Battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device

• US 20080111518A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device include a battery charging cradle incorporating a primary coil which induces an AC magnetic flux to a specific portion of a planar, top plate of the cradle, and a rechargeable battery incorporated inside a bottom plate and charged by electric power which is induced to a secondary coil being electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil. The battery charging cradle has a positioning portion, so that the mobile electronic device is placed in a predetermined position by means of the positioning portion, the primary coil is electromagnetically coupled to the secondary coil, and thus the rechargeable battery incorporated in the mobile electronic device is charged.

Claims

1. A battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device comprising:

a battery charging cradle incorporating a primary coil which is connectable to an AC power source; and

a mobile electronic device provided with a secondary coil which is operable to be electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil of the battery charging cradle as well as with a rechargeable battery which is rechargeable by electric power which is induced to the secondary coil,

wherein the battery charging cradle has a planar, top plate on an upper side thereof, on which the mobile electronic device is detachably mounted, and also incorporates the primary coil so that an AC magnetic flux is induced to a specific portion of the top plate;

wherein the mobile electronic device has a planar, bottom plate to be placed on the top plate of the battery charging cradle, and also has the secondary coil disposed inside the bottom plate;

wherein the secondary coil is a coreless, planar coil formed with a wire material spirally wound in a planar manner, and the battery charging cradle has a positioning portion for arranging the mobile electronic device in place; and

wherein the mobile electronic device is placed, by means of the positioning portion of the battery charging cradle, at a predetermined position in order that the primary coil is electromagnetically coupled to the secondary coil, and AC power is supplied from the primary coil to the secondary coil, and thus the rechargeable battery incorporated in the mobile electronic device is charged.

2. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the positioning portion provided to the battery charging cradle is a positioning protrusion provided to the top plate of the battery charging cradle, and a positioning recess fitted to the positioning protrusion is provided to the bottom plate of the mobile electronic device;

wherein the secondary coil is a coreless planar coil in which a wire material is spirally wound in a planar manner, and the secondary coil being the planar coil is disposed inside the bottom plate and in a parallel relationship with the bottom plate, while the planar coil being the secondary coil is so arranged that its central coiling diameter is larger than an inner diameter of the positioning recess and that a hollow portion is provided in the center of the planar coil, with the positioning recess being provided in the hollow portion, and

wherein the positioning protrusion of the battery charging cradle is guided into the positioning recess of the mobile electronic device;

the primary coil is electromagnetically coupled to the secondary coil;

the AC power is supplied from the primary coil to the secondary coil; and

thus the rechargeable battery incorporated in the mobile electronic device is charged.

3. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the entire top plate of the battery charging cradle is planar.

4. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning portion of the battery charging cradle is provided to the top plate thereof;

a geometric figure is given on the top plate to indicate a position for placement of the mobile electronic device;

the mobile electronic device is carried on the top plate in alignment with the position for placement; and

the primary coil is electromagnetically coupled to the secondary coil to supply the AC power from the primary coil to the secondary coil; and

thus the rechargeable battery incorporated in the mobile electronic device is charged.

5. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the positioning portion of the battery charging cradle is a position sensor, and the position sensor detects and indicates the position for placement of the mobile electronic device.

6. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the positioning portion of the battery charging cradle is a position sensor, the position sensor detecting the position for placement of the mobile electronic device, and when the position for placement of the mobile electronic device is out of alignment with a proper position for placement, an alarm is delivered by the position sensor to notify a misalignment.

7. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the position sensor detects the position for placement of the mobile electronic device, and when the position for placement of the mobile electronic device is appropriate, a normality indication is given by the position sensor.

8. The battery charging cradle and mobile electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the position sensor detects any one(s) of an electric current flowing through the primary coil, power consumption in the primary coil, a resonance frequency in the primary coil, and an impedance in the primary coil, so that the position of the mobile electronic device is detected by the position sensor.