Apple has been granted two more patents for ways that you could wirelessly charge one Apple device by placing it strategically on another Apple device. The patents (numbers 10,886,771 and 10,886,769) are for “inductive charging between electronic devices.”
If the ideas are realized, you would be able to charge an iPhone by placing it on a specially designed iPad or a specially designed trackpad on a Mac laptop. Both patents involve an electronic device and methods for inductively charging an electronic device using another external electronic device.
The electronic device may include an enclosure, a battery positioned within the enclosure, and an inductive coil coupled to the battery. The inductive coil may have two or more operational modes, including a power receiving operational mode for wirelessly receiving power and a power transmitting operational mode for wirelessly transmitting power. The electronic device may also have a controller coupled to the inductive coil for selecting one of the operational modes.
In the patent filings, Apple notes that electronic devices include one or more rechargeable batteries that may require external power to recharge. Often, these devices may be charged using a common or standardized electrical connector or cable. For example, some devices may be charged using a universal serial bus (“USB”) connector or cable.
However, despite having standardized connectors and cable, each device may require a separate or dedicated power supply to charge. Apple says that, often, having separate power supplies for each device may be burdensome to use, store, and/or transport. The tech giant thinks inductive charging of one Apple device to another is a better idea.
