Methods and apparatus for wireless power transmission and reception

A wireless power transmitter transmitting power to at least one wireless power receiver in a wireless power network, wherein the wireless power transmitter is in bidirectional communication with the wireless power receivers, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of wireless power transmitter channels, wherein each wireless power transmitter channel comprises:
• a channel processor, an RF frontend operably coupled to the channel processor, and an antenna, operably coupled to the RF frontend and capable of transmitting power to the wireless power receivers;
• and
• (b) an application processor, coupled to the plurality of wireless power transmitter channels, containing and configured to process algorithms for use with the wireless power transmitter, comprising:
• (1) a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) module, configured to wirelessly discover, authenticate and communicate with a selected wireless power receiver;
• (2) a power balancing algorithm, configured to determine amplitude adjustments and time slots for at least one transmit beam based on available transmit power, a number of client devices, types of client devices, path loss and calibration data;
• (3) a path selection algorithm, configured to determine transmit beam directions for the transmit beams and beam widths transmitted by the transmitter;
• and
• (4) a beamforming algorithm, configured to compute phase adjustment for each power transmitter channel and digital waveform based on the transmit beam directions provided by the path selection algorithm and calibration data.

A wireless power receiver receiving RF power from a wireless power transmitter, wherein the receiver is in bidirectional communication with the transmitter, comprising:

• (a) at least one wireless power receiver channel configured to convert RF power signals transmitted by the wireless power transmitter into direct current (DC), the wireless power receiver channel comprising:
• (1) an aperture configured to receive the RF power signals transmitted by the wireless power transmitter;
• (2) a polarizer operably coupled to the aperture;
• and
• (3) an RF/DC power converter;
• (b) a DC combine network coupled to the RF/DC power converters;
• (c) a DC sense circuit coupled to the DC combine network, wherein the DC sense circuit is configured to measure DC current and DC voltage;
• (d) an Output DC supply, comprising an Output DC-DC converter, configured to produce and maintain voltage required by a client device that is coupled to the wireless power receiver;
• and
• (e) an RF microcontroller, operably coupled to the DC sense circuit, wherein the RF microcontroller comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) device, operably coupled to the DC sense circuit, and a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) module;
• and wherein the ADC is configured to convert DC voltage received from the DC sense circuit into digital samples, and wherein the RF microcontroller converts the digital samples to a power number and reports the power number to the wireless power transmitter at a predetermined period during path selection and power transfer.