Electronic device, electronic system and wireless charging method

• US 9,373,975 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhou, Zhiqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US14/221,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20150091509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electronic device, an electronic system, and a wireless charging method are provided. The electronic device has a housing, which has an operating surface on which a display unit or an input device is provided and a first end surface adjoining the operating surface at a first edge. The operating surface has an area greater than that of the first end surface. The electronic device also has a coil for electromagnetic induction. The coil is provided in a first side portion of the housing close to the first end surface, and formed in a columnar shape with an axis substantially parallel to the first edge.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing, including an operating surface on which a display unit or an input device is provided and a first end surface adjoining the operating surface at a first edge, wherein the operating surface has an area greater than that of the first end surface; and

a coil for electromagnetic induction, provided in a first side portion of the housing close to the first end surface, and formed in a columnar shape with an axis substantially parallel to the first edge.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the area of the operating surface is greater than or equal to an area of any surface of the housing other than the operating surface.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the coil for electromagnetic induction comprises a columnar core and a winding wound around a side surface of the columnar core, wherein the winding is wound for at least 2 turns in a direction of the axis.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the operating surface comprises a surface on which the display unit is provided, and the electronic device further comprises:

an energy storage unit provided in the housing, wherein the coil for electromagnetic induction is configured to induce and output a supply voltage under a varying magnetic field to charge the energy storage unit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising a regulator circuit connected between the coil for electromagnetic induction and the energy storage unit and configured to regulate the supply voltage from the coil for electromagnetic induction to output a regulated voltage to charge the energy storage unit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, further comprising a first attaching mechanism provided on a surface of the first side portion and configured to detachably attach the electronic device to a mating device for use with the electronic device in such a manner that the electronic device is rotatable with respect to the mating device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the operating surface comprises a surface on which the input device is provided, and the electronic device further comprises:

an alternating power supply connected to the coil for electromagnetic induction,

wherein the alternating power supply is configured to supply an alternating current to the coil for electromagnetic induction so that the coil for electromagnetic induction induces and generates a varying magnetic field.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the coil for electromagnetic induction is provided on a side of the first side portion close to the operating surface.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, further comprising a second attaching mechanism provided on a portion of the operating surface in the first side portion at a distance from the coil for electromagnetic induction less than a first preset value and configured to detachably attach the electronic device to a mating device for use with the electronic device in such a manner that the electronic device is rotatable with respect to the mating device.

10. An electronic system, comprising:

a first electronic device, comprising;

a first housing, including an operating surface on which a display unit or an input device is provided and a first end surface adjoining the operating surface at a first edge, wherein the operating surface has an area greater than that of the first end surface, and

a first coil for electromagnetic induction, provided in a first side portion of the first housing close to the first end surface and formed in a columnar shape with a first axis substantially parallel to the first edge;

a second electronic device, comprising;

a second housing, including an operating surface of the second housing on which a display unit or an input device is provided and a first end surface of the second housing adjoining the operating surface of the second housing at a first edge of the second housing, wherein the operating surface of the second housing has an area greater than that of the first end surface of the second housing;

a second coil for electromagnetic induction, provided in a first side portion of the second housing close to the first end surface of the second housing, and formed in a columnar shape with a second axis substantially parallel to the first edge of the second housing;

a first attaching mechanism provided on the first electronic device; and

a second attaching mechanism provided on the second electronic device,

wherein the first attaching mechanism and the second attaching mechanism are configured to detachably attach the first electronic device to the second electronic device in such a manner that the first electronic device is rotatable with respect to the second electronic device and that the first axis is substantially parallel to the second axis.

11. The electronic system according to claim 10, wherein the second electronic device further comprises:

a positioning mechanism connected to the second attaching mechanism,

wherein the positioning mechanism is configured to output a connection signal when the first electronic device is attached to the second electronic device so that an alternating power supply included in the second electronic device supplies power to the second coil based on the connection signal, and to output a disconnection signal when the first electronic device is detached from the second electronic device so that the alternating power supply stops supplying power to the second coil based on the disconnection signal.

12. The electronic system according to claim 10, wherein the second attaching mechanism comprises a receiving groove and the first attaching mechanism comprises a holding end receivable in the receiving groove, wherein the first electronic device and the second electronic device have at least a first relative position and a second relative position different from the first relative position with respect to each other when the holding end is received in the receiving groove.

13. The electronic system according to claim 12, wherein a distance between the second coil and the receiving groove is less than a second preset value and the first coil is provided inside the holding end, so that a distance between the first coil and the second coil is less than a third preset value when the holding end is received in the receiving groove.

14. The electronic system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first communication unit provided in the first electronic device at a distance from the first attaching mechanism less than a fourth preset value; and

a second communication unit provided in the second electronic device at a distance from the second attaching mechanism less than a fifth preset value,

wherein the first communication unit and the second communication are configured to transmit and receive data therebetween for wireless data communication between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

15. A wireless charging method for an electronic system according to claim 10, the method comprising:

supplying an alternating current by an alternating power supply in the second electronic device to the second coil;

generating a varying magnetic field by the second coil based on the alternating current; and

inducing and outputting a supply voltage by the first coil based on the varying magnetic field in a state where the first electronic device is attached to the second electronic device, to charge an energy storage unit included in the first electronic device.