JP6998875B2 - Wireless power charging system and method via multiple receivers - Google Patents

Description

Technical Fields Generally, the present disclosure relates to wireless charging. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a low power short range charging surface.

Background Electronic devices such as laptop computers, smartphones, handheld game consoles, tablets, or others require power to operate. As is generally understood, electronic devices are frequently charged at least once a day, or more than twice a day for frequently used or power-intensive electronic devices. Such work is tedious and can be burdensome for some users. For example, a user may need to carry a charger in case the electronic device runs out of power. In addition, some users have to find an available power source to connect their electronic devices, which can be time consuming. Finally, some users must plug in to a wall or some other power source so that the electronic device can be charged. However, such work may render the electronic device unusable or unportable during charging.

Some conventional solutions include inductive charging pads, which may include magnetic induction coils or resonant coils. As will be understood in the art, such solutions are such that the electronic device is (i) placed in a specific position on an inductive charging pad, and (ii) an electromagnetic field with a specific orientation. Due to this, it still needs to be placed in a particular orientation for power supply. In addition, the inductive charging unit requires a large coil in both devices (ie, the charger, and the device charged by the charger), which is not desirable, for example, because of dimensions and cost. There is. Therefore, if the electronic device is not placed in the correct orientation on the inductive charging pad, it may not be fully charged or may not be charged. Also, if the electronic device is not charged as expected after using the charging mat, the user may be frustrated, which may compromise the reliability of the charging mat.

Therefore, there is a demand for economical applications of charging surfaces that allow low power wireless charging, which does not need to be placed in a particular orientation to provide sufficient charging.

Overview In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method applies an RF signal to a charging surface having a plurality of unit cells from at least one of the unit cells. It involves having RF energy present inside the unit cell on the charging surface to charge the electronic device in response to the placement of the electronic device's antenna within a short range distance. Unit cells can be at least partially periodic structures, and while periodic structures can be locally periodic, they can be adaptive as a function of position within the periodic structure.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, wherein the charging surface device is a circuit configured to generate an RF signal and a plurality of unit cells to receive the RF signal. To have an RF energy signal present to charge the electronic device in response to the placement of the electronic device's antenna within a short-range field distance measured from the surface of at least one of the unit cells. Includes multiple unit cells, and is configured in.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which applies an RF signal to a plurality of unit cells on the charging surface to apply an RF energy signal to the inside of the unit cell on the charging surface. When the antenna of the electronic device is placed within a short-range field distance from at least one of the unit cells, the antenna of the electronic device receives the RF energy signal, and the antenna receives the RF energy signal. Includes charging the battery of the electronic device in response to receiving.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system in which an RF circuit configured to generate an RF signal and a unit cell to receive the RF signal and in the absence of a receiver. Adaptive coupling with multiple unit cells configured to confine / store the RF energy signal inside the system and to leak energy when the receiver is in the near field region of the surface. Including the surface (here, the charging surface). In the receiving circuit of the electronic device to be charged, when the antenna of the electronic device is placed within a short-range field distance from one or more of the unit cells (on the coupling surface), the antenna of the electronic device is RF. It may be configured to charge the electronic device in response to receiving an energy signal.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method is to generate an RF signal and is located inside a patch antenna member (ie, a coupling surface) of the unit cell. The patch antenna member or excitation element may be part of the coupling surface design (eg, one of the unit cells), or the excitation element is an additional element located inside another unit cell. (Maybe), the RF signal is applied by the conductive wire extending through the via, the RF energy signal is generated in the unit cell by the patch antenna, and the antenna of the electronic device is from the unit cell. When placed within a short range field distance, it involves leaking an RF energy signal from the unit cell to the antenna of the electronic device.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, the charging surface device comprising a plurality of unit cells configured to receive one or more RF signals, each unit cell comprising (i). A patch antenna configured to receive one or more of the RF signals and (ii) generate an RF energy signal to charge the electronic device, and an electronic device antenna are the respective unit cells. Includes an opening configured to leak an RF energy signal from the unit cell when placed within a short range distance from.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging a device, which applies an RF signal to a plurality of unit cells on the charging surface to bring an RF energy signal inside the unit cell on the charging surface. In response to being present and the electronic device's antenna being placed within a short-range field distance from at least one of multiple unit cells, an RF energy signal is sent using a harmonic screen filter element. Includes filtering to generate RF energy signals for charging electronic devices.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, the charging surface device being configured to generate an RF signal and one of a unit cell to receive the RF signal. Or even though the antenna of the electronic device is located within a short range distance from a plurality of unit cells configured to have an RF energy signal inside the plurality of units and at least one of the plurality of unit cells. Includes a harmonic screen filter element configured to filter the RF energy signal in response to charge the electronic device.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a charging surface device, which method of coupling a circuit configured to generate an RF signal into a plurality of unit cells and still having the plurality of unit cells. Is configured to receive an RF signal and to have an RF energy signal inside one or more of the unit cells, and at a short distance from at least one of the plurality of unit cells. It involves installing a harmonic screen filter element configured to filter the RF energy signal to charge the electronic device in response to the placement of the electronic device's antenna within the field distance.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method comprises an antenna comprising a bandwidth including a central frequency and used to communicate a radio signal. , Receiving a wireless charging signal operating at its central frequency, and the wireless charging signal is received from a charging surface located within a short-range field distance from the antenna, and the antenna receives power above the threshold level. In response to the determination that it is being received, it includes routing the received wireless charging signal to a rectifier to convert the wireless charging signal into a power signal.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system, the system comprising a receiving circuit configured to determine power from a wireless charging signal received by an antenna used to communicate a wireless signal. The wireless charging signal is received by the antenna from a charging surface arranged within a short-range field distance from the antenna, and the comparison circuit configured to compare the power with the threshold level and the received wireless charging signal are combined. A rectifier circuit configured to rectify and generate a rectified signal, a voltage converter configured to convert the rectified signal to a voltage for charging a rechargeable battery, and a power threshold. Includes a switching circuit configured to route the received radio charge signal to the rectifier if the level is exceeded.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method receives a signal indicating a request for charging the electronic device and responds to receiving this signal. To generate an RF signal, apply the RF signal to multiple unit cells on the charging surface, and make the RF energy signal exist in the unit cell on the charging surface to charge the electronic device. When the antenna is placed within a short-range field distance to at least one of the plurality of unit cells, the RF energy signal is leaked from the plurality of unit cells on the charging surface to the antenna of the electronic device. include.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, the charging surface device comprising a control circuit configured to receive a signal indicating a request to charge the electronic device, each with an RF energy signal. When the plurality of patch antennas configured to generate and the antenna of the electronic device are tuned to the center frequency and placed within a short range distance from at least one of the unit cells, the unit. Includes a plurality of unit cells configured to leak RF energy signals from the cell.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method is to generate a low power RF energy signal in a unit cell on the charging surface and the antenna of the electronic device is from the unit cell. When placed within a short-range field distance, the low-power RF energy signal leaks from the charging surface unit cell to the antenna of the electronic device, and the low-power RF energy signal in the charging surface unit cell is sensed. And comparing the low power RF energy signal in the unit cell on the charging surface with the threshold level, and when the low power RF energy signal is below the threshold level, the next low power RF energy in the unit cell on the charging surface. Includes generating signals.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, which is a feeding element, such as a patch antenna, and a feeding element, in this case a patch antenna, which may be configured to generate a low power RF energy signal. Holds a low power RF energy signal when the unit cell contains, and the antenna of the electronic device is not located within the short range field distance from the unit cell, and the antenna of the electronic device holds the short range field from the unit cell. A unit cell configured to leak a low power RF energy signal when placed within the distance of, and a control circuit that senses the low power RF energy signal in the unit cell and a low power RF energy signal. With a control circuit configured so that the patch antenna produces the next low power RF energy signal stored in the unit cell if the low power RF energy signal is less than the threshold. ,including.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method RF energy from the charging surface in response to the metal structure being placed in close proximity to the surface of the charging surface. The signal is leaked so that the RF energy signal enters the space formed between the surface of the charging surface and the metal structure, so that the antenna of the electronic device receives the leaked RF energy signal. It includes being able to route the received RF energy signal to a rectifier to convert the RF energy signal and charge the rechargeable battery.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for charging an electronic device, which method applies RF signals to a plurality of unit cells on the charging surface to inject RF energy signals into the unit cells on the charging surface. The presence and the metal of the electronic device where the RF energy signal is located within a short range distance from one or more of the unit cells to the surface of the charging surface and one or more of the unit cells. It involves leaking into a gap formed between the portions so that the antenna of the electronic device receives an RF energy signal to charge the electronic device.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a charging surface device, the charging surface device comprising a circuit configured to generate an RF signal and a plurality of unit cells, wherein the plurality of unit cells are RF signals. And leaking RF energy signals from one or more of the unit cells into the cavity / gap formed between the surface of the charging surface and the metal part of the electronic device to receive the electrons. To charge an electronic device located within a short range distance from one or more of the unit cells by allowing the device's antenna to receive an RF energy signal to charge the electronic device. , The RF energy signal is configured to be present in the unit cell.

In one embodiment, the system for wireless power transmission is a first device, a first antenna configured to receive one or more RF signals from the charging surface, and a first device. A first device, including a second antenna configured to transmit and receive one or more RF signals to one or more devices in close proximity to, and a second device. If the first antenna configured to receive one or more RF signals from one device and the second device is in close proximity to the first device, the second device will be the first. A second device, including a battery configured to be charged in response to receiving one or more RF signals from the device.

In one embodiment, the method for radio power transmission comprises transmitting one or more RF signals to a second device close to the first device by means of the antenna of the first device. The device is a first antenna configured to receive one or more RF signals from the first device and a second device when the second device is in close proximity to the first device. The device comprises a battery configured to be charged in response to receiving one or more RF signals from the first device.

In one embodiment, the radio device has a first antenna configured to receive one or more RF signals from the charging surface and one or more radio devices in close proximity to the radio device. Includes a second antenna configured to transmit and receive a plurality of different RF signals. The radio device is configured to convert RF energy into electrical energy to charge the battery.

Brief Description of Drawings An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The attached drawings are schematic and may not be drawn to the correct scale. The drawings represent aspects of the present disclosure unless shown as representing prior art.

An exemplary embodiment of an electronic device disposed on an exemplary charging surface that produces an RF energy signal to charge the electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an exemplary table, including a surface on which an electronic device is located, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a schematic of an exemplary charging surface for generating an RF energy signal to charge an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of the exemplary charge surface by one or more embodiments of this disclosure. It is a flow chart which shows the more detailed operation of the exemplary charge surface by one or more embodiments of this disclosure. It is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device for receiving an RF energy signal generated by a charging surface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of the exemplary electronic apparatus by one or more embodiments of this disclosure. The schematic diagram of the circuit which shows the charge surface when the electronic device is not arranged within the distance of a short-distance field is shown. A schematic diagram of a circuit representing a charging surface when an electronic device is arranged within a short-range field distance is shown. A schematic model of an equivalent circuit is shown with two states of energy flow, one with and without the electronic device placed within the short-range field distance of the charging surface. It is a figure which shows the alternative representation of the schematic model of FIG. 4C. FIG. 6 shows a top view of an exemplary embodiment of an antenna portion of a charging surface comprising two substrate layers according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of a charging surface comprising two substrate layers (ie, a slot made on the ground plane of the surface) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a unit cell used for the antenna portion of the charging surface shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a bird's-eye view of the exemplary embodiment of the unit cell shown in FIG. 5C according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a top view of the exemplary embodiment of the antenna portion of the charging surface formed by using one substrate layer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Shown is a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of an antenna portion of a charging surface formed using one substrate layer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a unit cell comprising a portion of the antenna portion of the charging surface shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A bird's-eye view of an exemplary embodiment of the unit cell shown in FIG. 6C according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary charging surface including a plurality of unit cells. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device disposed within a short distance field distance from the charging surface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. An exemplary electronic schematic of the electronic device of FIG. 7A is shown. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the resonance of an exemplary RF energy signal located between an electronic device having a metal surface and the surface of a charging device is shown. Shown is a more detailed schematic of a charging surface that provides a resonant coupler for charging an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Shown is a more detailed schematic of a charging surface that provides a resonant coupler for charging an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Shown is a more detailed schematic of a charging surface that provides a resonant coupler for charging an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A flow chart of an exemplary method for charging an electronic device using a charging surface according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the electronic device communicates or communicates a signal indicating a request to charge. Otherwise it will be paired with the charging surface. Shown is a flow chart of an exemplary method for charging an electronic device using a charging surface when the electronic device does not communicate a signal indicating a request to charge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a charging surface unit cell having a harmonic screen filter element, the harmonic screen filter element being arranged above or above the top surface of the unit cell. A cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a charging surface unit cell having a harmonic screen filter element is shown (provided that the harmonic filter screen may be made from a periodic unit cell) and a harmonic screen filter. The element is located above or above the top surface of the unit cell. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a unit cell on a charging surface having a harmonic screen filter element, the harmonic screen filter element being arranged inside the substrate layer of the unit cell. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a charging surface unit cell having a harmonic screen filter element, the harmonic screen filter element being arranged inside the substrate layer of the unit cell. It is a schematic diagram which shows the wireless power transmission between a plurality of devices by one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a schematic diagram which shows the wireless power transmission between a plurality of devices by one Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flow chart which shows the operation of the wireless power transmission between a plurality of devices by one Embodiment of this disclosure.

Detailed Description The following detailed description makes reference to the accompanying drawings that form part of this specification. Drawings may not be at the correct scale or ratio, and in drawings similar symbols usually identify similar components, unless the context stipulates otherwise. The detailed description, drawings, and exemplary embodiments described in the claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and / or other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

Wireless Charging and High Impedance Surfaces FIG. 1A shows an embodiment of the present disclosure relating to a charging surface, in which an exemplary electronic device 104 is disposed on an exemplary charging surface 102. An exemplary charging surface 102 produces a radio frequency (RF) energy signal for charging the electronic device 104. Although the charging surface 102 is shown as a pad, the charging surface 102 may have any form, eg, a desktop surface or a portion thereof, a housing of another electronic or non-electronic device, or a book. It should be understood that, as described herein, it may be any other surface that can perform RF charging via a short range RF signal to charge or power the electronic device. The charging surface 102 is an electronic device when the antenna of the electronic device 104, more specifically the electronic device 104, is placed within a short distance field distance (eg, preferably less than about 4 mm) from the charging surface 102. One or more RF energy signals for wireless power transfer received by 104 can be generated. Alternative short-range field distances, both greater than 4 mm and shorter than 4 mm, may be utilized, depending on the application and configuration of the charging surface 102. The received RF energy signal is then converted into a power signal by a power conversion circuit (eg, a rectifier circuit) (not shown) to charge the battery of the electronic device 104. In some embodiments, the total power output by the charging surface 102 is less than 1 watt to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rule 15 (Low Power, Unlicensed Transmitter).

In some embodiments, the electronic device 104 may include any electronic device that includes the RF power conversion components described herein. For example, the electronic device may be any of a variety of portable technologies such as tablets, laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, or wearable devices such as smart watches, fitness devices, headsets, or the principles described herein. Can be of any other portable, mobile, or other electronic device technology that is rechargeable or operable.

In some embodiments, the charging surface 102 may include a housing defined by a plurality of side walls 106, a top surface 108, and a bottom surface (not shown). The top surface 108 extends over the bottom surface. The side wall 106 straddles between the top surface 108 and the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the housing is made of plastic, but alternative or additional may provide other materials such as wood, metal, rubber, glass, or the functionality described herein. It can also be formed from other materials that can be made. As shown in FIG. 1A, the charging surface 102 has a rectangular shape, but other two-dimensional or three-dimensional shapes such as a cube, a sphere, a hemisphere, a dome, a cone, a pyramid, or. Any other polygonal or non-polygonal shape, open or closed, is also possible. In some embodiments, the housing is waterproof or water resistant. The charging surface 102 may be stiff or flexible and may optionally include an anti-slip bottom surface to prevent movement when placed on a desk or table. be. Similarly, the top surface 108 includes an anti-slip area (eg, strip) (not shown) or is totally anti-slip treated to prevent movement between the surface 108 and the electronic device. Sometimes. In addition, a fixture or other guide can be attached to the top surface 108 to help the user position the electronic device. The housing can accommodate various components of the charging surface 102, which are described in more detail herein. The charging surface may be made of a thermally conductive material (for example, aluminum nitride) in order to absorb heat from the receiving device. In addition, the entire bonded surface may be made of a high DK (ie, high dielectric permittivity) plastic / ceramic that may be used to form the unit cell to form the surface.

As described in more detail below, the charging surface 102 may include a plurality of unit cell antennas, at least partially formed from the substrate material. The substrate may be a metamaterial (ie, a patch, dipole, or slot that is smaller than the wavelength of the transmitted signal, such as FR4, Rogers, ceramic, or any other material known in the art. May contain artificial materials) made using the elements of. The unit cell is designed to hold the RF energy signal used to charge the electronic device 104 prior to being placed on the charging surface 102. That is, if there is no antenna for the electronic device 104 that is located within the range of the short range field, or if the antenna for the electronic device 104 is not tuned to receive the RF energy signal, or is configured in another embodiment. If not, the unit cell does not leak the RF energy signal or has minimal leakage. However, the unit cell is otherwise such that the receiving antenna is located within a short field distance from the unit cell and is tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal (or receives the RF energy signal). If configured), it is adaptively configured to allow the RF energy signal to leak from the unit cell to the antenna of the electronic device 104. In the present disclosure, one embodiment of an antenna is considered to be "tuned" to a particular frequency if an RF energy signal leaks from a charging surface 102 having a metamaterial. One or more surfaces of the unit cell can be formed using metamaterials. For example, depending on the design criteria, the ground plane, antenna patch, and / or both can be formed of metamaterial.

In the configuration of the unit cell of the charging surface 102, the unit cell is substantially a frequency signal generated in the substrate of the unit cell and propagated in the substrate prior to the electronic device 104 being placed in the proximity field of the charging surface 102. It may be periodically spaced and made to a predetermined size so that it can be held inside the charging surface 102. That is, when the antenna of the electronic device 104 is arranged in the short-distance field of the charging surface 102, the charging surface is brought in by the electronic device with the electrical characteristics of capacitance and inductance on the surface of the unit cell. Boundary condition changes occur (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

The surface can be designed such that electromagnetic tuning results in allowing leakage at a particular unit cell within a short-range field distance of the antenna of the charging surface 102. When properly "tuned", the RF energy signal is retained within the substrate of the unit cell of the charging surface 102, with no or minimal leakage. If there is no antenna in the near field of the charging surface 102, the RF energy signal is reflected from the surface of the charging surface 102, resulting in no or minimal leakage. Also, when the antenna of the electronic device 104 is in the near field of the charging surface 102, if properly "tuned", the surface characteristics of the charging surface 102 will change and the signal will be united at the position of the antenna of the electronic device 104. A cell slot dipole or other feature can be aligned and a leak can occur at that location. If different frequencies are to be used, the unit cells of the charging surface 102 may be sized to avoid leaks corresponding to these different frequencies. As an example, if higher frequencies are used, it is necessary to include smaller unit cells to provide similar performance.

With respect to FIG. 1B, a diagram of an exemplary table 110 including a surface 112 on which the electronic device 114 is located is shown. The surface 112 may be configured to operate completely or partially as a charging surface utilizing the same or similar principles and configurations as the charging surface 102. For example, by providing furniture that includes a charging surface, the electronic device 114 may be placed on the charging surface 112, which is independent of a separate charging device or external pad as shown in FIG. 1A. And be charged. It should be understood that a wide variety of devices, furniture, and / or structures can be configured to include a charging surface on one or more surface areas of the device, furniture, and / or structure. .. It should be understood that horizontal surfaces are preferred, but alternative angled surfaces can be provided.

As shown, the antenna layer 116 provides the same or similar structure as the charging surface 102 so that the antenna tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal is placed within the short range distance of the charging surface 102. The RF energy signal can be leaked from the charging surface 102 in response to. In one embodiment, the entire charging surface 112 is not configured to operably charge the electronic device, but a portion of the charging surface 112 performs the charging function as described herein. May be configured to.

FIG. 2A shows schematic 200 of various components including one embodiment of the charging surface 102 of FIG. 1A. The charging surface 102 includes a housing 202, which includes an antenna element 204 (denoted as antenna elements 204a-204n), a digital signal processor (DSP) or a microcontroller 208, and an optional communication component 210. Sometimes. The housing 202 may be made of any suitable material that allows transmission and / or reception of signals or waves, such as plastic or hard rubber. Each antenna element 204 is located inside one of the unit cells of the charging surface 102 and may include an antenna type suitable for operating in a frequency band such as 900 MHz, 2.5 GHz, or 5.8 GHz. Because these frequency bands comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Regulations Vol. 18 (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Equipment). Other frequencies and multiple frequencies are possible. Suitable antenna types include, for example, patch antennas from about 1/24 inch (about 0.1 cm) to about 1 inch (2.54 cm) high and about 1/24 inch to about 1 inch wide. May be included. For example, other types of antenna elements 204 can be used, among others, such as metamaterials and dipole antennas.

In one embodiment, the microcontroller 208 may include a circuit for generating and controlling RF transmission using the antenna element 204. These RF signals shall be generated using an RF circuit (not shown) containing a local oscillator chip (not shown) using suitable piezoelectric materials, filters, and other components, as well as an external power supply 212. Can be done. These RF signals are then connected to the antenna 204 to cause the RF energy signal to be present in the unit cell of the charging surface 102. The microcontroller 208 determines the time to generate the RF signal and the information transmitted by the receiver through the antenna element of the receiver itself to ensure that the resulting RF energy signal produces the appropriate power level. Can be processed. In some embodiments, this uses a communication component 210 configured to produce an RF energy signal within a desired frequency range, as described above and as will be understood in the art. And can be achieved. In an alternative configuration, a non-local signal generator (ie, outside the charging surface 102) may be used instead of using a local signal generator.

In some embodiments, a power amplifier (not shown) and a gain control circuit (not shown) may be applied to each antenna 204. However, considering the number of antennas that can be used within the charging surface 102, an RF signal (charging) is used to generate an RF energy signal (a signal applied to the antenna 204) for feeding each of the plurality of antennas 204. The use of one or more power amplifiers to amplify the RF signal fed to the surface 102 or generated inside the charging surface 102) allows for reduced circuit and lower cost. In one particular embodiment, four RF input ports (not shown) may be used to power the antenna 204 on the charging surface 102. In the design of the charging surface 102, a single RF input port or RF generator inside the charging surface 102 can support a particular number or proportion of antennas 204.

In one embodiment, the communication component 210 may include a standard wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth® or ZigBee®. In addition, the communication component 210 can be used to transmit other data, such as identifiers, battery levels, positions, charging data, or other such data for the electronic device 104 or surface 102. Other communication components are also possible, which may include a frequency sensing device, radar, or infrared camera for sonic triangulation to determine the position of the electronic device 104.

In one embodiment, the microcontroller 208 responds to the communication component receiving a radio signal (eg, a Bluetooth® signal) from an electronic device that will be charged by the charging surface 102, the microcontroller 208 is a digital signal. Notified using 214, the responsive communication component 210 can be made to generate an RF energy signal 216 that will be applied to the antenna 204. In an alternative embodiment, the communication component may have its own RF circuit and antenna to receive the radio signal, and the microcontroller applies RF energy for charging to the antenna. In such a configuration, the RF port (see FIGS. 5B and 6B) is conductive so that the RF signal is transmitted to the communication component 210 for processing and for transmission to antenna 204. Can provide a body. In yet another embodiment, a separate device, such as a battery pack, a protective case for a mobile device, or any other device that can be used to charge or power an electronic device, receives a radio signal from the charging surface 102. May include RF circuits and antennas for.

In one embodiment, a separate antenna (not shown) receives the RF signal and transmits the received RF signal to the communication component 210 for processing and / or to route directly to the antenna 204. It may be configured as follows. By using a separate antenna, as described herein, charging remotely from a long-range transmitter that sends an RF charging signal to the charging surface 102 to charge or power the electronic device in a short-range manner. The surface 102 can be made operable.

The power supply 212 may be provided via a connection (eg, USB or micro USB connection) to a laptop, wall charger, internal battery, external battery, or other power source. The power supply 212 may be used to power circuits on or on the charging surface 102.

FIG. 2B is a flow chart 250 showing the general operation of the charging surface 102 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 252, the charging surface 102 generates an RF energy signal within one or more of the unit cells of the charging surface 102. The unit cell is tuned to receive an RF energy signal if there is no antenna for the electronic device 104 located within a short range distance from any of the antennas 204 in the unit cell, or if the antenna for the electronic device 104 receives an RF energy signal. If not or otherwise configured, substantially all of the RF energy signals used to charge the electronic device 104 (eg, -30 dB below the RF energy signal, a particular leak threshold). Less than). In step 254, the unit cell is such that the antenna of the electronic device 104 is (i) located within a short range distance from one of the unit cell antennas 204 and (ii) tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal. If configured (or otherwise configured to receive an RF energy signal), it is adapted to allow the RF energy signal to leak from the unit cell to the antenna of the electronic device 104. This adaptation of the unit cell to allow the RF energy signal to leak is the result of the capacitive inductance element (antenna) being placed in one or more short-range fields of the unit cell. This step continues to charge the electronic device 104.

FIG. 2C is a flow chart illustrating a more detailed step 260 of an exemplary charging surface according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Step 260 can be initiated in step 262, where an RF energy signal may be supplied at the charging surface. This RF energy signal can be an RF energy signal supplied to the charging surface by being contained (confined / stored) inside the substrate of the charging surface or propagated within the substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the RF energy signal is not delivered to the charging surface, but a change in capacitance, inductance, or RF signal is perceived on the charging surface by a passive or active electronic device. May turn off the RF signal used to propagate in the substrate. In some embodiments, the RF energy signal is intermittently turned on until it is determined that the electronic device is located close to the charging surface or is actually in the near field of the charging surface. Or may be turned on at low power levels.

At step 264, the RF antenna of the electronic device may enter the near field on the charging surface. The short-range field is the range in which the charging surface can leak RF energy signals from the surface in response to changes in capacitance and / or inductance near the charging surface, as further described herein. Can be.

At step 266, the RF energy signal can leak from the charging surface in response to the RF antenna entering the near field of the charging surface. As an example, when the amount of RF energy of the RF energy signal distributed and propagated inside the substrate of the charging surface is 5W, the RF energy signal is the position of the antenna of the electronic device in the short range field of the charging surface (eg, 1). It is automatically routed above one or more unit cells), from which it may leak to apply 5W to the antenna entering the short range of the charging surface. As will be appreciated in the art, the amount of charge resulting from being in the short range of the charging surface is based on the amount of coupling between the two antennas. For example, if the binding ratio is 1, a loss of 0 dB will occur. For example, if the binding ratio is 0.5, a loss of 3 dB will occur.

At step 268, the RF antenna exits from the near field on the charging surface, and at step 270, the RF energy signal stops leaking from the charging surface. At that time, the RF energy signal is again confined / stored inside the substrate on the charging surface. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the RF signal applied to the charging surface to generate the RF energy signal is turned off to save power.

FIG. 3A shows schematic 300 of various components including one embodiment of the electronic device 104. The electronic device 104 may include a receiving component 302, one or more antennas 304, a battery 312 to be charged according to the present disclosure, and an optional communication component 310. In some embodiments, the communication component 310 may be included within the receive component 302. In some embodiments, the receiving component 302 comprises a circuit comprising one or more switch elements 305, a rectifier 306, and a power converter 308, the rectifier 306 and the power converter 308 being coupled. .. The receiver 302 is located inside the electronic device 104 and may be connected to the antenna 304 of the electronic device, the battery 312, and the optional communication component 310. In some embodiments, the receiving component 302 may include a housing made of any suitable material that allows transmission and / or reception of signals or waves, such as plastic or hard rubber.

The antenna 304 of the device may include a suitable antenna type for operating in a frequency band similar to the band described above with respect to FIG. 2A. In some embodiments, the device antenna 304 includes an antenna designed for Wi-Fi data communication with the electronic device 104 and an antenna designed for wireless data communication related to the telecommunications of the electronic device 104. Sometimes. The antenna 304 may be conventional and unique to the electronic device 104, such as an antenna readily available and produced for consumer use. In some embodiments, the antenna 304 of the device operating in the frequency band as described above satisfies at least two purposes. One exemplary purpose is to facilitate data communication with the electronic device 104 via a wireless standard such as Bluetooth or WLAN for the communication of user data and for the communication of data related to the wireless charging function. That is. A second object is to receive an RF charging signal from the charging surface and provide this signal to the receiving component 302. In such an embodiment, the device antenna 304 serves two functions and there is no separate dedicated antenna for receiving the wireless charging signal.

However, in other embodiments, the electronic device 104 may include two sets of antennas. The first set of one or more antennas is for facilitating wireless data communication via Bluetooth, WLAN, etc. for communication of user data and data related to wireless charging operation. A second set of one or more antennas is for receiving the RF radio charging signal and supplying this signal to the receiving component 302. In these embodiments, one set of antennas is dedicated to receiving RF charging signals. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the use of separate sets of antennas allows data communication and RF charging to operate at different frequencies, if desired.

The charging surface has a specific operating frequency band. Depending on the operating frequency band of the antenna of the electronic device 104, the antenna of the electronic device 104 should be within the operating frequency band of the charging surface so that power transmission can be performed in a short distance field. As an example, when the RF frequency of the RF energy signal operates within the Wi-Fi frequency band, the antenna for mobile communication does not cause leakage of the RF energy signal due to the fact that it is outside the frequency band of the charging surface. In one embodiment, separate devices such as antennas, power converters, and power packs with batteries are configured to operate at frequencies outside the frequency band of conventional mobile communications (eg, GSM, LTE, etc.). can do. As an example, the charging surface can be configured to operate over an unauthorized frequency band, and the power pack can also be configured to operate over that frequency band, and as a result, by the charging surface. Communication will not be affected when charging.

In some embodiments, the receiving component 302 may incorporate an antenna (not shown) used in place of or in addition to the electronic device antenna 304. In such an embodiment, a suitable antenna type is a patch antenna with a height of about 1/24 inch to about 1 inch and a width of about 1/24 inch to about 1 inch, or an RF energy signal generated by the charging surface 102. May include any other antenna, such as a dipole antenna that can receive. Alternative dimensions may also be used, depending on the frequency transmitted by the antenna. In any case, the antenna is located within a short range distance from the charging surface 102, regardless of whether the original device antenna 304 is used or an additional antenna built into the receiver 302 is used. The RF energy signal generated by the charging surface 102 should then be tuned to receive or otherwise configured to receive. In some embodiments, the receiving component 302 may include a circuit that triggers a warning signal to indicate that an RF energy signal has been received. The warning signal may include, for example, a visual, audio, or physical display. In an alternative embodiment, instead of using the antenna inside the electronic device, a separate "backpack" for the electronic device (eg, a mobile phone), for example, which may act simultaneously as a protective case. Charging devices may include an antenna in addition to a power conversion electronic device that converts an RF energy signal into a DC power signal.

The switch element 305 can detect an RF energy signal received by one or more of the antennas 304, and if the detected signal corresponds to a power level above a threshold, this signal is rectified by the rectifier 306. Can lead to. The switch element can be formed from a diode, transistor, or other electronic device, which other electronic device may be used to determine the absolute or average power level, and this power level. Causes the switch element 305 to route the signal from the receiver to the rectifier 306, thereby performing power conversion. For example, in some embodiments, the switch may direct the received RF energy signal to the rectifier 306 if the RF energy signal received by the antenna 304 exhibits wireless power transfer greater than 10 mW. In another embodiment, the switch may derive the received RF energy signal if the received RF energy signal exhibits radio power transfer greater than 25 mW. This switching acts to prevent damage to the electronic components of the electronic device 104, such as the receiving circuit, by preventing the application of the power surge. If the threshold power is not reached, the electronic device operates in the conventional manner.

The rectifier 306 includes diodes, resistors, inductors, and / or capacitors to rectify the alternating current (AC) voltage generated by the antenna 304 to a direct current (DC) voltage, as will be understood in the art. In some embodiments, the rectifier 306 and the switch 305 may be placed as technically as close as possible to the antenna element 304 in order to minimize losses. After rectifying the AC voltage, the DC voltage may be adjusted and / or adjusted using the power converter 308. The power converter 308 can be an electronic device or, in this embodiment, a DC-DC converter capable of helping to provide a constant voltage output to the battery 312 regardless of the input. A typical voltage output can be from about 0.5 volt to about 10 volt. Other voltage output levels are also available.

An optional communication component 310 similar to that described above with respect to FIG. 2A can be included in the electronic device 104 to communicate with the communication component 210 and other electronic devices. The communication component 310 may be integrated with the receiving component 302 or may be a separate component located within the electronic device 104. In some embodiments, the communication component 310 may be based on a standard wireless communication protocol that may include Bluetooth® or ZigBee®. Further, the communication component 310 may be used to communicate other data such as an identifier for the electronic device 104 or the charging surface 102, battery level, position, power requirements specific to the electronic device 104, or other data. can.

FIG. 3B is a flow chart 350 showing the general operation of the electronic device 104 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. At step 352, the antenna 304 is tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal (or is configured in another manner to receive the RF energy signal) and is one of the antennas 204 in the unit cell or When placed within a range of short range from the plurality, the antenna 304 receives an RF energy signal from one or more of the unit cells of the charging surface 102. At step 354, the receiving component 302 converts the received RF energy signal into a power signal used to charge the device battery 312 at step 356. Alternatively, instead of charging the battery, the power signal may be supplied directly to the circuit of the electronic device, thereby allowing the electronic device to operate independently of the battery.

FIG. 4A shows a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit model 400a showing the electrical state of the charging surface 102 when the electronic device 104 is not located within a short distance field distance from the charging surface 102. The electrical circuit model 400a includes a circuit 402 that represents the electromagnetic operation of the charging surface 102 when the antenna 304 of the electronic device is not located within a short distance field distance from the charging surface 102. The electrical circuit model 400a is due in advance that the charging surface 102 is not tuned as high impedance or does not operate in another manner in the state where the antenna of the electronic device is not located within the short range distance of the charging surface 102. Represents a model of the charging surface 102 configured to prevent the RF signal from leaking or otherwise outputting.

FIG. 4B shows the case where the electronic device 104 is arranged within a short-range field distance from the charging surface 102 and the antenna 304 of the electronic device 104 is tuned to the center frequency of the RF energy signal generated by the charging surface 102. , A schematic diagram of an electrical circuit model 400b representing an electrical connection between the charging surface 102 and the electronic device 104. This electrical circuit model includes a circuit 404, which represents that the electronic device 104 is coupled to the circuit 402 of the charging surface 102 by electromagnetic force to cause a change in the electromagnetic operation of the charging surface 102. The electrical circuit model 400b is understood in the art and, as further described with respect to FIGS. 4C and 4D, the antenna of the electronic device is charged on the charging surface so as to tune the representative electrical circuit model 400b thanks to the coupling effect. Represents a model of a charging surface 102 configured to leak an RF signal when placed within a short range of 102 or to output an RF signal in another manner.

FIG. 4C shows a schematic model of an equivalent circuit with two states of energy flow, one with and without the electronic device placed within the short-range field distance of the charging surface. In the first state, air causes the reflection of energy from the high impedance surface of the charging surface. In the second state, inclusion of the antenna receiver in the short-range field of the surface forms an inductive coupling that allows the flow of energy through the high impedance surface of the charging surface. FIG. 4D is a diagram showing an alternative representation of the schematic model of FIG. 4C. It should be understood that the models of FIGS. 4C and 4D are simplified and more complex models can be utilized to represent adaptive high impedance surfaces.

Referring here to FIGS. 5A-5D, exemplary embodiments of the antenna portion 500 of the charging surface are provided, in which embodiment the antenna portion 500 comprises a plurality of unit cells 502 arranged in a matrix structure. .. In some embodiments, each of the unit cells 502 comprises two substrate layers 515a and 515b. In some embodiments, each upper substrate layer 515a of the unit cell 502 includes a metal portion 504 (eg, copper) defining an opening 506 located at the top of the unit cell 502. In some embodiments, the bottom substrate layer 515b of each unit cell 502 includes a patch antenna 510 comprising a metal patch 512 having an electrical connection through the via 508 to the ground plane 514. In some embodiments, the tread 514 may be a metamaterial. In some embodiments, the ground plane 514 is connected to the RF port 505 as shown in FIG. 5B to conduct the RF signal to the unit cell 502.

In some embodiments, the patch antenna 510 is configured to generate an RF energy signal radiated inside the top substrate layer 515a. According to the present disclosure, the RF energy signal remains within the top substrate layer 515a until it is attenuated or leaked to the antenna 304 (FIG. 3) of the electronic device located on the charging surface.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the opening 506 are determined according to the periodic frequency of the RF energy signal so that the antenna tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal is close to at least one of the unit cells 502. The RF energy signal does not leak from the opening 506 of each unit cell 502 unless placed within a field distance (eg, less than about 4 mm).

Here, with reference to FIGS. 6A-6D, an exemplary embodiment of the antenna portion 600 of the charging surface is provided, in which embodiment the antenna portion 600 comprises a plurality of unit cells 602 arranged in a matrix structure. Will be done. In some embodiments, each of the unit cells 602 includes one substrate layer 615 having a metal portion 604 (eg, copper) defining an opening 606 located at the top of the unit cell 602. In some embodiments, the unit cell 602 also includes a patch antenna 610 formed by a metal patch 612 having an electrical connection through the via 608 to the ground plane 614. In some embodiments, the tread 614 may be physically and electrically connected to the RF port 605, as shown in FIG. 6B. In some embodiments, the RF port 605 may be used to provide an RF energy signal from an RF energy signal generator to be applied to each of the unit cells 602, with the ground plane 614 grounding the RF port 605. May be electrically connected to the part.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6A-6D, the patch antenna 610 is arranged inside the unit cell 602 such that the opening 606 is formed around the metal patch 612. In some embodiments, the patch antenna 610 is configured to propagate an RF energy signal from the top surface of the substrate layer 615. According to the present disclosure, the RF energy signal remains on or near the top surface of the substrate layer 615 until the RF energy signal is attenuated or received by the antenna 304 of the electronic device.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the opening 606 are determined according to the periodic frequency of the RF energy signal generated by the patch antenna 610 so that the antenna tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal is in the unit cell 602. The RF energy signal does not leak or leaks from the opening 606 of the unit cell 602 unless it is located within a short range distance from at least one of the. The opening 606 is sized according to the frequency of the RF energy signal so that it is properly tuned to prevent leakage of the RF energy signal when the electronic device is not located in the near field. There is. It should be noted that the number of layers in the unit cell may vary depending on the application, and if the number of layers is different, the unit cell will provide different responses and different harmonic responses (eg, for different radio feeding applications). , Higher or shifted harmonic frequencies) may be provided.

FIG. 6E shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary charging surface 620 including a plurality of unit cells 622a-622n (collectively 622). In some embodiments, the unit cell 622 includes a via 624, a patch or slot 626, a substrate 628, and a surface element 630. In some embodiments, the surface element 630 comprises a plurality of holes or patches 632a-632n (collectively 632). In some embodiments, the length and width of the unit cell 622 is between about 5 mm and about 10 mm. It should be noted that alternative dimensions can be utilized as a function of the frequencies propagated or confined / conserved by the unit cells and / or the materials used to form the substrate 622. In some embodiments, the substrate 628 may be made of Rogers FR-4, ceramic, or other material. In some embodiments, the use of a substrate 628, such as ceramic, allows the dimensions of the unit cell to be smaller than possible without the substrate 628.

Resonance Resonant couplers may be formed when the device to be charged enables the transmission of power and operates as part of the charging system. For example, as further described in FIGS. 7A and 8A-8C, a mobile phone with a metal case may be used to complete the charging device. In some embodiments, the charging system may operate in two different stages. The first step allows the field to be supplied to the first cavity through a feeding point (eg, a slot on the ground plane) and confined within the structure of the first cavity. The first cavity may contain several contact / leakage points that are activated when contacted by an electronic device with a metal case or when approached near an electronic device with a metal case. The second stage may operate when the electronic device is placed on the surface at the contact point, resulting in energy coming from the second cavity partially formed by the electronic device on top of the charging surface. Leak.

7A and 8A-8C show cross-sectional views of an electronic device 104 arranged at a distance D within a short-range field distance _DNF from the charging surface 700 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the antenna 304 of the electronic device 104 is arranged at the distance D, and the distance D is within the distance _DNF of the short-distance field. The RF energy signal generated by the charging surface 700 in the near field does not achieve a particular polarity before being received by the antenna 304 of the electronic device 104. In some embodiments, the short-range field distance _DNF is less than about 4 mm.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 8A-8C, the electronic device 104 comprises a back surface 701 generally formed from metal surfaces 702a, 702b, and 702c and comprising demarcation gaps 704a and 704b, the demarcation gap 704a. And 704b are non-metals and may be made of plastic, glass, or any other material suitable for enabling transmission and / or reception of signals or waves. The gaps 704a and 704b are arranged in the vicinity of the antenna 304 so that the antenna 304 can receive incoming signals through the gaps 704a and 704b. The metal surfaces 702a, 702b, and 702c reflect the RF energy signal 802 as shown in FIG. 8A, so that the RF energy signal 802 generated by the charging surface 700 is in at least one of the gaps 704a and 704b. Until it reaches, it moves or resonates in a zigzag manner within the cavity 706 formed between the top surface 708 of the charging surface 700 and one or more of the metal surfaces 702a, 702b, and 702c. The RF energy signal 802 zigzags or resonates, for example, between the metal surface 702b and the top surface of the charging surface 700 as a wave confined in the cavity 706 (see FIG. 8A; RF between the two surfaces). The energy signal 802 is reflected). The gaps 704a and 704b are located above the charging surface 700, more specifically above one or more unit cells of the charging surface 700, so that the RF energy signal 802 moves the cavity 706 in a zigzag manner. One of the gaps 704a and 704b can be reached. When the RF energy signal 802 reaches the gap 704a, the RF energy signal 802 enters through the gap 704a and is received by the antenna 304 of the device.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the charging surface 700 is shown to include a cover 802, and inside the cover 802, a first cavity 804a and a second cavity 804b (aggregate). 804) is formed by a ground plane 806 that separates the two cavities 804. The ground plane may be formed from metamaterials, as described herein. The charging surface 700 may also include one or more contact points 810 that radiate RF energy signals. During operation, the first step is that the RF energy signal is supplied to the first cavity 804a through a feeding point (eg, a slot on the ground plane) and is confined within the structure of the first cavity 804a. enable. The first cavity 804a may include several contact / leakage points 810 that are activated when contacted by an electronic device with a metal case or when approaching an electronic device with a metal case. .. The second step may operate when the electronic device is placed on the cover 802 at at least one of the contact points 810, so that the electronic device is located on top of the cover 802 of the charging surface 700. Energy leaks from the second cavity 804b formed on the surface. Since this charging surface 700 utilizes only a few contact points 810, it requires fewer power amplifiers to supply the RF energy signal, which is less costly than having more contact points. .. In one embodiment, four contact points 810 can be utilized. However, it should be understood that the number of contact points may vary depending on the size of the area provided by the charging surface 700. If a large area (eg, a desk) is provided, more contact points 810 are provided. If a small area (eg, a pad) is provided, fewer contact points 810 are provided.

In some embodiments as shown in FIGS. 7A and 8A, the metal surfaces 702a, 702b, and 702c are arranged substantially parallel to the top surface 708 of the charging surface 700. The RF energy signal 802 is represented in FIG. 8A as having a triangular wave reflection, but the RF energy signal 802 may be reflected in other patterns, as will be understood in the art. Please understand. As used herein, "moving in a zigzag" means that an RF energy signal travels along or through a space or cavity by being reflected from a surface.

FIG. 8D shows that the electronic device 104 is located on the charging surface 700. Since the electronic device is located on the charging surface 700, an energy flow 812 from the RF energy signal is generated in the cavity formed by the electronic device 104 and the charging surface.

FIG. 7B shows an exemplary electronic schematic of the electronic device 104 of FIG. 7A. The electronic device 104 is shown to include two gaps 704 arranged therein so that the antenna 304 receives the RF signal 706. The antenna 304 electrically communicates with the RF integrated circuit (RF-IC) 708 via the conductor 710. The RF-IC708 is shown to include a switch 712 and a rectifier 714. The switch 712 may be configured such that the RF signal 706 is routed to the transceiver (XCVR) 716 when transmitting the signal. The transceiver 716 is a conventional transceiver used for user communication, as will be understood in the art. However, in response to the RF signal 706 crossing a certain threshold level, such as 0.1 W or 0.25 W, the switch 712 is activated and the RF signal 706 has one or more rectifiers 718 inside. May be routed to the including rectifier 714. The switch 712 can be a solid state switch, as will be understood in the art. The output from the rectifier 714 may be routed to the battery 720 used to power the electronic device 104.

Here, with reference to FIG. 9, an exemplary method for charging the electronic device 104 using the charging surface 700 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in Flow Chart 900. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the charging surface 102 communicates with the electronic device 104 via the respective communication components 210 and 310, respectively. In step 902, the communication component 210 on the charging surface receives a signal from the communication component 310 of the electronic device indicating a request to charge the electronic device 104. In some embodiments, this signal may include, for example, identification of the electronic device 104, battery level, power requirements of the electronic device 104, or other information. For example, in some cases, the electronic device 104 may be a device with lower power requirements, such as, for example, a smartwatch or other wearable technology. Charging requests can include extreme power, such as 0.5W, to avoid large power surges that damage the smartwatch. Alternative power levels are also available. Similarly, the electronic device 104 may have greater power requirements. In such cases, the charging request may include a larger power requirement, such as 5W, for charging the electronic device 104.

Rather than receiving an active charging request, the charging surface is charged by the electronic device, including, but not limited to, the presence or absence of reflections of the RF energy signal transmitted by the charging surface. It may receive or sense any radio or radiation signal from an electronic device that indicates it is near a surface. Any receiver or sensor may be utilized to sense such signals from electronic devices. In an alternative embodiment, a proximity switch or pressure switch may be utilized to detect whether the electronic device is in close proximity to or located on the charging surface. Further, a magnetic switch or an optical switch may be used.

At step 904, the microcontroller 208 initiates the generation of an RF energy signal according to the data provided in the charging request. For example, if the charging request indicates the power requirement of the electronic device 104, the microcontroller 208 causes the power transmitted to the electronic device 104 to generate an RF energy signal to match the power requirement transmitted in the charging request. .. According to the smartwatch example described above, the microcontroller 208 can generate an RF energy signal on the charging surface 700 capable of supplying the smartwatch with 0.5 W wireless power transfer. In one embodiment, when an electronic device is sensed, an RF energy signal may be generated.

As discussed herein, the RF energy signal is generated within the unit cell of the charging surface 700 and remains substantially within the unit cell until the RF energy signal is attenuated or leaks. When antennas 304 tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal are placed within a short-range field distance from one or more of the unit cells, in step 906 those unit cells have the RF energy signal antenna 304. Allows to be leaked to.

In step 908, the leaked RF energy signal is received by an antenna 304 that is tuned to the frequency of the RF energy signal and is located within a short range field distance from the unit cell.

In step 910, the received RF energy signal is converted into a power signal to charge the battery 312 of the electronic device 104. This step involves detecting the RF energy signal received by the antenna 304, activating the switch mechanism 305 when the RF energy signal exhibits a power signal greater than a threshold (eg, 10 mW), and rectifying the rectifier 306. It may include rectifying the signal via the converter 308 and converting the rectified signal into a DC power signal via the converter 308. Then, in step 912, the power signal is used to charge or operate the battery 312 of the electronic device.

Although not shown in the flow chart 900, in some embodiments, the communication component 310 may send a signal to the charging surface 700 to request that charging be interrupted or stopped. This is, for example, if the battery 312 of the electronic device 104 is fully charged or reaches a desired charge level, if the electronic device 104 is turned off, the communication component 310 is turned off or the communication component 210. It may occur if you move out of the communication range with or for some other reason. In another embodiment, the communication component 210 may be turned off if the electronic device is no longer sensed electrically, physically, or otherwise, depending on the sensor utilized.

Here, with reference to FIG. 10, an exemplary method for sensing and charging the presence of the electronic device 104 using the charging surface 700 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in Flow Chart 1000. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the electronic device 104 does not communicate with the charging surface 102 via the communication components 210 and 310, respectively. This embodiment represents the case where the electronic device 104 is turned off, has an empty battery, or cannot communicate with the charging surface 700 for another reason. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the charging surface 700 operates in such a manner that the undetected electronic device 104 does not overflow with excessive power. This is an embodiment in which a receiver having a dead battery and thus unable to communicate with the transmitter can be charged.

In step 1002, the charging surface 700 produces a low power RF energy signal, which is an RF energy signal capable of providing wireless low power transmission to the electronic device 104. Specifically, the microcontroller 208 initiates the generation of a low power RF energy signal such that the power that can be transmitted via the low power RF energy signal is "low power". For example, in some embodiments, the low power is 1 W. Alternative power levels are also available. In some embodiments, detecting that the electronic device is located within a short-range field distance of the charging surface is accomplished by operating the unit cell patch antenna 204 with a duty cycle of 1%. Can be done.

According to the present disclosure, the low power RF energy signal is generated in the unit cell of the charging surface 700 and remains in the unit cell until the low power RF energy signal is attenuated or leaks. When the antenna 304 (of the receiver) tuned to the frequency of the low power RF energy signal is placed within a short range distance from one or more of the unit cells, in step 1004 those unit cells , Allows the RF energy signal to leak to the antenna 304.

At step 1006, the microcontroller 208 can sense the low power RF energy signal present in the unit cell. For example, in some embodiments, the microcontroller 208 may include a sensing circuit, such as an RF coupler, capable of detecting the "reflection" of a low power RF energy signal, which reflection is, for example, in the unit cell. Represents about 10% of the existing low power RF energy signal. Therefore, the microcontroller 208 can calculate the low power RF energy signal present in the unit cell based on the reflection value sensed by the microcontroller 208. The sensing performed in step 1006 is shown in sequence in FIG. 10, but this step may be performed in any order or is continuously repeated in parallel with the processing performed in flow chart 1000. Please understand that it is okay. The low power RF energy signal, as shown in FIG. 1000, may be generated periodically or aperiodically, pulsed or in other embodiments to determine if an electronic device is present. be.

Once the microcontroller 208 senses the low power RF energy signal present in the unit cell, the sensed low power RF energy is compared to the threshold in step 1008 to follow the low power RF energy signal in the unit cell. It is determined whether to generate it. When the sensed low power RF energy signal is below the threshold, the low power RF energy signal is attenuated or tuned to the frequency of the low power RF energy signal and is one of the unit cells or It indicates a situation in which either multiple leaks to antennas located within a short range of field distances. Therefore, if the sensed low power RF energy signal is below the threshold, it is presumed that the low power RF energy signal has either leaked or attenuated, so this step returns to step 1002 and the micro The controller 208 activates the antenna 204 to generate a subsequent low power RF energy signal. Otherwise, if the reflection exceeds the threshold, the low power RF energy signal stays in the substrate and no subsequent RF signal is generated, so that the unit cell of the charging surface 700 does not continue to increase the energy. Therefore, the process returns to step 1006 and the microcontroller 208 continues to sense the low power RF energy signal present in the unit cell.

The method shown in FIG. 10 shows a situation in which the communication component 310 is not communicating with the charging surface 700. For example, the battery 312 of the electronic device 104 may be too depleted to operate the communication component 310. However, once the battery 312 is fully charged, the electronic device 104 may activate the communication component 310, depending on the embodiment. At that time, the communication component 310 may start communication with the communication component 210 of the charging surface 700, and the charging surface 700 may switch to the charging method shown in FIG. 9 and described above.

Harmonic Filters In traditional power transmission systems, the various electronic elements that make up the system are often grouped together, and the losses suffered by each grouped element are combined, resulting in the system as a whole being an individual element. Incurs a greater loss than the individual loss of. For example, if the system has a 90% efficiency amplifier and a combined 90% efficiency antenna, the total efficiency of the system including these two elements is about 81%. As more elements are added, the overall efficiency of the system is further reduced. Therefore, in order to increase the efficiency of the disclosed charging surface, some embodiments of the charging surface include a filter element such as a harmonic filter to reduce radiant energy at frequencies other than the intended wireless charging signal. In particular, the energy of the harmonics of the intended wireless charging signal can be reduced. The harmonic filter can attenuate these frequency components by 40 dB to 70 dB, for example.

11A and 11B each show a perspective view and a sectional view of a representative unit cell 1102 including one embodiment of the charging surface 102, and each unit cell 1102 is arranged on the upper surface of the unit cell 1102. It has a harmonic filter element 1104. The unit cells 1102 shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B are similar to those described above and shown in FIGS. 6A-6D, but the harmonic filter element 1104 is described above and in FIGS. 5A-5D. It may be located on the top surface of a unit cell of a different embodiment, such as the embodiment shown.

The harmonic filter element 1104 included in each unit cell 1102 may be a discontinuous filter element, or may be a larger single unit straddling the upper surface of a plurality of unit cells 1102 forming the charging surface 102. It may be part of a harmonic filter element. Thus, in such an embodiment, the charging surface 102 comprises a harmonic filter element 1104 disposed on the unit cell 1102, so that the charging surface 102 is a matrix of transmitting antennas (eg, patch antenna 610) (eg, patch antenna 610). Or it will include a harmonic filter placed on top of the array).

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, each of the unit cells 1102 comprises a single substrate layer 615, and the harmonic filter elements 1104 present in each of the unit cells 1102 are the top surface regions of those unit cells 1102. Includes a single harmonic filter element that spans the entire. However, in other embodiments, the harmonic filter element 1104 may include a plurality of harmonic filter elements, one of the plurality of harmonic filter elements being one of the elements forming the unit cell 1102. Placed on the top surface. It should be noted that the unit cell having the harmonic blocking filter can be formed by a more complicated unit cell, for example, a unit cell containing more layers and features inside the unit cell. For example, in this latter embodiment, the harmonic filter element 1104 arranged on the upper surface region of the patch antenna 610, the harmonic filter element 1104 arranged on the upper surface region of the metal portion 604, and the harmonic covering the opening 606 are covered. It can be represented by the absence of a wave filter element.

In some embodiments, the harmonic filter element 1104 is formed from two or more screen layers, each layer comprising a screen that removes a particular harmonic of the intended radio charging signal. The harmonic filter 1104 acts to filter the RF energy signal generated by the patch antenna 610 so that the RF energy signal operates at a particular frequency (also referred to herein as the center frequency). As a result of the harmonic filter element 1104 being a passive mechanical device, the loss of signal power is reduced compared to an electronic filter.

12A and 12B each show a perspective view and a sectional view of a representative unit cell 1202 including one embodiment of the charging surface 102, and each unit cell 1202 is inside the upper substrate layer 515a of the unit cell 1202 ( Alternatively, it has a harmonic filter element 1204 disposed (between the upper substrate layer 515a and the bottom substrate layer 515b). The harmonic filter element 1204 included in each unit cell 1202 may be a discontinuous filter element, or is larger than the upper substrate layer 515a of the plurality of unit cells 1202 forming the charging surface 102. It may be part of a single harmonic filter element. Thus, in such an embodiment, the charging surface 102 includes a harmonic filter element 1204 disposed inside the upper substrate layer 515a of the unit cell 1202, so that the charging surface 102 is a transmitting antenna (eg, a patch antenna). It will include harmonic filters placed on the matrix (or array) of 510).

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the unit cell 1202 includes an upper substrate layer 515a and a bottom substrate layer 515b, the harmonic filter elements 1204 present in each upper substrate layer 515a of the unit cell 1202. Includes a single harmonic filter element that spans the entire region of the upper substrate layer 515a of unit cell 1202. However, in other embodiments, the harmonic filter element 1204 may cover only a portion of the top substrate layer 515a, so that the harmonic filter element 1204 is a patch antenna 510 disposed within the bottom substrate layer 515b. It is placed only above.

In some embodiments, the harmonic filter element 1204 is formed from two or more screen layers, each layer comprising a screen that removes a particular harmonic of the intended radio charging signal. The harmonic filter 1204 acts to filter the RF energy signal generated by the patch antenna 510 so that the RF energy signal operates at a particular frequency (also referred to herein as the center frequency). As a result of the harmonic filter element 1204 being a passive mechanical device, the loss of signal power is reduced compared to an electronic filter.

Stacking Receivers FIGS. 13A and 13B show components of a wireless charging system 1300 between a plurality of electronic devices 1302 and 1304, according to an exemplary embodiment. For ease of explanation, FIGS. 13A and 13B show wireless power transfer between two devices 1302, 1304. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the wireless power transfer described herein can occur between two or more electronic devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the first electronic device 1302 can receive power from the charging surface 1306 through short-range charging technology and then can supply power to the second electronic device 1304. In an alternative embodiment, the first electronic device 1302 may receive power using other techniques such as long-range field RF power transfer.

As shown in FIG. 13A, in some embodiments, the electronic devices 1302, 1304 are stacked or otherwise placed in contact with each other from the charging surface 1306 to the first device 1302, and then the first. Transmission of power from device 1302 to second device 1304 may be realized. As shown in FIG. 13B, the first device 1302 may receive power from the charging surface 1306 using short-range field power transmission technology, and then the first device 1302 uses long-range field power transmission technology. Then, power may be transmitted to the second device 1304.

Short-range RF power transmission technology may include a transmit-side charging surface 1306, which is composed of several physical layers, such as a cavity or substrate for confining RF energy, and an electronic device 1302, Includes a top surface for placing 1304 on it. The short-field charging surface may be configured to bring RF energy into the substrate or cavity layer until some physical state is brought into the RF energy by the receiver-side antenna or electronics 1302, 1304. Stay trapped. In some embodiments, the RF energy is on the charging surface 1306 only if the electronic devices 1302, 1304 with properly tuned receiving antennas are placed in sufficient proximity to the top surface to release the RF energy. Leaks through the surface. In some embodiments, RF energy remains "confined" within the substrate or cavity layer until the metal portion of the electronics 1302, 1304 comes into contact with the surface layer. Other possible techniques can be used, but short-range techniques are those in which RF energy is stored in the charging surface 1306 until any physical condition is satisfied by the receiving electronic device 1302, 1304 or the receiving antenna. It may generally refer to a system and method that remains confined to. In many cases, it may have a working distance in the range of about 10 millimeters from direct contact. For example, if the working distance is 1 millimeter, the first electronic device 1302 needs to be within 1 millimeter before RF energy leaks from the substrate or cavity layer of the charging surface 1306.

Long-range RF power transmission technology is an RF power wave over a range of distances where the transmitting device can range from less than 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) to over 50 feet (15.24 meters). May include situations involving an array of one or more antennas (not shown) configured to transmit. In close-range and long-range power transfer, the transmitting device may be configured to transmit power waves within a limited distance, such as less than 12 inches (30.48 centimeters). This may, for example, require the receiving device to enter a threshold of proximity from the transmitting device before the transmitting device transmits the power wave, or limit the effective range in which the power wave delivers power. It can be restricted in any number of ways, such as doing. In some embodiments, a transmitting device acting as a proximity transmitter may transmit power waves to focus at or near a particular location, resulting in the power waves producing intensifying interference patterns. The receiving device may include an antenna and a circuit that can receive the energy resulting from the intensifying interference pattern, and then the energy is coupled to the receiving device or contains an electronic device containing the receiving device. May be converted to available alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power for use.

Electronic devices 1302, 1304 can be any electronic device, including short-range and / or long-range antennas capable of performing the various processes and tasks described herein. For example, first device 1302 and second device 1304 may include antennas and circuits configured to generate, transmit, and / or receive RF energy using RF signals. In FIGS. 13A and 13B, the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 are shown as mobile phones. However, this should not be considered limiting the possible electronic devices 1302, 1304. Non-limiting examples of possible electronic devices 1302, 1304 are tablets, laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, smart watches, fitness devices, headsets, or recharges or using the principles described herein. Any other device that can operate, such as.

The charging surface 1306 can generate one or more RF energy signals for wireless power transfer that are confined within a substrate or cavity beneath the top surface of the charging surface 1306. When a properly tuned antenna of the first device 1302 is placed within a short field distance (eg, less than about 10 mm) from the charging surface 1306, the confined RF energy is leaked through the top surface and the first It can be received by device 1302. Thus, in a properly tuned antenna of the first device 1302, the RF signal confined within the charging surface 1306 is leaked or radiated through the charging surface 1306 to the antenna of the first device 1302. Can be done. The received RF energy signal is then converted into a power signal by a power conversion circuit (eg, a rectifier circuit) to power or charge the battery of the first device 1302. In the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the charging surface 1306 is shown as a box-shaped device, but the charging surface 1306 can have any Scherrer, morphology, and / or shape. Please understand. In some embodiments, the total power output by the charging surface 1306 is less than 1 watt to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rule 15 (Low Power, Unlicensed Transmitter).

The first electronic device 1302 similarly functions as a transmitting device with respect to the second electronic device 1304, in the same manner that the charging surface 1306 may function as a transmitting device with respect to the first electronic device 1302. It may be configured as follows.

As shown in FIG. 13A, in some embodiments, the first device 1302 is a first device until the properly tuned antenna of the second device 1304 leaks RF energy to the antenna of the second device 1304. It may include a component for a short range RF charging surface similar to the charging surface 1306 that allows the RF energy signal to be confined beneath the surface layer of device 1302.

Additionally or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 13B, in some embodiments, the first device 1302 is configured to transmit one or more power waves to the antenna of the second electronic device 1304. It may be configured to function as a long-range near-field transmitter containing an array of one or more antennas.

In some embodiments, the first device 1302 may include a communication component (not shown) for achieving wireless and / or wired communication with other devices such as the second device 1304. In some cases, the communication component may be an embedded component of the first device 1302. In some cases, the communication component may be attached to the first device 1302 via any wired or wireless communication medium. The communication component is an electromechanical component (eg, processor, antenna) that allows the communication component to communicate with other devices, such as the second device 1304, a communication signal containing various types of data and messages. May include. These communication signals can represent a separate channel for hosting the communication, on which data can be communicated using any number of wired or wireless protocols and related hardware and software technologies. Communication components may operate based on any number of communication protocols such as Bluetooth®, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, and others. However, the communication component is not limited to radio frequency based technology and may include sound devices, radar devices, and near infrared devices for sonic triangulation of other devices such as second device 1304. Please understand.

During operation, the communication component of the first device 1302 may receive a communication signal from the second portable device 1304, which is data including a request to receive power from the first device 1302. Includes. Additionally or additionally, the first electronic device 1302 may receive one or more radio broadcast messages from the second device 1304, whereby the first electronic device 1302 is second. It is possible to detect the presence of the electronic device 1304 and start sending power to the second electronic device 1304, or to start flooding the substrate or cavity layer with RF energy. Such request messages may also include data related to the device's battery details, such as device type, battery type and current battery charge, as well as device current location. In some embodiments, the first electronic device 1302 uses the data contained within the message to transmit various operational parameters for transmitting or otherwise transferring RF energy to the second device 1304. It may be determined that a second device 1304 captures this RF energy and converts it into usable AC (AC) or DC (DC) electricity.

For example, when the first device 1302 functions as a short-range charging surface, the first device 1302 first produces a communication signal having a threshold signal strength indicating that the second device 1304 is within a threshold distance. When received by the communication component of the electronic device 1302, it may be configured to send power (eg, engage, turn on, activate) to the near field charging surface inside the first device 1302.

As another example, when the first device 1302 functions as a long-distance field proximity transmitter, the first device 1302 may use the communication signal reception data from the second device 1304, and this communication signal may be used. The received data shall be used by the first device 1302 to locate the second device 1304 and determine if the second electronic device 1304 is within a threshold distance from the first device 1304. Can be done.

Similarly, the communication component of the second device 1304 uses the communication signal to, for example, send a message requesting the first device 1302 to transmit power to the first device 1302 or another. Exchange data that can be used to broadcast in an embodiment. The message may include, for example, battery power information, data indicating the current location, data information about the user of the second device 1304, information about the second device 1304 to be charged, indicating the efficiency of power reception, and May contain other types of useful data, as well as requests to stop sending power. Non-limiting examples of various types of information that may be contained in a communication signal include a beacon message, a device identifier (device ID) for the first device 1302, a user identifier (user ID) for the first device 1302. , The battery level of the second device 1304, the location of the second device 1304, and other such information.

In some cases, when the second device 1304 enters within the short-range field distance of the first device 1302, RF energy can be leaked and radiated from the first device 1302 to the second device 1304. These devices may establish communication channels according to wireless or wired communication protocols (eg, Bluetooth®) employed by the respective communication components of the respective devices 1302, 1304. In some cases, when the second device 1304 enters the effective communication distance of the first device 1302 of the wired or wireless communication protocol adopted by the communication component, the second device 1304 will be the first device 1302. And may establish a communication channel. The short-range field distance causes the transmitting device (eg, charging surface 1306) to leak the confined RF wave signal and transmit it to a properly tuned receiving device (eg, first electronic device 1302). It can be specified as the minimum distance between the transmitting device and the receiving device. The distance of this short range can range from direct contact to about 10 millimeters. In some cases, the close-range field distance may be the minimum distance between a transmitting device and a receiving device that allows one or more power waves to be transmitted to the receiving device. , This can range up to about 12 inches (30.48 centimeters). In an alternative embodiment, any distance field distance can be used.

The antenna of the second device 1304 can take energy from the RF signal leaked or radiated from the first device 1302 or from the power wave transmitted from the first device 1302. After receiving an RF signal from a power wave from either the charging surface 1306 or the first device 1302 or from a leak, both circuits and other components of the first and second devices 1302, 1304 (eg, eg). The integrated circuit, amplifier, rectifier, voltage regulator) can then convert the energy of the RF signal (eg, radio frequency electromagnetic radiation) into electrical energy (ie, electricity), which is stored in the battery. Or can power the respective electronic devices 1302, 1304. In some cases, for example, the rectifier of the second device 1304 may convert electrical energy from AC into the form of DC available by the second device 1304. Other types of adjustments may be applied in addition to, or as an alternative to, the conversion from AC to DC. For example, a voltage regulator, such as a voltage regulator, can increase or decrease the voltage of electrical energy as required by the second device 1304.

In an alternative embodiment, the first device 1302 may send a charging request to the second device 1304. The charging request may include data about the user of the first device 1302, the details of the first device 1302, the battery charge of the first device 1304, and the current position of the first device 1302. Upon receiving the charging request, the second device 1304 may accept or reject the request. The second device 1304 includes the user of the first device 1302, the details of the first device 1302, the battery charge of the first device 1302, and additional details related to the current position of the first device 1302. Not limited to, but may request if such details are not present in the request. Upon acceptance of the request, the second device 1304 may determine the position of the first device 1302. The second device 1304 may use one or more techniques such as sensor detection, thermal mapping detection, and others to determine the position of the first device 1302. Once the position of the first device 1302 is determined, the second device 1304 may transmit an RF signal to the first device 1302, which is the antenna and / or the antenna of the first device 1302. Captured by the circuit, the battery of the first device 1302 can be charged.

Referring again to FIG. 13A, in some embodiments, the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 are placed on top of each other to transmit power from each other with or without the charging surface 1306. There is. In another embodiment, the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 are coplanar and placed in close proximity to each other to transmit power from one or another device, as shown in FIG. 13B. Sometimes. For those skilled in the art, power transfer between the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 occurs when the devices are within a short distance field distance from each other, regardless of their placement with respect to each other. You will understand that.

In one embodiment, the first device 1302 may receive power from the charging surface 1306 and at the same time transmit power to a second device 1304 within its short-range field. In another embodiment, the first device 1302 receives power from any suitable source of power (eg, a long-range field antenna) and at the same time powers the second device 1304 within a short-range field distance. May be transmitted. In yet another embodiment, the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 may transmit power to a third device within their short-range field. In yet another embodiment, each of the first device 1302 and the second device 1304 transmits power individually or collectively to two or more devices within their short-range field.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operation of wireless power transmission between a plurality of devices according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

At step 1602, the second device enters the short range distance of the first device. In one embodiment, the user of the second device may manually place the second device within a short distance field distance from the first device. The short-range field distance can be less than about 10 mm. The first device and the second device may include circuits configured to generate, transmit, and receive RF signals. The circuit of the first device and the second device may include a plurality of unit cells, and the plurality of unit cells are configured to receive an RF signal.

In step 1604, a communication channel is established between the second device and the first device. The first device and the second device may include a communication component, through which a communication channel may be established to transmit data between each other. Communication components may operate based on any number of communication protocols such as Bluetooth®, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, and others.

In one embodiment, the communication channel may be established between the first device and the second device before the second device enters the near field of the first device. In another embodiment, the communication channel may be established between the first device and the second device after the second device has entered the near field of the first device.

At step 1606, the second device sends a request to receive power to the first device via the communication channel to charge the battery. In another embodiment, the user of the second device sends a request to receive power to the first device via the user interface of the second device. In addition to this request, the second device includes, but is limited to, the user of the second device, the details of the second device, the battery charge of the second device, or the current position of the second device. May contain additional data that is not. Upon receiving the charging request, the first device may accept or reject the request. In another embodiment, the user of the first device may accept or reject the request through the user interface of the first device. The response to the request may be received on the user interface of the second device.

At step 1608, the second device can charge the battery using the RF signal received from the first device. After accepting the request of the second device, the first device may determine the position of the second device. Once the position of the second device is determined, the first device may send an RF signal to the second device, which is captured by the antenna and / or circuit of the second device. The battery of the second device can be charged.

In some embodiments, the initiation of power transfer from the first device to the second device is performed by the user of those devices on the user interface of the first and / or second device. The user can choose when to start and stop wireless charging from one device to the other, and the user further chooses which device will be the transmitter and which will be the receiver. be able to. Further, the user can select the end of power transmission by selecting the target time, the target power level, and the like.

The antenna of the second device can take energy from the RF signal, which can be formed by the resulting accumulation of the RF signal at that location. After the RF signal is received and / or energy is collected from the energy pocket, the circuit of the second device (eg, integrated circuit, amplifier, rectifier, voltage regulator) is the RF signal (eg, radio frequency). The energy of (electromagnetic radiation) can be converted into electrical energy (ie, electricity), which can be stored in the battery of the second device.

In one embodiment, the circuit of the first device comprises a plurality of unit cells configured to receive RF signals, wherein the antenna of the second device is among these unit cells. The RF energy signal is configured to be present to charge the battery of the second device in response to being placed within the distance of at least one short range of. In another embodiment, the circuit of the second device comprises a plurality of unit cells configured to receive an RF signal, the plurality of unit cells having the antenna of the first device of these unit cells. The RF energy signal is configured to be present to charge the battery of the first device in response to being placed within the distance of at least one of the short range.

The description and flow chart of the aforementioned method is provided merely as an exemplary example and is intended to require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the order presented. Not what I did. The steps in the above embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as "then" and "next" are not intended to limit the order of the steps. These terms are simply used to guide the reader through explanations of the method. Process flow charts may describe operations as sequential processes, but many of the operations can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of operations can be rearranged. The process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, or the like. If the process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to returning the function to the calling function or principal function.

The 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 thereof. can. To articulate this compatibility between hardware and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. .. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the design constraints imposed on the particular application and system as a whole. A skilled craftsman may implement the described functionality in various ways for a particular application, but such implementation decisions are to be construed as causing deviations from the scope of the invention. Should not be.

The embodiments implemented by computer software can be implemented by software, firmware, middleware, microcode, a hardware description language, etc., 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 instruction, data structure, or program statement. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc. may be passed, transferred, or transmitted via any suitable means, including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, and the like.

The actual software code or specialized control hardware used to implement these systems and methods is not limiting the invention. Accordingly, it is understood that the software and control hardware can be designed to implement the system and method in accordance with the description herein, without reference to specific software code for the operation and behavior of the system and method. Was explained.

When implemented in software, a function may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a non-temporary computer-readable or processor-readable storage medium. The steps of methods or algorithms disclosed herein may be implemented in processor-executable software modules that may be on computer-readable or processor-readable storage media. Non-temporary computer-readable or processor-readable media include both computer storage media and tangible storage media that facilitate the transfer of computer programs from one location to another. The non-temporary processor readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by the computer. By way of example, but not by limitation, such non-temporary processor-readable media are RAMs, ROMs, EEPROMs, CD-ROMs, or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices, or other magnetic storage devices, 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 is accessible by a computer or processor. As used herein, discs and discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy discs, and Blu-ray discs. A (disk) normally reproduces data magnetically, and a disk (disk) optically reproduces data using a laser. The above combinations should also be included within the scope of computer readable media. Moreover, the operation of a method or algorithm exists as one or any combination or set of codes and / or instructions on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and / or computer-readable medium that can be incorporated into a computer program product. I have something to do.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided so that those skilled in the art can practice or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, and the general principles set forth herein will be adapted to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Can be applied. Accordingly, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments presented herein, and is broadest consistent with the scope of subsequent claims as well as the principles and novel features disclosed herein. The range should be bestowed.

Although various embodiments and embodiments have been disclosed, other embodiments and embodiments are also conceivable. The various embodiments and embodiments disclosed are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and intent are set forth in the following claims.

Claims (20)

It is a unit cell of a wireless power transmitter.
Upper board layer and
A metal portion that defines an opening, wherein the upper substrate layer includes a metal portion and a metal portion.
It comprises a patch antenna located within the opening defined by the metal portion and configured to radiate one or more RF power transfer waves for wireless charging of the electronic device.
The one or more RF power transfer waves are leaked from the unit cell through the opening when the antenna of the electronic device is located within a short distance field distance from the unit cell, and the electron. Received by said antenna of the device
The electronic device is a unit cell that uses energy from the one or more RF power transfer waves received by the antenna to feed the electronic device or charge the electronic device. A wireless power transmitter for wirelessly delivering power to electronic devices.
A plurality of unit cells arranged in a matrix are provided, and each unit cell of the plurality of unit cells is the unit cell according to claim 1.
Wireless power transmitter. Each of the plurality of unit cells further comprises a bottom substrate layer containing the patch antenna.
The wireless power transmitter according to claim 2, wherein the upper substrate layer is arranged above the bottom substrate layer in the unit cell. The wireless power transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the second substrate layer is made of a metamaterial. Each of the one or more RF power transfer waves has a frequency and
Each of the plurality of unit cells holds the one or more RF power transfer waves when the antenna tuned to the frequency is not located within the distance of the unit cell in the short range. The wireless power transmitter according to claim 2, further configured in the above. The dimensions of the opening are determined according to the periodic frequency of the one or more RF power transfer waves, and the antenna tuned to the frequency is not located within the short range distance from the unit cell. The wireless power transmitter according to claim 4, wherein the one or more RF power transmission waves are prevented from leaking in the case of the case. Each of the plurality of unit cells is obtained when (i) the antenna of the electronic device is tuned to the center frequency and (ii) the antenna is arranged within the distance of the short-range field from the unit cell. The wireless power transmitter according to claim 1, further configured to leak the one or more RF power transmission waves to the electronic device through the opening. The radio power transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising an RF circuit configured to generate the one or more RF power transfer waves. Each of the plurality of unit cells further comprises a respective conductive wire.
The wireless power transmitter according to claim 8 , wherein each of the conductive wires contained in each unit cell electrically couples the antenna of the unit cell to the RF circuit. The RF circuit further comprises an RF port and
The radio power transmitter according to claim 9, wherein the RF port is configured to provide the one or more RF power transfer waves to each of the unit cells through the respective conductive lines of the unit cells. .. The wireless power transmitter according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of unit cells further includes a ground plane connected to a ground portion of the RF port. Further provided with a bottom substrate layer containing the patch antenna,
The unit cell according to claim 1, wherein the upper substrate layer is arranged above the bottom substrate layer in the unit cell. The unit cell according to claim 12, wherein the second substrate layer is made of a metamaterial. Each of the one or more RF power transfer waves has a frequency and
The unit cell is further configured to hold the one or more RF power transfer waves when the frequency tuned antenna is not located within the short range distance from the unit cell. The unit cell according to claim 1. The dimensions of the opening are determined according to the periodic frequency of the one or more RF power transfer waves, and the antenna tuned to the frequency is not located within the short range distance from the unit cell. The unit cell according to claim 14, wherein the one or more RF power transmission waves are prevented from leaking in the case of the case. The unit cell is one of the above when (i) the antenna of the electronic device is tuned to the center frequency, and (ii) the antenna is arranged within the short-range field distance from the unit cell. The unit cell according to claim 1, further configured to leak a plurality of RF power transmission waves to the electronic device through the opening. The unit cell according to claim 1, further comprising an RF circuit configured to generate the one or more RF power transfer waves. Further equipped with each conductive wire,
17. The unit cell according to claim 17, wherein the respective conductive wire contained in each unit cell electrically couples the antenna of the unit cell to the RF circuit. The RF circuit further comprises an RF port and
18. The unit cell of claim 18, wherein the RF port is configured to provide the unit cell with the one or more RF power transfer waves through the respective conductive wire of the unit cell. It is a method of delivering power wirelessly to the receiving device.
Upper board layer and
A metal portion that defines an opening, wherein the upper substrate layer includes a metal portion and a metal portion.
To provide a radio power transmitter having at least one unit cell with a patch antenna disposed within the opening defined by the metal moiety.
The patch antenna of the at least one unit cell comprises radiating one or more RF power transfer waves to charge the electronic device wirelessly.
The one or more RF power transfer waves pass through the opening and the at least one unit when the antenna of the electronic device is located within a short distance field distance from the at least one unit cell. Leaked out of the cell and received by the antenna of the electronic device,
A method in which the electronic device uses energy from the one or more RF power transfer waves received by the antenna to feed the electronic device or charge the electronic device.

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