Inductive interconnection system

• US 10,725,515 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2018
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marshall, Blake R., Ow, Florence W., Ruscher, Joel N., Tan, Liquan, Zimmerman, Aidan N., Nasiri Mahalati, Reza, Zhu, Hao, Ji, Qigen, Sampath, Madhusudanan Keezhveedi, Liu, Nan, Scritzky, Robert, Lisi, Gianpaolo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bik Lian, Mang Tin
• Application Number:
  US16/127,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20190103764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 336212, 336 90, 336200, 307104, 320108, 320109, 345173, 345179, 726 34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/36 Electric or magnetic shields or screens movable for varying inductance H01F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/363 made of electrically conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0247 Orientating, locating, transporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0252 PM holding devices H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence
• 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 7/0044 : specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments describe a receiving element that includes a ferromagnetic structure axially symmetrical around a central axis disposed along a length of the ferromagnetic structure. The ferromagnetic structure includes a groove region defining two end regions on opposing sides of the groove region, where the groove region has a smaller length than the two end regions. The receiving element also includes an inductor coil wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure and in between the two end regions.

Claims

1. A stylus for inputting data into a host electronic device, the stylus comprising:

an elongated housing having first and second opposing ends and a housing wall extending along a length of the housing in between the first and second ends and including a charging region extending along at least a portion of a length of the housing;

an interfacing end that tapers to a tip and is coupled to the first end of the housing;

a wireless power receiving element disposed within the housing at a location adjacent to the charging region, the wireless power receiving element comprising;

a shield having a plurality of sidewalls and a back wall extending between the sidewalls to form a cavity;

a ferromagnetic structure disposed within the cavity and having a groove region extending along a first axis of the ferromagnetic structure between first and second end regions on opposing sides of the groove region, each of the first and second end regions protruding past the groove region in a mirrored relationship with each other along second and third axes, respectively, perpendicular to the first axis, and each of the first and second end regions having an interface surface at its distal end facing the charging region and a back surface opposite the distal end;

an inductor coil disposed within the cavity and wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure in between the first and second end regions;

a spacer coupling the ferromagnetic structure to the shield, the spacer including first and second portions disposed between the shield and the back surface of the first and second end regions of the ferromagnetic structure, respectively, wherein the spacer has a thickness that creates a gap between the inductor coil and the shield electrically isolating the inductor coil from the shield.

2. The receiving element of claim 1, wherein the shield comprises four sidewalls coupled to the back wall to form a five-sided box that defines the cavity, and wherein the interface surfaces face toward outside of the cavity.

3. The receiving element of claim 1, wherein the shield includes one or more extensions that extend from one or more sidewalls of the shield in a direction parallel to a plane in which the back wall is oriented.

4. The stylus of claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion of the spacer are two separate components.

5. An inductive interconnection system, comprising:

a first electronic device including a wireless power transmitting element comprising;

a transmitting ferromagnetic structure having a transmitting groove region defining two transmitting end regions disposed on opposing sides of the transmitting groove region; and

a transmitting inductor coil wound about the transmitting groove region of the transmitting ferromagnetic structure and in between the two transmitting end regions, the transmitting inductor coil configured to generate time-varying magnetic flux through the transmitting ferromagnetic structure; and

an electronic stylus including;

(i) an elongated housing having first and second opposing ends and a housing wall extending along a length of the housing in between the first and second ends, wherein the housing wall includes opposing interior and exterior surfaces, the interior surface defining a cavity within the housing and the exterior surface defining an outer perimeter of the stylus;

(ii) an interfacing end that tapers to a tip and is coupled to the first end of the housing; and

(iii) a wireless power receiving element disposed within the housing and comprising;

a receiving ferromagnetic structure having a groove region defining first and second end regions on opposing sides of the groove region, each end region comprising respective interface surfaces, wherein the groove region has a smaller length than the two end regions;

a receiving inductor coil wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure and in between the two end regions;

a shield comprising a plurality of sidewalls and a back wall that form a cavity within which the receiving ferromagnetic structure and receiving inductor coil are positioned; and

a spacer coupling the receiving ferromagnetic structure to the shield, the spacer including first and second portions disposed between the shield and a back surface of the first and second end regions of the receiving ferromagnetic structure opposite the respective interface surfaces, wherein the spacer has a thickness that creates a gap between the receiving inductor coil and the shield electrically isolating the receiver inductor coil from the shield.

6. The inductive interconnection system of claim 5, wherein the transmitting end regions each include respective transmitting interfacing surfaces that face toward the receiving element, and wherein the transmitting end regions each include respective receiving interfacing surfaces that face toward the transmitting element.

7. The inductive interconnection system of claim 6, wherein the transmitting interfacing surfaces face toward at least a portion of the receiving interfacing surfaces.

8. The inductive interconnection system of claim 6, wherein the transmitting ferromagnetic structure further comprises sidewalls positioned between the groove region and the two end regions that extend a distance equal to or greater than a thickness of the inductor coil.

9. The inductive interconnection system of claim 5, wherein the shield comprises four sidewalls coupled to the back wall to form a five-sided box that defines the cavity.

10. A stylus for inputting data into a host device, the stylus comprising:

an elongated housing comprising a wall having a flat region extending along at least a portion of a length of the housing;

power receiving circuitry disposed within the housing;

a wireless power receiving element disposed within the housing and coupled to the power receiving circuitry, the wireless power receiving element comprising;

a ferromagnetic structure having a groove region extending between first and second end regions disposed on opposing sides of the groove region, each of the first and second end regions comprising respective interface surfaces spaced apart from and facing the flat region of the elongated housing, wherein the groove region has a smaller length than the two end regions;

an inductor coil wound about the groove region of the ferromagnetic structure and in between the first and second end regions, wherein the length of the groove region is a dimension that extends along a direction perpendicular to an axis of the inductor coil;

a shield comprising a plurality of sidewalls and a back wall extending there between, the shield forming a cavity within which the ferromagnetic structure and inductor coil are positioned; and

a first spacer positioned between the first end of the ferromagnetic structure and the shield to attach the first end of the ferromagnetic structure to the shield and a second spacer positioned between the second end of the ferromagnetic structure and the shield to attach the second end of the ferromagnetic structure to the shield, wherein each of the first and second spacers contacts at least two different surfaces of the ferromagnetic structure and the first and second spacers create a gap between the inductor coil and the shield electrically isolating the inductor coil from the shield; and

an operating system coupled to the power receiving circuitry and the receiving element, and configured to operate the power receiving circuitry and the receiving element to receive power from the host device.

11. The stylus of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second spacers is positioned behind a respective interface surface of the first and second end regions of the ferromagnetic structure.

12. The stylus of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second spacers comprises one or more retainers that wrap around parts of the ferromagnetic structure.

13. The stylus of claim 12, wherein the one or more retainers wraps around portions side surfaces of the ferromagnetic structure.

14. The stylus of claim 10, wherein the shield comprises four sidewalls coupled to the back wall to form a five-sided box that defines the cavity.

15. The stylus of claim 10, wherein the end regions are configured to direct propagation of magnetic flux toward a transmitting element.

16. The stylus of claim 10, further comprising an interfacing end that is configured to make contact with the host device to input data into the host device.

17. The stylus of claim 16, wherein the interfacing end has a structure that tapers to a tip.

18. The stylus of claim 10 further comprising a circuit board disposed within the housing an having at least one integrated circuit mounted on the circuit board at a location between the shield and the a portion of the housing wall opposite the flat region.

19. The stylus of claim 10 wherein the flat region of the housing wall includes first and second edges running along a length of the housing and the housing wall further includes a curved region extending along a length of the housing and defining a perimeter of the housing from the first edge of the flat region to the second edge of the flat region.

20. The stylus of claim 10 further comprising a support frame disposed within the housing and extending along at least a portion of the housing length, the support frame having a C-shaped cross-section such that the support frame is positioned against an inner periphery of the curved wall of the housing with an opening of the support frame facing flat region of the wall.