Laser wireless power transfer system with active and passive safety measures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10587152-B2
Application number	US-201715604587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2017
Priority date	May 24, 2016
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A wireless laser power transfer system includes, in part, a transmitter and a receiver that form a wireless link. The transmitter, includes, in part, a first communication system, at least a first source of laser beam, and a controller adapted to vary power and direction of the laser beam and further to modulate the laser beam. The receiver includes, in part, a communication system adapted to establish a wireless link with the first communication system, at least a first photo-voltaic cell, and a controller adapted to demodulate and detect the power of the modulated laser beam received by the first photo-voltaic cell from the first source of laser beam. The system optionally includes at least a second source of laser beam controlled by the transmitter controller. The system optionally further includes a second photo-voltaic cell. The transmitter controller is further adapted to cause the second laser beam to strike the second photo-voltaic cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless laser power transfer system comprising:
a transmitter comprising:
at least a first source of laser beam;
a first controller adapted to vary a power and a direction of the first laser beam, said first controller further adapted to modulate the first laser beam; and
a first communication system; and

a receiver comprising:
at least a first photo-voltaic cell;
a second controller adapted to demodulate and detect the power of the modulated laser beam received from the first source of laser; and
a second communication system adapted to establish a wireless link with the first communication system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the transmitter comprises at least a second source of laser beam, wherein said first controller is adapted to vary a power and a direction of the second laser beam, and wherein said first controller is further adapted to modulate the second laser beam.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first controller modulates the first and second laser beams using a same modulation technique.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said receiver further comprises a second photo-voltaic cell.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said first controller is further adapted to cause the second laser beam to strike the second photo-voltaic cell.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said first laser source is disposed on a first panel and said second laser source is disposed on a second panel, said first and second panels being positioned at different orientations with respect to the first photo-volatile cell.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said first controller is further adapted to cause the first laser source to operate at a first power level if the power of the laser beam received at the receiver matches an expected power level.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first controller is further adapted to cause the first laser source to operate at a second power level if the power of the laser beam received at the receiver does not match the expected power level, said second power-level being either zero or an eye-safe power level.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said first controller causes the first laser source to operate at the first or second power level in response to data the first controller receives from the second controller, said data exchanged between the first and second communication systems.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said laser has a bandwidth ranging from 250 nm to 450 nm.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said laser beam has a bandwidth ranging from 250 nm to 450 nm.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second communication systems is selected from a group consisting of a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, and a transceiver.

13. A method of transferring laser power wirelessly comprising:
setting a power of at least a first laser beam to a first value;
modulating the first laser beam;
delivering the first laser beam to at least a first photo-voltaic cell;
demodulating the delivered laser beam;
detecting the power value of the delivered laser beam; and
varying the power of the first laser beam to a second value greater than the first value if the detected power value matches an expected power.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
generating at least a second laser beam;
modulating the second laser beam; and
varying a power and a direction of the second laser beam.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first and second laser beams are modulated using a same modulation technique.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
disposing a second photo-voltaic cell adjacent said first photo-voltaic cell.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
causing the second laser beam to strike the second photo-voltaic cell.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first laser source is disposed on a first panel and said second laser source is disposed on a second panel, said first and second panels being positioned at different orientations with respect to the first photo-volatile cell.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
changing the power of the first laser beam from the second value to the first value if the detected power value does not match the expected power value.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:
changing the power of the first laser beam from the first value to the second value following the change from the second value to the first value if the power value is detected to match the expected power value following an expiration of a first time period.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
causing the power of the first laser beam to change from the first value to the second value, and from the second value to the first value in response to data exchanged wirelessly between a first controller controlling the first laser beam and a second controller responsive to the first photo-voltaic cell.

22. A wireless laser power transfer system comprising:
a transmitter comprising:
at least first and second sources of laser beams, said first laser operating at an eye-level safe level and said second laser source operating at a level higher than the eye-safe level;
a first controller adapted to vary a direction of the first and second laser beams, said first controller further adapted to modulate the first laser beam; and
a first communication system; and

a receiver comprising:
at least a first photo-voltaic cell;
a second controller adapted to validate the first laser beam received by the phot-voltaic source; and
a second communication system adapted to send a signal to the first communication system to cause the second laser beam to strike the photo-voltaic cell after the validation of the first laser beam.

Assignees

• California Inst Of Techn

Inventors

• Abiri Behrooz
• Khachaturian Aroutin
• Hajimiri Seyed Ali

Classifications

• H02J50/80

  involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title

• H02J50/30 Primary

  using light, e.g. lasers · CPC title

• H02J50/90

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

• H02J50/50

  using additional energy repeaters between transmitting devices and receiving devices · CPC title