Systems and methods for manually adjusting when receiving electronic devices are scheduled to receive wirelessly delivered power from a wireless power transmitter in a wireless power network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10075008-B1
Application number	US-201414585660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of modifying wireless power delivery for receiving electronic devices, the method comprising:
at an electronic device having a display:
receiving wireless-power-delivery records for a plurality of receiving electronic devices, including a wireless-power-delivery record for a first receiving electronic device;
displaying, in a user interface presented on the display, a first user interface object that includes identifiers for at least some of the plurality of receiving electronic devices, including an identifier for the first receiving electronic device;

in response to detecting a user selection of the identifier for the first receiving electronic device:
displaying, in the user interface, a second user interface object that includes a representation of a portion of the wireless-power-delivery record for the first receiving electronic device; and
detecting, via user input provided at the second user interface object, a modification of the portion of the wireless-power-delivery record, the modification defining a physical location at which the first receiving electronic device is to receive wirelessly delivered power from a wireless power transmitter, wherein the physical location corresponds to a portion of a transmission field of the wireless power transmitter; and

in response to detecting the modification, updating the wireless-power-delivery record in accordance with the modification, wherein:
the wireless power transmitter transmits electromagnetic (EM) waves that constructively interfere at the physical location when the first receiving electronic device is located within the physical location, and
the first receiving electronic device is powered or charged using energy from the constructively interfering EM waves.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user interface object is displayed adjacent to the first user interface object in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is not one of the plurality of receiving electronic devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the wireless-power- delivery record comprises providing the updated wireless-power-delivery record to the wireless power transmitter after receiving a request from the wireless power transmitter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the modification of the portion of the wireless-power-delivery record also adjusts a priority level that is used to determine when the first receiving electronic device receives wirelessly delivered power as compared to a second receiving electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification of the portion of the wireless-power-delivery record also modifies a scheduled time period when the first receiving electronic device is to receive wirelessly delivered power from the wireless power transmitter from a first time period to a second time period.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification of the portion of the wireless-power-delivery record also: (i) moves a scheduled time period for the first receiving electronic device to receive wirelessly delivered power from the wireless power transmitter from a first time period to a second time period, and (ii) adjusts a priority level of the first receiving electronic device that is used to determine when the first receiving electronic device receives wirelessly delivered power as compared to another receiving electronic device of the plurality of receiving electronic devices.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiving, displaying, detecting, and updating occur while the wireless power transmitter is transmitting EM waves to a second receiving electronic device of the plurality of receiving electronic devices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the wireless-power- delivery records for the plurality of receiving electronic devices comprises receiving the wireless-power-delivery records from the wireless power transmitter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the wireless-power-delivery records from the wireless power transmitter comprises receiving the wireless-power-delivery records from a wireless power manager application that is executing on the wireless power transmitter.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless power transmitter is a first wireless power transmitter; and
receiving the wireless-power-delivery records for the plurality of receiving electronic devices comprises receiving the wireless-power-delivery records from a plurality of wireless power transmitters, including the first wireless power transmitter.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of receiving electronic devices comprises a respective client device that is coupled with a respective wireless power receiver that is configured to harvest the energy from the constructively interfering EM waves to power or charge the respective client device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the wireless power transmitter receives information from the first receiving electronic device that indicates the first receiving electronic device is located within the physical location.

14. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one processor;
a display; and
memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
receive wireless-power-delivery records for a plurality of receiving electronic devices, including a wireless-power-delivery record for a first receiving electronic device;
display, in a user interface presented on the display, a first user interface object that includes identifiers for at least some of the plurality of receiving electronic devices, including an identifier for the first receiving electronic device;
in response to detecting a user selection of the identifier for the first receiving electronic device:
display, in the user interface, a second user interface object that includes a representation of a portion of the wireless-power-delivery record for the first receiving electronic device; and
detect, via user input provided at the second user interface object, a modification of the portion of the wireless-power-delivery record, the modification defining a physical location at which the first receiving electronic device is to receive wirelessly delivered power from a wireless power transmitter, wherein the physical location corresponds to a portion of a transmission field of the wireless power transmitter; and

in response to detecting the modification, update the wireless-power-delivery record in accordance with the modification, wherein:
the wireless power transmitter transmits electromagnetic (EM) waves that constructively interfere at the physical location when the first receiving electronic device is located within the physical location, and
the first receiving electronic device is powered or charged using energy from the constructively interfering EM waves.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the second user interface object is displayed adjacent to the first user interface object in the user interface.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the electronic device is not one of the plurality of receiving electronic devices.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein updating the wireless-power-delivery record comprises providing the updated wireless-power-delivery record to the wireless power transmitter after receiving a request from the wireless power transmitter.

18. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein receiving the wireless-power-delivery records for

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Bell Douglas
• Leabman Michael

Classifications

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H04W60/00

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title

• H02J17/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/025 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J50/40 Primary

  using two or more transmitting or receiving devices (H02J50/50 takes precedence) · CPC title