Electronic device including non-contact charging module

• US 9,954,396 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hidaka, Akio, Naruse, Takumi, Fujimura, Munenori, Tabata, Kenichiro, Nishino, Tokuji
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US15/051,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20160172896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• 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 27/366 made of ferromagnetic 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: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• 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 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

This communication apparatus makes it possible to have a non-contact charging module and a sheet antenna coexist, even in the case where there the non-contact charging module and the sheet antenna in the communication apparatus. The apparatus is provided with: a housing; a secondary-side non-contact charging module, which is housed in the housing, receives power by means of electromagnetic induction, and has a first coil having a conducting wire wound thereon, and a first magnetic sheet facing the first coil; and an NFC antenna, which is housed in the housing, and has a second coil having a conducting wire wound thereon, and a second magnetic sheet facing the second coil. The secondary-side non-contact charging module and the NFC antenna are not laminated to each other.

Claims

1. An electronic device having a communication capability, the electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a non-contact charging module housed in the housing and configured to receive electric power through electromagnetic induction, the non-contact charging module including;

(i) a first coil comprised of an electrical line wound to define a first hole, and (ii) a first magnetic body opposing the first coil; and

a display placed such that the first magnetic body is interposed between the display and the first coil,

wherein

the non-contact charging module is structured to align with a counterpart non-contact charging module including a second hole, the second hole including a magnet in a first case and the second hole not including the magnet in a second case, and the non-contact charging module, in operation, aligns with the counterpart non-contact charging module either in the first case or in the second case.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the non-contact charging module, in operation, aligns with the counterpart non-contact charging module in the first case by aligning the first hole with the magnet of the counterpart non-contact charging module.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the non-contact charging module, in operation, aligns with the counterpart non-contact charging module in the second case by aligning the first hole with the second hole of the counterpart non-contact charging module.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first hole has a substantially rectangular shape.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein a diagonal dimension of the first hole having a substantially rectangular shape is greater than 15.5 mm.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first hole has a substantially rectangular shape and a diagonal dimension of the first hole is greater than a largest dimension of the magnet of the counterpart non-contact charging module in the first case.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a largest dimension of the first hole is greater than 15.5 mm.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first hole has a size greater than the size of the magnet of the counterpart non-contact charging module in the first case.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the magnet has a substantially circular shape and a diameter of the magnet is 15.5 mm or less.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a largest dimension of the magnet is 15.5 mm or less.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first coil has a substantially rectangular shape.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first coil has a substantially circular shape.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic body has a substantially rectangular shape.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic body is made of a ferrite material.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery which overlaps with the non-contact charging module.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet antenna housed in the housing and including a second coil comprised of a wound electrical line.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the sheet antenna does not overlap with the non-contact charging module.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the non-contact charging module does not include a magnet.

19. A method of charging an electronic device, comprising:

providing the electronic device including a non-contact charging module configured to receive electric power through electromagnetic induction, the non-contact charging module including;

(i) a first coil comprised of an electrical line wound to define a first hole, and (ii) a first magnetic body opposing the first coil, the electronic device further including a display placed such that the first magnetic body is interposed between the display and the first coil;

when a counterpart non-contact charging module includes a magnet placed in a second hole of the counterpart non-contact charging module, aligning the non-contact charging module with the counterpart non-contact charging module by aligning the first hole of the non-contact charging module with the magnet of the counterpart non-contact charging module; and

when the counterpart non-contact charging module does not include the magnet placed in the second hole of the counterpart non-contact charging module, aligning the non-contact charging module with the counterpart non-contact charging module by aligning the first hole of the non-contact charging module with the second hole of the counterpart non-contact charging module.

20. An electronic device having a communication capability, the electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a non-contact charging module housed in the housing and configured to receive electric power through electromagnetic induction, the non-contact charging module including;

(i) a wireless charging coil comprised of an electrical line wound to define a first hole, and (ii) a magnetic body opposing the wireless charging coil;

a display placed such that the first magnetic body is interposed between the display and the wireless charging coil;

a battery configured to store power from the wireless charging coil;

a camera which does not overlap with the battery; and

a communication coil which is comprised of an electrical line wound around the camera and which is electrically isolated from the wireless charging coil,

wherein the wireless charging coil and the magnetic body overlap with the battery.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein a size of the first hole of the wireless charging coil is greater than 15.5 mm.

22. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein a diameter of the first hole having a substantially circular shape is greater than 15.5 mm.

23. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein a diagonal dimension of the first hole having a substantially rectangular shape is greater than 15.5 mm.

24. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein a side dimension of the first hole having a substantially rectangular shape is greater than 15.5 mm.