IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,536,756
Granted Patent B2
US 11,536,756 · App. 16/042,619 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

Phased array wireless power delivery optmization

Inventors: Christopher I. Walker (Berkeley, CA); Seyed Ali Hajimiri (La Canada, CA)
Assignee: California Institute of Technology
G01R25/04H01Q21/22H02J50/23H01Q3/267
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,536,756
App. No.
16/042,619
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of setting phases of a multitude of transmit elements of a phased array includes, in part, setting a phase of a first transmit element to N different values during each of N different time intervals, transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the first transmit element at each of the N time intervals, measuring a power of the electromagnetic signal at a receiving unit during each of the N time intervals, and selecting coefficients of a basis function such that a difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the measured power value associated with each of the N phases is smaller than a threshold value. The threshold value is optionally defined by a minimum of the sum of squares of the difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the power value for each of the N phases.

Claims (71)

1. A method of setting phases of a plurality of transmit elements of a phased array, the method comprising:

setting a phase of a first transmit element to N different values during each of N different time intervals, wherein N is an integer greater than one;

transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the first transmit element at each of the N time intervals;

measuring a power of the electromagnetic signal at a receiving unit during each of the N time intervals;

applying the measured powers to a basis function; and

selecting coefficients of the basis function such that a difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the measured power value associated with each of the N phases is smaller than a threshold value, wherein a measured power of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the first transmit element is defined by the phase Ø of the first transmit element, and a static phase offset φ of the first transmit element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said threshold value is defined by a minimum of the sum of squares of the difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the power value for each of the N phases.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

determining a phase of the first transmit element using the selected coefficient and the basis function.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the first transmit element in accordance with the determined phase.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said basis function is a periodic basis function.

6. A method of setting phases of a phased array comprising K transmit elements, wherein K is an integer, the method comprising:

setting phases of M transmit elements to M different values during each of N different time intervals, wherein M and N are integers greater than 2;

transmitting electromagnetic signals from the M transmit elements at each of the N time intervals;

measuring a power of the electromagnetic signals at a receiving unit during each of the N time intervals;

applying the measured powers to a basis function for each of the M transmit elements; and

selecting coefficients of each of the basis functions such that a difference between N power values computed by the basis functions and the N measured power values associated with the N×M phases is smaller than a threshold value, wherein a measured power of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by a first one of the M transmit elements is defined by a phase Ø of the first transmit element, and a static phase offset φ of the first transmit element.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said M is smaller than said K.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said threshold value is defined by a minimum of the sum of squares between the N power values computed by the basis functions and the N measured power values associated with the N×M phases.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a phase of each of the M transmit elements using the selected coefficients and the basis function associated with the transmit element.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting an electromagnetic signal from each of the M transmit elements in accordance with the phase determined for the transmit element.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein each said basis function is a periodic basis function.

12. A phased array comprising a plurality of transmit elements and a controller configured to:

set a phase of a first transmit element to N different phases during each of N different time intervals;

cause an electromagnetic signal to be transmitted from the first transmit element at each of the N time intervals;

receive a measurement of a power of the electromagnetic signal from a remote receiving unit during each of the N time intervals;

applying the measured powers to a basis function; and

select coefficients of the basis function such that a difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the received power value measurement associated with each of the N phases is smaller than a threshold value wherein a measured power of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the first transmit element is defined by the phase Ø of the first transmit element, and a static phase offset φ of the first transmit element.

13. The phased array of claim 12 wherein said threshold value is defined by a minimum of the sum of squares of the difference between a power value computed by the basis function and the received power value measurement at each of the N phases.

14. The phased array of claim 13 wherein said controller is further configured to:

determine a phase of the first transmit element using the selected coefficients and the basis function.

15. The phased array of claim 13 wherein said controller is further configured to:

cause an electromagnetic signal to be transmitted from the first transmit element in accordance with the determined phase.

16. A phased array comprising K transmit elements, K being an integer, and a controller configured to:

set phases of M transmit elements to M different phases during each of N different time intervals, wherein M an N are integers greater than 2;

cause electromagnetic signals to be transmitted from the M transmit elements at each of the N time intervals;

receive a measure of power of the electromagnetic signals from a remote receiving unit during each of the N time intervals;

applying the measured powers to a basis function for each of the M transmit elements; and

select coefficients of each of M basis functions such that a difference between N power values computed by the M basis functions and the N received power value measurements associated with the N×M phases is smaller than a threshold value, wherein a measured power of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by a first one of the M transmit elements is defined by a phase Ø of the first transmit element, and a static phase offset φ of the first transmit element.

17. The phased array of claim 16 wherein said M is smaller than said K.

18. The phased array of claim 16 wherein said threshold value is defined by a minimum of the sum of squares between N power values computed by the basis functions and N power values measured associated with the N×M phases.

19. The phased array of claim 16 wherein said controller is further configured to:

determine a phase of each of the M transmit elements using the selected coefficients and the basis function associated with the transmit element.

20. The phased array of claim 17 wherein said controller is further configured to:

cause transmission of an electromagnetic signal from each of the M transmit elements in accordance with the phase determined for the transmit element.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the power of the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the first transmit element to the receiving unit is defined as:

P

⁡

(

∅

)

=

a

0

+

cos

⁡

(

π

⁡

(

∅

+

φ

)

180

)

wherein a 0 represents the background power level from other antenna elements, Ø represents the phase of the first transmit element, and φ is the static phase offset corresponding to the first transmit element.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 24, 2021
From: WALKER, CHRISTOPHER I.; HAJIMIRI, SEYED ALI
To: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 056657/0802 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62535701 · Jul 21, 2017
Related Publication 20190219619A1 · Jul 18, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,476,659