Tone Power Scheduler For Wireless Environmental Applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for providing wireless power. In some embodiments, a method for wireless power transmission comprises sending, via an antenna of a first wireless power receiver client and during a first tone time block, a beacon signal to a wireless power transmission system. During a first power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks, a wireless power signal is received from an antenna array of the wireless power transmission system. When not sending the beacon signal and when not receiving the wireless power signal, a low power mode is entered that is configured to consume less power than a power consumed by the first wireless power receiver during either the sending of the beacon signal or the receiving of the wireless power signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for wireless power transmission comprising:
 receiving, at an antenna array of a wireless power transmission system and during a first tone time block, a beacon signal from a first wireless power receiver client of a plurality of wireless power receiver clients configured to receive wireless power delivery from the wireless power transmission system;   calculating a first power transmission configuration for the first wireless power receiver client;   controlling the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a first power tick block of a plurality of power tick blocks following the first tone time block, wherein the plurality of power tick blocks occurs before a second tone time block subsequent to the first tone time block; and   controlling the antenna array according to a second power transmission configuration calculated for a second wireless power receiver client of the plurality of wireless power receiver clients to deliver wireless power to the second wireless power receiver client during a second power tick block of the plurality of power tick blocks following the first tone time block.   
     
     
         2 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 1  wherein calculating the first power transmission configuration comprises determining a complex conjugate of the beacon signal at each antenna of the antenna array. 
     
     
         3 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 2  further comprising storing the first power transmission configuration in computer readable memory. 
     
     
         4 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, at the antenna array and during the second tone time block, a beacon signal from the second wireless power receiver client; 
 calculating a second power transmission configuration for the second wireless power receiver client; 
 controlling the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a first power tick block of a plurality of power tick blocks following the second tone time block; and 
 controlling the antenna array according to the second power transmission to deliver wireless power to the second wireless power receiver client during a second power tick block of the plurality of power tick blocks following the second tone time block. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 4  further comprising:
 receiving, at the antenna array and during a third tone time block subsequent to the second tone time block and prior to a fourth tone time block subsequent to the third tone time block, no beacon signal from the second wireless power receiver client; and 
 controlling the antenna array according to the second power transmission to deliver wireless power to the second wireless power receiver client during a power tick block of a plurality of power tick blocks following the third tone time block, wherein the third plurality of power tick blocks occurs prior to the fourth tone time block. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 1  further comprising:
 controlling the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a third power tick block of the plurality of power tick blocks following the first tone time block. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 1  further comprising:
 delaying controlling the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration by a start delay period subsequent to the first tone time block to allow stabilization of a plurality of power amplifiers configured to amplify wireless power transmission signals. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method for wireless power transmission comprising:
 sending, via an antenna of a first wireless power receiver client and during a first tone time block, a beacon signal to a wireless power transmission system;   during a first power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block, receiving a wireless power signal from an antenna array of the wireless power transmission system, wherein the plurality of power tick time blocks occurs before a second tone time block subsequent to the first tone time block; and   when not sending the beacon signal and when not receiving the wireless power signal, entering into a low power mode configured to consume less power than a power consumed by the first wireless power receiver during either the sending of the beacon signal or the receiving of the wireless power signal.   
     
     
         9 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 8  further comprising:
 during a second power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following a second tone time block subsequent to the first tone time block and prior to a third tone time block subsequent to the second tone time block, receiving a wireless power signal from an antenna array of the wireless power transmission system. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method for wireless power transmission of  claim 9  further comprising:
 sending no beacon signal to the wireless power transmission system during the second tone time block. 
 
     
     
         11 . A wireless power transmission system comprising:
 a wireless power transmission system comprising an antenna array;   a plurality of wireless power receiver clients configured to receive wireless power delivery from the wireless power transmission system and comprising:
 a first wireless power receiver client comprising a first antenna; and 
 a second wireless power receiver client comprising a second antenna; 
   wherein the first wireless power receiver client is configured to:
 send, via the first antenna and during a first tone time block, a beacon signal to the wireless power transmission system; 
 during a first power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block, receive a wireless power signal from the antenna array, wherein the plurality of power tick time blocks occurs before a second tone time block subsequent to the first tone time block; and 
 when not sending the beacon signal and when not receiving the wireless power signal, enter into a low power mode configured to consume less power than a power consumed by the first wireless power receiver during either the sending of the beacon signal or the receiving of the wireless power signal; and 
   wherein the wireless power transmission system is configured to:
 receive the beacon signal from the first wireless power receiver client; 
 calculate a first power transmission configuration for the first wireless power receiver client; 
 control the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a first power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block, wherein the plurality of power tick time blocks occurs before a second tone time block subsequent to the first tone time block; and 
 control the antenna array according to a second power transmission configuration calculated for the second wireless power receiver client to deliver wireless power thereto during a second power tick time block of the plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block. 
   
     
     
         12 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 11  wherein the wireless power transmission system, in being configured to calculate the first power transmission configuration, is configured to determine a complex conjugate of the beacon signal at each antenna of the antenna array. 
     
     
         13 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 12  wherein the wireless power transmission system is configured to store the first power transmission configuration in computer readable memory. 
     
     
         14 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 11  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 receive, at the antenna array and during the second tone time block, a beacon signal from the second wireless power receiver client; 
 calculate a second power transmission configuration for the second wireless power receiver client; 
 control the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a first power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following the second tone time block; and 
 control the antenna array according to the second power transmission to deliver wireless power to the second wireless power receiver client during a second power tick time block of the plurality of power tick time blocks following the second tone time block. 
 
     
     
         15 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 14  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 receive, at the antenna array and during a third tone time block subsequent to the second tone time block and prior to a fourth tone time block subsequent to the third tone time block, no beacon signal from the second wireless power receiver client; and 
 control the antenna array according to the second power transmission to deliver wireless power to the second wireless power receiver client during a power tick time block of a plurality of power tick time blocks following the third tone time block, wherein the third plurality of power tick time blocks occurs prior to the fourth tone time block. 
 
     
     
         16 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 11  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 control the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a third power tick time block of the plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block. 
 
     
     
         17 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 11  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 delay controlling the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration by a start delay period subsequent to the first tone time block to allow stabilization of a plurality of power amplifiers configured to amplify wireless power transmission signals. 
 
     
     
         18 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 11  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 control the antenna array according to the first power transmission configuration to deliver wireless power to the first wireless power receiver client during a third power tick time block of the plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block. 
 
     
     
         19 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 18  wherein the plurality of power tick time blocks following the first tone time block comprises a larger number of power tick time blocks than the number of wireless power receiver clients in the plurality of wireless power receiver clients. 
     
     
         20 . The wireless power transmission system of  claim 18  wherein the wireless power transmission system is further configured to:
 assign the first wireless power receiver client a higher priority than the second wireless power receiver client.