KR20080094936A - Power transmission network and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A network for power transmission to a receiver which converts the power into current includes a first node for transmitting power with circularly polarized waves in a first area. The network includes a second node for transmitting power with circularly polarized waves in a second area. Alternatively, elliptically polarized waves or dual polarized waves are used or different frequencies are used or different polarizations are used or different polarization vectors are used. Also disclosed is a method for power transmission to a receiver which converts the power into current.

Description

Power Transmission Networks and Methods {POWER TRANSMISSION NETWORK AND METHOD}

The present invention relates to power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. More specifically, the present invention relates to power transmission for a receiver that converts power to current using circular polarization waves or elliptical polarization waves or dual polarization waves or other frequencies or other polarizations or other polarization vectors.

Power transmission networks are always around us. The most common is an alternating current (AC) power network in our homes or office buildings. Utility companies use this wired network to supply AC power to us. This network can supply large amounts of power to devices directly connected to it.

The key to the operation of this network is the direct connection. Hardwire or plug-in all devices is not always possible or practical. An example of this can be understood by examining the building automation market.

There is now a movement to conserve energy in office buildings and homes. This is done by optimizing how power is used. For example, if no one is in the room, there is no need to leave the light on. This problem has been addressed and solved by placing a motion sensor in the room. When there is no movement for a given time period, the lights are turned off.

The problem with this solution is that each motion sensor requires power. This means that each sensor must be hardwired into the AC power network or include a battery. This may not be practical for all applications. Each sensor must also have a way to control the operation of the lights in the room.

The current trend is to implement wireless sensors. However, in this case the term "wireless" refers only to the communication section of the device. Power for the device still must be derived from traditional sources such as an AC power network or batteries.

<Overview>

The present invention eliminates the need for a hardwired connection to each sensor. Power for the device is derived from the wireless power network. This power can be used to power the device directly, or to recharge or increase the internal battery. In the present invention, the device is wireless in both communication and powering aspects. Detailed specifications of the invention are described in detail below.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network includes a first node that transmits power in circularly polarized waves in the first region. The network includes a second node that transmits power in circular polarization waves in a second region.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver having an RF receiving antenna having polarization for converting power to current. The network includes a first node that transmits power in elliptically polarized waves in the first region. The network includes a second node that transmits power in elliptical polarization waves in a second region.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver for converting power into current. The method includes transmitting power in circular polarization waves from a first node in a first region. There is a step of transmitting power in circular polarization waves from a second node in a second region.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver having an RF receiving antenna having polarization for converting power into current. The method includes transmitting power in elliptical polarization waves from a first node in a first region. There is a step of transmitting power in elliptical polarization waves from a second node in a second region.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network includes a first node that transmits power in dual polarized waves in the first region. The network includes a second node that transmits power with dual polarization waves in a second region.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver for converting power into current. The method includes transmitting power in dual polarized waves from a first node in a first region. There is a step of transmitting power with dual polarization waves from a second node in a second region.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network includes a first node having components for transmitting power at a first frequency in a first region. The network includes a second node having components for transmitting power at a second frequency in a second region. The second frequency differs from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node and the second node.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver for converting power into current. The method includes transmitting power to components of a first frequency of a first node in a first region. There is a step of transmitting power to components of a second frequency of a second node in a second region. The second frequency is different from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node and the second node.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network includes a first node that transmits power with first polarization in the first region. The network includes a second node that transmits power with second polarization in the second region.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network includes a first node that transmits power with first polarization vectors in a first region. The network includes a second node that transmits power with second polarization vectors in the second region.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission for a receiver that converts power into current. The network comprises a plurality of transmitters, the plurality of transmitters working together to obtain a power coverage area equivalent to a single power transmitter power coverage area using a first total transmitted power and using a second total transmit power, The first total transmit power is lower than the second total transmit power.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver for converting power into current. The method includes combining together to obtain a power coverage area that is equivalent to a single power transmitter power coverage area using a second total transmission power with a plurality of transmitters using a first total transmission power, the first total transmission power being a second total. Lower than the transmit power. There is a step of receiving power from at least one of the plurality of transmitters by a receiver in a power coverage area.

The present invention relates to a system for power transmission. The system includes a receiver that includes a receiver antenna. The system includes an RF power transmitter that includes a transmitter antenna. The RF power transmitter transmits RF power. The RF power includes multiple polarization components and the receiver converts the RF power into DC.

The present invention relates to a security system for detecting intruders. The security system includes a plurality of sensors that detect intruders placed on a parameter, each sensor having an RF wireless receiver that receives RF wireless energy and converts RF wireless energy into current to power the sensor. The security system includes a plurality of transmitters for providing wireless RF energy to the receivers.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method. The method includes wirelessly transmitting RF power with multiple polarization components to an RF power transmitter having a transmitter antenna. There is a step of receiving wireless RF power at a receiver having a receiver antenna. There is a step of converting RF power to DC by a receiver.

1 shows a power network with multiple coverage areas, with one receiver within each coverage area.

FIG. 2 shows the power network shown in FIG. 1, with more than one receiver within each coverage area.

3 illustrates a power network that combines multiple coverage areas to provide a larger coverage area.

4 shows a dead spot in the coverage area.

5 shows a power network implemented with a controller.

6A shows two block diagrams of possible controllers.

6B shows a circularly polarized antenna vector.

7 shows an elliptical polarized antenna vector.

8 shows a power network with a source having multiple antennas used to create multiple coverage areas.

9 shows a power network with a source and a controller with multiple antennas used to create multiple coverage areas.

10 shows a room for implementing a power network.

FIG. 11 shows a patch antenna coverage area for the room shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 shows the coverage of the room shown in FIG. 9 with a single patch antenna in one of the corners.

FIG. 13 shows the power network in the room shown in FIG. 9.

14 shows a power network with multiple transmitters, multiple controllers, and multiple antennas used to create multiple coverage areas.

FIG. 15 shows coverage for a 20-watt transmitter located in the center of a 36 'x 30' room.

FIG. 16 shows coverage for four 5-watt transmitters located in the room of FIG. 15.

17 shows coverage for four 2.5-watt transmitters to provide power coverage equivalent to a single 20-watt transmitter.

18 shows a transmitter antenna with more than one antenna.

19 illustrates a security system.

20 shows a controller with one MCU or CPU and a memory.

21 shows a transmitter in a sensor.

22 shows a receiver that directly powers the device.

A full understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description when reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters identify like elements throughout.

For purposes of the description below, the terms "top", "bottom", "right", "left", "vertical", horizontal "," top "," bottom ", and derivatives thereof are oriented in the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations and step sequences, except where expressly indicated to the contrary. Certain devices and processes are merely preferred embodiments of the invention, and therefore, specific dimensions and physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered as limiting.

The invention relates to a power transmission network 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current, as shown in FIG. The network 10 includes a first node 14 that transmits power in circular polarized waves in the first region 26. The network 10 includes a second node 16 that transmits power in circular polarization waves in the second region 28.

The node is preferably the point of energy emanation of the RF waves. The node comprises an antenna 22 in communication with the transmitter 20 outside of the coverage area (possibly within another coverage area); An antenna 22 in communication with the transmitter 20 inside the coverage area; Or it may include a device including an antenna 22 and the transmitter 20. The node may also include a controller 36, as shown in FIG. 5.

The present invention relates to a network 10 for power transmission for a receiver 12 having an RF receiving antenna 22 having polarization for converting power into current. The network 10 includes a first node 14 that transmits power in elliptical polarization waves to the first region 26.

The network 10 includes a second node 16 that transmits power in elliptical polarization waves to the second region 28.

Preferably, the polarization waves have polarization vectors with an axial ratio set by the probability of polarization of the RF receive antenna 22.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The method includes transmitting power in circular polarization waves from the first node in the first region 26. There is a step of transmitting power in circular polarized waves from the second node 16 in the second region 28.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver 12 having an RF receiving antenna having polarization that converts power into current. The method includes transmitting power in elliptical polarization waves from the first node 14 in the first region 26. There is a step of transmitting power in elliptical polarization waves from the second node 16 in the second region 28.

Preferably, the polarization waves have polarization vectors with an axial ratio set by the probability of polarization of the RF receive antenna 22.

The invention relates to a power transmission network 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The network 10 includes a first node 14 that transmits power in dual polarized waves in the first region 26. The network 10 includes a second node 16 that transmits power in dual polarized waves in the second region 28.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The method includes transmitting power in dual polarized waves from the first node 14 in the first region 26. There is a step of transmitting power with dual polarization waves from the second node 16 in the second region 28.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. Network 10 includes a first node 14 having components for transmitting power at a first frequency in first region 26. The network 10 includes a second node 16 having components for transmitting power at a second frequency in the second region 28. The second frequency differs from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node 14 and the second node 16.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The method includes transmitting power to the components of the first frequency of the first node 14 in the first region 26. There is a step of transmitting power to the components of the second frequency of the second node 16 in the second region 28. The second frequency differs from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node 14 and the second node 16.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The network 10 includes a first node 14 that transmits power with first polarization in a first region 26. The network 10 includes a second node 16 that transmits power in a second region 28 with second polarization.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. Network 10 includes a first node 14 that transmits power with first polarization vectors in first region 26. The network 10 includes a second node 16 that transmits power with second polarization vectors in the second region 28.

The present invention relates to a network for power transmission 10 for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The network 10 includes a plurality of transmitters 20, wherein the plurality of transmitters 20 join together to use a first total transmit power and a second total transmit power using a single power transmitter 20 power coverage. A power coverage area equal to the area is obtained, and the first total transmit power is lower than the second total transmit power.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method for a receiver 12 that converts power into current. The method includes the steps of obtaining together a plurality of transmitters 20 using a first total transmit power, a power coverage area equal to a power coverage area of a single power transmitter 20 using a second total transmit power, the first The total transmit power is lower than the second total transmit power. There is a step of receiving power from at least one of the plurality of transmitters by the receiver 12 in the power coverage area.

The invention relates to a system for power transmission 66, as shown in FIG. System 66 includes a receiver 12 that includes a receiver 12 and an antenna 22. System 66 includes an RF power transmitter 20 that includes a transmitter 20 antenna 22. The RF power transmitter 20 transmits RF power. The RF power includes multiple polarization components, and the receiver 12 converts the RF power into DC.

RF power may or may not contain data. The RF power transmitter 20 may pulse the transmission of RF power. The transmitter 20 antenna 22 may include more than one antenna 22 as shown in FIG. 18. Receiver 12 may be included in sensor 61, as shown in FIG. RF power may be used to charge at least one power storage component 59. System 66 may include more than one receiver 12. RF power may be used to directly power the device, as shown in FIG. 19.

System 66 may include a controller 36 connected to transmitter 20 that switches the polarization of antenna 22, as shown in FIG. 20. Controller 36 may include CPU 55 or MCU and memory 40. System 66 may include a plurality of controllers 36 and a plurality of transmitters 20, as shown in FIG. 14, wherein one of the plurality of controllers 36 is a plurality of transmitters ( Associated with one of 20), the controllers 36 communicate with each other to coordinate the polarization of each transmitter 20 at a given time. Each transmitter 20 may have an associated area that it is transmitting, and the controller 36 controls the shape or polarization or frequency of the area that its associated transmitter 20 is transmitting.

Controllers 36 may be used to form a pulsing network 10 involved in the transmission of RF power. There may be a plurality of transmitters 20 each transmitter 20 transmits at a different frequency, and each transmitter 20 has exactly the same components, values, and design.

The present invention relates to a security system 66 for detecting intruders, as shown in FIG. The security system 66 includes a plurality of sensors 61 that detect intruders placed on parameters, each sensor 61 receiving RF wireless energy and powering the sensor 61 to receive RF power. It has an RF wireless receiver 12 that converts wireless energy into current. Security system 66 includes a plurality of transmitters 20 that provide wireless RF energy to receivers 12.

The present invention relates to a power transmission method. The method includes wirelessly transmitting RF power with multiple polarization components to an RF power transmitter 20 having a transmitter 20 antenna 22. There is a step of receiving wireless RF power at a receiver 12 having a receiver 12 and an antenna 22. There is a step of converting RF power to DC by the receiver 12.

Section 1

More specifically, in the operation of the present invention, radio frequency (RF) energy is used to power static and mobile devices for the purpose of RF power harvesting or RF energy harvesting. In order to provide a solution, it is essential to establish an infrastructure similar to a cellular telephone network. The network 10 may take many different forms.

The simple form is a single transmitter 20 and a single receiver 12 within a given area. As shown in Fig. 1, the network 10 according to the present invention comprises a first node to provide coverage (power supply) respectively over a first area 26 (area 1) and a second area 28 (area 2). (14) (implemented by the first transmitter TX1) and second node (implemented by the second transmitter TX2). Although the term region is used and shown in the figures, the coverage area can be either area or volume.

This allows TX1 to directly power the device in its coverage area, such as first receiver 12 RX1, or deliver power to the device for the purpose of recharging the charge storage component. Similarly, TX2 may deliver power to the device for the purpose of directly powering the device within its coverage area, such as RX2, or recharging the charge storage component. The device to be powered may be a device moving from the first area 26 to the second area or vice versa. Also, more than one device may be powered by the network 10, for example, devices in each coverage area. In addition, more than one device in each coverage area may be powered. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the first device may comprise a first receiver RX1, the second device may comprise a second receiver RX2, and the third device may comprise a third receiver RX3. can do. Receivers RX1, RX2, etc. comprise an antenna 22. Receivers 12 are designed to capture power and convert it into an available form, such as direct current (DC), but is not limited thereto. The receivers 12 preferably comprise an antenna 22 and a rectifier. US patent application Ser. No. 11 / 584,983 entitled "Method and Apparatus for High Efficiency Rectification for Various Loads" is hereby incorporated by reference, which describes a receiver that may be used with the present invention.

Coverage areas are defined by the strength or minimum power density of the minimum electrical and / or magnetic field. As an example, area 1 of FIG. 1 may be defined as an area where the intensity of the electric field produced by transmitter 1 (Tx1) is greater than 2 V / m.

Note that TX1 and TX2 in FIG. 1 include an RF transmitter 20 and an antenna 22. Subsequent figures may use the same block of transmitter 20, or may separate transmitter 20 and antenna 22, especially when transmitter 20 is driving multiple antennas 22. As shown in FIG. When driving the multiple antennas 22, the transmitter 20 may be referred to as a source or an RF power transmission source and may employ a switch, splitter, or other device for routing the power 48. It may include.

Section 2

It is also possible for the network 10 to provide power to multiple devices within a single area. As in FIG. 2, transmitter 1 (TX1) and transmitter 2 (TX2) provide region 1 and region 2, respectively. This allows TX1 to provide power to devices in its coverage area, such as RX1 through RXn. Similarly, TX2 may provide power to devices within its coverage area, such as RX1 through RXn.

Section 3

When the required coverage area 33 becomes too large for a single transmitter 20, multiple areas can merge or overlap, creating a larger coverage area than any single coverage area from a single transmitter 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the first area 26 (area 1), the second area 28 (area 2), the third area 30 (area 3), and the fourth area 32 (area) 4) is arranged to provide an equivalent (or required) coverage area 33 which is larger than each individual area. In this arrangement, each receiver 12 may be powered by multiple transmitters 20 due to area overlap. Region overlap occurs when two or more transmitters 20 can produce a field strength that is greater than the minimum value used to define regions at a given point. For example, receiver RX3 will receive power from both TX1 and third transmitter TX3. This concept of merging regions can be infinitely extended to cover larger regions and different full coverage arrangements (ie, not circles).

In cellular telephone networks, area overlap is disadvantageous to network performance. However, in the transmission of RF power, area (cell) overlap is not detrimental to network 10 performance. Cellular telephone networks have problems with overlap due to data conflicts. The lack of data in the RF power grids 10 allows for cell overlap without this problem.

One problem that arises is phase cancellation. This is caused when two electromagnetic (EM) waves destructively interfere. This interference can cause dead spots. Dead spots are areas where the field strength is below the defined minimum. Phase cancellation can cause dead spots within the defined area.

For example, the transmitter should be able to supply the receiver 12 with the required field strength at a distance of 20 feet. However, if the device including the receiver 12 is tested at a radius of 20 feet from the transmitter, the device will operate at 20 feet, but there is an area between 7 and 11 feet where the field strength is too low to operate the device. Can be found. This area is called dead spot 38. This example is shown in FIG.

There are several ways to fight this problem. One way, similar to a simple cellular network, is to have transmitters of overlapping regions on different frequencies or channels. Another solution may be for transmitters in overlapping areas to have transmitters in areas that overlap with different polarizations, such as horizontal and vertical. Table 1 describes how the network 10 of FIG. 3 can be implemented to mitigate dead spots.

Methods of Mitigating Dead Spots for the Network in FIG. 3 Way TX1 TX2 TX3 TX4 Non-overlapping frequencies Frequency 1 Frequency 2 Frequency 2 Frequency 1 Non-overlapping polarization Horizontal polarization Vertical polarization Vertical polarization Horizontal polarization

In addition, the polarization of the antenna 22 is alternated in a given coverage area 26, 28, 30, 32 so that the antenna 22 switches in a repetitive manner from horizontal to vertical without taking the polarization of the overlapping regions. It may also be possible. To accomplish this, a controller 36 must be introduced into the network 10 to supervise the operation of the transmitters 20 and / or antennas 22. 5 illustrates one way in which this controller 36 may be implemented.

In this example, the master controller 36 is used to control all transmitters 20 and / or antennas 22 in the network 10. One implementation of the controller 36 may include a central processing unit (CPU 55) microcontroller unit (MCU) or memory 40, as shown in FIG. 20. This can be realized using a microprocessor or simply a standard computer. The output of the controller 36 will be connected to each transmitter 20 and / or antenna 22, each of which will include means for receiving data and performing the desired effect.

The communication link from the controller 36 may be implemented with a wired connection or a wireless link. When a wireless link is used, the controller 36 includes a transceiver 44 and a communication antenna 23 as shown in FIG. 6A. Each transmitter 20 and / or antenna 22 also includes a transceiver 44 and a communication antenna 23 for receiving and transmitting data.

Another method for implementing the switching methods may be to integrate the controller 36 into each transmitter 20 or node. The controller 36 can then communicate over a wired connection or using a wireless link. These controller 36 devices are shown in FIG. 6A. The controller 36 devices may be integrated into the transmitter 20 and / or the antenna 22 such that the MCU or CPU 55 of the controller 36 may receive and transmit data, and also the transmitter 20 and / or Or by communicating with the antenna will be a means to achieve the desired effect.

The added functionality, either stand-alone or given by the controller 36 integrated into each transmitter 20 or node, allows more precise methods to eliminate dead spots. By introducing the controller 36, each area has knowledge about the operation of others. For this reason, it is now possible to change the frequency, polarization, and / or shape of the regions. It is also possible to turn on and turn off each transmitter 20 with a pulsing network 10. Table 2 summarizes some of the possible ways of removing dead spots using the network 10 of FIGS. 5 and 14.

Methods of mitigating dead spots for the network of FIGS. 5 and 14 Way Time period TX1 TX2 TX3 TX4 Non-overlapping frequencies Time 1 Frequency 1 Frequency 2 Frequency 2 Frequency 1 Time 2 Frequency 2 Frequency 1 Frequency 1 Frequency 2 Time 3 Frequency 1 Frequency 2 Frequency 2 Frequency 1 Etc Non-overlapping polarization Time 1 Horizontal polarization Vertical polarization Vertical polarization Horizontal polarization Time 2 Vertical polarization Horizontal polarization Horizontal polarization Vertical polarization Time 3 Horizontal polarization Vertical polarization Vertical polarization Horizontal polarization Etc Pulsing Time 1 On off off off Time 2 off On off off Time 3 off off On off Time 4 off off off On Time 5 On off off off Etc

For example, the network 10 of FIG. 5 may be used to power perimeter sensors 61 at a nuclear power plant to detect intruders. Four transmitters can be arranged to provide coverage over the entire fence line (the coverage area 33 required). Antennas 22 may be mounted in towers and may produce directional or omnidirectional patterns. Each overlapping region may be disposed on a separate channel. Although it is advantageous to keep the channels close enough to allow the same antenna 22 design to be used for each transmitter 20, the channel frequencies must be sufficiently spaced to avoid interference. Reference is made to FIG. 19 showing a security system 66.

A somewhat easier way of having more than one frequency is to manufacture each transmitter 20 using exactly the same component values and design. One skilled in the art knows that all components have tolerances, for example +/- 1 or 5 percent, based on some manufacturing variations that differ from component to component and dependence on temperature change. Therefore, the manufacture of more than one transmitter 20 with the same components and design results in slight variations in the amplitude of the output signal and the frequency generated by the frequency generator due to manufacturing variations and tolerances. Will result in (20). These fluctuations may result from components manufactured independently or these fluctuations may be the result of one transmitter 20 placed in a position where the transmitter 20 is slightly warmed than other transmitters. Some differences between transmitters 20 having the same components and design will essentially place transmitters 20 on slightly different frequencies or channels based on the tolerances and design of the components. A slight difference in frequency will continue to drift beyond in phase and above, due to a slight difference in frequency at which signals from multiple transmitters 20 are transmitted at a given point in space, which is This means that the two transmitted signals at the point of time will have destructive interference while the two transmitted signals will later have constructive interference. Thus, the average received RF power will be the same as there was no interference between the two transmitted signals.

As can be seen from Table 2 and FIG. 5, all possible planes in the coverage area cause RF power transmitters 20 in the power network 10 to use different polarizations for the antenna 22 for RF power transmission, Thereby, the power is provided in all planes, thereby having available RF power. Another way of network design to provide power to all planes is to use circularly polarized antennas 22 to transmit RF power. Circularly polarized antenna 22 outputs a rotating signal, distributing the output signal essentially equally in both the horizontal and vertical planes and all planes therebetween. The output of the circularly polarized antenna 22 may be described as a vector that spins around a circle having horizontal or X-axis and vertical or Y-axis equal in magnitude. Since there is only a finite amount of power supplied to the antenna 22 by the RF power transmitter 20, the power available in the X direction and the power available in the Y direction are transmitted by the RF power transmitter 20 to the antenna 22. It should be added to the total amount of power supplied to the system. In circularly polarized light, the X and Y axes are the same magnitude, so each axis will have half of the power supplied to the antenna 22 by the RF power transmitter 20, the magnitudes being by the RF power transmitter 20. It is added to the total power supplied to the antenna 22. In circular polarization, because the X and Y axes are the same magnitude, the antenna 22 vectors will have the same magnitude no matter how the antenna 22 vector points on the circle. These vectors can be seen in Figure 6B.

There are two ways to implement such an antenna 22, right handed polarization (RHP) and left handed polarization (LHP). This refers to the direction in which the antenna 22 vector spins around a circle defined by the X and Y axes as described above. In the RHP, the antenna 22 vector spins in clockwise rotation at the time facing the power propagation direction. In the LHP, the antenna 22 vector spins in counterclockwise rotation at the time facing the power propagation direction. They are opposite each other, so that the antenna 22 set up with RHP cannot receive signals from the LHP antenna 22, and vice versa.

Polarization that can be realized in a similar manner is elliptical polarization. Elliptical polarization can be described in the same way as circular polarization was described above, since the vector spins around the ellipse, except that the ellipse's X and Y axes are not identical. As is now apparent, circular polarization is a special type of elliptical polarization with an axial ratio of one. The axis ratio is a numerical expression used as a specification for the elliptical polarizing antennas 22 and describing the ratio of the axes. The axis ratio is defined such that at least 1: 1 is the axis ratio for the circularly polarized antenna 22. By definition, the axis ratio cannot be less than 1, so the result is obtained by dividing the larger axis by the size of another axis. This means that an axis ratio of 4 can have a size of 4 units on the X axis but can only have a size of 1 on the Y axis. Alternatively, the axis ratio 4 may have a size of 8 units in the Y axis, but may have only a size of 2 in the X axis. Another parameter of the circularly polarized antenna 22 is the tilt angle, which is the angle with respect to the X axis, which is the maximum radius of the ellipse.

As with the circularly polarized antenna 22, the antenna 22 vector can spin in either direction, making the antenna 22 RHP or LHP. In addition, the dimensions of each axis of the elliptical polarizing antenna 22 add up to the total power supplied to the antenna 22 by the RF power transmitter 20. However, the magnitudes of the axes are not the same, so when a vector spins around an ellipse, more power in a particular plane will be available than in a plane perpendicular to that plane. This is useful for system 66 where it is known that the probability of linearly polarized antenna 22 on an RF power-receiving device in one plane is greater than the probability of the same antenna 22 in a vertical plane. Most of the power is available when the antenna 22 is in its maximum likely position, but even if it is not in its maximum likely position, the device can still receive power. Elliptical polarizing antenna 22 is shown in FIG.

Therefore, the present invention can be implemented using elliptical polarizing antennas 22 for transmitting RF power whose axial ratio of transmitting ellipses is set by the probability of polarization of the RF power receiving antenna 22. For example, if the receiving antenna 22 has a probability of 0.75 being vertically polarized and has a probability of 0.25 being horizontally polarized, then 0.75 times of transmitted power will be placed in the vertical polarization vector and the remaining 0.25 times of transmitted power is in the horizontal polarization vector. Will be set. As can be seen, in general, the amount of power placed in the polarization vectors is of the receiving antenna 22 oriented within that plane, or within a predetermined angle such as but not limited to, for example, 45 degrees from that plane. It is set directly by probability.

For example, when recharging a cellular phone using RF power harvesting, such as when the cellular phone is in use or when the cellular phone is secured to someone's belt, the RF power harvesting antenna 22 The probability that the cellular phone will be positioned so that V is placed vertically is higher than the probability that the cellular phone will be placed in someone's pocket such that the RF power harvesting antenna 22 is placed in the horizontal plane. Therefore, the amount of RF power transmitted in the vertical plane can be greater than the amount of RF power transmitted in the horizontal plane, increasing the probability of supplying more power to the cellular phone.

The network 10 is described in Tables 1 and 2 such that all RF power transmission antennas 22 have the same polarization, for example RHP or LHP, or have different RF power transmission antennas 22 with different polarizations. Similar to that shown, it can be set up with RF power transmit antennas 22 that can alternate between RHP and LHP. It is also possible to mix elliptical polarized RF power transmission antennas 22 with linearly polarized RF power transmission antennas 22 to provide greater coverage in a particular plane or area. There are other forms of RF power transmit antenna 22 that can be used for RF power transmit antennas 22 in the RF power networks 10 and can be dual polarized, dual-circular polarized, dual-elliptical polarized, or any Other rotating or non-rotating polarizations of, including but not limited to. It is also possible for one RF power transmitter in power network 10 to have multiple RF power transmit antennas 22 each having different polarizations.

The X- and Y-axis polarization components of polarization, such as, but not limited to, circular, ellipse, or duplex, include in-phase or abnormal signals in which each antenna 22 is perpendicular to each other. It should be noted that it may be implemented using two antennas 22, which transmit out of phase signal.

Section 4

A simplification of the network 10 described in section 3 is shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the multiple transmitters 20 are replaced with a single transmitter 20 supplying the multiple antennas 22. The coverage areas 26, 28 may not overlap, or may overlap, as shown. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the transmitter 20 may be included in the coverage area 26. The network 10 can be extended to include additional coverage areas 30, 32 as shown in FIG. 8.

The distribution of power to the antennas 22 can be achieved in a number of ways, one of which includes a parallel supply system 66 as shown. Parallel supply system 66 may be implemented by integrating devices (power splitters, switches, etc.) that route power 48 to transmitter 20. Then, for example, the outputs from the power splitter may be connected to the antenna 22 with associated coverage areas 26, 28, 30, 32, respectively.

This network 10 will again undergo phase cancellation and in turn cause dead spots. One way to alleviate this problem is to use a method similar to that proposed in Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 656,165 and its corresponding formal application No. 11 / 256,892, entitled "Pulse Transmission Method", which is incorporated herein. . The application describes the use of the pulsing transmitter 20 to help increase the efficiency of the receiver 12. This pulsing method may also be used in the network 10 to help eliminate dead spots.

An example of the pulsing network 10 is shown in FIG. 9. The controller 36 does not simultaneously activate, but does not overlap, the antennas 22 of the overlapping coverage areas 26, 28 simultaneously or to ensure that only one antenna 22 is active at a given time. The output of the transmitter 20 is controlled to pulse each antenna 22 in a pattern that can simultaneously activate the antennas 22 of the coverage areas. Since only one antenna 22 is active at a given time in a given area, phase cancellation due to area overlap does not occur.

There is still phase cancellation caused by reflections from objects in the coverage area. However, this method minimizes the effect of phase cancellation caused by reflections because the field is constantly changing its angle of incidence on the receiver 12. For example, in FIG. 9, RX4 is from upper left when region 1 is active, from upper right when region 2 is active, from lower left when region 3 is active, and lower right when region 4 is active. You will receive a field from. This means that if RX4 is in the dead spot of region 3 due to reflections, it will probably not be in the dead spot of region 4. This means that receiver 12 will capture power from system 66 at this location.

Another problem alleviated by this system 66 is shadowing caused by multiple receivers. Shadowing occurs when the receiver is positioned behind another receiver relative to the active transmitter 20 or antenna 22. The receiver closest to the transmitter 20 or antenna 22 will capture most of the power available at that angle to the transmitter 20 or antenna 22. This means that the receiver behind it will receive little or no power.

An example of this can be seen in FIG. 9. When region 2 is active, RX2 will shadow RX5 and RX5 will receive little or no power. The use of RF power network 10 using pulsing eliminates this problem. RX5 will receive little or no power from antenna 22 in region 2. However, when region 4 becomes active, RX5 will receive power.

It should be noted that the controller 36 of FIG. 9 may be used to change the frequency, polarization, or radiation pattern of the antennas 22 as described in section 3. FIG. Also, if found to be advantageous, the controller 36 may be integrated into the transmitter 20. Controller 36 may be in communication with both transmitter 20 and / or antenna 22.

A test network similar to the network 10 shown in FIG. 9 was configured to check the advantages of the RF power network 10. First, the coverage area was defined as 26.5 ft x 18.5 ft room 42. This is shown in FIG.

Then various antennas 22 for the test network were examined to determine their individual coverage areas. In the implemented test network, a patch antenna 46 was used. For patch antenna 46, FIG. 11 shows coverage area 50 measured for a particular power level. Wider coverage areas 50 may be obtained by increasing the power level of the transmitter 20. With this increase in power, coverage area 50 will maintain its general shape, but will increase in size.

As can be seen in FIG. 12, only partial coverage is obtained using a single patch antenna 46 at one corner.

To provide better coverage, the system 66 is implemented with a patch antenna 46 at each corner to provide coverage almost throughout the room 42. 12 shows the coverage provided by the patch at each of the corners. The four patch antennas 46 were identical.

13 shows the coverage achieved by a test network including a patch antenna 46 at each corner. Nearly full coverage was achieved. In the diamond hatched section, all four coverage areas overlap. In the checked hatched sections, the three coverage areas overlap, while in the diagonal hatched sections, the two areas overlap. In the white areas there is only one coverage area.

This network 10 is implemented with a single transmitter 20 shown in FIG. The transmitter 20 has received its power from the room 42 / building AC mains, but may also be executed by other power means (source) such as a battery pack.

The transmitter 20 had an integrated single-pole four-throw switch. The operation of the transmitter 20 was monitored by the controller 36, which was implemented as a microcontroller. The outputs of the switches of the transmitter 20 were each connected to the individual antennas 22 using coaxial cables. The controller 36 was used to sequentially switch the outputs of the transmitters 20 through the four boundary antennas 22 to generate a pulsing waveform from each antenna 22. The example showed a reduction in shadowing effects and showed almost no dead spots due to the reasons described above.

Section 5

When much larger coverage areas are required, the networks 10 described in section 4 may be extended to include more antennas 22, or the networks 10 shown in FIGS. Can be duplicated / repeated. Redundancy / repetition of the network 10 of FIG. 9 is shown in FIG. 14. However, the frequency, polarization, and pulsing solutions described above can be applied to this network 10 using controllers 36 to mitigate interference. By way of example, if a pulsing method is employed, the networks 10 may be designed such that no overlapping areas are energized at the same time.

It should be noted that the RF power network 10 has certain advantages over the single RF power transmitter 20. The RF power network 10 provides a more uniform field strength (and power density) over the required coverage area due to the availability of power from multiple RF power transmitters 20, and the network 10 is dead. When properly designed to avoid spots and / or phase cancellation, the power of multiple RF power transmitters 20 is added to give higher power than a single RF power transmitter 20. As an example, a single RF power transmitter 20 placed in the center of the room 42 will generate more power amounts near the center of the room 42 as compared to the corners of the room. The amount of available power will decrease by a factor of one-squared as the distance between the transmitter 20 and the receiver 12 increases. An RF power network with four RF power transmitters in each corner ( For 10) there will be higher available powers near the corners of the room 42 compared to the center of the room 42 when examining the RF power transmitter 20 of the single corner. However, when all four RF power transmitters 20 are checked, the power in the center of the room 42 is due to the additional power provided by the other RF power transmitters 20, resulting in a single RF. It will be larger than that provided by the power transmitter 20. Therefore, as the receiver 12 moves away from the transmitter 20, the available power does not decrease to a factor of one-squared of the distance between the receiver 12 and the transmitter 20. The available power can remain the same, or increase, or decrease to a factor less than one-squared distance. As a special example, consider a room 42 that requires a 36x36 foot coverage area shown in FIG. The 20-watt transmitter 20 is arranged in the center of the room 42 or at the coordinates 18, 15. As can be seen by examining the grayscale color code, the RF power harvesting devices in the room 42 are at least 0.5 mili-watt (mW) at almost any location within the room 42 except for the minor areas at each corner. Have the ability to harvest

The coverage area given by the RF power transmitter 20 in FIG. 15 may also be implemented using the RF power network 10 as described herein. The single 20-watt RF power transmitter 20 of FIG. 15 is shown in FIG. 16 replaced with four 5-watt transmitters 20 arranged at each corner and collectively giving 20 watts of transmitted RF power. Consider the RF power network 10. As can be seen in FIG. 16, RF power harvesting devices in room 42 are now at least twice the power available from the single 20-watt RF power transmitter 20 of FIG. 15 anywhere in room 42. Has the ability to harvest 1 mW. Therefore, RF power network 10 using multiple lower power transmitters 20 maintains devices in coverage with more uniform coverage while maintaining the same collective transmitted power as compared to a single RF power transmitter 20. To provide more power.

When comparing the RF power network 10 of FIG. 16 with the single RF power transmitter 20 of FIG. 15, the RF power network 10 of FIG. 16 generates twice as much power as the single RF power transmitter 20 of FIG. 15. give. Therefore, it is possible to provide the same power coverage as a single RF power transmitter 20 in an RF network that transmits lower total or collective power. FIG. 17 shows the same RF power network 10 as shown in FIG. 16 except that the power transmitted from each RF power transmitter 20 is lowered from 5 watts per transmitter 20 to 2.5 watts per transmitter 20. Shows. As shown in FIG. 17, RF power harvesting devices in room 42 are now at least 0.5 mW, equal to the amount of power available from the single 20-watt RF power transmitter 20 of FIG. 15, anywhere in room 42. Have the ability to harvest. However, the total or collective power transmitted by the RF power network 10 of FIG. 17 is half the power transmitted by the single RF power transmitter 20 shown in FIG. 15, or 10 watts, but with the same power coverage. to provide. In the previous example, the RF power network 10 used an antenna 22 having a directional gain to focus power toward the center of the room 42, but the single RF power transmitter 20 may be a non-directional antenna 22. Was used. A power comparison was performed by checking the power delivered to the antenna 22 but does not depend on the gain of the antenna 22. The present invention is not limited to the directional antenna 22 and the results disclosed herein will produce similar results for all types of antennas.

Although the present invention has been described in detail in the foregoing embodiments for purposes of illustration, such details are for that purpose and variations thereof except that the invention may be described by the following claims. It should be understood that it may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (30)

A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A first node transmitting power in circularly polarized waves in the first region; And A second node transmitting power with circularly polarized waves in a second region Network for power transmission comprising a. A network for power transmission for a receiver having an RF receiving antenna with polarization that converts power into current, A first node transmitting power in elliptically polarized waves in the first region; And A second node transmitting power with elliptical polarization waves in a second region Network for power transmission comprising a. The method of claim 2, And the polarization waves have polarization vectors having an axial ratio set by a probability of polarization of the RF receiving antenna. A power transmission method for a receiver that converts power into current, Transmitting power from the first node to circularly polarized waves in the first region; And Transmitting power with circularly polarized waves from a second node in a second region Power transmission method comprising a. A power transmission method for a receiver having an RF receiving antenna having polarization which converts power into electric current, Transmitting power in elliptical polarization waves from a first node in a first region; And Transmitting power with elliptical polarization waves from a second node in a second region Power transmission method comprising a. The method of claim 5, And the polarization waves have polarization vectors having an axial ratio set by a probability of polarization of the RF receiving antenna. A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A first node transmitting power in dual polarized waves in the first region; And A second node transmitting power with dual polarization waves in a second region Network for power transmission comprising a. A power transmission method for a receiver that converts power into current, Transmitting power with dual polarization waves from a first node in a first region; And Transmitting power with dual polarization waves from a second node in a second region Power transmission method comprising a. A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A first node having components for transmitting power at a first frequency in a first region; And A second node having components for transmitting power at a second frequency in a second region Wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node and the second node. A power transmission method for a receiver that converts power into current, Transmitting power to components at a first frequency of a first node in a first region; And Transmitting power to components at a second frequency of a second node in a second region Wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency due to tolerances in the components of the first node and the second node. A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A first node transmitting power with first polarization in the first region; And A second node transmitting power with second polarization in the second region Network for power transmission comprising a. A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A first node for transmitting power with first polarization vectors in the first region; And A second node transmitting power with second polarization vectors in a second region Network for power transmission comprising a. A network for power transmission to a receiver that converts power into current, A plurality of transmitters joined together to yield a power coverage area equal to a single power transmitter power coverage area using a first total transmitted power and using a second total transmitted power And wherein the first total transmit power is lower than the second total transmit power. A power transmission method for a receiver that converts power into current, Obtaining together a plurality of transmitters utilizing a first total transmit power, a power coverage area equal to a single power transmitter power coverage area using a second total transmit power, wherein the first total transmit power is the second total transmit power. Lower than; And Receiving power by the receiver in the power coverage area from at least one of the plurality of transmitters Including a power transmission method. A system for power transmission, A receiver comprising a receiver antenna; And RF power transmitter with transmitter antenna Including, The RF power transmitter transmits RF power, The RF power comprises multiple polarization components, And the receiver converts the RF power into DC. The method of claim 15, And the RF power does not include data. The method of claim 15, And the RF power transmitter pulses the transmission of the RF power. The method of claim 15, And the transmitter antenna comprises more than one antenna. The method of claim 15, And the receiver is included in a sensor. The method of claim 15, Further comprising more than one receiver. The method of claim 15, The RF power is used to charge at least one power storage component. The method of claim 15, The RF power is used to directly power the device. The method of claim 15, And a controller connected to the transmitter for switching the polarization of the antenna. The method of claim 23, wherein The controller includes a CPU or MCU and a memory. The method of claim 15, A plurality of controllers and a plurality of transmitters, One of the plurality of controllers is associated with one of the plurality of transmitters, And the controllers communicate with each other to coordinate the polarization of each transmitter at a given time. The method of claim 25, Each transmitter has an associated area he is transmitting Wherein the controller controls the polarization, frequency or shape of the area that its associated transmitter is transmitting. The method of claim 26, The controllers are used to form a pulsing network for the transmission of the RF power. The method of claim 15, A plurality of transmitters, Each transmitter transmits at a different frequency, Each transmitter has exactly the same components, values, and design. As a security system to detect intruders, A plurality of sensors for sensing intruders disposed against a parameter, each sensor having an RF wireless receiver that receives RF wireless energy and converts it into current to power the sensor; And A plurality of transmitters for providing wireless RF energy to the receivers Including, security system. As a power transmission method, Wirelessly transmitting RF power with multiple polarization components to an RF power transmitter having a transmitter antenna; Receiving the wireless RF power at a receiver having a receiver antenna; And Converting the RF power to DC by the receiver Including a power transmission method.

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