Patent Publication Number: US-9893535-B2

Title: Systems and methods for determining optimal charging positions to maximize efficiency of power received from wirelessly delivered sound wave energy

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present disclosure is related to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/891,399 filed on May 10, 2013, entitled “Receivers For Wireless Power Transmission”; Ser. No. 13/891,430 filed on May 10, 2013, entitled “Methodology for Pocket-forming”; and Ser. No. 13/891,445 filed on May 10, 2013, entitled “Transmitters For Wireless Power Transmission”, invented by Michael A. Leabman, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by these references. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to electronic transmitters, and more particularly to transmitters for wireless sound power transmission. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electronic devices such as laptop computers, smartphones, portable gaming devices, tablets and so forth may require power for performing their intended functions. This may require having to charge electronic equipment at least once a day, or in high-demand electronic devices more than once a day. Such an activity may be tedious and may represent a burden to users. For example, a user may be required to carry chargers in case his electronic equipment is lacking power. In addition, users have to find available power sources to connect to. Lastly, users must plugin to a wall or other power supply to be able to charge his or her electronic device. However, such an activity may render electronic devices inoperable during charging. Current solutions to this problem may include inductive pads which may employ magnetic induction or resonating coils. Nevertheless, such a solution may still require that electronic devices may have to be placed in a specific place for powering. Thus, electronic devices during charging may not be portable. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a wireless power transmission system where electronic devices may be powered without requiring extra chargers or plugs, and where the mobility and portability of electronic devices may not be compromised. Such system may charge and/or power electronic devices with an efficiency that may depend on distance, obstacles, temperature, among others. Thus, a system for tracking and positioning electronic devices is required; such system may locate optimal orientation for charging and/or powering devices at a maximum available efficiency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure provides a system for determining the optimal position and orientation of electronic devices through a plurality of sensors which may provide information to software that may notify the user in order to change position and orientation for receiving charge and/or power at the maximum available efficiency. 
     System for tracking position and orientation may include one or more flowcharts which may be included into an algorithm or group of instructions, which may be used by a processor, CPU, among others, for determining where an electronic device receives charge and/or power at the maximum available efficiency. Thus, a high flexibility may be allow for charging and/or powering a plurality of electronic devices because, wireless power transmission may be employed with a maximum available efficiency in variety of applications, regardless obstacles and interferences. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures which are schematic and may not be drawn to scale. Unless indicated as representing the background art, the figures represent aspects of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a wireless power transmission example situation using pocket-forming. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a tracking and positioning flowchart, which may be employed by an algorithm in a controller, CPU, processor, computer, among others, for determining the optimal position and orientation of an electronic device which may receive charge and/or power through wireless power transmission. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates wireless sound power transmission, where a cellphones receives charge and/or power at low efficiency. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates wireless sound power transmission, where a cellphones receives charge and/or power at low efficiency. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     “Pocket-forming” may refer to generating two or more sound waves which converge in 3-d space, forming controlled constructive and destructive interference patterns. 
     “Pockets of energy” may refer to areas or regions of space where energy or power may accumulate in the form of constructive interference patterns of sound waves. 
     “Null-space” may refer to areas or regions of space where pockets of energy do not form because of destructive interference patterns of sound waves. 
     “Transmitter” may refer to a device, including a chip which may generate two or more sound wave signals, at least one sound wave signal being phase shifted and gain adjusted with respect to other sound wave signals, substantially all of which pass through one or more sound wave transducer such that focused sound wave signals are directed to a target. 
     “Receiver” may refer to a device including at least one sensor element, at least one rectifying circuit and at least one power converter, which may utilize pockets of energy for powering, or charging an electronic device. 
     “Adaptive pocket-forming” may refer to dynamically adjusting pocket-forming to regulate power on one or more targeted receivers. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, which are not to scale or to proportion, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings and claims, are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and/or and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates wireless power transmission  100  using pocket-forming. A transmitter  102  may transmit controlled sound waves  104  which may converge in 3-d space. These sound wave (SW) signals may be controlled through phase and/or relative amplitude adjustments to form constructive and destructive interference patterns (pocket-forming). Pockets of energy  108  may be formed at constructive interference patterns and can be 3-dimensional in shape whereas null-spaces may be generated at destructive interference patterns. A receiver  106  may then utilize pockets of energy  108  produced by pocket-forming for charging or powering an electronic device, for example a laptop computer  110  and thus effectively providing wireless sound power transmission. In other situations there can be multiple transmitters  102  and/or multiple receivers  106  for powering various electronic equipment for example smartphones, tablets, music players, toys and others at the same time. In other embodiments, adaptive pocket-forming may be used to regulate power on electronic devices. 
     The method of wireless power transmission begins by generating two or more sound waves from a transmitter with at least two sound waves transmit transducers. The transmitter forms controlled constructive and destructive interference patterns from the generated sound waves. The system accumulates the energy or power in the form of constructive interference patterns from the sound waves to form pockets of energy. The transmitter assists in converging the pockets of energy in 3-d space to a targeted electronic device. Whereby the converged pockets of energy are collected by a receiver connected to the electronic device with at least one sensor for powering or charging the targeted electronic device from the pockets of energy. The electronic devices are typically a cellphone, iPad, iPhone, tablet, an Android device or other similar electronic device operating by charging a battery associated with the device. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates tracking and positioning flowchart  200 , which may be employed by an algorithm in a controller, CPU, processor, computer among others, for determining the optimal position and orientation of an electronic device which may receive power and/or charge through wireless sound power transmission  100 . 
     In order to achieve the optimal efficiency, electronic device may use a variety of sensors for determining the voltage level in battery and/or the power level received when wireless power transmission starts  202 . Such sensors may indicate whether the device is receiving power at the maximum available efficiency  204 . Maximum available efficiency may depend on distance from transmitter, obstacles, temperature, among others. If the device is receiving power at maximum available efficiency, then an application, software or program installed on the electronic device and/or in the receiver  106  may aware and/or notify user to maintain current position  206 . Moreover, if the device is receiving power at a lower efficiency than the maximum available efficiency, then software or program may use a variety of sensors for tracking and determining the optimal position of electronic device in relation with transmitter  102  position and orientation. Sensors may include accelerometers, infrared, GPS, among others. Furthermore, communication reciprocity may be used by the communication module for tracking and positioning. Communication module may include and combine Bluetooth technology, infrared communication, WI-FI, FM radio among others. By comparing voltage level and/or power received in each position and/or orientation of electronic device, the software and/or program may notify and/or guide user to change device position  208  for looking the optimal position and/or orientation. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates wireless power transmission  300 , where a transmitter  302  may produce pocket-forming over plurality of cellphone  304 . As depicted in  FIG. 3A , wireless sound power transmission  300  may charge and/or power cellphone  304  at a low efficiency because sensors  306  on the receiver  106  may be faced to the same direction of the sound waves  310 , thus pocket of energy  308  may provide less charge and/or power to sensors  306 . As shown in  FIG. 3B  By turning cellphone  304  180° degrees, sensor  306  may receive power at a higher efficiency, such efficiency may be achieved due the sensor  306  orientation, which may be faced in the opposite direction of sound waves  310 . 
     While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments may be contemplated. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.