Staircase Beaconing for Wireless Power Signal Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless power transfer systems face inefficiencies in in-band data transfer due to varying relative positions and orientations of sender and receiver, leading to signal strength changes that can cause previously readable signals to become faint or saturated, requiring sensitive demodulation circuits to maintain accuracy and throughput.
Innovation Solution
A wireless power transmission system that includes a transmitter antenna, amplifier, and controller, utilizing a staircase beaconing protocol to detect receiver systems at different coupling ranges and employing a demodulation circuit with automatic bias and gain control to accurately decode ASK signals, reducing computational resources and system complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If in-band data transfer is used for wireless power systems, then data communication capability is improved, but signal reliability deteriorates when relative positions of sender and receiver vary greatly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beaconing where the transmitter actively probes for receiver presence at different power levels and the system adapts its operation based on real-time coupling conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain reliable communication by adjusting power levels and detecting receiver presence continuously, resolving the reliability issue when positions vary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the initial beaconing process to determine amplifier voltage instructions and configure driving signals. The demodulation circuit provides feedback about receiver detection status and coupling conditions, allowing the controller to adjust operating parameters to maintain signal reliability across varying positions.
2Measurement precision
If sensitive demodulation circuits are implemented to maintain accurate in-band communications, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated demodulation circuit as an intermediary component that specializes in detecting ASK-modulated signals. This separate demodulation stage handles the complex signal processing tasks, allowing the main controller to operate with simpler logic while maintaining high detection accuracy through the specialized demodulation hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex computational decoding operations with an analog/digital hybrid demodulation circuit that performs edge detection and signal decoding through dedicated hardware. This substitution of computational mechanics with specialized circuitry reduces the computational burden on the controller while maintaining measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If computational resources are increased to decode wireless data signals directly from sense signals, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces computationally intensive direct decoding operations with a dedicated demodulation circuit that handles signal processing in hardware. This substitution reduces the computational workload on the controller, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining decoding accuracy through the specialized demodulation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts the complex signal decoding functionality from the main controller and places it in a separate demodulation circuit. This extraction allows the controller to focus on higher-level control tasks with reduced computational demands, lowering energy consumption while the dedicated demodulation circuit handles the precision-intensive signal analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures efficient and accurate in-band data transfer across varying coupling conditions, allowing the use of less computationally capable processors and reducing the bill of materials, while maintaining high throughput and accuracy in decoding wireless data signals.
Implementation Method 1
The transmitter antenna is configured to couple with at least one other antenna of at least one other system and transmit alternating current (AC) wireless signals to the at least one other antenna
Implementation Method 2
The amplifier is configured to receive a driving signal at a gate of the at least one transistor and invert a direct power (DC) input power signal to generate the AC wireless signal at the operating frequency
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless power transmission system includes a transmitter antenna, an amplifier, and a transmitter controller. The transmitter antenna is configured to transmit wireless power signals and wireless data signals. The amplifier is configured to receive a driving signal at a gate of the at least one transistor and invert a direct power (DC) input power signal to generate the AC wireless signal at the operating frequency. The transmitter controller is configured to configure the driving signal based, at least, on an operating frequency and an initial beaconing process, the initial beaconing process for determining presence of a wireless receiver system at a coupling between the transmitter antenna and a receiver antenna of the wireless receiver system, determine amplifier voltage instructions for the amplifier based on the initial beaconing process, and drive the amplifier by providing the driving signal and the amplifier voltage instructions to the amplifier.