System and method for providing health safety in a wireless power transmission system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10128693-B2
Application number	US-201414330939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments directed to providing health safety in a wireless power transmission systems are disclosed herein. One embodiment includes a processing apparatus with a processor; a data storage; and one or more wireless power transmitters each including at least two antennas. The one or more wireless power transmitters receive instructions from the processing apparatus that cause the transmitters to transmit RF waves that constructively interfere to provide wirelessly delivered power to one or more receivers. The processing apparatus receives and processes wireless power proscribing data for each respective receiver, respective wireless power proscribing data including at least one user-specified circumstance that a user inputs as to when a respective electronic device coupled with the respective receiver is in use; and the processing apparatus causes transmission of the RF waves by the transmitters in accordance with determining that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling wireless transmission comprising:
a processing apparatus that comprises a processor;
a data storage, operatively coupled to the processing apparatus; and
one or more wireless power transmitters each comprising at least two antennas communicatively coupled to the processing apparatus, the one or more wireless power transmitters being configured to receive instructions from the processing apparatus that cause the one or more transmitters to transmit controlled radio frequency (RF) waves that converge and constructively interfere to provide wirelessly delivered power to one or more receivers;
wherein the processing apparatus is configured to receive and process wireless power proscribing data for each respective receiver of the one or more receivers, and respective wireless power proscribing data for a respective receiver of the one or more receivers comprises at least one user-specified circumstance that a user inputs as to when a respective electronic device coupled with the respective receiver is in use;
and the processing apparatus is further configured to cause transmission of the controlled RF waves by the one or more power transmitters to the respective receiver in accordance with a determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device that is coupled with the respective receiver.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining one of (a) movement of the respective electronic device and (b) an orientation of the respective electronic device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining proximity of the respective electronic device to a user.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining device usage of the respective electronic device by a user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining whether a peripheral device is connected to the respective electronic device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power proscribing data comprises at least one of device sensor data and schedule data.

7. A method for controlling wireless transmission, comprising:
at a system with a processing apparatus that comprises a processor, a data storage operatively coupled to the processing apparatus, and one or more power transmitters each comprising at least two antennas communicatively coupled to the processing apparatus, wherein the one or more wireless power transmitters are configured to receive instructions from the processing apparatus that cause the one or more transmitters to transmit controlled radio frequency (RF) waves that converge and constructively interfere to provide wirelessly delivered power to one or more receivers:
receiving and processing wireless power proscribing data for each respective receiver of the one or more receivers, wherein respective wireless power proscribing data comprises at least one user-specified circumstance that a user inputs as to when a respective electronic device coupled with the respective receiver is in use; and
causing transmission of the controlled RF waves by the one or more power transmitters to the respective receiver, in accordance with a determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device that is coupled with the respective receiver.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining one of (a) movement of the respective electronic device and (b) an orientation of the respective electronic device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining proximity of the respective electronic device to a user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining device usage of the respective electronic device by a user.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes determining whether a peripheral device is connected to the respective electronic device.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the wireless power proscribing data comprises at least one of device sensor data and schedule data.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is further configured to request enablement of wireless power proscriptions for the system in accordance with a determination that the wireless power proscriptions for the system have not been enabled.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is further configured to obtain the at least one user-specified circumstance after wireless power proscriptions for the system have been enabled.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes monitoring measurements received from the respective electronic device that indicate whether the at least one user-specific circumstance is or is not present at the respective electronic device.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein respective at least two antennas of each of the one or more power transmitters are part of a plurality of antennas.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of antennas include flat antennas, patch antennas, and/or dipole antennas.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of antennas are configured to operate in frequency bands of approximately 900 MHz, 2.5 GHz, or 5.8 GHz.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus is a computing device that includes the processor, and the processor is configured to execute wireless power manager software that includes executable instructions for:
receiving and processing the wireless power proscribing data and
causing transmission of the controlled RF waves.

20. The method of claim 7 , further comprising requesting enablement of wireless power proscriptions for the system in accordance with a determination that the wireless power proscriptions for the system have not been enabled.

21. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving the at least one user-specified circumstance after wireless power proscriptions for the system is enabled.

22. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determination that the at least one user-specified circumstance is not present at the respective electronic device includes monitoring measurements received from the respective electronic device that indicate whether the at least one user-specific circumstance is or is not present at the respective electronic device.

23. The method of claim 7 , wherein respective at least two antennas of each of the one or more power transmitters are part of a plurality of antennas.

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Bell Douglas
• Leabman Michael

Classifications

• H04W4/026

  using orientation information, e.g. compass · CPC title

• H02J50/23

  characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas · CPC title

• H04B1/3838

  Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use · CPC title

• H02J50/20 Primary

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title