Inductive charging between electronic devices

• US 10,886,771 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2019
• Issued: 01/05/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kasar, Darshan R., Graham, Christopher S., Jol, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M Baye
• Application Number:
  US16/705,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20200112195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 320103
• 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: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

An electronic device and methods for inductively charging an electronic device using another external electronic device. The electronic device may include an enclosure, a battery positioned within the enclosure, and an inductive coil coupled to the battery. The inductive coil may have two or more operational modes, including a power receiving operational mode for wirelessly receiving power and a power transmitting operational mode for wirelessly transmitting power. The electronic device may also have a controller coupled to the inductive coil for selecting one of the operational modes.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

an enclosure having a back surface and defining an opening opposite from the back surface;

a display positioned within the opening of the enclosure;

a first inductive coil and a second inductive coil positioned separate from the first inductive coil, both the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil being positioned within the enclosure and between the display and the back surface of the enclosure, and operable to wirelessly transmit power to, or receive power from, an external device positioned proximate to the enclosure; and

a first alignment component positioned adjacent to the first inductive coil and a second alignment component positioned adjacent to the second inductive coil, wherein the first alignment component is arranged in a first configuration, and the second alignment component is arranged in a second configuration different from the first configuration.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first alignment component aligns the external device in a first orientation and the second alignment component aligns the external device in a second orientation different from the first orientation.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first alignment component is a first pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the first inductive coil, and the second alignment component is a second pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the second inductive coil.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first pair of alignment magnets is positioned along a first axis of the first inductive coil, and the second pair of alignment magnets is positioned along a second axis of the second inductive coil perpendicular to the first axis.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a battery disposed within the enclosure and configured to provide electrical power to the display.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first inductive coil is operatively coupled to the battery and is configured to wirelessly transmit power from the battery to the external device.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a touch sensor positioned external to the enclosure;

a speaker within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the battery; and

a microphone within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the battery.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein both the first inductive coil and the second inductive coil are configured to wirelessly transmit power through the display to an external device that is positioned proximate to the display and through the back surface of the enclosure to an external device that is positioned proximate to the back surface of the enclosure.

9. An electronic device comprising:

an enclosure having a back surface and defining an opening opposite from the back surface;

a display positioned within the opening of the enclosure;

a battery disposed within the enclosure and operable to provide electrical power to the display;

a first inductive coil and a second inductive coil positioned within the enclosure and between the display and the back surface of the enclosure, and both being operable in two or more operational modes comprising;

a power receiving mode for wirelessly receiving power from an external device positioned proximate to the display or the back surface; and

a power transmitting mode for wirelessly transmitting power to the external device positioned proximate to the display or the back surface;

a controller coupled to the first or second inductive coils and configured to select the operational mode of each of the first and second inductive coils; and

a first alignment component positioned adjacent to the first inductive coil and a second alignment component positioned adjacent to the second inductive coil, wherein the first alignment component is arranged in a first configuration, and the second alignment component is arranged in a second configuration different from the first configuration.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first alignment component aligns the external device in a first orientation and the second alignment component aligns the external device in a second orientation different from the first orientation.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first alignment component is a pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the first inductive coil, and the second alignment component is a pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the first inductive coil.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the controller is in electronic communication with the battery and configured to monitor a charge of the battery.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the electronic device is a device selected from a group consisting of a first mobile phone, a first smart phone, a first tablet computer, a first notebook computer, and a first protective case; and

the external device is a device selected from a group consisting of a second mobile phone, a second smart phone, a second tablet computer, and a second notebook computer.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the battery of the electronic device is configured to be charged by the external device in the power receiving mode; and

the battery of the electronic device is configured to charge the external device in the power transmitting mode.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising:

a display positioned within an opening of the enclosure;

a touch sensor disposed over the display;

a speaker within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the battery; and

a microphone within the enclosure and electrically coupled to the battery.

16. A system comprising:

a first electronic device comprising;

a housing;

a first battery within the housing;

a first inductive coil coupled to the first battery and positioned within the housing; and

a first alignment component positioned adjacent to the first inductive coil; and

a second electronic device comprising;

an enclosure having a back surface and defining an opening opposite from the back surface;

a display positioned within the opening of the enclosure;

a second inductive coil and a third inductive coil positioned separate from the second inductive coil, both the second inductive coil and the third inductive coil are positioned within the enclosure and between the display and the back surface of the enclosure, and are operable to wirelessly transmit power to the first electronic device positioned proximate to the enclosure; and

a second alignment component positioned adjacent to the second inductive coil and a third alignment component positioned adjacent to the third inductive coil, wherein the second alignment component is arranged in a first configuration, and the third alignment component is arranged in a second configuration different from the first configuration.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second alignment component and the third alignment component are both configured to attract the first alignment component to align the first inductive coil of the first electronic device with the second inductive coil or the third inductive coil of the second electronic device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second alignment component aligns the first electronic device in a first orientation and the third alignment component aligns the first electronic device in a second orientation different from the first orientation.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first alignment component is a first pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the first inductive coil, the second alignment component is a second pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the first inductive coil, and the third alignment component is a third pair of alignment magnets positioned on opposite sides of the third inductive coil.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second pair of alignment magnets is positioned along a first axis of the second inductive coil, and the third pair of alignment magnets is positioned along a second axis of the third inductive coil perpendicular to the first axis.