System and method for smart registration of wireless power receivers in a wireless power network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537354-B2
Application number	US-201414336987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2014
Priority date	May 10, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for smart registration of wireless power receivers within a wireless power network is disclosed. Each wireless power device may include a universally unique identifier (UUID). Each wireless power device bought by a customer may be registered, at the time of purchase or later. The registry may be stored in an energy domain service, where energy domain service may be one or more cloud-based servers. The method for smart registration may include the steps of detecting a customer device; establishing a connection with a wireless power receiver to read its UUID; sending wireless power transmitter manager's UUID and wireless power receiver's UUID to energy domain service; inspecting wireless power transmitter manager registry; verifying wireless power receiver registry; authorizing power transfer to wireless power receiver; and reporting energy consumption for subsequent billing of customer depending on billing policy of wireless power transmitter manager specified within registry.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless power system configured to provide pocket-forming energy in three-dimensional space, the system comprising:
a plurality of wireless power transmitters, each wireless power transmitter comprising:
a power transmitter manager comprising an antenna manager; and
a storage comprising a device database, wherein the storage is operatively coupled to the power transmitter manager,

wherein a wireless power transmitter of the plurality of wireless power transmitters is configured to receive authorization data from a device, and to determine an authorization state for the device based at least in part on the received authorization data, and
wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to control generation of pocket-forming power waves in three-dimensional space via the antenna manager based on the authorization state, and
wherein the wireless power transmitter transmits and controls the power waves upon determining that the wireless power transmitter is receiving the strongest signal from the device according to a database record associated with the device and stored in a device database, wherein the database record indicates one or more signal strengths received from the device by one or more respective wireless power transmitters.

2. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the authorization data comprises at least one of a device identification, a customer name associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device, and an access policy for the customer associated with the device.

3. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the device database comprises at least one of device network identification data, device serial number data, device signal strength data, paired device data, device power schedule data, device operational status, device battery level data, device charge status data, device hardware value measurement data, device fault data, device error data, device authorization data, and device system configuration data.

4. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to communicate with an energy domain service.

5. The wireless power system of claim 4 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to receive registry data from the energy domain service, wherein the registry data comprises at least one of a device identification, a customer name associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device, and an access policy for the customer associated with the device.

6. The wireless power system of claim 4 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to determine the authorization state via communication with the energy domain service.

7. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to track an amount of pocket-forming energy generated after the authorization state is determined.

8. A method for operating a wireless power system configured to provide pocket-forming energy in three-dimensional space, the method comprising:
receiving, by a power transmitter manager of a wireless power transmitter of a plurality of wireless power transmitters, authorization data for a device;
determining, by the wireless power transmitter, an authorization state for the device based at least in part on the received authorization data; and
controlling, by the wireless power transmitter, generation by an antenna manager of the transmitter of pocket-forming energy in three-dimensional space, based upon the authorization state, and upon determining by the wireless power transmitter that the wireless power transmitter is receiving the strongest signal from the device according to a database record associated with the device and stored in a device database, wherein the database record indicates one or more signal strengths received from the device by one or more respective wireless power transmitters.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the authorization data comprises at least one of a device identification, a customer name associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device, and an access policy for the customer associated with the device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
storing, in the device database, at least one of device network identification data, device serial number data, device signal strength data, paired device data, device power schedule data, device operational status, device battery level data, device charge status data, device hardware value measurement data, device fault data, device error data, device authorization data, and device system configuration data,
wherein the device database is associated with the power transmitter manager, and the authorization state is determined at least in part from the data stored in the device database.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of communicating data between the power transmitter manager and an energy domain service.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of receiving, in the power transmitter manager of the wireless power transmitter, registry data from the energy domain service, wherein the registry data comprises at least one of a device identification, a customer name associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device, and an access policy for the customer associated with the device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the authorization state is determined at least in part from the registry data.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of tracking, in the power transmitter manager of the transmitter, an amount of pocket-forming energy generated after the authorization state is determined.

15. A method for operating a wireless power system configured to provide pocket-forming energy in three-dimensional space, the method comprising:
establishing, by a wireless power transmitter, a communications link with a device via a power transmitter manager;
receiving, by the wireless power transmitter, authorization data for the device via the communications link;
determining, by the wireless power transmitter, an authorization state for the device based at least in part on the received authorization data; and
controlling, by the wireless power transmitter, generation of pocket-forming energy in three-dimensional space via the power transmitter manager based upon the authorization state and upon determining by the wireless power transmitter that the wireless power transmitter is receiving the strongest signal from the device according to a database record associated with the device and stored in a device database, wherein the database record indicates one or more signal strengths received from the device by one or more respective wireless power transmitters.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the authorization data comprises at least one of a device identification, a customer name associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device, and an access policy for the customer associated with the device.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of
storing, in the device database, at least one of device network identification data, device serial number data, device signal strength data, paired device data, device power schedule data, device operational status, device battery level data, device charge status data, device hardware value measurement data, device fault data, device error data, device authorization data, and d

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Bell Douglas
• Leabman Michael A

Classifications

• H02J7/42

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

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• A63F13/24

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• A63F13/98

  Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers · CPC title

• H02J50/15

  using ultrasonic waves · CPC title