Charging keyboard based on magnetic field generated by computing device

• US 10,181,747 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bowers, Andrew, Yu, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharief, Mohammed J
• Application Number:
  US14/862,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A base may include a frame, a keyboard partially enclosed by the frame, a battery, and a single coil coupled to the battery. The keyboard may be configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device. The battery may be configured to provide power to the keyboard. The single coil may be configured to induce a current from a magnetic field to charge the battery. The base may not include any charging coils other than the single coil.

Claims

1. A base comprising:

a frame;

a keyboard partially enclosed by the frame, the keyboard being configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device, the keyboard including a first side, a second side adjacent to the first side, a third side adjacent to the second side and opposite from the first side, and a fourth side adjacent to the first side and to the third side and opposite from the second side, wherein;

the first side of the keyboard contacts a perimeter of the frame;

the second side of the keyboard contacts the perimeter of the frame;

the third side of the keyboard does not contact the perimeter of the frame; and

the fourth side of the keyboard contacts the perimeter of the frame;

a battery configured to provide power to the keyboard;

a mount hingedly attached to the frame, the mount being adjacent to the third side of the keyboard;

a single coil coupled to the battery, the single coil being closer to the second side of the keyboard than to the fourth side of the keyboard and closer to the first side of the keyboard than to the third side of the keyboard, the single coil being configured to induce a current from a magnetic field generated by a charging coil of the computing device to charge the battery, the base not including any charging coils other than the single coil; and

a sensor configured to;

detect a proximity of a magnet in the computing device;

prompt the keyboard to power on based on detecting that the magnet is proximal to the sensor; and

prompt the keyboard to enter a low-power mode based on determining a lack of proximity of the magnet to the sensor.

2. The base of claim 1, wherein the frame is made of metal and at least a portion of the keyboard facing away from the frame includes plastic.

3. The base of claim 1, wherein the single coil is oval-shaped.

4. The base of claim 1, wherein a first diameter of the single coil in a first direction is between twenty and thirty-five millimeters and a second diameter of the single coil in a second direction is between five and ten millimeters.

5. The base of claim 1, wherein a first diameter of the single coil in a first direction is between twenty-five and thirty millimeters and a second diameter of the single coil in a second direction is between six and eight millimeters.

6. The base of claim 1, wherein a first diameter of the single coil in a first direction is between three and five times a second diameter of the single coil in a second direction.

7. The base of claim 1, wherein the single coil is located in a corner portion of the keyboard.

8. The base of claim 1, wherein the single coil includes litz wire.

9. The base of claim 1, wherein the single coil includes between four and eight turns.

10. The base of claim 1, wherein:

the frame is disposed on a bottom side of the keyboard; and

the single coil is included in the keyboard and is closer to a top side of the keyboard than to the bottom side of the keyboard, the top side of the keyboard being opposite from the bottom side of the keyboard.

11. The base of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a Hall-effect sensor.

12. The base of claim 1, further comprising a magnet configured to prompt the computing device to generate the magnetic field to charge the battery.

13. The base of claim 1, wherein the base is configured to initiate a communication protocol with the computing device in response to the sensor detecting proximity of the computing device.

14. The base of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor comprises a connection sensor; and

the base further comprises a charging sensor configured to detect proximity of a magnet in the computing device and prompt the base to initiate a charging sequence.

15. A base comprising:

a frame;

a keyboard partially enclosed by the frame, the keyboard being configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device, the keyboard including a first side, a second side adjacent to the first side, a third side adjacent to the second side and opposite from the first side, and a fourth side adjacent to the first side and to the third side and opposite from the second side, wherein;

the first side of the keyboard contacts a perimeter of the frame;

the second side of the keyboard contacts the perimeter of the frame;

the third side of the keyboard does not contact the perimeter of the frame; and

the fourth side of the keyboard contacts the perimeter of the frame;

a battery configured to provide power to the keyboard;

a single coil coupled to the battery, the single coil being configured to induce a current from a magnetic field generated by a charging coil of the computing device to charge the battery, the base not including any charging coils other than the single coil; and

a sensor configured to;

detect a proximity of a magnet in the computing device;

prompt the keyboard to power on based on detecting that the magnet is proximal to the sensor; and

prompt the keyboard to enter a low-power mode based on determining a lack of proximity of the magnet to the sensor.

16. The base of claim 15, wherein:

the frame is disposed on a bottom side of the keyboard; and

the single coil is included in the keyboard and is closer to a top side of the keyboard than to a bottom side of the keyboard, the top side of the keyboard being opposite from the bottom side of the keyboard.

17. The base of claim 15, further comprising a magnet configured to prompt the computing device to generate the magnetic field to charge the battery.

18. A base comprising:

a frame;

a keyboard partially enclosed by the frame, the keyboard being configured to wirelessly communicate with a computing device, the keyboard including a first side, a second side adjacent to the first side, a third side adjacent to the second side and opposite from the first side, and a fourth side adjacent to the first side and to the third side and opposite from the second side;

a battery configured to provide power to the keyboard;

a mount hingedly attached to the frame, the mount being adjacent to the third side of the keyboard;

a single coil coupled to the battery, the single coil being closer to the second side of the keyboard than to the fourth side of the keyboard and closer to the first side of the keyboard than to the third side of the keyboard, the single coil being configured to induce a current from a magnetic field generated by a charging coil of the computing device to charge the battery, the base not including any charging coils other than the single coil; and

a sensor configured to;

detect a proximity of a magnet in the computing device;

prompt the keyboard to power on based on detecting that the magnet is proximal to the sensor; and

prompt the keyboard to enter a low-power mode based on determining a lack of proximity of the magnet to the sensor.

19. The base of claim 18, wherein:

the frame is disposed on a bottom side of the keyboard; and

the single coil is included in the keyboard and is closer to a top side of the keyboard than to a bottom side of the keyboard, the top side of the keyboard being opposite from the bottom side of the keyboard.

20. The base of claim 18, further comprising a magnet configured to prompt the computing device to generate the magnetic field to charge the battery.