Mounting base for a wirelessly locatable tag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11659916-B2
Application number	US-202117478680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2021
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A mounting base for use with a wirelessly locatable tag may include a base portion defining a latching member configured to engage a wirelessly locatable tag to releasably retain the wirelessly locatable tag to the mounting base, a contact block attached to the base portion and configured to be positioned at least partially within a battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag, the contact block defining a top side and a peripheral side. The mounting base may further include a first conductive member positioned along the peripheral side of the contact block and configured to contact a first battery contact in the battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag, a second conductive member outwardly biased from the top side of the contact block, the second conductive member configured to contact a second battery contact in the battery cavity of the tag, and a power cable coupled to the base portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting base for a wirelessly locatable tag, the wirelessly locatable tag defining a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery, the mounting base comprising:
a base portion defining a latching member configured to engage a wirelessly locatable tag to releasably retain the wirelessly locatable tag to the mounting base;
a contact block attached to the base portion and configured to be positioned at least partially within a battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag, the contact block defining a top side and a peripheral side;
a first conductive member positioned along the peripheral side of the contact block and configured to contact a first battery contact in the battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag;
a second conductive member outwardly biased from the top side of the contact block, the second conductive member configured to contact a second battery contact in the battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag; and
a power cable coupled to the base portion and configured to supply electrical power to the wirelessly locatable tag via the first and second conductive members.

2. The mounting base of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive member is configured to be deflected by a surface defining the battery cavity when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base.

3. The mounting base of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive member is configured to impart a biasing force on a surface of the battery cavity when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base.

4. The mounting base of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive member is configured to deflect the first battery contact when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base.

5. The mounting base of claim 1 , further comprising power conversion circuitry positioned within a cavity defined in the base portion and configured to change a characteristic of an input current provided by the power cable.

6. The mounting base of claim 1 , wherein the base portion defines a passage configured to fluidly couple an internal volume of the wirelessly locatable tag with an exterior environment when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base.

7. The mounting base of claim 1 , wherein:
the mounting base further comprises a circuit board;
the power cable is conductively coupled to the circuit board; and
the first conductive member and the second conductive member are conductively coupled to the circuit board.

8. A mounting base for a device, the mounting base comprising:
a latching member configured to engage a retention feature of the device to retain the device to the mounting base;
a contact block configured to be positioned at least partially within a battery cavity of the device, the contact block defining a top side and a peripheral side; and
a deflectable conductive member extending above the top side of the contact block, the deflectable conductive member configured to:
contact a battery contact that extends into the battery cavity of the device, thereby conductively coupling the deflectable conductive member and the battery contact; and
impart a biasing force on the wirelessly locatable tag when the device is coupled to the mounting base, the biasing force configured to bias the latching member against the retention feature of the wirelessly locatable tag.

9. The mounting base of claim 8 , wherein:
the deflectable conductive member is a first deflectable conductive member;
the biasing force is a first biasing force;
the mounting base further comprises:
a second deflectable conductive member configured to impart a second biasing force on the device when the device is coupled to the mounting base; and
a third deflectable conductive member configured to impart a third biasing force on the device when the device is coupled to the mounting base; and

the second and third biasing forces are configured to bias the latching member against the retention feature of the device.

10. The mounting base of claim 9 , wherein the mounting base further comprises a fourth conductive member coupled to the peripheral side.

11. The mounting base of claim 10 , wherein:
the fourth conductive member is conductively coupled to a positive terminal of a DC power supply; and
the first, second, and third deflectable conductive members are conductively coupled to a negative terminal of the DC power supply.

12. The mounting base of claim 10 , further comprising a power cable configured to supply electrical power to the device via the first, second, and third deflectable conductive members and the fourth conductive member.

13. The mounting base of claim 12 , wherein the power cable is configured to couple to a DC power supply.

14. The mounting base of claim 12 , wherein:
the power cable is configured to couple to an AC power supply; and
the mounting base further comprises an AC-to-DC converter configured to convert AC power to DC power.

15. The mounting base of claim 8 , wherein the deflectable conductive member is at least partially embedded in the contact block.

16. A wirelessly locatable system comprising:
a wirelessly locatable tag configured to transmit a wireless signal to an electronic device to facilitate localization of the wirelessly locatable tag by the electronic device, the wirelessly locatable tag defining:
a battery cavity configured to receive a button cell battery;
a positive battery contact extending into the battery cavity;
a negative battery contact extending into the battery cavity; and
a retention feature configured to engage a first latching member of a battery door; and

a mounting base comprising:
a base portion defining a second latching member configured to engage the retention feature to retain the wirelessly locatable tag to the mounting base; and
a contact block attached to the base portion and configured to be positioned at least partially within the battery cavity of the wirelessly locatable tag, the contact block defining:
a circular top wall; and
a peripheral side wall extending from a periphery of the circular top wall;

a first conductive member configured to contact the positive battery contact; and
a second conductive member configured to contact the negative battery contact.

17. The wirelessly locatable system of claim 16 , wherein the peripheral side wall defines a curved outer surface having a diameter equal to a curved outer surface of the button cell battery.

18. The wirelessly locatable system of claim 16 , wherein the second conductive member is flexible and is configured to be deflected by a surface of the battery cavity when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base.

19. The wirelessly locatable system of claim 18 , wherein the second conductive member is configured to impart a biasing force on the surface of the battery cavity when the wirelessly locatable tag is coupled to the mounting base, thereby biasing the second latching member against the retention feature.

20. The wirelessly locatable system of claim 16 , wherein the mounting base further comprises a biasing member configured to bias the second latching member against the retention feature.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Perkins Ryan C
• Thompson Paul J

Classifications

• A45F5/1508

  Holders or carriers for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or digital music players · CPC title

• A45F5/155

  Holders or carriers for thin, flat, rectangular articles, e.g. ID badges or cards · CPC title

• G01S5/0036

  of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station · CPC title

• G06K19/07758

  arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag · CPC title

• G06K19/0702

  the arrangement including a battery · CPC title