Wirelessly charged devices

• US 10,601,468 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kowalski, Stefan A., Graham, Christopher S., Jol, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun C
• Application Number:
  US15/697,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2823 Wires H01F27/2866 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/366 made of ferromagnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• 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 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the inductive charging of portable electronic devices. In particular, a charging assembly is disclosed that allows a portable electronic device to be charged in multiple orientations with respect to a charging device. The charging assembly includes two or more separate inductive receiving coils. The inductive receiving coils can be arranged orthogonally with respect to one another by wrapping one or more secondary receiving coils around a primary receiving coil. By orienting the receiving coils orthogonally with respect to one another, the likelihood of at least one of the receiving coils being aligned with a charging field emitted by a charging device increases substantially.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a primary inductive charging coil defining a first opening;

a secondary inductive charging coil wound around of the primary inductive charging coil and defining a second opening through which the primary inductive charging coil extends, the secondary inductive charging coil extending through the first opening defined by the primary inductive charging coil; and

a device housing enclosing the primary and secondary inductive charging coils.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an AC shield comprising ferritic material, the AC shield stacked atop the primary inductive charging coil, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil is wound around both the AC shield and the primary inductive charging coil.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the AC shield has a gap that leaves a portion of the primary inductive charging coil exposed.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the primary inductive charging coil comprises a copper wire coated with an iron alloy.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an AC shield defining a channel within which the primary inductive charging coil is disposed.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil is wrapped around a radial width of the primary inductive charging coil.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil is a first secondary inductive charging coil and the electronic device further comprises a second secondary inductive charging coil, the first and second secondary inductive charging coils being positioned on opposing sides of the primary inductive charging coil.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a primary inductive charging coil;

a secondary inductive charging coil wound around a width of the primary inductive charging coil; and

a device housing enclosing the primary inductive charging coil and the secondary inductive charging coil.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil defines a first opening and a second opening, the primary inductive charging coil extending through the first and second openings.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the device housing comprises a magnetically permeable portion proximate the primary inductive charging coil.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising an electronic display disposed within an opening formed by the device housing and comprising a touch sensitive user interface.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the primary inductive charging coil is positioned within a recess defined by a magnetically permeable window of the device housing.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising an AC shield stacked atop the primary inductive charging coil, wherein the primary inductive coil is positioned between the AC shield and the magnetically permeable window.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the primary coil conforms to a convex geometry of the magnetically permeable window and the AC shield has a tapered geometry.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a wristband coupled to opposing sides of the device housing.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the opposing sides of the primary inductive charging coil are aligned with the opposing sides of the device housing.

17. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a primary inductive charging coil;

an AC shield stacked atop the primary inductive charging coil and defining a first opening;

a secondary inductive charging coil defining a second opening and extending through the first opening, the secondary inductive charging coil wound around the AC shield that extends through the second opening; and

a device housing enclosing the primary inductive charging coil and the secondary inductive charging coil.

18. The wearable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil is wound around both the AC shield and the primary inductive charging coil.

19. The wearable electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the secondary inductive charging coil is a first secondary inductive charging coil and the electronic device further comprises a second secondary inductive charging coil wound around the AC shield, the first and second secondary inductive charging coils being positioned on opposing sides of the AC shield.

20. The wearable electronic device as recited in claim 17, further comprising a wristband coupled to the device housing.