Wireless power transceivers for supplementing wireless power delivery and extending range
Wireless transceiver devices are disclosed herein that enhance and otherwise extend the wireless power transmission range of a retrodirective wireless power transmission system. The wireless transceiver devices can be configured to operate, in whole or in part, as additional wireless power transmission systems enhancing range of the retrodirective wireless power transmission system and/or delivering supplemental wireless power to devices within range.
1. A wireless power transceiver apparatus comprising:
at least one antenna; a wireless power receiver client configured to: direct the at least one antenna to receive wireless power transmitted by a wireless power transmission system (WPTS); process the wireless power; and provide at least one first portion of the wireless power to an electronic device associated with the wireless power transceiver apparatus; and a controller configured to: determine that a location of a second electronic device is outside of a power transmission range of the WPTS; and in response to the location of the second electronic device being determined to be outside of the power transmission range, direct the at least one antenna to retransmit at least one second portion of the wireless power to another wireless power receiver client associated with the second electronic device.
2. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a rate at which the wireless power is being received from the WPTS is greater than a threshold value.
3. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the threshold value comprises a minimum rate at which the wireless power should be received in order to continue operating the electronic device associated with the wireless power transceiver apparatus.
4. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to measure the rate at which the wireless power is being received from the WPTS.
5. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to broadcast a power sharing availability message when the rate at which the wireless power is being received from the WPTS is greater than the threshold value.
6. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to operate in a wireless power extension mode in response to the location of the second electronic device being determined to be outside of the power transmission range.
7. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that the location of the second electronic device is within the power transmission range; and
in response to the location of the second electronic device being determined to be within the power transmission range, operate in a supplemental power mode.
8. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control phase, settings or power settings for the at least one antenna.
9. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate, in response to a power sharing request being received via the at least one antenna from the second electronic device, a power sharing response indicating configuration information for receiving the at least one second portion of the wireless power from the wireless power transceiver apparatus.
10. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is embedded within a housing of the electronic device.
11. The wireless power transceiver apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna includes a power transmission array.
12. A method of operating a wireless power transceiver, the method comprising:
receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmission system (WPTS);
processing the wireless power;
providing at least one first portion of the wireless power to an electronic device associated with the wireless power transceiver;
determining that a location of a second electronic device is outside of a power transmission range of the WPTS; and
in response to determining that the location of the second electronic device is outside of the power transmission range, retransmitting at least one second portion of the wireless power to another wireless power receiver client associated with the second electronic device.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining if a rate at which the wireless power is being received from the WPTS is greater than a threshold value.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the threshold value comprises a minimum rate at which the wireless power should be received in order to continue operating the electronic device associated with the wireless power transceiver.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising broadcasting a power sharing availability message when the rate at which wireless power is being received from the WPTS is greater than the threshold value.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising measuring the rate at which wireless power is being received from the WPTS.
17. The method of claim 12 further comprising: receiving a power sharing request from the second electronic device; and in response to receiving the power sharing request, generating a power sharing response indicating configuration information for receiving the at least one second portion of the wireless power from the wireless power transceiver.
18. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating the wireless power transceiver in a wireless power extension mode in response to determining that the location of the second electronic device is outside of the wireless power transmission range.
19. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
determining that the location of the second electronic device is within the power transmission range; and
in response to determining that the location of the second electronic device is within the power transmission range, operating the wireless power transceiver in a supplemental power mode.
20. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to:
direct at least one antenna to receive wireless power transmitted by a wireless power transmission system (WPTS); process the wireless power; provide at least one first portion of the wireless power to an electronic device;
determine that a location of a second electronic device is outside of a power transmission range of the WPTS;
and in response to the location of the second electronic device being determined to be outside of the power transmission range, direct the at least one antenna to retransmit at least one second portion of the wireless power to another wireless power receiver client associated with the second electronic device.