Earlier this morning Patently Apple posted a report titled “Apple Invents a Hybrid Docking/Charging Station that could be as flat as AirPower or take on a Boxy-look with a Lid.” In a second patent today, Apple describes yet another wireless charging invention that could deliver a device that either takes on a charging mat or charging puck form factor to charge devices, furniture and vehicles.
In this second patent application, Apple states that their invention covers a wireless power system has a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device. During operation, the wireless power transmitting device transmits wireless power to the wireless power receiving device. The wireless power receiving device receives the wireless power using coils and rectifier circuitry. The rectifier circuitry supplies a corresponding output voltage to a load.
The wireless power transmitting device may be a wireless charging mat with one or more coils or may be a wireless charging puck with one or more coils. In some embodiments, the wireless charging puck may have multiple coils arranged in a ring.
Although Apple couldn’t get AirPower to market, Apple’s wireless charging team is continuing their work and thinking bigger than ever. The engineers state that their power transmitting device isn’t limited to charging a smartphone. Apple’s team is thinking of wireless charging being built-into furniture, as we wrote about in 2016 and illustrate below. They’re also extending wireless charging to future Autonomous vehicles.
2 wireless charging table furniture
Apple’s patent FIG. 1 below is a schematic diagram of an illustrative wireless charging system that includes a wireless power transmitting device and a wireless power receiving device; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an illustrative curved elongated magnetic core with three associated coils.
3 wireless charging coil system
Apple’s patent FIG. 5 above is a top view of an illustrative pair of wireless power transmitting coils in a wireless power transmitting device overlapped by an illustrative magnetic core and three wireless power receiving coils in a wireless power receiving device; FIG. 11 is an illustrative magnetic core with six coils arranged in a ring for a wireless power transmitting device.
Apple’s patent application number 20200321807 that was published today by the U.S. Patent Office was filed back Q3 2019. For those wanting to dig into the finer details could do so here. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
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