Timing acquisition module for wireless power transmission

Abstract

A Timing Acquisition Module (TAM) associated with a wireless power transmission systems (WPTS) is disclosed herein. The TAM is configured to receive encoded beacons broadcast by wireless power receiver clients requesting power on demand. The TAM decodes the encoded beacons to identify respective client broadcast and notifies the WPTS that a client is requesting power. In turn, the WPTS transmits wireless power signals to the client. The WPTS and client may use separate beacons or signals to command the client to broadcast its WPTS beacon. Phases of a beacon are detected by antennas in the WPTS antenna array, and based on the beacon, the wireless power signals are transmitted from the WPTS to the client. Multiple apparatus including a combination of a WPTS and TAM may be implemented in a wireless power environment in a cooperative manner, enabling a client to move within the environment while supporting power on demand.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a timing acquisition module (TAM) of a wireless power transmission system (WPTS) via at least one group of antennas of the TAM, an encoded beacon broadcast of an encoded beacon from a wireless power receiver device of one or more wireless power receiver devices indicating that the wireless power receiver device has requested power via a power request;   in response to extracting, by the TAM from the encoded beacon, an identification of the wireless power receiver device, notifying, by the TAM, a controller of the WPTS of the power request comprising referencing the identification of the wireless power receiver device and indicating that the wireless power receiver device has requested the power; and   in response to the notifying, transmitting, using the at least one group of antennas of the WPTS, wireless power signals to the wireless power receiver device to facilitate servicing of the power request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the WPTS uses the at least one group of antennas of the WPTS to receive signals from the one or more wireless power receiver devices. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the encoded beacon has been broadcast using a signal defined by an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.11 based standard. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the signals are first signals, and further comprising:
 receiving, by the TAM, second signals transmitted from the one or more wireless power receiver devices at one or more antennas of the at least one group of antennas of the TAM;   determining, by the TAM for the wireless power receiver device, an antenna of the one or more antennas of the at least one group of antennas of the TAM that is receiving a second signal of the second signals having a signal strength that is higher than respective signal strengths of remaining second signals of the second signals other than the second signal; and   using a channel associated with the antenna of the at least one group of antennas of the TAM to communicate with the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the TAM is a first TAM, wherein the WPTS is a first WPTS including the first TAM, wherein the first TAM comprises a first charging range that is operating in a vicinity of a second WPTS, wherein the second WPTS comprises a second TAM that comprises a second charging range that comprises a portion overlapping the first charging range, and wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting, via the first WPTS, that the wireless power receiver device is within the first and second charging ranges; and   based on a defined criterion, coordinating, via the first WPTS with the second WPTS, to determine which of at least one of the first WPTS or the second WPTS is to transmit power signals to the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the encoded beacon has been encoded with a code comprising a Barker code sequence. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the WPTS, a WPTS beacon broadcast by the wireless power receiver device, wherein the WPTS beacon facilitates the wireless power receiver device receiving the wireless power signals from the WPTS, and wherein the encoded beacon is a first encoded beacon; and   broadcasting, by the WPTS, a second encoded beacon or a signal comprising a command directing the wireless power receiver device to broadcast the WPTS beacon.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the signal is a first signal, and wherein the method further comprises:
 broadcasting, by the WPTS, a beacon or a second signal comprising a command instructing wireless power receiver devices of the one or more wireless power receiver devices that have received the beacon or the second signal to withhold from transmitting any beacon for a defined amount of time.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning, by the WPTS, respective unique codes to the one or more wireless power devices.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the respective unique codes have been programmed into respective memory devices of the one or more wireless power receivers devices as pre-programmed codes, and wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, by the WPTS, the pre-programmed codes, wherein the transmitting of the wireless power signals comprises transmitting, based on a pre-programmed code of the pre-programmed codes, the wireless power signals to the wireless power receiver device to facilitate the servicing of the power request.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on the encoded beacon, determining, by the WPTS, client-specific information corresponding to the wireless power receiver device comprising at least one of a battery level of the wireless power receiver device, temperature information corresponding to the wireless power receiver device, an estimated distance between the wireless power receiver device and the WPTS, or information representing another WPTS, other than the WPTS, that has been providing power to the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on the encoded beacon, modifying, by the WPTS, a phase of a transmission of a wireless power signal of the wireless power signals.   
     
     
         13 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving, by a timing acquisition module (TAM) of the system via at least one group of antennas of the TAM, a broadcast from a wireless power receiver device, wherein the broadcast comprises an encoded beacon representing that the wireless power receiver device has requested power; 
 in response to extracting, by the TAM, an identification of the wireless power receiver device from the encoded beacon, communicating, by the TAM, a notification to a subsystem of the system that references the identification of the wireless power receiver device and that indicates that the wireless power receiver device has requested power; and 
 based on the identification of the wireless power receiver device, transmitting, using the at least one group of antennas, wireless power signals to the wireless power receiver device. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving, using the at least one group of antennas, beacons from respective wireless power receiver devices comprising the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving signals transmitted from respective wireless power receiver devices comprising the wireless power receiver device at one or more antennas of the at least one group of antennas of the TAM;   determining, for the wireless power receiver device, an antenna of the one or more antennas that has received a signal of the signals having a signal strength that is higher than respective signal strengths of other signals of the signals other than the signal; and   using a channel associated with the antenna to communicate with the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a broadcast system beacon from the wireless power receiver device to facilitate the wireless power receiver device being able to receive the wireless power signals via the subsystem, wherein the encoded beacon is a first encoded beacon; and   broadcasting, using the subsystem, a second encoded beacon or a signal comprising a command directing the wireless power receiver device to broadcast the system beacon.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the signal is a first signal, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 broadcasting, using the subsystem, a beacon or a second signal comprising a command instructing wireless power receiver devices of respective wireless power receiver devices that have received the beacon or the second signal to withhold from transmitting any beacon for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the respective wireless power receiver devices comprise the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 assigning unique codes to respective wireless power receiver devices comprising the wireless power receiver device, wherein a unique code of the unique codes facilitates the receiving of the broadcast from the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a power transmission system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 receiving, by a timing acquisition module (TAM) of the power transmission system via at least one group of antennas of the TAM, a broadcast from a wireless power receiver device of the respective wireless power receiver devices, wherein the broadcast comprises an encoded beacon, and wherein the broadcast represents that the wireless power receiver device has requested power;   in response to extracting, by the TAM, an identification of the wireless power receiver device from the encoded beacon, communicating, by the TAM to a device of the power transmission system, a notification that comprises the identification of the wireless power receiver device and that indicates that the wireless power receiver device has requested power; and   based on the identification of the wireless power receiver device, transmitting, via the power transmission system using the at least one group of antennas of the TAM, wireless power signals to the wireless power receiver device.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving signals transmitted from respective wireless power receiver devices comprising the wireless power receiver device at antennas of the at least one group of antennas of the TAM;   determining, for the wireless power receiver device, an antenna of the antennas that has received a signal of the signals having a signal strength that is higher than respective signal strengths of remaining signals of the signals other than the signal; and   using a channel associated with the antenna to communicate with the wireless power receiver device.