Ruggedized communication for wireless power systems in multi- device environments

1 . A method of operating a wireless power transmission system that is configured to simultaneously transmit wireless power and wireless data to a plurality of wireless receiver systems, the method comprising:

determining presence of a first wireless receiver system and a second wireless receiver system;

allocating a first band portion of a communications frequency band for communications with the first wireless receiver system;

allocating a second band portion of the communications frequency band for communications with the second wireless receiver system;

generating a first magnetic field at a first operating frequency band within the first band portion;

generating a second magnetic field at a second operating frequency band within the second band portion;

coupling with the first wireless receiver system via the first magnetic field;

coupling with the second wireless receiver system via the second magnetic field;

decoding a first communications signal communicated from the first wireless receiver system over the first band portion; and

decoding a second communications signal communicated from the second wireless receiver system over the second band portion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , detecting, at a first wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system coupled with the first wireless receiver system, one or more of unwanted noise associated with the second wireless receiver system, unwanted data associated with the second wireless receiver system, or combinations thereof, within the first band portion.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising filtering, at the first wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system, the one or more of unwanted noise associated with the second wireless receiver system, unwanted data associated with the second wireless receiver system, or combinations thereof, to thereby determine a filtered first communications signal.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communications frequency band is in a range of 25 kilohertz (“kHz”) to 360 kHz.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a first unique identifier for the first wireless receiver system; and

detecting a second unique identifier for the second wireless receiver system,

wherein the first communications signal includes the first unique identifier and the second communications signal includes the second unique identifier.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

ignoring, by a first power wireless transmitter of the wireless power transmission system coupled with the first wireless receiver system, received communications that include the second unique identifier; and

ignoring, by a second wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system coupled with the second wireless receiver system, received communications that include the first unique identifier.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

transmitting first meaningful electrical energy, via a first wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system, to the first wireless receiver system upon detection of the first unique identifier; and

transmitting second meaningful electrical energy, via a second wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system, to the second wireless receiver system upon detection of the second unique identifier.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a first device associated with the first wireless receiver system at a first sub-zone of a mechanical housing of the wireless power transmission system, the first sub-zone proximally associated with a first wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system that is configured to couple with the first wireless receiver system; and

receiving a second device associated with the second wireless receiver system at a second sub-zone of the mechanical housing of the wireless power transmission system, the second sub-zone proximally associated with a second wireless power transmitter of the wireless power transmission system that is configured to couple with the second wireless receiver system.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the first device comprises aligning a first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with a first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system; and

wherein receiving the second device comprises aligning a second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with a second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein aligning the first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with the first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system comprises aligning the first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with the first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system via a first mechanical alignment feature that is defined by the mechanical housing, and

wherein aligning the second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with the second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system comprises aligning the second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with the second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system via a second mechanical alignment feature that is defined by the mechanical housing.

11 . A method of operating a wireless power transfer system, the wireless power transfer system comprising a first wireless power transmitter, a second power wireless transmitter, a first wireless receiver system, and a second wireless receiver system, the method comprising:

determining presence of the first wireless receiver system and the second wireless receiver system;

allocating a first band portion of a communications frequency band for communications between the first wireless power transmitter and the first wireless receiver system;

allocating a second band portion of the communications frequency band for communications between the second wireless power transmitter and the second wireless receiver system;

generating, by the first wireless power transmitter, a first magnetic field at a first operating frequency band within the first band portion;

generating, by the second wireless power transmitter, a second magnetic field at a second operating frequency band within the second band portion;

coupling the first wireless receiver system with the first wireless power transmitter, via the first magnetic field;

coupling the second wireless receiver system with the second wireless power transmitter, via the second magnetic field;

decoding a first communications signal communicated from the first wireless receiver system over the first band portion; and

decoding a second communications signal communicated from the second wireless receiver system over the second band portion.

12 . The method of claim 11 , detecting, at the first wireless power transmitter, one or more of unwanted noise associated with the second wireless receiver system, unwanted data associated with the second wireless receiver system, or combinations thereof, within the first band portion.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising filtering, at the first wireless power transmitter, the one or more of unwanted noise associated with the second wireless receiver system, unwanted data associated with the second wireless receiver system, or combinations thereof, to thereby determine a filtered first communications signal.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the communications frequency band is in a range of 25 kilohertz (“kHz”) to 360 kHz.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting a first unique identifier for the first wireless receiver system; and

detecting a second unique identifier for the second wireless receiver system,

wherein the first communications signal includes the first unique identifier and the second communications signal includes the second unique identifier.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

ignoring, by the first wireless power transmitter, received communications that include the second unique identifier; and

ignoring, by the second wireless power transmitter, received communications that include the first unique identifier.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting first meaningful electrical energy, via the first wireless power transmitter, to the first wireless receiver system upon detection of the first unique identifier; and

transmitting second meaningful electrical energy, via the second wireless power transmitter, to the second wireless receiver system upon detection of the second unique identifier.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving a first device associated with the first wireless receiver system at a first sub-zone of a mechanical housing that houses the first and second wireless power transmitters, the first sub-zone proximally associated with the first wireless power transmitter; and

receiving a second device associated with the second wireless receiver system at a second sub-zone of the mechanical housing, the second sub-zone proximally associated with the second wireless power transmitter.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein receiving the first device comprises aligning a first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with a first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system; and

wherein receiving the second device comprises aligning a second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with a second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein aligning the first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with the first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system comprises aligning the first power transmitting coil of the first wireless power transmitter with the first power receiving coil of the first wireless receiver system via a first mechanical alignment feature that is defined by the mechanical housing, and

wherein aligning the second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with the second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system comprises aligning the second power transmitting coil of the second wireless power transmitter with the second power receiving coil of the second wireless receiver system via a second mechanical alignment feature that is defined by the mechanical housing.