Classifying and detecting foreign objects using a power amplifier controller integrated circuit in wireless power transmission systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715980-B2
Application number	US-202117493690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2021
Priority date	Sep 20, 2019
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A wireless power transmitting system includes a power amplifier comprising a plurality of measurement points and a power amplifier controller integrated circuit (IC). In some embodiments, the power amplifier controller IC performs synchronization of the various components of the power amplifier, conducts impedance and temperature measurements at the measurements points, determines if a foreign object is within the transmission range of the wireless power transmitter, and decides if a shutdown of the power amplifier is needed. In some embodiments, the power amplifier controller IC determines through a transmitter controller IC, the presence of a foreign object within the transmission range and adjusts the power transmission to one or more receivers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless-power-transmission system, comprising:
a power amplifier that includes at least one measurement point for measuring an impedance measurement at the measurement point, the power amplifier configured to amplify a wireless-power-transmission signal;
a power amplifier controller integrated circuit (IC) configured to:
receive the impedance measurement; and
upon determining, based on the impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is likely to occur in conjunction with transmission of the wireless-power-transmission signal:

cause the power amplifier to shut down.

2. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the power amplifier controller IC is further configured to:
upon determining, based on the impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is not likely to occur in conjunction with transmission of the wireless-power-transmission signal:
instruct the power amplifier to amplify the wireless-power-transmission signal before the wireless-power-transmission signal is provided to an antenna for transmission.

3. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein causing the power amplifier to shut down includes synchronizing respective shut-down operations for each of a plurality of components of the power amplifier.

4. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of components of the power amplifier includes one or more power amplifier bias circuits and a power amplifier power supply network.

5. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein determining, based on the impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is likely to occur includes:
receiving the impedance measurement as one of a plurality of impedance measurements measured from a plurality of measurement points of the power amplifier; and
determining a combined performance metric based on each of the plurality of impedance measurements from the plurality of measurement points, wherein the combined performance metric is determined in part using data based on a Smith chart.

6. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein:
the power amplifier controller integrated circuit (IC) is further configured to:
receive an updated impedance measurement measured at the measurement point; and,
upon determining, based on the updated impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is not likely to occur in conjunction with transmission of the wireless-power-transmission signal:
cause the power amplifier to amplify the wireless-power-transmission signal before the wireless-power-transmission signal is provided to an antenna for transmission.

7. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one measurement point includes one or more of:
voltage at an output of the power amplifier,
voltages at points inside a matching network,
voltage at a drain of transistors of the power amplifier,
a DC current and voltage consumed by each stage of the power amplifier, and
thermistors at different stages of the power amplifier.

8. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 6 , wherein:
when the impedance measurement was observed at the measurement point, a foreign object was present near the wireless-power-transmission system, and
when the updated impedance measurement was observed at the measurement point, the foreign object was not present near the wireless-power-transmission system.

9. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the power amplifier is a GaN (Gallium Nitride) power amplifier.

10. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the impedance measurement is measured at the measurement point while an antenna of the wireless-power-transmission system is transmitting another wireless-power-transmission signal to a wireless-power-receiving device.

11. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 10 , wherein the wireless-power-receiving device is configured to communicate with the wireless-power-transmission system without use of a handshaking protocol.

12. The wireless-power-transmission system of claim 1 , wherein a directional coupler is not used to protect the power amplifier.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a wireless-power-transmission system, cause the wireless-power-transmission system to:
receive an impedance measurement from a power amplifier that includes at least one measurement point for measuring the impedance measurement at the measurement point, the power amplifier configured to amplify a wireless-power-transmission signal; and
upon determining, based on the impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is likely to occur in conjunction with transmission of the wireless-power-transmission signal:
cause the power amplifier to shut down.

14. A wireless-power-transmission system, comprising:
a power amplifier controller integrated circuit (IC) configured to:
receive an impedance measurement from a power amplifier that includes at least one measurement point for measuring the impedance measurement at the measurement point, the power amplifier configured to amplify a wireless-power-transmission signal; and

upon determining, based on the impedance measurement, that damage to the power amplifier is likely to occur in conjunction with transmission of the wireless-power-transmission signal:
cause the power amplifier to shut down.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions the cause the power amplifier to shut down include instructions that, when executed by the wireless-power-transmission system, cause the wireless-power-transmission system to synchronize respective shut-down operations for each of a plurality of components of the power amplifier.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for determining that damage to the power amplifier is likely to occur include instructions that, when executed by the wireless-power-transmission system, cause the wireless-power-transmission system to:
receive the impedance measurement as one of a plurality of impedance measurements measured from a plurality of measurement points of the power amplifier; and
determine a combined performance metric based on each of the plurality of impedance measurements from the plurality of measurement points, wherein the combined performance metric is determined in part using data based on a Smith chart.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the power amplifier is a GaN (Gallium Nitride) power amplifier.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , further including instructions that, cause the wireless-power-transmission system to measure the impedance measurement at the measurement point while an antenna of the wireless-power-transmission system is configured to be transmitting another wireless-power-transmission signal to a wireless-power-receiving device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the wireless-power-receiving device to communicate with the wireless-power-transmission system without use of a handshaking protocol.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein a directional coupler is not used to protect the power amplifier.

21. The wireless-power-tr

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Johnston Cesar
• Nicolson Sean
• Pirbadian Aras
• Jain Deepak
• Chan Howard
• Heinke Erik
• Khanpour Mehdi

Classifications

• H02J2105/54

  according to a non-electrical condition, e.g. temperature · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H03F1/0238

  using supply converters · CPC title

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title