Wirelessly charged electronic device with shared inductor circuitry

• US 10,225,716 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elbin, Jesse A
• Application Number:
  US15/054,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20160254843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 381315, 381323, 381383, 381384, 320108, 320115, 600 25, 600559, 607 56- 57, 455573, 307104, 318114
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An electronic device may contain an input-output device such as a speaker, vibrator, or near field communications antenna. The input-output device may include an inductor. The inductor in the input-output device may be shared by wireless charging circuitry in the electronic device so that wireless charging signals can be converted into power to charge a battery in the electronic device. A separate inductor may also be provided within an input-output device to support wireless charging. A drive circuit may supply drive signals to the input-output device such as audio signals, vibrator control signals, or near field communications output signals for external near field communications equipment. An input amplifier that is coupled across the inductor in the input-output device may be used in receiving near field communications signals.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having first and second sides, wherein the first side is coupled to a first end of a strap and the second side is coupled to a second end of the strap;

a touch screen display in the housing, wherein the touch screen display comprises at least one force-based component;

circuitry in the housing that is driven to produce a physical vibration that serves as an alert for an event;

wireless communications circuitry in the housing that is configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable wireless electronic device;

a battery that powers the light-emitting component, the circuitry, and the wireless communications circuitry; and

wireless charging circuitry that charges the battery using received wireless charging signals.

2. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

near field communications circuitry in the housing that is configured to receive near field communications signals from external equipment.

3. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a button in the housing, wherein the button is separate from the touch screen display.

4. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker in the housing.

5. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone in the housing.

6. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

wireless local area network transceiver circuitry.

7. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with a cellular telephone.

8. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having first and second sides, wherein the first side is coupled to a first end of a wrist strap and the second side is coupled to a second end of the wrist strap;

near field communications circuitry within the housing, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to authenticate the wearable electronic device to external security equipment using near field communications signals;

circuitry within the housing that is configured to generate a physical vibration alert;

a touch screen display in the housing; and

a button in the housing that is separate from the touch screen display.

9. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to obtain access to a building using the near field communications signals.

10. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with a door opener using the near field communications signals.

11. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with a badge reader using the near field communications signals.

12. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to make wireless payments with point of sale equipment using the near field communications signals.

13. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to authenticate the wearable electronic device to a desktop computer using the near field communications signals.

14. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 8, further comprising:

status indicator lights in the housing.

15. A wristwatch device, comprising:

a battery;

wireless charging circuitry configured to charge the battery using wireless charging signals received from external equipment;

near field communications circuitry that handles near field communications signals;

a wireless local area network transceiver that is powered by the battery;

circuitry that is driven to produce a physical vibration that serves as an alert for an event;

a touch screen display that is powered by the battery; and

a button that is separate from the touch screen display.

16. The wristwatch device defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing has opposing first side and second sides, the first side is coupled to a first end of a wrist strap, and the second side is coupled to a second end of the wrist strap.

17. The wristwatch device defined in claim 16, further comprising:

wireless communications circuitry that is powered by the battery and that communicates with a cellular telephone.

18. The wristwatch device defined in claim 17, further comprising:

a speaker that is powered by the battery.

19. The wristwatch device defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a microphone that is powered by the battery.

20. The wristwatch device defined in claim 19, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to make wireless payments with point of sale equipment using the near field communications signals.

21. The wristwatch device defined in claim 20, further comprising:

an inductor, wherein the near field communications circuitry is configured to receive the near field communications signals using the inductor and the wireless charging circuitry is configured to receive the wireless charging signals using the inductor.