Magnetic self-aligning coil centering for wireless charging

• US 10,381,884 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Timothy C., Tay, Benedict Tiong Chee, Aurongzeb, Deeder M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US15/636,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20190006893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

Systems and methods for magnetic self-aligning coil centering for wireless charging may include a charging device that may transmit power wirelessly to a portable device. The charging device may include a first magnet and a second magnet. When the portable device may be in proximity of the charging device, a first pole of the first magnet may create a first magnetic attraction force with a third magnet of the portable device, and the second pole of the second magnet may create a first magnetic repulsion force with the third magnet. When the portable device is placed adjacent to the charging device, the first magnetic attraction force and the first magnetic repulsion force may cause a first coil charging area of the charging device and a second coil charging area of the portable device to be aligned.

Claims

1. A charging device, comprising:

a first induction coil configured to transmit power wirelessly to a portable device having a second induction coil;

a first charging surface including a first coil charging area defined by the first induction coil;

a first magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface; and

a second magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the first pole of the first magnet creates a first magnetic attraction force with a third magnet disposed at a second charging surface of the portable device, and the second pole of the second magnet creates a first magnetic repulsion force with the third magnet, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the first magnetic attraction force and the first magnetic repulsion force cause the first coil charging area and a second coil charging area of the second charging surface to be aligned, and wherein the second coil charging area defined by the second induction coil,

wherein the first magnetic attraction force provides an anti-tip magnetic attraction force when the portable device is adjacent to the first charging surface and a touch force is applied to a display portion of the portable device when the display portion is in an open position.

2. The charging device of claim 1, the charging device further comprising:

a fourth magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface; and

a fifth magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the first pole of the fourth magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with the third magnet, and the second pole of the fifth magnet creates a second magnetic repulsion force with the third magnet, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force and the second magnetic repulsion force provide additional magnetic forces to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

3. The charging device of claim 1, the charging device further comprising:

a fourth magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface; and

a fifth magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the first pole of the fourth magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with a sixth magnet disposed at the second charging surface of the portable device, and the second pole of the fifth magnet creates a second magnetic repulsion force with the sixth magnet, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force and the second magnetic repulsion force provide additional magnetic forces to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the second pole of the second magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with a fourth magnet disposed at the second charging surface of the portable device, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force provides an additional magnetic force to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned, and wherein

the size of the third and fourth magnets are less than the size of the first and the second magnets.

5. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first and the second magnets are located at a front portion of the first charging surface of the charging device and the third magnet is located at a respective front portion of the second charging surface of the portable device so that the first magnetic attraction force provides the anti-tip magnetic attraction force.

6. The charging device of claim 3, wherein the first and the second magnets are located at a front portion of the first charging surface of the charging device, the fourth and fifth magnets are located at a back portion of the first charging surface of the charging device, the third magnet is located at a respective front portion of the second charging surface of the portable device, and the sixth magnet is located at a respective back portion of the second charging surface of the portable device so that the first and second magnetic attraction forces and the first and second magnetic repulsion forces provide an increased magnetic steering torque to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

7. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first, the second, and the third magnets are spherical magnets having diametrical magnetic fields, wherein the first, the second, and the third magnets are neodymium magnets, and wherein the first poles of the first and the second magnets have the opposite polarity as the second poles of the first and the second magnets.

8. The charging device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first and the second magnets are electromagnets.

9. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the size of the first magnet is less than the size of the second magnet so that the first magnetic attraction force is less than the first magnetic repulsion force.

10. The charging device of claim 1, the first charging surface of the charging device further comprising:

a surface bezel including geometric contours to provide additional alignment adjustment based on a size of the portable device, wherein the surface bezel is a plastic bezel.

11. A portable device, comprising:

a second induction coil configured to receive power wirelessly from a charging device having a first induction coil;

a second charging surface including a second coil charging area defined by the second induction coil; and

a third magnet disposed at the second charging surface, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the third magnet creates a first magnetic attraction force with a first pole of a first magnet having the first pole and a second pole disposed at a first charging surface of the charging device, and the third magnet creates a first magnetic repulsion force with a second pole of a second magnet having a first pole and the second pole disposed at the first charging surface of the charging device, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the first magnetic attraction force and the first magnetic repulsion force cause a first coil charging area of the first charging surface and the second coil charging area to be aligned, and wherein the first coil charging area defined by the first induction coil,

wherein the first magnetic attraction force provides an anti-tip magnetic attraction force when the portable device is adjacent to the first charging surface and a touch force is applied to a display portion of the portable device when the display portion is in an open position.

12. The portable device of claim 11, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the third magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with a first pole of a fourth magnet having the first pole and a second pole disposed at the first charging surface, and the third magnet creates a second magnetic repulsion force with a second pole of a fifth magnet having a first pole and the second pole disposed at the first charging surface, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force and the second magnetic repulsion force provide additional magnetic forces to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

13. The portable device of claim 11, the portable device further comprising:

a sixth magnet disposed at the second charging surface of the portable device, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the sixth magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with a first pole of a fourth magnet having the first pole and a second pole disposed at the first charging surface, and the sixth magnet creates a second magnetic repulsion force with a second pole of a fifth magnet having a first pole and the second pole disposed at the first charging surface, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force and the second magnetic repulsion force provide additional magnetic forces to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

14. The portable device of claim 11, the portable device further comprising:

a fourth magnet disposed at the second charging surface of the portable device, wherein

when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device, the fourth magnet creates a second magnetic attraction force with the second pole of the second magnet, wherein

when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, the second magnetic attraction force provides an additional magnetic force to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned, and wherein

the sizes of the third and fourth magnets are less than the size of the first and the second magnets.

15. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the first and the second magnets are located at a front portion of the first charging surface of the charging device and the third magnet is located at a respective front portion of the second charging surface of the portable device so that the first magnetic attraction force provides the anti-tip magnetic attraction force.

16. The portable device of claim 13, wherein the first and the second magnets are located at a front portion of the first charging surface of the charging device, the fourth and fifth magnets are located at a back portion of the first charging surface of the charging device, the third magnet is located at a respective front portion of the second charging surface of the portable device, and the sixth magnet is located at a respective back portion of the second charging surface of the portable device so that the first and second magnetic attraction forces and the first and second magnetic repulsion forces provide an increased magnetic steering torque to cause the first coil charging area and the second coil charging area to be aligned.

17. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the first, the second, and the third magnets are spherical magnets having diametrical magnetic fields, and wherein the first, the second, and the third magnets are neodymium magnets.

18. The portable device of claim 11, wherein one or more of the first and the second magnets are electromagnets.

19. The portable device of claim 11, wherein the size of the first magnet is less than the size of the second magnet so that the first magnetic attraction force is less than the first magnetic repulsion force.

20. A method, comprising:

in a charging device including;

a first induction coil configured to transmit power wirelessly to a portable device having a second induction coil;

a first charging surface including a first coil charging area defined by the first induction coil;

a first magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface; and

a second magnet having a first pole and a second pole and disposed at the first charging surface,

creating, by the first pole of the first magnet, a first magnetic attraction force with a third magnet disposed at a second charging surface of the portable device, when the portable device is in proximity of the charging device;

creating, by the second pole of the second magnet, a first magnetic repulsion force with the third magnet; and

causing, by the first magnetic attraction force and the first magnetic repulsion force, the first coil charging area and a second coil charging area of the second charging surface to be aligned, when the second charging surface of the portable device is placed adjacent to the first charging surface of the charging device, wherein the second coil charging area defined by the second induction coil,

wherein the first magnetic attraction force provides an anti-tip magnetic attraction force when the portable device is adjacent to the first charging surface and a touch force is applied to a display portion of the portable device when the display portion is in an open position.