Coil for mobile device context-driven switching and wireless charging
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of electrically conductive coils of a computing device comprising a display housing portion and a keyboard housing portion, the plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy, wherein at least a first coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located within the display housing portion and at least a second coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located with the keyboard housing portion;
a sensor of the computing device to sense a physical configuration of the computing device operating in one of a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation;
a processor of the computing device coupled with the sensor and the plurality of electrically conductive coils, the processor to select one of the first coil or the second coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils based at least on the physical configuration sensed by the sensor being in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation;
a switch to energize the selected coil; and
a switch controller coupled to the switch and to the processor, to control the switch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus, system and method to provide switchable coils in a computing device, comprising: a plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy; a sensor coupled to a processor, to select a coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils; a switch to energize the selected coil; and a switch controller coupled to the switch and to the processor. In some embodiments, the plurality of coils may comprise an inductive charging interface. Some embodiments may further include a communication interface between the processor to the plurality of electrically conductive coils, the plurality of coils comprising an interface for near-field communications (NFC). The antenna coils may be arranged to provide improved NFC coverage when the computing device is in a respective predetermined physical configuration. Sensors may be used to detect the configuration and switch NFC communications to use a preferred antenna coil for the detected configuration.
18 Citations
28 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a plurality of electrically conductive coils of a computing device comprising a display housing portion and a keyboard housing portion, the plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy, wherein at least a first coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located within the display housing portion and at least a second coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located with the keyboard housing portion; a sensor of the computing device to sense a physical configuration of the computing device operating in one of a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation; a processor of the computing device coupled with the sensor and the plurality of electrically conductive coils, the processor to select one of the first coil or the second coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils based at least on the physical configuration sensed by the sensor being in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation; a switch to energize the selected coil; and a switch controller coupled to the switch and to the processor, to control the switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system, comprising:
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a processor of a computing device and coupled to a memory; a plurality of electrically conductive coils of the computing device comprising a display housing portion and a keyboard housing portion, the plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy, wherein at least a first coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located within the display housing portion and at least a second coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located with the keyboard housing portion; a sensor of the computing device to sense a physical configuration of the computing device a sensor of the computing device to sense a physical configuration of the computing device operating in one of a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation, and the processor to select one of the first coil or the second coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils based at least on the physical configuration sensed by the sensor being in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation; a switch to energize the selected coil; and a switch controller coupled to the switch and to the processor to control the switch. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. At least one computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a controller of a computing device to:
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cause a plurality of electrically conductive coils to transfer electromagnetic energy, wherein at least a first coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located within a display housing portion of the computing device and at least a second coil of the plurality of the electrically conductive coils is located with a keyboard housing portion of the computing device; receive data from a sensor coupled to the controller, the data to indicate a physical configuration of the computing device operating in one of a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation; select one of the first coil or the second coil from among the plurality of electrically conductive coils based on the data indicating a physical configuration of the computing device being in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation; control a switch to energize the selected coil; and communicate with a switch controller coupled to the switch. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification