US 11,722,015 B2
Wireless charging modules with magnetic alignment components
Christopher J. Walton, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Demetrios B. Karanikos, San Francisco, CA (US); Christopher S. Graham, San Francisco, CA (US); Eric S. Jol, San Jose, CA (US); Karl Ruben F. Larsson, Los Altos, CA (US); Aaron A. Oro, Palo Alto, CA (US); Timothy J. Rasmussen, San Jose, CA (US); Miranda L. Daly, Mountain View, CA (US); and Paul J. Thompson, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/28,310.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/061,752, filed on Aug. 5, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/907,332, filed on Sep. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0099030 A1, Apr. 1, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H02J 50/90 (2016.01); H02J 50/80 (2016.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01); H04B 5/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 7/02 (2016.01); H02J 50/50 (2016.01); H02J 50/70 (2016.01)
CPC H02J 50/90 (2016.02) [H02J 7/00034 (2020.01); H02J 7/0042 (2013.01); H02J 7/02 (2013.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.02); H02J 50/80 (2016.02); H04B 5/0025 (2013.01); H04B 5/0031 (2013.01); H02J 50/50 (2016.02); H02J 50/70 (2016.02)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wireless charging module comprising:
a housing having a charging surface and a second surface having an opening therethrough;
an inductive coil assembly disposed within the housing, the inductive coil assembly including an electrically conductive coil;
an annular magnetic alignment component disposed within the housing and surrounding the inductive coil assembly, the annular magnetic alignment component including a plurality of sectors, each sector comprising:
an inner arcuate region having a magnetic polarity oriented in a first axial direction;
an outer arcuate region having a magnetic polarity oriented in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction; and
a non-magnetized central arcuate region disposed between the inner arcuate region and the outer arcuate region; and
control circuitry disposed within the housing, the control circuitry being coupled to the electrically conductive coil and to a plurality of external electrical contacts and being configured to operate the electrically conductive coil to transfer power wirelessly through the charging surface using input power received from the external electrical contacts,
wherein the external electrical contacts are exposed through the opening in the second surface of the housing.