SHIELD FOR A WIRELESSLY CHARGED ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20180054077A1
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brzezinski, Makiko K., Spencer, Maegan K., Graham, Christopher S., Tong, Katherine E.
• Application Number:
  US15/239,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054077A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0084 comprising a single continuous metallic layer on an electrically insulating supporting structure, e.g. metal foil, film, plating coating, electro-deposition, vapour-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0092 comprising electro-conductive pigments, e.g. paint, ink, tampon printing

Abstract

An inductively charged portable electronic device has a charging receive coil that receives electromagnetic energy during a charge event. An electrically conductive shield is disposed within the portable electronic device and is disposed between the charging receive coil and an exterior housing of the portable electronic device to shield a touch sensitive user interface of the portable electronic device from noise generated during a charge event.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an housing having a charging surface through which electromagnetic energy can be transferred;

an inductive charging receive coil disposed within the electronic device adjacent to the charging surface and configured to receive electromagnetic energy through the charging surface; and

an electrically conductive shield formed on a portion of the housing and electrically coupled to a ground potential of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive shield is disposed on an interior surface of the housing.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive shield has a sheet resistance between 2 ohm/square and 15 kiloohm/square.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive shield comprises a layer of electrically conductive carbon.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the layer of electrically conductive carbon has a sheet resistance between 2 ohm/square and 15 kiloohm/square and is between 5 and 50 microns thick.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises glass.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a touch sensitive user interface and wherein the electrically conductive shield is positioned and configured to shield the touch sensitive user interface from electromagnetic interference generated during inductive charging of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising one or more alignment features that enable the charging surface to be properly aligned with a wireless charger for a charging event.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the one or more alignment features include one or more magnets that assist in aligning the charging surface to the wireless charger.

10. An inductively charged electronic device comprising:

a housing having a charging surface through which electromagnetic energy can be transferred, the charging surface positioned on a first exterior surface of the housing;

a cover glass coupled to the housing and defining a second exterior surface of the housing;

a display positioned within the housing adjacent to and visible through the cover glass;

an inductive charging receive coil positioned within the housing and configured to receive electromagnetic charging energy through the charging surface; and

an electrically conductive shield formed on the housing, the electrically conductive shield coupled to a ground potential of the electronic device and configured to attenuate electromagnetic noise generated during inductive charging of the electronic device.

11. The inductively charged electronic device of claim 10 wherein the electrically conductive shield is disposed on an interior surface of the housing.

12. The inductively charged electronic device of claim 10 wherein the cover glass and the display are a portion of a touch sensitive user interface.

13. The inductively charged electronic device of claim 10 wherein the housing comprises the cover glass, a metal frame and a back crystal, wherein the electrically conductive shield is formed on a portion of the back crystal.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the electrically conductive shield comprises a layer of electrically conductive carbon.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the layer of electrically conductive carbon has a sheet resistance between 2 ohm/square and 15 kiloohm/square and is between 5 and 50 microns thick.

16. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the electrically conductive shield is coupled to the ground potential of the electronic device with a conductor that is coupled to the electrically conductive shield with an electrically conductive epoxy.

17. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of the housing is made from a glass material.

18. An electronic system comprising:

an inductively charged electronic device including;

a touch sensitive user interface;

an housing through which electromagnetic energy can be transferred; and

an inductive charging receive coil disposed within the electronic device and configured to receive electromagnetic energy through the housing;

an inductive charging station having an inductive charging transmit coil configured to transmit electromagnetic energy to the inductive charging receive coil of the electronic device; and

an electrically conductive shield formed on the housing and configured to shield the touch sensitive user interface from electromagnetic interference generated during inductive charging of the electronic device.

19. The electronic system of claim 18 wherein the electrically conductive shield is disposed on an interior surface of the housing.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the electrically conductive shield comprises a layer of electrically conductive carbon.