Systems and methods for using a transmitter access policy at a network service to determine whether to provide power to wireless power receivers in a wireless power network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9967743-B1
Application number	US-201514748082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	May 10, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless power system configured to provide energy in three-dimensional space, the system comprising:
a wireless power transmitter comprising:
a power transmitter manager comprising an antenna manager that is distinct from the power transmitter manager, wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to use the antenna manager to control a plurality of antennas of the wireless power transmitter,

wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to:
receive a device identifier from a device coupled to a receiver;
transmit a transmitter identifier, the device identifier, and an authorization request to a network service;
receive an authorization state for the device from the network service, wherein:
the authorization state for the device is based on a registry of authorized devices, wherein each device in the registry of authorized devices is authorized to receive power from the wireless power transmitter,
the registry of authorized devices includes a transmitter access policy that indicates whether any form of payment is required to allow each respective device on the registry of authorized devices to receive power from the wireless power transmitter,
if the transmitter access policy indicates that any form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, then the authorization state includes a status indicating whether an acceptable form of payment has been provided to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, and
if the transmitter access policy indicates that no form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, then the authorization state does not include a status indicating whether an acceptable form of payment has been provided to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter;

control generation of radio frequency (RF) power waves via the antenna manager based on the authorization state for the device; and
continuously transmit the RF power waves, using at least two of the plurality of antennas controlled by the antenna manager, to converge in proximity to a location of the receiver coupled to the device responsive to location data continuously received from the device in respective communications signals.

2. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless power transmitter comprises a device database operatively coupled to the power transmitter manager, the device database comprising records having a data field selected from the group consisting 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.

3. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to receive data from the registry of authorized devices from the network service, wherein the data from the registry of authorized devices comprises at least one of a customer identifier associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device if the transmitter access policy indicates that any form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, and the transmitter access policy.

4. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to determine whether the device is authorized to receive power from the wireless power transmitter using the authorization state received from the network service.

5. The wireless power system of claim 1 , wherein the power transmitter manager is configured to track an amount of energy generated by the RF power waves that are transmitted to the device.

6. 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, a device identifier from a device coupled to a receiver, wherein the power transmitter manager comprises an antenna manager that is distinct from the power transmitter manager and the power transmitter manager is configured to use the antenna manager to control a plurality of antennas of the wireless power transmitter;
transmitting, by the wireless power transmitter, a transmitter identifier, the device identifier, and an authorization request to a network service;
receiving, by the wireless power transmitter, from the network service, an authorization state for the device, wherein:
the device,
the authorization state for the device is based on a registry of authorized devices, wherein each device in the registry of authorized devices is authorized to receive power from the wireless power transmitter,
the registry of authorized devices including a transmitter access policy,
the transmitter access policy indicating whether any form of payment is required to allow each respective device on the registry of authorized devices to receive power from the wireless power transmitter,
if the transmitter access policy indicates that any form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, then the authorization state includes a status indicating whether an acceptable form of payment has been provided to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, and
if the transmitter access policy indicates that no form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, then the authorization state does not include a status indicating whether an acceptable form of payment has been provided to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter; and

controlling, by the wireless power transmitter, generation of radio frequency (RF) power waves via the antenna manager, based on the authorization state, wherein the wireless power transmitter is configured to continuously transmit the RF power waves, using at least two of the plurality of antennas controlled by the antenna manager, to converge in proximity to a location of the receiver coupled to the device responsive to location data continuously received from the device in respective communications signals.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
storing, in a device database of the wireless power transmitter, a data for a data field selected from the group consisting 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.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving, in the power transmitter manager of the wireless power transmitter, data from the registry of authorized devices from the network service, wherein the data from the registry of authorized devices comprises at least one of a customer identifier associated with the device, a payment mechanism for a customer associated with the device if the transmitter access policy indicates that any form of payment is required to allow the device to receive power from the wireless power transmitter, and the transmitte

Assignees

• Energous Corp

Inventors

• Bell Douglas
• Leabman Michael

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G06Q20/20

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• H04M15/68

  Payment of value-added services · CPC title

• H04W60/005

  Multiple registrations, e.g. multihoming · CPC title

• H04W4/24

  Accounting or billing · CPC title