Charging system including orientation control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670973-B2
Application number	US-202217589433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2022
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A charging system for a peripheral device, such as a stylus, including orientation control. The charging system includes charging circuitry and magnets. The magnets are configured so that they attract the peripheral device to an engagement surface when it is in a first orientation relative to the engagement surface so that charging circuitry in a peripheral device portion couples with charging circuitry in a charger portion. The magnets are configured so that they also repel and rotate the peripheral device when it is in a second orientation relative to the engagement surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing device, comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing;
a hinge assembly that includes a recessed charging tray, the hinge assembly coupling the first housing to the second housing; and
a charger portion of a charging system, the charger portion positioned within the hinge assembly, the charger portion comprising:
a first charging circuit; and
a first dipole magnet;

wherein the charger portion is configured to wirelessly charge a peripheral device;
wherein the first dipole magnet is configured to, based on the peripheral device being in a first orientation, attract the peripheral device toward the charging tray and locate a charging circuit of the peripheral device within a charging distance of the first charging circuit; and
wherein the first dipole magnet is further configured to, based on the peripheral device being in a second orientation, cause the peripheral device to rotate toward the first orientation.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first charging circuit is configured so that when the peripheral device is in the first orientation, a first side of the peripheral device faces a bottom of the charging tray so that the charging circuit of the peripheral device is located within the charging distance of the first charging circuit; and
wherein the first charging circuit is configured so that when the peripheral device is in the second orientation, a second side of the peripheral device faces the bottom of the charging tray and the first side does not face the bottom of the charging tray so that the charging circuit of the peripheral device is spaced greater than the charging distance from the first charging circuit.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first dipole magnet is configured to, based on the peripheral device being in the second orientation, cause the peripheral device to rotate toward the first orientation in conjunction with gravitational force pulling the peripheral device into the charging tray.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing supports a keyboard, and wherein the second housing supports a display.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first dipole magnet is configured to, based on the peripheral device being in the first orientation, cause the peripheral device to move laterally to align the first charging circuit with the charging circuit of the peripheral device.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first charging circuit comprises a first charging coil, and wherein the first charging coil is configured to inductively couple with a charging coil of the charging circuit of the peripheral device as a result of a peripheral device housing of the peripheral device being within the charging distance.

7. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the charger portion includes a plurality of first dipole magnets spaced from each other.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the charging tray is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis LT;
wherein the plurality of first dipole magnets are spaced equidistant from a central normal axis C 1 of the charging tray; and
wherein the central normal axis C 1 is an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LT of the charging tray and substantially normal to a bottom of the charging tray at a location equidistant from ends of the charging tray.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the charging tray is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis LT;
wherein the plurality of first dipole magnets are spaced from a central normal axis C 1 of the charging tray by a distance in a range between about 10.0 mm and about 30.0 mm; and
wherein the central normal axis C 1 is an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LT of the charging tray and substantially normal to a bottom of the charging tray at a location equidistant from ends of the charging tray.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the charging tray is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis LT, wherein at least one end surface of the charging tray defines a surface angle θ that is in a range between about 5° and about 10°;
wherein the surface angle θ is measured in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis LT and a central normal axis C 1 of the charging tray; and
wherein the central normal axis C 1 is an axis that is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LT of the charging tray and substantially normal to a bottom of the charging tray at a location equidistant from ends of the charging tray.

11. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge assembly includes at least one rigid zone interposed between flexible zones;
wherein the hinge assembly includes a fabric covering; and
wherein the charging tray is disposed in the rigid zone under the fabric covering.

12. A peripheral device, comprising
an elongate housing;
at least one dipole magnet located within the housing;
a charging coil configured to generate current when inductively coupled to a charger portion of a charging system, wherein the charging coil is located within the housing;
a charging controller located within the housing, wherein the charging controller is electrically coupled to the charging coil and configured to at least one of regulate or condition the current; and
a rechargeable battery located within the housing and electrically coupled to the charging coil and the charging controller.

13. The peripheral device of claim 12 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a plurality of dipole magnets;
wherein the housing defines a central radial axis C 2 that extends substantially radially through the outer wall of the housing and substantially parallel to a magnetic field vector of the at least one dipole magnet;
wherein the central radial axis C 2 extends through a portion of the charging coil; and
wherein the plurality of dipole magnets are spaced equidistant from the central radial axis C 2 .

14. The peripheral device of claim 12 , wherein the housing has an oblong cross-sectional shape that defines a plurality of stable abutment regions.

15. The peripheral device of claim 12 , wherein the peripheral device is a stylus and the housing defines a tip end and a butt end.

16. The peripheral device of claim 12 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a plurality of dipole magnets; and
wherein each of the plurality of dipole magnets is positioned laterally biased relative to a longitudinal axis LS of the housing.

17. The peripheral device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one dipole magnet is configured to interact with one or more magnets of the charger portion to locate the charging coil of the peripheral device within a charging distance of a charging coil of the charger portion of the charging system.

18. The peripheral device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one dipole magnet is configured such that the interaction causes the peripheral device to rotate around a longitudinal axis LS of the housing to bring the charging coil of the peripheral device closer to the charging coil of the charger portion of the charging system.

19. The peripheral device of claim 17 , wherein the interaction causes the peripheral device to move laterally in the direction along a radial axis to bring the charging coil of the peripheral device closer to the charging coil of the charger portion of the charging system.

20. The peripheral device of claim 12 , further comprising an indicator configured to notify a user when the peripheral device is cha

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Gaule Patrick Thomas
• Hoyle Jazmine Ama
• Radzikevich Yauhen
• Hewett Anthony James
• Korn Scott Jeffrey
• Shah Ketan R
• Bailey Katherine Margaret
• Lee Woo Ram
• Zhang Wenzhao
• Schmitt Nicolas Jean-Claude
• Kushan Ibrahim Iskender
• Fassett Jay Michael
• Ishihara James Alec

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title