MAGNETIC CHARGING AND OPTICAL DATA TRANSFER SYSTEM

• US 20170090134A1
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Alexander W., Merz, Nicholas G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3886 Magnetic means to align ferrule ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4277 Protection against electromagnetic interference [EMI], e.g. shielding means shielding of electric apparatus H05K9/00, of instruments G12B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4293 hybrid electrical and optical connections for transmitting electrical and optical signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Embodiments describe an apparatus for magnetic charging and optical data transferring. The apparatus includes an inductive transmitting coil disposed within a housing, an optically transparent window disposed at a surface of the housing and above the inductive transmitting coil, and a first optical data transfer module disposed within the housing below the optically transparent window. The first optical data transfer module may be to perform at least one of emitting optical signals through the optically transparent window or detecting optical signals passing through the optically transparent window.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an inductive transmitting coil disposed within a housing;

an optically transparent window disposed at a surface of the housing and above the inductive transmitting coil; and

a first optical data transfer module disposed within the housing below the optically transparent window, the first optical data transfer module configured to perform at least one of emitting optical signals through the optically transparent window or detecting optical signals passing through the optically transparent window.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first optical data transfer module is further configured to automatically align with a second optical data transfer disposed outside of the housing by moving in a horizontal plane.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second optical data transfer is configured to automatically align with the first optical data transfer module by moving in a horizontal plane.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising alignment magnets laterally disposed around the optically transparent window.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optically transparent window is formed of a selectively transmissive material that is selectively transparent to at least one of infrared or ultraviolet light.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optically transparent window includes a selectively transmissive coating, wherein the selectively transmissive coating is selectively transparent to at least one of infrared or ultraviolet light.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a magnetic shielding disposed around the first optical data transfer module.