Mobile Client Device Wireless Charging, Communication, and Authentication Techniques

• US 20160320867A1
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chan, Adrian Shuen-yung, Li, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 10,353,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Mobile client device wireless charging, communication, and authentication techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a cursor control device includes an external housing configured to be grasped by a hand of a user and an input device module disposed within the housing configured to control movement of a cursor of a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the input device module. The cursor control device also includes one or more buttons accessible via the external housing that are configured to support user interaction to provide inputs to the computing device, a battery disposed within the external housing, and a power port disposed on the external housing and configured to charge an external device using power obtained from the battery disposed within the housing.

Claims

1. A cursor control device comprising:

an external housing configured to be grasped by a hand of a user;

an input device module disposed within the housing configured to control movement of a cursor of a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the input device module;

one or more buttons accessible via the external housing that are configured to support user interaction to provide inputs to the computing device;

a battery secured by the external housing; and

a power port disposed on the external housing and configured to charge an external device using power obtained from the battery disposed within the housing

2. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the power port is configured in accordance with a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

3. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the input device module is configured to detect relative two dimensional movement in relation to a surface that is used to control the movement of the cursor.

4. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the battery is configured to store at least 2000 mA.

5. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the battery is physically removable from the external housing.

6. A cursor control device as described in claim 5, wherein the physically removable battery, once removed, is configured to form a physical and electrical coupling through installation as part of a mobile phone.

7. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic inductive coil disposed within the external housing that is configured to charge the battery using an external source.

8. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the input device module is further configured to communicate with the communication device over a wireless connection.

9. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, further comprising one or more cables formed as an integral part of the power port that are configured to directly connect to the external device.

10. A cursor control device as described in claim 1, wherein the external device is a mobile phone or tablet.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

at least one cable configured to obtain power from an external power source; and

an electromagnetic inductive coil formed integrally as part of the substrate, the electromagnetic inductive coil configured to form a wireless coupling with an external device suitable to communicate with the external device and to charge a battery of the external device using the power obtained from the external power source.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the wireless coupling is configured to support communication between the external device and a computing device that the cable is connected to.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 12, wherein the communication includes authentication of the external device with the computing device that is suitable to login a user to the computing device or authorize the external device to receive power.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 11, further comprising a battery electrically coupled to the electromagnetic inductive coil and sized to provide power to the external device via the electromagnetic inductive coil in an amount sufficient to at least partially charge a battery of the external device.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein the cable is configured to form a communicative coupling with the computing device and the external device is a mobile phone.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the mobile phone is communicatively coupled to the computing device to act as a cursor control device to control a cursor of the computing device.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 16, wherein the mobile phone is installed in a mobile client device cradle having a charging and communication coil configured to support the electrical connection with the electromagnetic inductive coil and includes an input device module configured to detect lateral movement that is used as a basis to control the cursor.

18. A method performed by a wireless charging mat comprising:

detecting that a mobile client device has been placed at a distance proximal to a charging and communication coil of the wireless charging mat to achieve a communicative connection;

obtaining one or more credentials from the mobile client device that are usable to authenticate the mobile client device;

responsive to the obtaining, transferring the one or more credentials to a computing device such that the computing device is configured to authenticate the mobile client device for operation with the computing device.

19. A method as described in claim 18, further comprising providing the one or more credentials to login a user into a corresponding user account of the computing device responsive to successful authentication of the one or more credentials by the computing device.

20. A method as described in claim 18, further comprising providing power to the mobile client device via the wireless charging mat responsive to successful authentication of the one or more credentials by the computing device.