Microstrip antennas for wireless power transmitters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10439442-B2
Application number	US-201715414464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2017
Priority date	Jan 24, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A microstrip antenna for use in a wireless power transmission system and a method for forming the microstrip antenna are described. The antenna includes a first multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB include a first electrically conductive material. The antenna includes a second multi-layer PCB that includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCT include a second electrically conductive material. A first plurality of vias each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB. A second plurality of vias each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCB. The antenna further comprises a dielectric slab that is configured to receive the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An antenna for use in a wireless power transmission system, the antenna comprising:
a first multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) that includes a top surface and a bottom surface that is opposite the top surface, wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB include a first electrically conductive material;
a second multi-layer PCB that includes a top surface and a bottom surface that is opposite the top surface, wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCT include a second electrically conductive material, wherein the second multi-layer PCB is separate and distinct from the first multi-layer PCB;
a first plurality of vias that each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB;
a second plurality of vias that each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCB, wherein the second plurality of vias is separate and distinct from the first plurality of vias;
a dielectric slab that is configured to receive:
the first multi-layer PCB, and
the second multi-layer PCB; and

a first feed that at least partially passes through each of the first multi-layer PCB, the second multi-layer PCB, and the dielectric slab, wherein the first feed delivers a radio frequency (RF) signal at a predetermined frequency to the antenna,
wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the RF signal for delivering wireless power to at least one remote receiver device, and the at least one remote receiver device is configured to convert the RF signal into usable power for providing power or charge to the at least one remote receiver device.

2. The antenna of claim 1 , including a second feed that is coupled to the antenna, wherein the second feed is configured to provide an additional RF signal at the predetermined frequency to the antenna.

3. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein a first diameter of at least a subset of vias of the first and second pluralities of vias corresponds to the predetermined frequency.

4. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein a spacing between respective adjacent vias of the first and second pluralities of vias corresponds to the predetermined frequency.

5. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein:
the wireless power transmission system includes a transmitter that includes:
a plurality of component antennas, wherein the antenna is a first component antenna of the plurality of component antennas; and
a plurality of control elements;

a first control element of the plurality of control elements is configured to cause the first component antenna to transmit a first RF signal; and
a second control element of the plurality of control elements is configured to cause a second component antenna of the plurality of component antennas to transmit a second RF signal, wherein the second RF signal is transmitted with at least one characteristic that is distinct from a corresponding characteristic associated with the first RF signal.

6. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein a first heat-conductive material is coupled to an interior surface of at least one via of the first and second pluralities of vias.

7. The antenna of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one of the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB includes a second heat-conductive material; and
the second heat-conductive material is thermally coupled to the first heat-conductive material that is coupled to the at least one via of the first and second pluralities of vias.

8. The antenna of claim 7 , wherein the second heat-conductive material is included in at least one of the first electrically conductive material or the second electrically conductive material.

9. The antenna of claim 1 , wherein the first and second multi-layer PCBs are secured to the dielectric slab at opposite ends of the dielectric slab.

10. A method for forming an antenna, comprising:
forming a dielectric assembly by coupling a dielectric slab to a first multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) and a second multi-layer PCB, wherein the second multi-layer PCB is separate and distinct from the first multi-layer PCB, and wherein:
the first multi-layer PCB includes a top surface and a bottom surface that is opposite the top surface, wherein:
the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB include a first electrically conductive material, and
a first plurality of vias each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB; and

the second multi-layer PCB includes a top surface and a bottom surface that is opposite the top surface, wherein:
the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCT include a second electrically conductive material, and
a second plurality of vias that each substantially pass through the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCB, wherein the second plurality of vias is separate and distinct from the first plurality of vias; and

coupling at least one feed to the dielectric assembly, wherein the at least one feed at least partially passes through each of the first multi-layer PCB, the dielectric slab, and the second multi-layer PCB, and further wherein the at least one feed delivers a radio frequency (RF) signal at a predetermined frequency to the antenna,
wherein the antenna is configured to transmit the RF signal for delivering wireless power to at least one remote receiver device, and the at least one remote receiver device is configured to convert the RF signal into usable power for providing power or charge to the at least one remote receiver device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the dielectric slab to the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB includes:
coupling the first multi-layer PCB to the dielectric slab using an adhesive; and
coupling the second multi-layer PCB to the dielectric slab using the adhesive.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein coupling the dielectric slab to the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB includes:
arranging the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB relative to a dielectric material while it is in a liquid state, wherein the first multi-layer PCB and the second multi-layer PCB have fixed positions within the dielectric slab after the dielectric material of the dielectric slab transitions from the liquid state to a solid state.

13. The method of claim 10 , including:
forming the first multi-layer PCB, wherein forming the first multi-layer PCB includes printing the first electrically conductive layer on the top and bottom surfaces of the first multi-layer PCB, and
forming the second multi-layer PCB, wherein forming the second multi-layer PCB includes printing the second electrically conductive layer on the top and bottom surfaces of the second multi-layer PCB.

14. The method of claim 10 , including:
forming the first multi-layer PCB includes depositing a first heat-conductive material on an interior surface of at least a subset of the first plurality of vias, and
forming the second multi-layer PCB includes depositing a second heat-conductive material on an interior surface of at least a subset of the second plurality of vias.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
depositing a first heat-conductive material on an interior surface of at least a subset of the first plurality of vias includes depositing the first heat-conductive material such that the first heat-conductive material is thermally coupled to the first electrically conductive material of the first multi-layer PCB; and
depositing a second heat-conductive material on an interior surface of at least a subset of the

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Hosseini Alister
• Kabiri Saman
• Kornaros Evangelos
• Leabman Michael

Classifications

• H02J50/005

  Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices · CPC title

• H05K3/30

  Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistors · CPC title

• H05K2201/10098

  Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas · CPC title

• H02J50/23 Primary

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

• H05K3/4644

  by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits (making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602) · CPC title