more of a smartphone cover, laptop cover, camera cover, GPS cover, game controller cover, and / or tablet cover, among other such options. Case 2254 can be made of plastic, rubber and / or any other suitable material.

  Receiver 2220 may include an array of antenna elements 2224 strategically distributed over the grid area shown in FIG. Case 2254 may include an array of antenna elements 2224 located around the edges of case 2254 and / or along the backside for optimal reception. The number, spacing, and type of antenna elements 2224 can be calculated according to the design, size, and / or type of electronic device 2252. In some embodiments, there may be a spacing (eg, 1 mm to 4 mm) and / or metamaterial between the case 2254 including the antenna element 2224 and the electronic device 2252. The spacing and / or metamaterial can provide additional gain for the RF signal. In some implementations, meta-materials can be used in creating a multi-layer PCB for mounting in case 2254.

B. The metamaterial internal hardware may be in the form of a printed film 2256 and / or a flexible PCB such as a plurality of printed antenna elements 2224 (connected to each other in series, parallel or in combination), rectifiers and power converter elements, etc. It can include different components. Print film 2256 can be affixed to or otherwise attached to any suitable electronic device such as electronic device 2252 and / or tablet. Print film 2256 can be connected through any suitable interface, such as flexible cable 2258. Print film 2256 can present several benefits. One of those benefits may be the ability to cut sections from print film to meet specific smart mobile device sizes and / or requirements. According to one embodiment, the spacing between antenna elements 2224 of receiver 2220 can range from about 2 nm to about 12 nm (the most appropriate being about 7 nm).

  In addition, in some implementations, the optimal amount of antenna elements 2224 that can be used in the receiver 2220 of an electronic device 2252 such as a smartphone can range from about 20 to about 30. However, the amount of antenna element 2224 in receiver 2220 may vary depending on electronic device 2252 design and size. The antenna element 2224 can be made from different conductive materials such as copper, gold and silver, among other things. Further, the antenna element 2224 can be printed, etched or laminated, among other things, on any suitable non-conductive flexible substrate such as a flexible PCB. The disclosed configuration and orientation of the antenna element 2224 can exhibit better reception, efficiency and performance of wireless charging.

C. TV system including a wireless power transmitter A TV system having a wireless power transmission function is provided. More specifically, TV systems have become the center of much home entertainment today. Family, friends and the general public gather around the TV system to watch news and TV programs, play games, listen to music, or simply find entertainment. In some cases, the use of other devices such as laptop computers, gaming systems, cell phones or any device that may require a power source may be near the TV system. In some television system situations, the use of power sockets may be limited or impractical, so additional cables are required, which can be cumbersome or cumbersome. Therefore, there is a need for power sources to address these issues near the TV system. Accordingly, a TV system is provided. The TV system transmits wireless power to other devices within range of the TV system. The TV system includes a transmitter component that transmits wireless power through pocket formation as described herein. The transmitter component is incorporated as an individual component in or on the TV system. Alternatively or additionally, the transmitter component is incorporated on an existing component of the TV system. The receiver device can be adapted to any electrical device that may require electrical input as described herein.

  FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a television (TV) system that outputs wireless power. Some elements of this figure have been described above. Accordingly, the same reference characters identify the same and / or similar components described above and their repeated detailed description will be omitted or simplified in the following to avoid complications.

  A wireless power transmission 3000 through pocket formation will be described. Transmission 3000 requires a TV system 3002 that transmits a plurality of controlled wireless power waves 3004 concentrated in a multidimensional space. The TV system 3002 outputs waves 3004 using any of the transmitters described herein, such as the transmitter 1101, such as forward, side, back, up, or down. The transmitter, whether coupled to the TV system 3002, can be powered through the TV system 3002 or another power source (such as a battery). Alternatively or additionally, the transmitter can power the TV system 3002, or the transmitter and TV system 3002 can be powered independently of each other, such as from two different power sources such as a battery and a main power source. The The wave 3004 is controlled through phase and / or relative amplitude adjustment to form constructive and destructive interference patterns such as pocket formation. The energy pocket 3006 is formed with a constructive interference pattern of waves 3004 and has a three-dimensional shape, while a null space is created with a destructive interference pattern of waves 3004. A receiver described herein, such as receiver 1120, utilizes a pocket of energy 3006 generated by pocketing for charging or powering the electronic device, and the electronic device is, for example, approximately in a particular direction. Laptop computer 3008, mobile phone 3010, tablet computer 3012 or any electrical at least within range or defined range from TV system 3002, such as 20 feet, an arc including a peak height distance of about 20 feet, or a radius of 20 feet Thus, wireless power transmission 3000 is effectively provided. In some embodiments, adaptive pocket formation can be used to adjust the power on the electronic device. In some embodiments, TV system 3002 includes a speaker or sound bar, whether described herein or another type. In some embodiments, the TV system 3002 includes a remote control unit, the remote control unit being configured to receive wireless power from the TV system 3002, as described herein. Can be included.

  FIG. 24 shows an exemplary embodiment of the internal structure of the TV system. Some elements of this figure have been described above. Accordingly, the same reference characters identify the same and / or similar components described above, and their repeated detailed description is omitted or simplified in the following to avoid complications.

  Internal structure display 3014 depicts a TV system 3002 with a transmitter, as described herein. The TV system 3002 includes a plurality of components. The TV system 3002 includes a front transparent screen layer 3016, a polarizing film layer 3018, and an LED / LCD backlight layer 3020. In addition, the TV system 3002 includes a transmitter 1101 as described herein. In another embodiment, transmitter 1101 can be incorporated within at least one layer 3016, 3018, 3020 instead of as a separate layer.

  In other embodiments, most of the circuitry of the transmitter 1101 is located inside the TV system 3002 and the antenna elements 1106 are located around the edges of the TV system 3002. In other embodiments, the antenna element 1106 is disposed on the rear outer surface of the TV system 3002. In a further embodiment, the antenna element 1106 can be a printed microantenna that can be embedded on the TV system 3002 display area. Such printed antennas can be generated using photolithography or screen printing techniques well known in the art. Such an antenna can be beneficial because it can be printed on a tin scale that is invisible to the human eye. It should be noted that the TV system can be of any type, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, cathode ray tube or others.

  FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a tile architecture. Some elements of this figure have been described above. Accordingly, the same reference characters identify the same and / or similar components described above and their repeated detailed description will be omitted or simplified in the following to avoid complications.

  Tile 2500 includes antenna 2502 and RFIC 2504 coupled to antenna 2502, as described herein. Tile 2500 may be any structure such as transmitter 302, transmitter 1101, transmitter 402, transmitter configuration 1700, or any other transmitter configuration described herein. The operation of tile 2500 is described herein. Although the tile 2500 has a rectangular shape, in other embodiments, the tile 2500 can be different shapes, whether open or closed. For example, tile 2500 may be a star, triangle, polygon, or other shape.

  The foregoing method descriptions and process flow diagrams are provided merely as illustrative examples and require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the order presented. Not intended. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the steps of the foregoing embodiments can be performed in any order. Terms such as “then”, “next” and the like are not intended to limit the order of the steps. These terms are only used to guide the reader through the description of the method. A process flow diagram may describe the operations as a sequential process, but many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of operations can be reconfigured. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, and the like. If the process represents a function, its termination may correspond to returning to the calling function or the main function.

  Various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the functions described in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should be construed as deviating from the scope of the present invention. is not.

  Embodiments implemented in computer software can be implemented in software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or any combination thereof. A code segment or machine-executable instruction may represent a procedure, function, subprogram, program, routine, subroutine, module, software package, class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A code segment can be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted via any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

  The actual software code or specialized control hardware used to implement these systems and methods is not a limitation of the present invention. Thus, it is understood that the operation and behavior of the system and method can be designed so that the software and control hardware can implement the system and method based on the description herein, regardless of the specific software code. Explained.

  When implemented in software, the functions can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium as one or more instructions or code. The method or algorithm steps disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module that may reside on a computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. Non-transitory computer readable or processor readable media include both computer storage media and tangible storage media that facilitate transfer of a computer program from one place to another. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory processor-readable media may be RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage, or instructions Alternatively, it may include any other tangible storage medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of a data structure and that can be accessed by a computer or processor. Disk and disc as used herein include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disc and Blu-ray disc, and disc ) Normally reproduces data magnetically, and a disc optically reproduces data with a laser. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. In addition, the operation of the method or algorithm may be performed on any non-transitory processor-readable medium and / or computer-readable medium that can be incorporated into a computer program product, any combination or set of code and / or instructions. Can exist as

  The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Can do. Accordingly, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein. I intend to.

  While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed, other aspects and embodiments are also contemplated. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims (20)

An apparatus for transmitting wireless power,
A television system,
A transmitter coupled to the television system;
The transmitter emits a plurality of wireless power waves that define an energy pocket so that a receiver can interface with the energy pocket and charge a device coupled to the receiver. Configured device.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is externally coupled to the television system.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is coupled internally to the television system.   The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the television system includes a backlight and a polarizing layer, the backlight being disposed between the transmitter and the polarizing layer.   The transmitter extends along a first plane, the polarizing layer extends along a second plane, and the first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other. 4. The apparatus according to 4.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the television system includes a display and a bezel extending around the display, the transmitter includes an antenna, and the bezel includes the antenna.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the television system includes a display and a rear portion opposite the display, the transmitter includes an antenna, and the rear includes the antenna.   The transmitter includes a communicator, the communicator is configured to position the receiver and establish a path to the receiver, and the energy pocket is defined based on the path. The apparatus according to 1.   The communicator positions the receiver via a communication protocol including at least one of a Bluetooth® function, a Wi-Fi® function, a ZigBee® function, and a frequency modulation radio function. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is configured.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the television system is configured to power the transmitter.   The transmitter is configured to receive power from a first power source, the television system is configured to receive power from a second power source, and the first power source is the second power source. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is independent of a power source. A method for transmitting wireless power comprising:
A transmitter coupled to a television system emits a plurality of wireless power waves defining the energy pocket so that a receiver can interface with the energy pocket and charge the device. And the device is coupled to the receiver.   The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitter is externally coupled to the television system.   The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitter is coupled internally to the television system.   The method of claim 14, wherein the television system includes a backlight and a polarizing layer, the backlight being disposed between the transmitter and the polarizing layer.   The transmitter extends along a first plane, the polarizing layer extends along a second plane, and the first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other. 15. The method according to 15.   The method of claim 12, wherein the television system includes a display and a bezel extending around the display, the transmitter includes an antenna, and the bezel includes the antenna.   The method of claim 12, wherein the television system includes a display and a rear portion opposite the display, the transmitter includes an antenna, and the rear includes the antenna.   The transmitter includes a communicator, wherein the communicator is configured to position the receiver and establish a path to the receiver, and the energy pocket is defined based on the path. 12. The method according to 12.   The method of claim 12, wherein the television system is configured to power the transmitter.

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