Energous Corporation has been leading the advancement of Wireless Power Networks to meet the growing power demands of today’s devices and tomorrow’s innovations. Its award-winning, RF-based WattUp technology supports both near field and at-a-distance wireless power, enabling flexible device designs without cumbersome power cables or replaceable batteries. Energous develops silicon-based wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies and customizable reference designs for the expanding ecosystem of devices within industrial and retail, smart homes, smart cities, consumer and medical applications. The company has received the world’s first FCC Part 18 certification for at-a-distance WPT and has been awarded more than 200 patents for its WattUp technology.
Since 2018, Energous has taken a proactive role in driving the new ITU-R recommendation, particularly with the support of the US, Japan, and Brazil delegations. The ITU recommendation is significant for Energous’ WattUp PowerBridges, which transmit power at the 915MHz band, and represents another step forward for Energous for the deployment of global active harvesting Wireless Power Networks running at 900MHz.
"We applaud the ITU’s approval and recommendation for RF wireless power transfer in the 900MHz band. This will provide clear guidance around which frequencies can be used to power the expanding IoT ecosystem and help countries implement their national regulations," says Cesar Johnston, CEO of Energous. "We are particularly pleased with the 900MHz addition, as our extensive experience and trials together with our customers have demonstrated that this band delivers the optimal balance of performance, technology footprint and solution cost for wireless power transfer to IoT devices."
Internet-connected devices are expanding in both numbers and capabilities. However, the current power delivery methods to connected devices — including power cables and replaceable batteries — are not ideal and in many cases are limiting the rollout and practical use cases, particularly in the industrial and retail environments. Wireless power transfer overcomes these issues, ensuring a reliable, consistent power delivery method that can help large product deployments scale at an economic price.
The ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies. The ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) aims at creating the conditions for harmonized development and efficient operation of existing and new radiocommunication systems, through interference free operations of radiocommunication systems. This is ensured through implementation of the Radio Regulations and Regional Agreements, and the efficient and timely update of these instruments through the processes of the World and Regional Radiocommunication Conferences. Furthermore, radio standardization establishes 'Recommendations' intended to assure the necessary performance and quality in operating radiocommunication systems. It also seeks ways and means to conserve spectrum and ensure flexibility for future expansion and new technological developments, providing guidance to national governments.
ITU-R Recommendations are approved by ITU Member States and though their implementation is not mandatory, they enjoy a high reputation and are implemented worldwide because they are developed by experts from administrations, operators, the industry, and other organizations dealing with radiocommunication matters from all over the world.
WattUp PowerBridge transmitters from Energous are capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously at-a-distance using RF-based wireless power. Transmitting from 1W and up to 15W, WattUp PowerBridges send power to and also act as a data link for connected IoT devices such as sensors, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), IoT tags, battery-less devices and more. Multiple WattUp PowerBridge transmitters can be meshed together to create a WattUp wireless power network covering unlimited distances for large footprint deployments such as retail stores, industrial warehouses, manufacturing plants, logistics hubs and more. By providing consistent levels of power for connected devices and eliminating the costly need to manage and change out batteries or rely on restrictive power cables, WattUp PowerBridges usher in a new reality of battery-less, mobile, waterproof, maintenance-free and easier-to-implement devices.
Energous first announced the FCC approval for a new, smaller over-the-air wireless charging transmitter solution and the availability of the WattUp PowerHub developer kit for manufacturers. The WattUp PowerHub incorporates the company's very latest single antenna, single Power Amplifier (PA), non-beamforming technology, and is based on an innovative architecture approach that establishes a path for full commercialization of over-the-air charging for small form factor devices. This new technology and Energous beamforming technology are different designs, with different capabilities targeted at different applications in a complementary way. While the beamforming technology focuses on charging longer distances and providing higher power, the WattUp PowerHub focuses on shorter distances in the most cost-effective way possible.
The applications for WattUp PowerHub include smart speakers and Wi-Fi Access Points charging various hearables and wearables, Gaming consoles charging various gaming accessories, automotive consoles charging key fobs and other accessories inside the car, conferencing equipment charging various types of hearable devices, and desktop devices like a clock radio charging various accessories.
Core to the user experience of the WattUp PowerHub is that fact that it creates a 15cm “charging zone” in front of the transmitting device where multiple receivers like smart glasses, hearables and wearables can be charged simultaneously without any placement or orientation restrictions. Users can simply drop the receiver in front of the transmitter, anywhere in the charging zone and it charges!
The simplicity of the architecture comes from the fact that it is based on a single PA and single antenna on the Tx. This allows the Tx size to be smaller while having a much lower bill of material cost. In terms of frequency, the solution is based on 900MHz technology from Energous. The impact of path loss, when combined with the regulatory realities surrounding emissions, SAR and coexistence clearly point to 900MHz as the best path for global wireless power deployments.
www.energous.com
