Boost converter and controller for increasing voltage received from wireless power transmission waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10186911-B2
Application number	US-201715799933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2017
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

An exemplary method of receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmitter includes, at a wireless power receiver having a controller, an antenna, a rectifier coupled with the antenna, and a boost converter coupled with the rectifier: (i) rectifying, by the rectifier, energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage, (ii) increasing, by the boost converter, the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller, and (iii) controlling, by the controller, an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power receiver comprising:
a controller;
a rectifier coupled to an antenna of the wireless power receiver, the rectifier being configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;
a boost converter coupled to the rectifier, the boost converter being configured to increase the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and
the controller configured to control an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

2. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein the comparison involves comparing the first voltage with a reference voltage generated by the controller.

3. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and
the amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage is controlled by the controller based also at least in part on a power level required by the electronic device.

4. The wireless power receiver of claim 3 , wherein the electronic device houses the wireless power receiver.

5. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein the antenna receives the wireless power transmission waves from a remote wireless power transmitter.

6. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power transmission waves are radio frequency power transmission waves.

7. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a microcontroller.

8. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the antenna is one of a plurality of antennas; and
the rectifier is one a plurality of rectifiers, and each of the plurality of rectifiers, including the rectifier, is configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the plurality of antennas into the first voltage.

9. The wireless power receiver of claim 8 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and
a number of rectifiers is included in the plurality of rectifiers so as to supply a power level power required by the electronic device.

10. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , further comprising an inductor coupled to the rectifier, the inductor being configured to:
receive the first voltage from the rectifier, and
provide the second voltage to an output terminal of the boost converter.

11. The wireless power receiver of claim 10 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver further comprises a plurality of transistors coupled to the inductor and the controller; and
the controller is configured to control the amount of increase in voltage by controlling the plurality of transistors.

12. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the energy rectified by the rectifier is an alternating current; and
the antenna is configured to convert energy from the wireless power transmission waves into the alternating current.

13. The wireless power receiver of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is coupled with a comparator; and
the comparison is performed by the comparator.

14. An electronic device comprising:
a wireless power receiver, comprising:
a controller;
a rectifier coupled to an antenna of the wireless power receiver, the rectifier being configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;
a boost converter coupled to the rectifier, the boost converter being configured to increase the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and
the controller configured to control an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

15. A method of receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmitter, the method comprising:
at a wireless power receiver having a controller, an antenna, a rectifier coupled with the antenna, and a boost converter coupled with the rectifier:
rectifying, by the rectifier, energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the antenna into a first voltage;
increasing, by the boost converter, the first voltage to a second voltage based on instructions from the controller; and
controlling, by the controller, an amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage based on a comparison.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the comparison involves comparing the first voltage with a reference voltage generated by the controller.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and
the amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage is controlled by the controller based also at least in part on a power level required by the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the electronic device houses the wireless power receiver.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the antenna receives the wireless power transmission waves from a remote wireless power transmitter.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wireless power transmission waves are radio frequency power transmission waves.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the controller is a microcontroller.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the antenna is one of a plurality of antennas; and
the rectifier is one a plurality of rectifiers, and each of the plurality of rectifiers, including the rectifier, is configured to rectify energy from wireless power transmission waves received by the plurality of antennas into the first voltage.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and
a number of rectifiers is included in the plurality of rectifiers so as to supply a power level power required by the electronic device.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wireless power receiver further comprises an inductor coupled to the rectifier, the inductor being configured to:
receive the first voltage from the rectifier, and
provide the second voltage to an output terminal of the boost converter.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver further comprises a plurality of transistors coupled to the inductor and the controller; and
the controller is configured to control the amount of increase in voltage by controlling the plurality of transistors.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the energy rectified by the rectifier is an alternating current; and
the antenna is configured to convert energy from the wireless power transmission waves into the alternating current.

27. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the controller is coupled with a comparator; and
the comparison is performed by the comparator.

28. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the comparison involves comparing the first voltage with a reference voltage generated by the controller.

29. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein:
the wireless power receiver is coupled with an electronic device; and
the amount of increase in voltage from the first voltage to the second voltage is controlled by the controller based also at least in part on a power level required by the electronic device.

30. The electronic device of claim 29 , wherein the electronic device houses the wireless power receiver.

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Leabman Michael A

Classifications

• H02M7/06

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title

• H02M3/1588

  comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02M2001/0022

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B70/1466

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G05F1/67

  to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell · CPC title