Laptop computer as a transmitter for wireless charging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9252628-B2
Application number	US-201314104503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	May 10, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Configurations and methods of wireless power transmission using a laptop computer may include a transmitter and/or a receiver embedded in the laptop screen. The embedded transmitter may emit RF waves for the generation of pockets of energy that may be utilized by receivers in peripheral devices for charging or powering. Meanwhile, the receiver embedded in the laptop computer may collect RF waves from a separate transmitter for charging or powering the laptop computer.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, We claim:

1. A method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system, comprising the steps of:
embedding a pocket-forming transmitter in a screen display of the computer system;
transmitting power RF waves from the pocket-forming transmitter having a radio frequency integrated circuit, antenna elements, a microprocessor and communication circuitry;
generating pockets of energy from the transmitter to converge in 3-d space at predetermined locations;
integrating a receiver having antenna elements and communication circuitry within the electronic device;
converting the pockets of energy from the transmitter to the integrated receiver to power the electronic device.

2. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is a laptop, notebook or nano-notebook.

3. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system is a desktop computer, a tablet, iPad, iPhone, smartphone or other peripheral portable electronic devices.

4. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system includes an embedded receiver whereby a separate transmitter in proximity to the computer system powers the computer system while the transmitter of the computer system wirelessly charges the electronic device.

5. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 4 , further including the step of switching between the transmitter and the receiver in the computer system.

6. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 5 , further including the step of controlling the switching by a software algorithm.

7. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 4 , further including the step of using the same antenna elements for transmitting and receiving the power RF waves.

8. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , further including the step of synchronizing wirelessly with at least one peripheral electronic device used with the computer system and the step of powering the at least one peripheral electronic device.

9. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one peripheral electronic device includes computer mice, keyboards, smartphones, audio or visual headsets and other peripherals used with a computer system.

10. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is integrated between a LED/LCD back-light layer and a frame of the screen display.

11. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 4 , further including the steps of selecting the separate transmitter within a predetermined charging range of the computer system; verifying a battery charge level of the computer system; charging the computer system; identifying peripheral devices within a predetermined range of the computer system transmitter for wirelessly charging the peripheral devices.

12. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power transmission from the computer system allows seamless operation and wireless charging between at least one peripheral device and the computer system.

13. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the computer system transmitter includes adaptive pocket-forming for dynamically adjusting pocket-forming to regulate power on the receiver of at least one peripheral electronic device within predetermined range of the transmitter through communication signals between the transmitter and receiver communication circuitry.

14. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes peripheral devices used in conjunction with the computer system that include a receiver with antenna elements for collecting the power RF waves for charging the peripheral devices.

15. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna elements of the transmitter and receiver operate in frequency bands of 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz.

16. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein peripheral devices operate wirelessly with the computer system through Bluetooth communication between the communication circuitry of the transmitter and receiver.

17. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna elements are facing out of the computer system screen display to allow suitable transmission of power RF waves to the electronic device.

18. The method for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , wherein the screen display includes both the transmitter and a receiver for providing charging to the computer system and charging to the electronic device by switching between the transmitter and receiver over the antenna elements of the computer system.

19. An apparatus for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system, comprising:
a pocket-forming transmitter embedded in a screen display of the computer system having antenna elements, a RF circuit, a digital signal processor for controlling the RF circuit of the transmitter and communication circuitry connected to a power source of the computer system;
power RF waves generated from the RF circuit in the transmitter to form pockets of energy;
a receiver embedded in the electronic device with communication circuitry and antenna elements arranged in a predetermined array for capturing the pockets of energy converging in 3-D space at the receiver;
a battery connected to the receiver for wirelessly charging the battery from the pockets of energy.

20. The apparatus for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 1 , further including a receiver with communication circuitry integrated into the screen display wherein the transmitter and receiver simultaneously receive and transmit power RF waves for charging the computer system through the receiver and for charging the electronic device through the transmitter whereby a software algorithm processed by the digital processor is used to control the switching between the transmitter and the receiver in the screen display using the same antenna. elements for both transmitting and receiving power RF waves through the respective communication circuitry utilizing Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi, FM radio or Zigbee signals for the various communication protocols between the receiver and the transmitter to regulate the charging of the computer system and the electronic device.

21. The apparatus for wireless power transmission to an electronic device from a computer system of claim 20 , wherein the digital signal processor in the transmitter of the computer system controls the charging levels of a battery in the computer system to maintain suita

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Leabman Michael A
• Brewer Gregory Scott

Classifications

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J7/90 Primary

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J50/27

  characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas · CPC title

• H02J50/23

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

• H02J50/90

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