Dynamically stabilized magnetic array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10824199-B2
Application number	US-201816144890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

This application relates to devices and accessories that include or are configured to react with a mixture of electromagnets and permanent magnets. In particular the permanent magnets are configured to maintain persistent connections between components while the electromagnets are configured to pulse or activate periodically to maintain the connections or fix alignment of the various connections in certain circumstances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tablet computing device, comprising:
a device housing;
a device magnet carried by the device housing;
a power source carried by the device housing;
a magnetic field sensor coupled to the power source and capable of (i) detecting a predetermined magnetic signature indicating that a magnetic circuit between the device magnet and an accessory magnet carried by an accessory device is present, and (ii) generating a signal in accordance with the detecting; and
an inter-device energy transfer device carried by the housing and electrically coupled to the power source and the magnetic field sensor, wherein the inter-device energy transfer device is capable of (i) receiving the signal from the magnetic field sensor, and (ii) responding to the received signal by transferring power received from the power source to the accessory device.

2. The tablet computing device of claim 1 , wherein the inter-device energy transfer device comprises an inductive energy transfer.

3. The tablet computing device of claim 2 , wherein the device housing comprises a sidewall, and wherein the accessory magnet magnetically couples with the device magnet to retain the accessory device with the sidewall.

4. The tablet computing device of claim 3 , wherein the accessory device comprises a stylus.

5. The tablet computing device of claim 4 , further comprising a processor circuit carried by the device housing, wherein the stylus is in wireless communication with the processor circuit.

6. The tablet computing device of claim 4 , wherein the inter-device energy transfer device inductively charges the stylus.

7. A system comprising:
a portable electronic device comprising:
a device housing comprising a sidewall,
a display assembly coupled with the device housing,
a device magnet carried by the device housing, and
an inductive charging module carried by the device housing; and

a stylus comprising a stylus magnet configured to magnetically couple with the device magnet, thereby allowing the stylus to releasably couple with the portable electronic device at the sidewall, wherein the inductive charging module is capable of inductive energy transfer to the stylus.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the portable electronic device comprises a power source carried by the device housing, the power source supplying power to the inductive charging module.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the stylus comprises a power source that is inductively charged by the inductive energy transfer.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the device housing comprises a magnetically neutral housing.

11. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an electromagnet carried by the device housing and capable of interacting with the stylus.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a device housing;
a display assembly coupled with the device housing;
a device magnet carried by the device housing;
a power source carried by the device housing, the power source capable of inductive energy transfer through the device housing to an accessory that is magnetically coupled with the device magnet,
wherein the accessory comprises a stylus, and
wherein the stylus comprises an accessory power source that is inductively charged by the inductive energy transfer.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the device housing comprises a sidewall, and wherein the accessory comprises an accessory magnet that magnetically couples with the device magnet to retain the accessory with the sidewall.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising a processor circuit carried by the device housing, wherein the stylus is in wireless communication with the processor circuit.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the device housing comprises a non-ferrous material, and wherein the display assembly comprises a touch screen.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Stryker James A

Classifications

• H01F7/0252 Primary

  PM holding devices (H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1615

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title