Apple has filed for a patent (number 2020311286) for “magnetic alignment systems for wireless power devices.” It’s another of the tech giant’s patent filings (and granted patents) for “reverse charging” in which one device can charge another.
About the patent filing
The goal is, for example, a Mac laptop to be able to charge an iPhone or an iPhone charge an Apple Watch. In such a wireless charging system, a wireless power transmitting device wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power receiving device.
Magnets may be used to align the wireless power transmitting device and wireless power receiving device with each other. Apple says that wireless power system includes electronic devices such as wrist watches, cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, removable battery cases, electronic device accessories, wireless charging mats, wireless charging pucks, and/or other electronic equipment.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “Power may be transmitted wirelessly between electronic devices. Devices such as cellular telephones, wireless charging pucks, and other equipment may have wireless power circuitry with coils. The wireless power circuitry may have inverter circuitry and rectifier circuitry. The inverter circuitry and a coil that receives alternating-current signals from the inverter circuitry may be used to transmit wireless power signals.
“Wireless power signals received by a coil in a mated device may be rectified using the rectifier circuitry in that device to produce direct-current power. To align first and second devices for power transfer between their coils, devices may be provided with alignment magnets. The alignment magnets may be configured to permit a first device to be mated back-to-back with a second device such as a second device of the same type as the first device.”
