Using an audio cable as an inductive charging coil
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsFletcher R. Rothkopf, Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Stephen Brian Lynch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments relate to a technique for inductively charging an electronic device. This technique involves winding an audio cable for the electronic device around a charging mechanism multiple times so that one or more conductors in the audio cable form an inductive receiving coil. Next, a magnetic field is created through the charging mechanism to induce a current in the inductive receiving coil. Finally, the induced current in the inductive receiving coil is used to charge a rechargeable battery for the electronic device.
Claims21
1-11. (canceled)
A earphone comprising:
- an earphone body;
- a cable coupled to the earphone body;
- a speaker housed in the earphone body and configured to output a first acoustic signal corresponding to a media file, the speaker including a transducer configured to generate a current when it vibrates in response to a second acoustic signal provided by a corresponding acoustic charging device;
- and
- a conductor coupled to the transducer and the cable.
A method for acoustically charging a battery;
- receiving, by a speaker of an earphone coupled to an acoustic charging device, an acoustic signal that causes a transducer of the speaker to vibrate;
- converting, by the transducer, a vibration of the speaker into a current;
- passing, by a conductor coupled the speaker, the current to a charging circuit;
- and
- charging, by the charging circuit, a battery using the current.
An acoustic charging device comprising:
- a housing having a recess configured to receive a portion of a corresponding earphone;
- and
- a speaker disposed within the recess and configured to provide an acoustic signal that causes a corresponding speaker of the corresponding earphone to vibrate such that a transducer of the corresponding speaker generates a current for charging a battery when the transducer vibrates in response to the acoustic signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.