Wirelessly charged electronic device with shared inductor circuitry

• US 9,276,639 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELBIN, JESSE A
• Application Number:
  US13/776,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/323, 381/384, 381/383, 320/108, 320/115, 600/25, 600/559, 607 56- 57, 455/573, 307/104, 318/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• 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 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

An electronic device may contain an input-output device such as a speaker, vibrator, or near field communications antenna. The input-output device may include an inductor. The inductor in the input-output device may be shared by wireless charging circuitry in the electronic device so that wireless charging signals can be converted into power to charge a battery in the electronic device. A separate inductor may also be provided within an input-output device to support wireless charging. A drive circuit may supply drive signals to the input-output device such as audio signals, vibrator control signals, or near field communications output signals for external near field communications equipment. An input amplifier that is coupled across the inductor in the input-output device may be used in receiving near field communications signals.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:

storage and processing circuitry;

an input-output device coupled to the storage and processing circuitry, wherein the input-output device comprises a speaker having an inductor, a diaphragm coupled to the inductor, and travel-limiting stop structures;

wireless charging circuitry configured to receive wireless charging signals using the inductor and configured to charge the battery; and

a drive circuit that drives audio signals across the inductor to operate the speaker in a speaker mode and that drives vibrator control signals across the inductor to operate the speaker in a vibrator mode in which the inductor strikes the travel-limiting stop structures.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the input-output device comprises a vibrator.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the inductor comprises first and second terminals and wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor coupled across the first and second terminals.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:

a switch that is interposed between the capacitor and the inductor and that is configured to selectively isolate the inductor from the capacitor when the drive circuit drives the audio signals across the inductor.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising an input amplifier coupled across the inductor.

6. An electronic device configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:

storage and processing circuitry;

an input-output device coupled to the storage and processing circuitry, wherein the input-output device includes an inductor and travel-limiting stop structures;

wireless charging circuitry that receives wireless charging signals using the inductor and that charges the battery, wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor and switching circuitry; and

a drive circuit that drives vibrator control signals across the inductor in a vibrator mode in which the inductor strikes the travel-limiting stop structures, wherein the switching circuitry couples the capacitor to the inductor when the wireless charging signals are being received by the wireless charging circuitry and isolates the capacitor from the inductor when the drive circuit is providing the signals to the inductor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein power is routed from the capacitor to the battery.

7. An electronic device that is configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:

wireless charging circuitry having an inductor that is configured to receive wireless charging signals, wherein the wireless charging circuitry is configured to charge the battery; and

a drive circuit that is configured to drive vibrator control signals across the inductor, wherein the inductor vibrates to provide haptic output to a user when the drive circuit drives the vibrator control signals across the inductor, wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor and switching circuitry, wherein the switching circuitry couples the capacitor to the inductor when the wireless charging signals are being received by the wireless charging circuitry and isolates the capacitor from the inductor when the drive circuit is supplying the vibrator control signals to the inductor.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein power is routed from the capacitor to the battery.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 7, wherein the electronic device further comprises support structures, and wherein the inductor strikes the support structures when the drive circuit supplies vibrator control signals to the inductor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10, wherein the support structures comprise travel-limiting stop structures.