Patent Publication Number: US-2023142689-A1

Title: Rf receiver

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     An Application Data Sheet is filed concurrently with this specification as part of the present application. Each application that the present application claims benefit of or priority to as identified in the concurrently filed Application Data Sheet is incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and for all purposes. 
     The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/273,633, filed Sep. 22, 2016, entitled “RF Receiver”; and is also related to the following US applications:
         application Ser. No. 14/552,249, filed Nov. 24, 2014, entitled “Active CMOS Recovery Units For Wireless Power Transmission”;   application Ser. No. 14/552,414, filed Nov. 24, 2014, entitled “Generator Unit For Wireless Power Transfer”; and   application Ser. No. 14/830,692, filed Aug. 19, 2015, entitled “Wireless Power Transfer”;
 
the contents of all of which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
       

    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to wireless communication, and more particularly to wireless power and data transfer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electrical energy used in powering electronic devices comes predominantly from wired sources. Conventional wireless power transfer relies on magnetic inductive effect between two coils placed in close proximity of one another. To increase its efficiency, the coil size is selected to be less than the wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave. The transferred power diminishes strongly as the distance between the source and the charging device is increased. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An RF lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, a multitude of radiators adapted to radiate electromagnetic waves to power a device positioned away from the RF lens. Each of the multitude of radiators operates at the same frequency. The phase of the electromagnetic wave radiated by each of the multitude of radiators is selected to be representative of the distance between that radiator and the device. 
     In one embodiment, the multitude of radiators are formed in an array. In one embodiment, the array is a one-dimensional array. In another embodiment, the array is a two-dimensional array. In one embodiment, the amplitudes of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the radiators is variable. In one embodiment, each of the multitude of radiators includes, in part, a variable delay element, a control circuit adapted to lock the phase or frequency of the electromagnetic wave radiated by that radiator to the phase or frequency of a reference signal, an amplifier, and an antenna. 
     In one embodiment, the multitude of radiators are formed in a first radiator tile adapted to receive a second radiator tile having disposed therein another multitude of radiators. In one embodiment, the RF lens is further adapted to track a position of the device. In one embodiment, each of a first subset of the radiators includes a circuit for receiving an electromagnetic wave transmitted by the device thus enabling the RF lens to determine the position of the device in accordance with the phases of the electromagnetic wave received by the first subset of the radiators. 
     In one embodiment, each of at least a first subset of the radiators includes a circuit for receiving an electromagnetic wave transmitted by the device thereby enabling the RF lens to determine a position of the device in accordance with a travel time of the electromagnetic wave from the device to each of the first subset of the radiators and a travel time of a response electromagnetic wave transmitted from the RF lens to the device. In one embodiment, the RF lens is formed in a semiconductor substrate. 
     A method of wirelessly powering a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, transmitting a multitude of electromagnetic waves having the same frequency from a multitude of radiators to the device, selecting a phase of each of the multitude of radiators in accordance with a distance between that radiator and the device, and charging the device using the electromagnetic waves received by the device. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, forming the radiators in an array. In one embodiment, the radiators are formed in a one-dimensional array. In another embodiment, the radiators are formed in a two-dimensional array. In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, varying the amplitude of the electromagnetic wave radiated by each of the radiators. 
     In one embodiment, each radiators includes, in part, a variable delay element, a controlled locked circuit adapted to lock the phase or the frequency of the electromagnetic wave radiated by the radiator to the phase or frequency of a reference signal, an amplifier, and an antenna. In one embodiment, the radiators are formed in a first radiator tile adapted to receive a second radiator tile having disposed therein another multitude of radiators. 
     In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, tracking the position of the device. In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, determining the position of the device in accordance with relative phases of an electromagnetic wave transmitted by the device and received by each of at least a subset of the radiators. In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, determining the position of the device in accordance with a travel time of an electromagnetic wave transmitted by the device and received by each of at least a subset of the radiators, and further in accordance with a travel time of a response electromagnetic wave transmitted from the RF lens to the device. In one embodiment, the method further includes, in part, forming the RF lens in a semiconductor substrate. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a splitter/coupler adapted to split the received RF signal into first and second portions, a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from the first portion of the received RF signal, and a power recovery unit adapted to convert the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power to power the device. In one embodiment, the splitter/coupler is an adjustable splitter/coupler 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from a first portion of the RF signal, a power recovery unit adapted to convert a second portion of the RF signal to a DC power to power the device, and a controller adapted to receive the RF signal from the antenna and generate the first and second portions of the RF signal in accordance with impedance values of the receiver and the power recovery unit. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a switch adapted to receive the RF signal from the antenna, a power recovery unit adapted to convert the RF signal to a DC power to power the device when the switch is in a first position, and a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from the received RF signal when the switch is in a second position. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a splitter/coupler adapted to split the received RF signal into first and second portions, a switch adapted to receive the second portion of the RF signal from the splitter/coupler, a power recovery unit adapted to convert the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power to power the device when the switch is in a first position, and a power combiner adapted to receive the first portion of the RF signal from the splitter/coupler and further to receive the second portion of the RF signal when the switch is in a second position, and a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from an output signal of the power combiner. In one embodiment, the device further includes a controller adapted to cause the switch to be in the first position when a power of the received RF signal is less than a first threshold value. In one embodiment, the device further includes a controller adapted to cause the switch to be in the first position when the device indicates that its DC power exceeds a second threshold value. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a switch adapted to receive the RF signal from the antenna, a power combiner coupled to a first output terminal of the switch to receive the RF signal when the switch is in a first position, a splitter/coupler coupled to a second output terminal of the switch to receive the RF signal, when the switch is in a second position, to split the RF signal into a first portion and a second portion and deliver the first portion of the RF signal to the power combiner, a power recovery unit adapted to convert the first portion of the RF signal to a DC power to charge the device when the switch is in the second position, and a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from an output signal of the power combiner. In one embodiment, the device further includes, in part, a controller adapted to cause the switch to be in the first position when a power of the received RF signal is less than a threshold value. In yet another embodiment, the device further includes a controller adapted to cause the switch to be in the first position when the device indicates that its DC power exceeds a threshold value. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a controller, an adjustable splitter/coupler adapted to split the received RF signal into first and second portions in accordance with a value the adjustable splitter/coupler receives from the controller, a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from the first portion of the RF signal, and a power recovery unit adapted to convert the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power to charge the device. In one embodiment, the value supplied by the controller is defined by a target data rate of the device. In another embodiment, the value supplied by the controller is defined by a DC power requirement of the device. 
     A method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, receiving an RF signal that includes modulated data, splitting the received RF signal to first and second portions, demodulating the data from the first portion of the RF signal, and converting the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power. 
     A method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, receiving an RF signal that includes modulated data, demodulating the data from a first portion of the received RF signal via a receiver, converting a second portion of the RF signal to a DC power via a power recovery unit, and generating the first and second portions of the RF signal in accordance with impedance values of the receiver and the power recovery unit. 
     A method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, receiving an RF signal that includes modulated data, converting the RF signal to a DC power when a switch is in a first position, and demodulating the data from the received RF signal when the switch is in a second position. 
     A method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, receiving an RF signal that includes modulated data, demodulating the data using either a first portion of the RF signal or the RF signal, and converting a second portion of the RF signal to a DC power when the first portion of the RF signal is used for demodulating the data. In one embodiment, the data is modulated using the RF signal when a power of the received RF signal is less than a first threshold value. In one embodiment, the data is demodulated using the RF signal when an indication is received that a battery charge exceeds a threshold value. 
     A device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, an antenna adapted to receive an RF signal that includes modulated data, a controller, an adjustable splitter/coupler adapted to split the received RF signal into first and second portions in accordance with a value the adjustable splitter/coupler receives from the controller, a receiver adapted to demodulate the data from the first portion of the RF signal, and a power recovery unit adapted to convert the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power to charge the device. In one embodiment, the value supplied by the controller is defined by a target data rate of the device. In another embodiment, the value supplied by the controller is defined by a DC power requirement of the device. 
     A method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes, in part, receiving an RF signal, splitting the received RF signal to first and second portions in accordance with a received value, demodulating the data from the first portion of the RF signal, and converting the second portion of the RF signal to a DC power. In one embodiment, the value is defined by a target data rate. In one embodiment, the value is defined by a DC power requirement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    shows a one-dimensional array of radiators forming an RF lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of the RF lens of  FIG.  1    wirelessly delivering power to a device at a first location, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of the RF lens of  FIG.  1    wirelessly delivering power to a device at a second location, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of the RF lens of  FIG.  1    wirelessly delivering power to a device at a third location, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  5    shows a two-dimensional array of radiators forming an RF lens, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6 A  is a simplified block diagram of a radiator disposed in an RF lens, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  6 B  is a simplified block diagram of a radiator disposed in an RF lens, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  7    shows a number of electronic components of a device adapted to be charged wirelessly, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic diagram of an RF lens wirelessly charging a device, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9    is a schematic diagram of an RF lens concurrently charging a pair of devices, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  10    is a schematic diagram of an RF lens concurrently charging a pair of mobile devices and a stationary device, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  11 A  shows computer simulations of the electromagnetic field profiles of a one-dimensional RF lens, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  11 B  is a simplified schematic view of an RF lens used in generating the electromagnetic field profiles of  FIG.  11 A . 
         FIG.  12    shows the variations in computer simulated electromagnetic field profiles generated by the RF lens of  FIG.  11 B  as a function of the spacing between each adjacent pair of radiators disposed therein. 
         FIG.  13 A  is an exemplary computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of an RF lens and using a scale of −15 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  13 B  shows the computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of  FIG.  13 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB. 
         FIG.  14 A  is an exemplary computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of the RF lens of  FIG.  13 A  and using a scale of −15 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  14 B  shows the computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of  FIG.  14 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  15 A  is an exemplary computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of an RF lens and using a scale of −15 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  15 B  shows the computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of  FIG.  15 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  16 A  is an exemplary computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of the RF lens of  FIG.  15 A  using a scale of −15 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  16 B  shows the computer-simulated electromagnetic field profile of  FIG.  16 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  17 A  shows an exemplary radiator tile having disposed therein four radiators, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  17 B  shows an RF lens formed using a multitude of the radiator tiles of  FIG.  17 A , in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  18    is a simplified block diagram of a radiator disposed in an RF lens, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  19    shows a number of electronic components disposed in a device adapted to be charged wirelessly, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  20    shows an RF lens tracking a device using a signal transmitted by the device, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 A  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 B  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 C  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 D  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 E  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  21 F  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  22    shows an RF lens transferring power to a device in the presence of a multitude of scattering objects, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  23 A  shows an RF lens formed using a multitude of radiators arranged in a circular shape, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  23 B  shows an RF lens formed using a multitude of radiators arranged in an elliptical shape, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An RF lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes a multitude of radiators adapted to transmit radio frequency electromagnetic EM waves (hereinafter alternatively referred to as EM waves, or waves) whose phases and amplitudes are modulated so as to concentrate the radiated power in a small volume of space (hereinafter alternatively referred to as focus point or target zone) in order to power an electronic device positioned in that space. Accordingly, the waves emitted by the radiators are caused to interfere constructively at the focus point. Although the description below is provided with reference to wireless power transfer, the following embodiments of the present invention may be used to transfer any other kind of information wirelessly. 
       FIG.  1    shows a multitude of radiators, arranged in an array  100 , forming an RF lens, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Array  100  is shown as including N radiators  10   1 ,  10   2 ,  10   3  . . .  10   N-1 ,  10   N  each adapted to radiate an EM wave whose amplitude and phase may be independently controlled in order to cause constructive interference of the radiated EM waves at a focus point where a device to be charged is located, where N is integer greater than 1.  FIG.  2    is a side view of the array  100  when the relative phases of the waves generated by radiators  10   i  (i is an integer ranging from 1 to N) are selected so as to cause constructive interference between the waves to occur near region  102  where a device being wirelessly charged is positioned, i.e., the focus point. Region  102  is shown as being positioned at approximately distance d 1  from center  104  of array  100 . The distance between the array center and the focus point is alternatively referred to herein as the focal length. Although the following description of an RF lens is provided with reference to a one or two dimensional array of radiators, it is understood that an RF lens in accordance with the present invention may have any other arrangement of the radiators, such as a circular arrangement  1000  of radiators  202  as shown in  FIG.  22 A , or the elliptical arrangement  1010  of radiators  202  shown in  FIG.  22 B . 
     As seen from  FIG.  2   , each radiator  10   i  is assumed to be positioned at distance y i  from center  104  of array  100 . The amplitude and phase of the wave radiated by radiator  10   i  are assumed to be represented by A i  and θ i  respectively. Assume further that the wavelength of the waves being radiated is represented by λ. To cause the waves radiated by the radiators to interfere constructively in region  102  (i.e., the desired focus point), the following relationship is satisfied between various phases θ i  and distances y i : 
     
       
         
           
             
               
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     Since the phase of an RF signal may be accurately controlled, power radiated from multiple sources may be focused, in accordance with the present invention, onto a target zone where a device to be wirelessly charged is located. Furthermore, dynamic phase control enables the tracking of the device as it moves from its initial location. For example, as shown in  FIG.  3   , if the device moves to a different position—along the focal plane—located at a distance d 2  from center point  104  of the array, in order to ensure that the target zone is also located at distance d 2 , the phases of the sources may be adjusted in accordance with the following relationship: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
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     Referring to  FIG.  4   , if the device moves to a different position away from the focal plane (e.g., to a different point along the y-axis) the radiators&#39; phases are dynamically adjusted, as described below, so as to track and maintain the target zone focused on the device. Parameter y c  represents the y-component of the device&#39;s new position, as shown in  FIG.  4   , from the focal plane of the array (i.e, the plane perpendicular to the y-axis and passing through center  104  of array  100 ). 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
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     The amount of power transferred is defined by the wavelength A of the waves being radiated by the radiators, the array span or array aperture A as shown in  FIG.  1   , and the focal length, i.e. (λF/A). 
     In one embodiment, the distance between each pair of radiators is of the order of the wavelength of the signal being radiated. For example, if the frequency of the radiated wave is 2.4 GHz (i.e., the wavelength is 12.5 cm), the distance between each two radiators may be a few tenths to a few tens of the wavelengths, that may vary depending on the application. 
     An RF lens, in accordance with the present invention, is operative to transfer power wirelessly in both near-field and far field regions. In the optical domain, a near field region is referred to as the Fresnel region and is defined as a region in which the focal length is of the order of the aperture size. In the optical domain, a far field region is referred to as the Fraunhofer region and is defined as a region in which the focal length (F) is substantially greater than (2A 2 /λ). 
     To transfer power wirelessly to a device, in accordance with the present invention, the radiator phases are selected so as to account for differences in distances between the target point and the radiators. For example, assume that the focal length d 1  in  FIG.  2    is of the order of the aperture size A. Therefore, since distances S 1 , S 2 , S 3  . . . S N  are different from one another, corresponding phases θ 1 , θ 2 , θ 3  . . . θ N  of radiators  10   1 ,  10   2 ,  10   3  . . .  10   N  are varied so as to satisfy expression (1), described above. The size of the focus point (approximately λF/A) is relatively small for such regions because of the diffraction limited length. 
     A radiator array, in accordance with the present invention, is also operative to transfer power wirelessly to a target device in the far field region where the focal length is greater than (2A 2 /λ). For such regions, the distances from the different array elements to the focus spot are assumed be to be the same. Accordingly, for such regions, S 1 =S 2 =S 3  . . . =S N , and θ 1 =θ 2 =θ 3  . . . =θ N . The size of the focus point is relatively larger for such regions and thus is more suitable for wireless charging of larger appliances. 
       FIG.  5    shows an RF lens  200 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. RF lens  200  is shown as including a two dimensional array of radiators  202   i,j  arranged along rows and columns. Although RF lens  200  is shown as including 121 radiators  202   i,j  disposed along 11 rows and 11 columns (integers i and j are indices ranging from 1 to 11) it is understood that an RF lens in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may have any number of radiators disposed along U rows and V columns, where U and V are integers greater one. In the following description, radiators  202   i,j  may be collectively or individually referred to as radiators  202 . 
     As described further blow, the array radiators are locked to a reference frequency, which may be a sub-harmonic (n=1, 2, 3 . . . ) of the radiated frequency, or at the same frequency as the radiated frequency. The phase of the wave radiated by each radiator are controlled independently in order to enable the radiated waves to constructively interfere and concentrate their power onto a target zone within any region in space. 
       FIG.  6 A  is a simplified block diagram of a radiator  202  disposed in RF lens  200 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As seen, radiator  202  is shown as including, in part, a programmable delay element (also referred to herein as phase modulator)  210 , a phase/frequency locked loop  212 , a power amplifier  214 , and an antenna  216 . Programmable delay element  210  is adapted to delay signal W 2  to generate signal W 3 . The delay between signals W 2  and W 3  is determined in accordance with control signal Ctrl applied to the delay element. In one embodiment, phase/frequency locked loop  212  receives signal W 1  as well as a reference clock signal having a frequency F ref  to generate signal W 2  whose frequency is locked to the reference frequency F ref . In another embodiment, signal W 2  generated by phase/frequency locked loop  212  has a frequency defined by a multiple of the reference frequency F ref . Signal W 3  is amplified by power amplifier  214  and transmitted by antenna  216 . Accordingly and as described above, the phase of the signal radiated by each radiator  202  may be varied by an associated programmable delay element  210  disposed in the radiator. 
       FIG.  6 B  is a simplified block diagram of a radiator  202  disposed in RF lens  200 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As seen, radiator  202  is shown as including, in part, a programmable delay element  210 , a phase/frequency locked loop  212 , a power amplifier  214 , and an antenna  216 . Programmable delay element  210  is adapted to delay the reference clock signal F ref  thereby to generate a delayed reference clock signal F ref_Delay . The delay between signals F ref  and F ref_Delay  is determined in accordance with control signal Ctrl applied to the delay element  210 . Signal W 2  generated by phase/frequency locked loop  212  has a frequency locked to the frequency of signal F ref_Delay  or a multiple of the frequency of signal F ref_Delay . In other embodiments (not shown), the delay element is disposed in and is part of phase/frequency locked loop  212 . In yet other embodiments (not shown), the radiators may not have an amplifier. 
       FIG.  7    shows a number of components of a device  300  adapted to be charged wirelessly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Device  300  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  302 , a rectifier  304 , and a regulator  306 . Antenna  302  receives the electromagnetic waves radiated by a radiator, in accordance with the present invention. Rectifier  304  is adapted to convert the received AC power to a DC power. Regulator  306  is adapted to regulate the voltage signal received from rectifier  304  and apply the regulated voltage to the device. High power transfer efficiency is obtained, in one embodiment, if the aperture area of the receiver antenna is comparable to the size of the target zone of the electromagnetic field. Since most of the radiated power is concentrated in a small volume forming the target zone, such a receiver antenna is thus optimized to ensure that most of the radiated power is utilized for charging up the device. In one embodiment, the device may be retro-fitted externally with components required for wireless charging. In another embodiment, existing circuitry present in the charging device, such as antenna, receivers, and the like, may be used to harness the power. 
       FIG.  8    is a schematic diagram of RF lens  200  wirelessly charging device  300 . In some embodiments, RF lens  200  wirelessly charges multiple devices concurrently.  FIG.  9    shows RF lens  200  concurrently charging devices  310 , and  315  using focused waves of similar or different strengths.  FIG.  10    shows RF lens  200  wireless charging mobile devices  320 ,  325  and stationary device  330  all of which are assumed to be indoor. 
       FIG.  11 A  shows computer-simulated electromagnetic field profiles generated by a one-dimensional RF lens at a distance 2 meters away from the RF lens having an array of 11 isotropic radiators. The beam profiles are generated for three different frequencies, namely 200 MHz (wavelength 150 cm), 800 MHz (wavelength 37.5 cm), and 2400 MHz (wavelength 12.50 cm). Since the distance between each pair of adjacent radiators of the RF lens is assumed to be 20 cm, the RF lens has an aperture of 2 m. Therefore, the wavelengths are of the order of aperture size and focal length of the radiator.  FIG.  11 B  is a simplified schematic view of such an RF lens  500  having 11 radiators  505   k  that are spaced 20 cm apart from one another, where K is an integer ranging from 1 to 11. 
     Plots  510 ,  520  and  530  are computer simulations of the electromagnetic field profiles respectively for 200 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2400 signals radiated by radiator  500  when the relative phases of the various radiators are selected so as to account for the path differences from each of radiators  505   k  to the point located 2 meters away from radiator  5056  in accordance with expression (1) above. For each of these profiles, the diffraction limited focus size is of the order of the wavelengths of the radiated signal. Plots  515 ,  525  and  535  are computer simulations of the electromagnetic field profiles at a distance 2 meters away from the radiator array for 200 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2400 signals respectively when the phases of radiators  505   k  were set equal to one another. 
     As seen from these profiles, for the larger wavelength having a frequency of 200 MHz (i.e, plots  510 ,  515 ), because the path differences from the individual radiators to the focus point are not substantially different, the difference between profiles  510  and  515  is relatively unpronounced. However, for each of 800 MHz and 2400 MHz frequencies, the EM confinement (focus) is substantially more when the relative phases of the various radiators are selected so as to account for the path differences from the radiators  505   k  to the focus point than when radiator phases are set equal to one another. Although the above examples are provided with reference to operating frequencies of 200 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2400 MHz, it is understood that the embodiments of the present may be used in any other operating frequency, such as 5.8 GHz, 10 GHz, and 24 GHz. 
       FIG.  12    shows the variations in computer simulated electromagnetic field profiles generated by RF lens  500 —at a distance of 2 meters away from the RF lens—as a function of the spacing between each adjacent pair of radiators. The RF lens is assumed to operate at a frequency of 2400 MHz. Plots  610 ,  620 , and  630  are computer simulations of the field profiles generated respectively for radiator spacings of 5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm after selecting the relative phases of the various radiators to account for the path differences from various radiators  505   k  to the point 2 meters away from the RF lens, in accordance with expression (1) above. Plots  615 ,  625 , and  650  are computer simulations of the field profiles generated respectively for radiator spacings of 5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm assuming all radiators disposed in RF lens  500  have equal phases. As is seen from these plots, as the distance between the radiators increases—thus resulting in a larger aperture size—the EM confinement also increases thereby resulting in a smaller focus point. 
       FIG.  13 A  is the computer simulation of the EM profile of an RF lens at a distance 3 meters away from an RF lens having disposed therein a two-dimensional array of Hertzian dipoles operating at a frequency of 900 MHz, such as RF lens  200  shown in  FIG.  5   . The spacing between the dipole radiators are assumed to be 30 cm. The relative phases of the radiators were selected so as to account for the path differences from the radiators to the focal point, assumed to be located 3 meters away from the RF lens. In other words, the relative phases of the radiators is selected to provide the RF lens with a focal length of approximately 3 meters. The scale used in generating  FIG.  13 A  is −15 dB to 0 dB.  FIG.  13 B  shows the EM profile of  FIG.  13 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB. 
       FIG.  14 A  is the computer simulation of the EM profile of the RF lens of  FIGS.  13 A / 13 B at a distance 2 meters away from the focal point, i.e., 5 meters away from the RF lens. As is seen from  FIG.  14 A , the radiated power is diffused over a larger area compared to those shown in  FIGS.  13 A and  13 B . The scale used in generating  FIG.  14 A  is −15 dB to 0 dB.  FIG.  14 B  shows the EM profile of  FIG.  14 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB. 
       FIG.  15 A  is the computer simulation of the EM profile of an RF lens at a distance 3 meters away from the RF lens having disposed therein a two-dimensional array of Hertzian dipoles operating at a frequency of 900 MHz. The spacing between the dipole radiators are assumed to be 30 cm. The relative phases of the radiators are selected so as to account for the path differences from the radiators to the focal point, assumed to be located 3 meters away from the RF lens and at an offset of 1.5 m from the focal plane of the RF lens, i.e., the focus point has a y-coordinate of 1.5 meters from the focal plane (see  FIG.  4   ). The scale used in generating  FIG.  15 A  is −15 dB to 0.  FIG.  15 B  shows the EM profile of  FIG.  15 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB. 
       FIG.  16 A  is the computer simulation of the EM profile of the RF lens of  FIGS.  15 A / 15 B at a distance 2 meters away from the focal point, i.e., 5 meters away from the x-y plane of the RF lens. As is seen from  FIG.  16 A , the radiated power is diffused over a larger area compared to that shown in  FIG.  15 A . The scale used in generating  FIG.  16 A  is −15 dB to 0 dB.  FIG.  16 B  shows the EM profile of  FIG.  16 A  using a scale of −45 dB to 0 dB. The EM profiles shown in  FIGS.  13 A,  13 B,  14 A,  14 B   15 A,  15 B,  16 A,  16 B demonstrate the versatility of an RF lens, in accordance with the present invention, in focusing power at any arbitrary point in 3D space. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the size of the array forming an RF lens is configurable and may be varied by using radiator tiles each of which may include one or more radiators.  FIG.  17 A  shows an example of a radiator tile  700  having disposed therein four radiators  15   11 ,  15   12 ,  15   21 , and  15   22 . Although radiator tile  700  is shown as including four radiators, it is understood that a radiator tile, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, may have fewer (e.g., one) or more than (e.g.,  6 ) four radiators.  FIG.  17 B  shown an RF lens  800  initially formed using 7 radiator tiles, namely radiator tiles  700   11 ,  700   12 ,  700   13 ,  700   21 ,  700   22 ,  700   31 ,  700   31 —each of which is similar to radiator tile  700  shown in  FIG.  17 A —and being provided with two more radiator tiles  700   23  and  700   33 . Although not shown, it is understood that each radiator tile includes the electrical connections necessary to supply power to the radiators and deliver information from the radiators as necessary. In one embodiment, the radiators formed in the tiles are similar to radiator  202  shown in  FIG.  6   . 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the RF lens is adapted to track the position of a mobile device in order to continue the charging process as the mobile device changes position. To achieve this, in one embodiment, a subset or all of the radiators forming the RF lens include a receiver. The device being charged also includes a transmitter adapted to radiate a continuous signal during the tracking phase. By detecting the relative differences between the phases (arrival times) of such a signal by at least three different receivers formed on the RF lens, the position of the charging device is tracked. 
       FIG.  18    is a simplified block diagram of a radiator  902  disposed in an RF lens, such as RF lens  200  shown in  FIG.  5   , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Radiator  902  is similar to radiator  202  shown in  FIG.  6   , except that radiator  902  has a receiver amplifier and phase recovery circuit  218 , and a switch S 1 . During power transfer, switch S 1  couples antenna  216  via node A to power amplifier  214  disposed in the transmit path. During tracking, switch S 1  couples antenna  216  via node B to receiver amplifier and phase recovery circuit  218  disposed in the receive path to receive the signal transmitted by the device being charged. 
       FIG.  19    shows a number of components of a device  900  adapted to be charged wirelessly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Device  900  is similar to device  300  shown in  FIG.  7   , except that device  900  has a transmit amplifier  316 , and a switch S 2 . During power transfer, switch S 2  couples antenna  302  via node D to rectifier  304  disposed in receive path. During tracking, switch S 2  couples antenna  302  via node C to transmit amplifier  316  to enable the transmission of a signal subsequently used by the RF lens to detect the position of device  300 .  FIG.  20    shows RF lens  200  tracking device  900  by receiving the signal transmitted by device  900 . 
     A radiator, in accordance with any of the embodiments of the present invention, in addition to transferring RF power to a device wirelessly, may also wirelessly transfer modulated data to such a device. For example, a radiator, in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, may operate as a wireless local area network (WLAN) router to direct signal power toward other such routers or receivers (WLAN or otherwise) to increase the received signal power by orders of magnitude and thereby increase the range, coverage and wireless data rates, as well as reduce the effect of multi-path propagation of the RF signal and power. Transferring wireless signal and/or power, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention and in conformity with any communication standards, such as WiFi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, GSM, GPRS, Edge, and UMTS, to a receiving device, and tracking the location of the device as it moves through physical space, greatly increases the range of the data link and achievable data rates. 
     Because the power levels required for data transmission are typically orders of magnitude lower than the power levels for wireless power transfer, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, both power and data transmission may be performed concurrently. In other words, for any given amount of emitted power by a generation unit, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the range of wireless power transfer is smaller than the range for wireless data transmission. Therefore, a device that is in range for wireless power transfer, is also in range for wireless data transmission. Furthermore, the amount of power siphoned off in detecting the transmitted data signal is typically much smaller compared to the power available for concurrently powering the device. In addition, a device that may be charged wirelessly can also operate over the relatively narrow range of frequencies around the center frequency spanned by most signal modulation schemes used in data transmission. 
       FIG.  21 A  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  750  (e.g., cellular phone, camera, wearable device, toy), in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Device  750  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  760 , a directional power splitter/coupler (alternatively referred to herein as coupler)  752 , a power recovery unit  754 , and a radio signal receiver/demodulator (alternatively referred to herein as receiver)  756 . Antenna  760  is adapted to receive a signal from a radiator or an array of radiators, as described for example above, and deliver the received signal to coupler  752 . The signal received by the antenna is a modulated signal that carries information/data as well as RF power, both of which are transmitted using the same frequency. Coupler  752  is adapted to transfer a first portion of the received RF signal to receiver  756  and a second portion of the received signal to power recovery unit  754 . Receiver  756  demodulates the received signal to recover the transmitted data. Power recovery unit  754  is adapted to convert the received RF signal to a DC power to power device  750  or charge device  750 &#39;s battery. Although not shown, it is understood that device  750  may use filters and/or transistors instead of coupler  752  to distribute the received RF power between power recovery unit  754  and receiver  756 . U.S. application Ser. No. 14/552,249, filed Nov. 24, 2014, entitled “Active CMOS Recovery Units For Wireless Power Transmission”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes in detail various embodiments of power recovery unit  754 . In one embodiment, directional coupler/splitter  752  is adjustable (via a controller not shown in  FIG.  21 A ) that can vary the split ratio so as to change the amount of power coupler/splitter  752  provides to receiver  756  relative to the power it provides to power recovery unit  754 . 
       FIG.  21 B  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  755 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Device  750  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  760 , a controller  762 , a power recovery unit  754 , and a radio signal receiver/demodulator (hereinafter receiver)  756 . Antenna  760  is adapted to receive a signal from a radiator or an array of radiators, as described above, and deliver the received signal to controller  762 . Controller  762  is adapted to distribute the received RF power in accordance with an inverse ratio of the impedances of receiver  756  and power recovery unit  754 . Controller  762  may be further adapted to vary the impedances seen at its output terminals such that the output impedance having a closer value to the impedance seen at the input of controller  762  receives a higher amount of the received RF power. 
       FIG.  21 C  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  760 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Device  760  is similar to device  750  except that device  760  uses a switch  764  in place of coupler  752 . When switch  764  is in position P 1 , all of the received RF power is delivered to power recovery unit  754  thereby to charge device  760 . When switch  764  is in position P 2 , all of the received RF power is delivered to receiver  756  to receive the transmitted data. For example, if device  760  is determined as being out-of-range for wireless power charging, switch  764  is placed in position P 2  to supply all of the received wireless power to receiver  756  to improve, e.g., its signal to noise ratio. Likewise, if device  760  is detected as being within range but requiring no additional charge, switch  764  is placed in position P 2  to supply all of the received wireless power to receiver  756 . If, for example, data reception is not of interest, switch  764  is placed in position P 1  to supply all of the received RF power to power recovery unit  754 . 
     For example, assume that an RF lens or a radiator array (a power generating unit) broadcasts an RF signal to determine if the received RF signal is strong enough to wirelessly charge a device receiving the RF signal. If the received RF signal is detected as not being strong enough to wirelessly charge the device, a controller (not shown in  FIG.  21 C ) controlling switch  764  may switch to radio receiving mode by placing switch  764  to position P 2 . Once in the radio receiving mode, the device may then communicate with the radiator array to enable the radiator array to focus its RF power on the device. After the radiator array focuses its transmitted RF signal on device  760 , thereby causing the received RF signal to be sufficient for wireless charging, the controller may place switch  764  in position P 1  to enable power recovery unit  754  to charge device  760 . When device  760  is charged to a sufficient level, it may so inform the controller thus causing switch  764  to be placed in switch position P 2 . It is understood that any number of conditions and criteria may be used to change the position of switch  764 . 
       FIG.  21 D  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  765 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Device  765  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  760 , a coupler  752 , a switch  764 , a power combiner  758 , a power recovery unit  754 , and a receiver  756 . Antenna  760  is adapted to receive a modulated signal that carries information as well as RF power, both of which are transmitted using the same frequency. Coupler  752  is adapted to transfer a first portion of the received RF signal to power combiner  758 , and a second portion of the received signal to switch  764 . When switch  764  is position P 1 , (i) the first portion of the power supplied by coupler  752  is delivered to receiver  756  via power combiner  758 , and (ii) the second portion of the power supplied by coupler  752  is delivered to power recovery unit  754  to wirelessly charge device  765 . Receiver  756  demodulates the received signal to recover the transmitted data. 
     When switch  764  is position P 2 , power combiner  758  combines the first portion of the power it receives from coupler  752  with the second portion of power it receives from switch  764  and delivers the combined power to receiver  756 . Accordingly, in such embodiments, receiver  756  continues to receive the transmitted RF signal regardless of the switch position. For example, when the received RF power is detected as being below a threshold value, switch  764  is placed in position P 2  (via a controller not shown) so that all the received RF power is used for signal reception. When the received RF power is detected as being above a threshold value and/or device  765  requests to be charged, switch  764  is placed in position P 1  (via the controller) so that a relatively small fraction of the received RF power is used for signal detection by receiver  756 , and the remainder of the RF power is used by power recovery unit  754  to charge device  765 . 
       FIG.  21 E  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  775 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Device  775  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  760 , a coupler  752 , a switch  764 , a power combiner  758 , a power recovery unit  754 , and a receiver  756 . Antenna  760  is adapted to receive a modulated signal that carries information/data as well as RF power, both of which are transmitted using the same frequency. Receiver  756  demodulates the received signal to recover the transmitted data. 
     When switch  764  is position P 2 , the received RF signal is supplied to directional coupler  752 , which in turn, delivers (i) a first portion of the received power to receiver  756  via power combiner  758 , and (ii) a second portion of the received power to power recovery unit  754  for wirelessly charging device  775 . When switch  764  is in position P 1 , substantially all of the received RF power is delivered to receiver  756  via power combiner  758 . Accordingly, device  775  is adapted to continuously deliver the RF signal to receiver  756 . 
       FIG.  21 F  is a simplified high-level block diagram of a device  785 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Device  785  is shown as including, in part, an antenna  760 , an adjustable power splitter/coupler  782 , a control unit  762 , a power recovery unit  754 , and a receiver  756 . Antenna  760  is adapted to receive a modulated signal that carries information as well as RF power, both of which are transmitted using the same frequency. Adjustable power splitter/coupler  782  is adapted to split the RF signal it receives from antenna  760  into first and second portions in accordance with a split ratio adjustable power splitter/coupler  782  receives from control unit  762 . The split ratio supplied by control unit  762  may be defined by any number of factors, such as the target date rate set by receiver  756 , the DC power requested by the power recovery unit  754 , the power requested by receiver  756 , and the like. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  21 A- 21 E , it is understood that power combiner  758  may be formed using any arrangement or configuration of active and/or passive devices capable of combining power from two or more sources. Typical examples include lossless power combiners such as coupled transmission lines, their lumped circuit equivalent using capacitors or inductors, magnetic transformers, and other circuits, as is well known. Directional coupler  752  may include coupled transmission lines, transformers and/or their lumped circuit equivalent. Switch  764  adapted to switch RF power may include pass gates, electronically tunable impedance networks, relays and the like, as is also well known. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a pulse based measurement technique is used to track the position of the mobile device. To achieve this, one or more radiators forming the RF lens transmit a pulse during the tracking phase. Upon receiving the pulse, the device being tracked sends a response which is received by the radiators disposed in the array. The travel time of the pulse from the RF lens to the device being tracked together with the travel times of the response pulse from the device being tracked to the RF lens is representative of the position of the device being tracked. In the presence of scatterers, the position of the device could be tracked using such estimation algorithms as maximum likelihood, or least-square, Kalman filtering, a combination of these techniques, or the like. The position of the device may also be determined and tracked using WiFi and GPS signals. 
     The presence of scattering objects, reflectors and absorbers may affect the RF lens&#39; ability to focus the beam efficiently on the device undergoing wireless charging. For example,  FIG.  22    shows an RF lens  950  transferring power to device  300  in the presence of a multitude of scattering objects  250 . To minimize such effects, the amplitude and phase of the individual radiators of the array may be varied to increase power transfer efficiency. Any one of a number of techniques may be used to vary the amplitude or phase of the individual radiators. 
     In accordance with one such technique, to minimize the effect of scattering, a signal is transmitted by one or more of the radiators disposed in the RF lens. The signal(s) radiated from the RF lens is scattered by the scattering objects and received by the radiators (see FIG.  18 ). An inverse scattering algorithm is then used to construct the scattering behavior of the environment. Such a construction may be performed periodically to account for any changes that may occur with time. In accordance with another technique, a portion or the entire radiator array may be used to electronically beam-scan the surroundings to construct the scattering behavior from the received waves. In accordance with yet another technique, the device undergoing wireless charging is adapted to periodically send information about the power it receives to the radiator. An optimization algorithm then uses the received information to account for scattering so as to maximize the power transfer efficiency. 
     In some embodiments, the amplitude/phase of the radiators or the orientation of the RF lens may be adjusted to take advantage of the scattering media. This enable the scattering objects to have the proper phase, amplitude and polarization in order to be used as secondary sources of radiation directing their power towards the device to increase the power transfer efficiency. 
     The above embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and not limitative. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited by number of radiators disposed in an RF lens, nor are they limited by the number of dimensions of an array used in forming the RF lens. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the type of radiator, its frequency of operation, and the like. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the type of device that may be wirelessly charged. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited by the type of substrate, semiconductor, flexible or otherwise, in which various components of the radiator may be formed. Other additions, subtractions or modifications are obvious in view of the present disclosure and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.