Wireless Power Transmission For Near And Far Field Applications

Abstract

The disclosed wireless transmitter estimates a client location in space and transmits power in the form of electromagnetic (EM) waves to that location. In response to receiving the power, a client sends a power request signal. In some implementations, the power request signal includes a request that the wireless transmitter transmit more power to the client. In response to the power request signal, the wireless transmitter can modify the power transmitted to the client to increase/decrease the amount of power the client is receiving. For example, the wireless transmitter can modify the emitted EM waves to increase coherent addition or decrease coherent addition at the location of the client to increase the amount of power the client receives. In some implementations, the wireless transmitter modifies the phase distribution of EM waves to increase the amount of power a client receives.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for transmitting wireless power, comprising:
 sending power into space from an antenna aperture;   receiving a feedback signal from a receiver,
 wherein the feedback signal includes information related to power received at the receiver; and 
   based on the feedback signal, sending power with a modified phase distribution from the antenna aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an additional feedback signal,
 wherein the additional feedback signal requests an increase in received power; and 
   sending additional power from the antenna aperture.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising computing the modified phase distribution based, at least in part, on a distance from the antenna aperture to an estimated location of the receiver that provided feedback signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a power request signal provided by the receiver that includes power data and movement data indicating acceleration or velocity of the receiver. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising scanning through space with electromagnetic waves to determine a location of the receiver relative to the antenna aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the receiver is in a non-line of sight path to the antenna aperture. 
     
     
         7 . A wireless power transmitter, comprising:
 a memory;   a processor;   a location estimator to estimate a location of a client device relative to the wireless power transmitter;   a phase adjuster to compute, based on the estimate of the location of the client device, a phase distribution of a power transmission; and   an antenna array to send the power transmission with the phase distribution calculated by the phase adjuster.   
     
     
         8 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 7 , further comprising a communications component to receive a power request signal from the client device and to receive a feedback signal from the client device. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 8 , further comprising a scanning module to cause the antenna array scanning through space with electromagnetic waves. 
     
     
         10 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 9 , further comprising an antenna aperture and wherein the location estimator uses responses from the scanning module to determine the location of the client device relative to the antenna aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 8 , wherein the communications component includes a Bluetooth receiver and the power request signal is transmitted from the client device using Bluetooth and identifies a specific amount of power requested by the client device. 
     
     
         12 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 7 , wherein the location estimator identifies a distance and an angle of the client device relative to an aperture of the wireless power transmitter. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a communications component to receive a feedback signal from the client device; and   a feedback module to compute, based on the feedback signal, a varying phase distribution.   
     
     
         14 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 13 , wherein the feedback signal includes power received at the client device, velocity of the client device, or acceleration of the client device. 
     
     
         15 . The wireless power transmitter of  claim 7 , further comprising a mapping module to create a map of a local environment of the wireless power transmitter. 
     
     
         16 . A method for operating a receiver, the method comprising:
 identifying a power transmission signal sent into space from an antenna aperture of a wireless power transmitter;   generating, at the receiver, a feedback signal,
 wherein the feedback signal includes information related to power received at the receiver; and 
   receiving, at the receiver and from the wireless power transmitter, a second power transmission signal with a modified phase distribution, based on the feedback signal, from the antenna aperture of the wireless power transmitter.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving, at the receiver and from the wireless power transmitter, multiple subsequent power transmission signals, wherein each of the multiple subsequent power transmission signals each having a different modified phase distribution based, at least in part, on an estimated distance from the antenna aperture to an estimated location of the receiver. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting a power request signal from the receiver that includes power data and movement data indicating acceleration or velocity of the receiver. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining, using a global positioning system, a location of the receiver; and   transmitting the location of the receiver to the wireless power transmitter.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the receiver is in a non-line of sight path to the antenna aperture.