Three-Dimensional Wireless Charging Coil

• US 20150364938A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mirov, Russell Norman, Lapetina, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,583,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10

Abstract

Wearable devices are described herein that include a housing, a magnetic shielding, and a coil. The housing includes a first outer surface, a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, the second outer surface being narrower than the first outer surface and being configured to contact skin at an external body surface, and a chamfer of a given shape between the first outer surface and the second outer surface. The magnetic shielding is disposed in the housing between the first and second outer surfaces. The coil is disposed in the housing and configured to receive energy via a magnetic field. The coil includes coil windings that substantially fit the shape of the chamfer, where the coil windings include a first portion of windings proximate to the magnetic shielding and further include a second portion of windings narrower than the first portion and proximate to the second outer surface.

Claims

1. A wearable device, comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing includes (i) a first outer surface, (ii) a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, the second outer surface being narrower than the first outer surface and being configured to contact skin at an external body surface, and (iii) a chamfer of a given shape between the first outer surface and the second outer surface;

magnetic shielding disposed in the housing between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; and

a coil disposed in the housing and configured to generate a magnetic field, wherein the coil includes coil windings that substantially fit the given shape of the chamfer, and wherein the coil windings include a first portion of coil windings proximate to the magnetic shielding and further include a second portion of coil windings narrower than the first portion of coil windings and proximate to the second outer surface.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the external body surface is a wrist location.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the coil windings surround an interior portion of the coil, and wherein the second outer surface of the housing includes a central portion proximate to the interior portion of the coil.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the coil is mounted on a flexible printed circuit board (PCB).

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the coil comprises at least one trace on the flexible PCB.

6. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the regions of the flexible PCB that do not feature traces do not comprise conductive material.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic shielding is a ferrite sheet configured to block magnetic flux emanating from the coil.

8. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the ferrite sheet is a molded ferrite sheet that substantially fits a portion of the given shape of the chamfer proximate to the first outer surface of the housing.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic shielding comprises multiple portions coupled together from a punched-out sheet of magnetic material.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be water-resistant.

11. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic shielding is non-planar.

12. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery disposed within the wearable device; and

a recharger configured to recharge the rechargeable battery, wherein the recharger is configured to be powered by electromagnetic energy received by the coil.

13. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising first and second electrical contacts protruding from the housing, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are configured to contact skin at the external body surface.

14. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the coil has a substantially rectangular shape, wherein the coil has a size approximately 26 millimeters by approximately 19 millimeters.

15. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the coil is configured to receive electromagnetic energy having a specified frequency, wherein the specified frequency is between 100 kilohertz and 200 kilohertz.