Wirelessly charged electronic device with shared inductor circuitry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9276639-B2
Application number	US-201313776436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2013
Priority date	Feb 25, 2013
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device may contain an input-output device such as a speaker, vibrator, or near field communications antenna. The input-output device may include an inductor. The inductor in the input-output device may be shared by wireless charging circuitry in the electronic device so that wireless charging signals can be converted into power to charge a battery in the electronic device. A separate inductor may also be provided within an input-output device to support wireless charging. A drive circuit may supply drive signals to the input-output device such as audio signals, vibrator control signals, or near field communications output signals for external near field communications equipment. An input amplifier that is coupled across the inductor in the input-output device may be used in receiving near field communications signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:
storage and processing circuitry;
an input-output device coupled to the storage and processing circuitry, wherein the input-output device comprises a speaker having an inductor, a diaphragm coupled to the inductor, and travel-limiting stop structures;
wireless charging circuitry configured to receive wireless charging signals using the inductor and configured to charge the battery; and
a drive circuit that drives audio signals across the inductor to operate the speaker in a speaker mode and that drives vibrator control signals across the inductor to operate the speaker in a vibrator mode in which the inductor strikes the travel-limiting stop structures.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the input-output device comprises a vibrator.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the inductor comprises first and second terminals and wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor coupled across the first and second terminals.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:
a switch that is interposed between the capacitor and the inductor and that is configured to selectively isolate the inductor from the capacitor when the drive circuit drives the audio signals across the inductor.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 further comprising an input amplifier coupled across the inductor.

6. An electronic device configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:
storage and processing circuitry;
an input-output device coupled to the storage and processing circuitry, wherein the input-output device includes an inductor and travel-limiting stop structures;
wireless charging circuitry that receives wireless charging signals using the inductor and that charges the battery, wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor and switching circuitry; and
a drive circuit that drives vibrator control signals across the inductor in a vibrator mode in which the inductor strikes the travel-limiting stop structures, wherein the switching circuitry couples the capacitor to the inductor when the wireless charging signals are being received by the wireless charging circuitry and isolates the capacitor from the inductor when the drive circuit is providing the signals to the inductor.

7. An electronic device that is configured to be powered using a battery, comprising:
wireless charging circuitry having an inductor that is configured to receive wireless charging signals, wherein the wireless charging circuitry is configured to charge the battery; and
a drive circuit that is configured to drive vibrator control signals across the inductor, wherein the inductor vibrates to provide haptic output to a user when the drive circuit drives the vibrator control signals across the inductor, wherein the wireless charging circuitry comprises a capacitor and switching circuitry, wherein the switching circuitry couples the capacitor to the inductor when the wireless charging signals are being received by the wireless charging circuitry and isolates the capacitor from the inductor when the drive circuit is supplying the vibrator control signals to the inductor.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein power is routed from the capacitor to the battery.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein power is routed from the capacitor to the battery.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 7 , wherein the electronic device further comprises support structures, and wherein the inductor strikes the support structures when the drive circuit supplies vibrator control signals to the inductor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 , wherein the support structures comprise travel-limiting stop structures.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Terlizzi Jeffrey J

Classifications

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04R25/602

  of batteries · CPC title