Apple wants an iPhone and iPad to be able to charge other devices

A newly filed patent (number 2021048826) for “through-display wireless charging’ shows that Apple wants an iPhone and iPad to be able to charge other devices.

About the patent filing

In the patent filing, Apple says it would be nice if personal electronic devices were able to charge associated accessories. In some embodiments, such charging may be provided by a wired connection between the personal electronic device and the accessory. However, Apple thinks that a better way is via a wireless connection between the personal electronic device and the accessory. For example, an iPhone or iPad could charge AirPods or AirPods Pro.

Of course, an iPad can already charge an Apple Pencil via its Smart Connector. However, Apple wants to take things to the next level.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s (rather technical) abstract of the patent filing: “A personal electronic device (e.g., a tablet computer) may be configured to wirelessly charge an accessory (e.g., a stylus) through a display face of the device. At least a portion of the display face may be transparent to facilitate display viewing. A wireless charging assembly disposed within the enclosure may include a core having one or more windings disposed thereon, which may be configured to generate a magnetic flux above the display face to couple to the accessory. 

“The core may be a pot core, a modified pot core, or may have another shape, such as a PQ core. The one or more windings may be disposed on one or more posts of a pot core, or additionally or alternatively, may be disposed on another portion of the core. A metallic shield may be disposed about the wireless charging assembly, thereby surrounding multiple sides of the wireless charging assembly.”