Apple has filed for a patent dubbed “electronic device with wireless charging and battery heating.” It seems to involve its upcoming AirPower product, which is sometime this year.
The AirPower will be able to charge a Qi-compatible iPhone, an Apple Watch, and a pair of AirPods (in a special wireless charging case) at the same time regardless of where they’re placed on the pad. AirPower hasn’t been priced yet, but guesses have it costing anywhere from $150 – $200.
Apple’s patent filing involves a wireless power transmitting device may transmit wireless power signals to a wireless power receiving electronic device (iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, etc.). The electronic device may have a coil that receives the transmitted wireless power signals and may have a power receiving circuit that rectifies the received wireless power signals to produce a corresponding direct-current voltage signal.
The direct-current signal may be used to power circuitry in the electronic device and may be used to charge a battery in the electronic device. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use a temperature sensor to make temperature measurements. In response to detecting that the device is below a given threshold temperature and based on other information such as information on which applications are running on a controller in device, the device may supply drive current signals to the coil to heat the battery and improve battery performance.
