DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PAIRING INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED DEVICES

• US 20150077206A1
• Filed: 11/20/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Leyland, Robert, Reine, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/110
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/26 Magnetic or electric toys electric drives A63H29/22 ; indoor games played with small balls using magnetic power A63F7/0088, A63F7/068
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0247 Orientating, locating, transporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0263 Closures, bags, bands, engagement devices with male and female parts

Abstract

A first device may be paired to a second device, with the first and second devices including inductive elements, the devices may be paired by aligning a first magnetic element of a first device and a second magnetic element of a second device. At least one additional magnetic element is used to redirect magnetic fields generated by the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element away from the inductive elements.

Claims

1. An apparatus including pairable devices, comprising:

a first device comprising a first inductive element and a first magnetic element;

a second device comprising a second inductive element and a second magnetic element, the first device being paired to the second device when the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are aligned such that they are opposing each other, the first inductive element and the second inductive element being positioned to allow for inductive coupling when the first device is paired to the second device; and

at least one additional magnetic element positioned to redirect magnetic fields generated by the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element away from the inductive elements when the first device is paired to the second device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one magnetic element is a third magnetic element and a fourth magnetic element.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the third magnetic element is part of the first device and the fourth magnetic element is part of the second device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first device has a first surface, the second device has a second surface, and the first surface and the second surface are adjacent when the first device is paired to the second device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4,

wherein the first magnetic element has a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of as second polarity, and the first pole is closer than the second pole to the first surface,

wherein the second magnetic element has a third pole of the first polarity and a fourth pole of the second polarity, with the fourth pole closer than the third pole to the second surface,

wherein the third magnetic element has a fifth pole of the first polarity and a sixth pole of the second polarity, with the sixth pole closer than the fifth pole to the first surface, and

wherein the fourth magnetic element has a seventh pole of the first polarity and an eighth pole of the second polarity, with the seventh pole closer than the eighth pole to the second surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first magnetic element and the third magnetic element are positioned on opposing sides of the first inductive element, and the second magnetic element and the fourth magnetic element are positioned on opposing sides of the second inductive element.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first magnetic element and the third magnetic element are positioned equidistant from the first inductive element and the second magnetic element and the fourth magnetic element are positioned equidistant from the second inductive element.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the poles of the first magnetic element and the poles of the third magnetic element each define a line parallel to an axis defined by coils of the first inductive element, and the poles of the second magnetic element and the poles of the fourth magnetic element each define a line parallel to an axis defined by coils of the second inductive element.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the magnetic elements have a north pole and a south pole, and positions of the north and south poles of the first magnetic element and the third magnetic element are reversed with respect to each other, and positions of the north and south poles of the second magnetic element and the fourth magnetic element are reversed with respect to each other.

10-16. -16. (canceled)