Systems and methods of object detection in wireless power charging systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056929-B2
Application number	US-201916412316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for wireless power transmission based on object identification are provided. A radio frequency wireless power transmitter is in communication with a video camera for capturing image data (e.g., a series of image frames) of at least a portion of a transmission field of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter. One or more processors of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter are configured to (i) detect motion of an object towards the transmission field by applying motion tracking analysis on the series of image frames; and (ii) cause adjustments to transmission of one or more radio frequency power transmission waves by the radio frequency wireless power transmitter to a receiving electronic device based on the motion of the object. The receiving electronic device uses the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to power or to charge a power source used by the receiving electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for wireless power transmission, comprising:
a radio frequency wireless power transmitter that is in communication with a video camera for capturing image data of at least a portion of a transmission field of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter, wherein the image data comprises a series of image frames; and
one or more processors of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter configured to:
detect motion of an object towards the transmission field by applying motion tracking analysis on the series of image frames; and
send instructions to cause adjustments to transmission of one or more radio frequency power transmission waves by the radio frequency wireless power transmitter to a receiving electronic device based on the motion of the object, wherein the receiving electronic device uses the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to power or to charge a power source used by the receiving electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the video camera is a thermal imaging camera, the image data is thermal imaging data captured by the thermal imaging camera, and the one or more processors are configured to:
identify the object in the thermal imaging data by associating visually contiguous body temperature pixels with the object; and
detect the motion of the object by contrasting the visually contiguous body temperature pixels from background image elements in the thermal imaging data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the video camera is a stereo camera, and the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine, by applying stereoscopic vision analysis on the image data, if a distance between the object and a predetermined location within the transmission field is less than a predetermined threshold distance; and
in accordance with a determination that the distance between the object and the predetermined location is less than the predetermined threshold distance, send an instruction to cause ceasing of transmission of the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to the receiving electronic device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the video camera is a thermal imaging camera, the image data is thermal imaging data captured by the thermal imaging camera, and the one or more processors are configured to:
identify the object in the thermal imaging data by associating a pattern of visually contiguous body temperature pixels with the object; and
determine a location of the object by computing three dimensional coordinates of the pattern and calculating a centroid of the pattern.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
identify one or more events within the transmission field, by analyzing the series of image frames using computer vision techniques; and
send instructions to cause adjustment of transmission of the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to the receiving electronic device based on the one or more events.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more events include one or more activities of one or more objects in the transmission field.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more activities include a living being or a sensitive object entering a location in the transmission field.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more activities include interaction between the one or more objects.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more activities include a movement of a first object towards a second object that obstructs a view of the video camera.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more activities include a movement of the receiving electronic device within the transmission field.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
extract video segments from the image data that depict the one or more events; and
generate a report based on the video segments.

12. A computer-implemented method for wireless power transmission comprising:
generating, by a video camera of a radio frequency wireless power transmitter that is in communication with the video camera, image data of at least a portion of a transmission field of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter, wherein the image data comprises a series of image frames;
detecting, by one or more processors of the radio frequency wireless power transmitter, motion of an object by applying motion tracking analysis on the series of image frames; and
sending instructions, by the one or more processors, to cause adjustments to transmission of one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to a receiving electronic device based on the motion of the object, wherein the receiving electronic device uses the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to power or to charge a power source used by the receiving electronic device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the video camera is a thermal imaging camera, the image data is thermal imaging data captured by the thermal imaging camera, and method further comprises:
identifying, by the one or more processors, the object in the thermal imaging data by associating visually contiguous body temperature pixels with the object; and
detecting, by the one or more processors, the motion of the object by contrasting the visually contiguous body temperature pixels from background image elements in the thermal imaging data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the video camera is a stereo camera, and the method further comprises:
determining, by the one or more processors, by applying stereoscopic vision analysis on the image data, if a distance between the object and a predetermined location within the transmission field is less than a predetermined threshold distance; and
in accordance with a determination that the distance between the object and the predetermined location is less than the predetermined threshold distance, causing to cease, by the one or more processors, transmission of the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to the receiving electronic device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the video camera is a thermal imaging camera, the image data is thermal imaging data captured by the thermal imaging camera, and the method further comprises:
identifying, by the one or more processors, the object in the thermal imaging data by associating a pattern of visually contiguous body temperature pixels with the object; and
determining, by the one or more processors, a location of the object by computing three dimensional coordinates of the pattern and calculating a centroid of the pattern.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying, by the one or more processors, one or more events within the transmission field, by analyzing the series of image frames using computer vision techniques; and
sending an instruction, by the one or more processors, to control transmission of the one or more radio frequency power transmission waves to the receiving electronic device based on the one or more events.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more events include one or more activities of one or more objects in the transmission field.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more activities include a living being or a sensitive object entering a location in the transmission field.

19. The computer-implemented method of

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Bell Douglas
• Leabman Michael A

Classifications

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J50/80 Primary

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

• H02J50/60 Primary

  responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings · CPC title

• G06V30/224

  of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks · CPC title