Wireless power transmission

A charging panel configured to selectively operate in a number of modes including a radar mode and power-delivery mode, the charging panel comprising:

• a pilot analysis circuitry configured to operate in the radar mode to analyze the magnitude and phase of a pilot signal from a powered device;
• a processor coupled to the pilot analysis circuitry and configured to operate in the radar mode to determine a complex conjugate of the pilot signal based on the magnitude and phase;
• and
• a power transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to operate in the power-delivery mode to cause radiation of a focused wireless power beam to the powered device in accordance with the complex conjugate of the pilot signal, the power transmitter being configured to cause radiation of the focused wireless power beam via one or more antenna elements,
• wherein the charging panel is one of a plurality of spatially-distributed charging panels each of which includes a respective one or more antenna elements, the antenna elements of the charging panels forming an array of antenna elements configured to collaboratively radiate wireless power as a distributed, retro-reflective beamformer.

A method of selectively operating a system for wireless power transmission in a number of modes including a radar mode and power-delivery mode to deliver wireless power, the method comprising:

• operating in the radar mode to analyze the magnitude and phase of a pilot signal from a powered device;
• operating in the radar mode to determine a complex conjugate of the pilot signal based on the magnitude and phase;
• and
• operating in the power-delivery mode to cause radiation of a focused wireless power beam to the powered device in accordance with the complex conjugate of the pilot signal, radiation of the focused wireless power beam being via one or more antenna elements,
• wherein the wireless power is radiated via an array of spatially-distributed antenna elements configured to collaboratively radiate wireless power as a distributed, retro-reflective beamformer.

A charging panel comprising:

• a pilot analysis circuitry configured to analyze the magnitude and phase of a pilot signal from a powered device, the pilot signal comprising an impulse train having a frequency spectrum covering multiple discrete frequencies,
• wherein the pilot analysis circuitry includes multiple parallel branches that are configured to down-convert the pilot signal to a plurality of intermediate-frequency (IF) channels and obtain respective portions of the frequency spectrum of the pilot signal therefrom, the portions of the frequency spectrum for every two adjacent channels partially overlapping one another;
• a processor coupled to the pilot analysis circuitry and configured to determine a complex conjugate of the pilot signal based on the magnitude and phase;
• and
• a power transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to cause radiation of a focused wireless power beam to the powered device in accordance with the complex conjugate of the pilot signal, the power transmitter being configured to cause radiation of the focused wireless power beam via one or more antenna elements.

A method of delivering wireless power comprising:

• analyzing the magnitude and phase of a pilot signal from a powered device, the pilot signal comprising an impulse train having a frequency spectrum covering multiple discrete frequencies,
• wherein analyzing the magnitude and phase includes down-converting the pilot signal to a plurality of intermediate-frequency (IF) channels and obtaining respective portions of the frequency spectrum of the pilot signal therefrom, the portions of the frequency spectrum for every two adjacent channels partially overlapping one another;
• determining a complex conjugate of the pilot signal based on the magnitude and phase;
• and
• causing radiation of a focused wireless power beam to the powered device in accordance with the complex conjugate of the pilot signal, the wireless power being radiated via one or more antenna elements.