Wireless power system with communication

Abstract

To provide a wireless power system for charging a battery-powered device.SOLUTION: A wireless power system 8 includes an accessory 104 such as an earphone or an electronic pen that transmits or relays wireless power to a portable electronic device 100. The portable electronic device 100 includes a wireless charging coil 110 and a sensor 116 that detects a compatible accessory currently coupled to the portable electronic device, performing wireless charging or related functions according to the coupled accessory.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 028,404, filed September 22, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 075,035, filed September 4, 2020, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. The present application relates generally to power systems, and more particularly to wireless power systems for charging battery-powered electronic devices. [Background technology]

[0002] In a wireless charging system, a wireless power transmitting device, such as a charging mat, wirelessly transmits power to a wireless power transmitting device, such as a battery-powered portable electronic device. The wireless power transmitting device has a coil that forms an electromagnetic flux. The wireless power transmitting device has coil and rectification circuitry that uses the electromagnetic flux formed by a power transmitter to form DC power that can be used to power an electrical load in the battery-powered portable electronic device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The wireless charging system includes an electronic device operable with an accessory. According to some embodiments, the electronic device can include a wireless charging coil, a near-field communication circuit having a near-field communication antenna around the wireless charging coil, a magnetic alignment structure configured to align the near-field communication antenna with a corresponding near-field communication antenna in the accessory when the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory, a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory, and an output device. The near-field communication circuit can be configured to retrieve information from the accessory in response to detecting that the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory. The output device can be configured to present an output associated with the accessory using the retrieved information.

[0004] The near-field communication antenna can extend along an inner or outer periphery of the wireless charging coil. The magnetic alignment structure can extend along an inner or outer periphery of the near-field communication antenna. The output device can be a display configured to present a wireless charging mat icon, a wireless charging pack icon, a removable case icon, a battery case icon, a dock icon, physical characteristics such as color of the accessory, features associated with the accessory, and ownership information associated with the accessory. The output device can also provide audio, haptic, or other visual feedback when the device is attached to the accessory. The near-field communication can be performed while the wireless power handshake operation is paused or while the wireless power transmission operation is stopped.

[0005] According to some embodiments, a method of operating an electronic device with an accessory is provided. Such a method can include using a magnet to magnetically attract a corresponding magnet in the accessory, using a magnetic sensor to detect when the magnet is magnetically attracting the corresponding magnet in the accessory, using a near-field communication circuit to receive information from the accessory in response to detecting that the magnet is magnetically attracting the corresponding magnet in the accessory, and using a display to display an output associated with the accessory based on the retrieved information. The method can further include using a wireless charging coil to receive a wireless power signal from the accessory and charging a battery with the wireless power signal. The method can further include performing a near-field communication authentication operation while a wireless power handshake operation is paused or while active wireless power transfer is temporarily stopped.

[0006] According to some embodiments, an electronic device operable in a wireless power system to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting device is provided. The electronic device may include a wireless power receiving coil configured to receive the wireless power signal, a near-field communication reader having a near-field communication antenna extending along a periphery of the wireless power receiving coil, a magnet at least partially surrounding the near-field communication antenna and configured to be magnetically coupled to a corresponding magnet in the power transmitting device to align the wireless power receiving coil with the wireless power transmitting coil in the power transmitting device, and a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnet is magnetically coupled to an external accessory separate from the power transmitting device and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both the external accessory and the power transmitting device. The magnetic sensor can distinguish between when the magnet is magnetically coupled only to the external accessory and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both the external accessory and the power transmitting device. The power transmitting device may include a first near-field communication tag configured to transmit information about the power transmitting device to the near-field communication reader. The external accessory includes a second near-field communication tag configured to transmit information about the external accessory to the near-field communication reader. The near-field communication reader can perform anti-collision operations when multiple tags are detected: when a collision is detected, the near-field communication reader can communicate with only one of the tags while the other tag is deactivated, then deactivate the tag that was just read, and then read the tag that was deactivated first. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an example wireless power system, according to some embodiments.

[0008] [Diagram 2] 1 is a circuit diagram of an exemplary wireless power transceiver circuit, according to some embodiments.

[0009] [Diagram 3]1 is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary wireless charging system, according to some embodiments.

[0010] [Figure 4] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary wireless charging system, according to some embodiments.

[0011] [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an accessory configured to mate with a portable electronic device, according to some embodiments.

[0012] [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a portable electronic device according to some embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart of illustrative steps for using near-field communications circuitry to communicate between a portable electronic device and one or more accessories, according to some embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a timing diagram illustrating how a magnetometer can be used to detect the presence of one or more accessories, according to one embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart for performing short-range communication according to some embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart for performing short-range communication according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] A wireless power system may include one or more electronic devices that transmit wireless power, one or more electronic devices that receive wireless power, and one or more electronic devices that transmit and receive wireless power. The wireless power transmitting device may be, for example, a wireless charging mat or a wireless charging pack. The wireless power receiving device may be, for example, a portable device such as a watch, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or other electronic device. The wireless power transmitting device may be an electronic device case (e.g., a removable case for a mobile phone) or other types of electronic devices. The wireless power transmitting device can wirelessly transmit power to the wireless power receiving device. The wireless power transmitting device uses power from the wireless power transmitting device to power the device and charge an internal battery.

[0018] Wireless power is transmitted from a wireless power transmitting device to a wireless power receiving device using one or more wireless power transmitting coils. The wireless power transmitting device has one or more wireless receiving coils coupled to a rectifier circuit that converts a received wireless power signal into DC power.

[0019] An exemplary wireless power system (wireless charging system or wireless power transfer system) is shown in Figure 1. Devices in the wireless power system 8 may include wireless power transmitting devices, such as wireless power transmitting device 12. Devices in the wireless power system 8 may include wireless power receiving devices, such as wireless power receiving device 24. Devices in the wireless power system 8 may include electronic devices capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power, such as wireless power transmitting and receiving device 18.

[0020] The exemplary wireless power transmitting device 12 includes a control circuit 16. The exemplary wireless power receiving device 24 includes a control circuit 30. The exemplary wireless power transmitting and receiving device 18 includes a control circuit 78. These control circuits may include processing circuits associated with a microprocessor, a power management unit, a baseband processor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, and / or an application specific integrated circuit having processing circuitry. These processing circuits implement desired control and communication functions within the devices 12, 18, and 24. For example, the processing circuits may be used in selecting coils, determining power transmission levels, processing sensor data and other data to detect foreign objects and perform other tasks, processing user input, handling negotiation / handshaking between the devices 12, 18, and 24, transmitting and receiving in-band and out-of-band data, performing measurements, and otherwise controlling the operation of the respective wireless transmitters and receivers in the system 8.

[0021] The control circuitry in the system 8 may be configured to execute operations in the system 8 using hardware (e.g., dedicated hardware or circuitry), firmware, and / or software. Software code for executing operations in the system 8 is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a tangible computer-readable storage medium) in the control circuitry 8. The software code may be referred to as software, data, program instructions, instructions, or code. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include non-volatile memory such as a Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM), one or more hard drives (e.g., magnetic drives or solid-state drives), one or more removable flash drives, or other removable media, etc. The software stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be executed on processing circuitry of the control circuitry 16, 30, and / or 78. The processing circuitry may include an application specific integrated circuit having processing circuitry, one or more microprocessors, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other processing circuitry.

[0022] The power transmitting device 12 may be a stand-alone power adapter (e.g., a wireless charging mat or charging pack that includes a power adapter circuit), a wireless charging mat or pack that is coupled to a power adapter or other equipment by a cable, a portable device, an equipment integrated into furniture, a vehicle, or other system, a removable battery case, or other wireless power transmitting equipment. An exemplary configuration in which the wireless power transmitting device 12 is a wireless charging mat or pack is sometimes described herein by way of example.

[0023] The power receiving device 24 may be a portable electronic device such as a watch, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an accessory such as an earphone or an electronic pen (e.g., a stylus), a head mounted display, or other electronic device. The power transmitting device 12 may be coupled to a wall outlet (e.g., an AC power source), may have a battery 32 for providing power, and / or may have another power source. The power transmitting device 12 may have an AC-DC power converter, such as an AC-DC power converter 14, for converting AC power from a wall outlet or other power source to direct current (DC) power. The DC power may be used to power the control circuitry 16. In operation, a controller in the control circuitry 16 transmits wireless power using the power transmitting circuitry 52 to the power receiving circuitry 54 of the device 24.

[0024] The power transmission circuitry 52 may include switching circuits (e.g., inverter circuits 61 formed from transistors) that are switched on and off based on control signals provided by the control circuitry 16 to generate AC current signals through one or more wireless power transmitting coils, such as the wireless power transmitting coil(s) 36. These coil drive signals cause the coil(s) 36 to transmit wireless power. The coils 36 may be arranged in a planar coil array or may be arranged to form a cluster of coils. In some embodiments, the device 12 (e.g., a charging mat, a pack, etc.) may have only a single coil. In other embodiments, the wireless charging device may have multiple coils.

[0025] When AC current flows through one or more coils 36, it generates an alternating electromagnetic field (e.g., magnetic field) (wireless power signal 44) that is received by one or more corresponding receiving coils, such as coil(s) 48 in the power receiving device 24. A rectifier circuit, such as rectifier circuit 50, converts the AC signal received from the one or more coils 48 (the received alternating signal associated with the electromagnetic signal 44) into a DC voltage signal for powering the device 24. The DC voltage generated by rectifier circuit 50 (sometimes referred to as a rectifier output voltage Vrect) may be used to charge a battery, such as battery 58, and may be used to power other components in the device 24.

[0026] Device 12, device 18, and / or device 24 may communicate wirelessly using in-band or out-of-band communications. Device 12 may have wireless transceiver circuitry 40 that wirelessly transmits out-of-band signals (e.g., to device 18 or device 24) using, for example, an antenna. Wireless transceiver circuitry 40 may be used to wirelessly receive out-of-band signals from device 18 or device 24 using an antenna. Device 24 may have wireless transceiver circuitry 46 that transmits out-of-band signals. Receiver circuitry within wireless transceiver 46 may receive the out-of-band signals using an antenna. Device 18 may have wireless transceiver circuitry 80 that transmits out-of-band signals. Receiver circuitry within wireless transceiver 80 may receive the out-of-band signals using an antenna.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, device 12 includes near field communication (NFC) circuitry 53 for transmitting information to a corresponding NFC circuitry 55 in device 24. Device 18 may also include NFC circuitry 85 for receiving information from device 12 and / or transmitting information to device 24. Data communicated using these NFC components may also be considered out-of-band signals and may be radiated using separate NFC antennas in each device. Each NFC circuit may include circuitry to operate as an NFC reader (sometimes referred to as a proximity coupling device or PCD) and / or as an NFC tag (sometimes referred to as a proximity inductively coupled card or PICC). NFC tags may be active or passive. An active NFC tag may actively transmit a signal to an NFC reader, and a passive NFC tag modulates a carrier waveform transmitted by the NFC reader. An exemplary NFC communication operates at 13.56 MHz. In some embodiments, the NFC communication may use millimeter / centimeter wave technology at 10 GHz or higher (up to about 300 GHz).

[0028] The wireless transceiver circuits 40, 46, and 80 may also be used for in-band transmission between the devices 12, 24, and 18 using the coils 36, 48, and 90. Frequency shift keying (FSK) and / or amplitude shift keying (ASK) may be used to communicate in-band data between the devices 12, 18, and 24. Power may be transferred wirelessly during these FSK and ASK transmissions. The power transmitting device 12, the power transmitting and receiving device 18, and the power receiving device 24 may desirably communicate information such as received power, battery charge status, etc., to control wireless power transmission. The control circuitry 16 has an external object measurement circuitry 41 that may be used to detect external objects on the charging surface of the housing of the device 12 (e.g., to detect objects on top of a charging mat, or adjacent to the mating surface of a charging pack, if desired). The housing of the device 12 may have polymer walls, other dielectric walls, or other housing wall structures that surround the coil(s) 36 and other circuits of the device 12. The charging surface may be formed by a flat exterior surface of the upper housing wall of device 12, or may have other shapes (e.g., concave or convex, etc.). In an arrangement in which device 12 forms a charging pack, the charging pack may have a surface shape that mates with the shape of device 24. The pack or other device 12 may optionally have magnets that removably attach device 12 to device 24 so that coil 48 aligns with coil 36 during wireless charging.

[0029] The circuitry 41 can detect foreign objects such as coils, paperclips, and other metallic objects, and can detect the presence of the wireless power receiving device 24 (e.g., the circuitry 41 can detect the presence of one or more coils 48 and / or magnetic core material associated with the coils 48). During object detection and characterization operations, the foreign object (foreign object) measurement circuitry 41 can be used to make measurements on the coil(s) 36, such as Q-factor measurements, resonant frequency measurements, and / or inductance measurements, that can indicate whether the coil 48 is present and / or whether a foreign object, such as a coin or paperclip, is present. The measurement circuitry can also be used to make sensor measurements using capacitive sensors, can be used to make temperature measurements, and / or can be otherwise used in gathering information indicative of whether a foreign object or other external object (e.g., device 18 or 24) is present on the device 12.

[0030] The power transmitting / receiving device 18 may be a battery case or battery pack coupled to a power adapter or other equipment by a cable, may be equipment built into furniture, a vehicle, or other system, may be a removable battery case, may be a portable electronic device such as a watch, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an accessory such as earphones, or other electronic equipment. The power transmitting / receiving device 18 is capable of both transmitting and receiving wireless power. Thus, the power transmitting / receiving device 18 may include power transmitting components similar to the power transmitting device 12. The power transmitting / receiving device 18 may also include power receiving components similar to the power receiving device 24.

[0031] The power transmitting / receiving device 18 may have an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) power converter, such as an AC-DC power converter 96, for converting alternating current (AC) power from a wall outlet or other power source to direct current (DC) power. The DC power may be used to power the control circuitry 78. The control circuitry 78 includes radio transceiver circuitry 80 for in-band communications (using the coil 90) and out-of-band communications (using an antenna). The control circuitry 78 may also optionally include measurement circuitry 82 (e.g., a measurement circuit of the type described in connection with measurement circuitry 41).

[0032] The wireless power circuitry 84 in the device 18 may include both an inverter 86 and a rectifier 88. The inverter circuitry 86 (e.g., formed from transistors) may be turned on and off based on control signals provided by the control circuitry 78 to create an AC current signal through one or more coils, such as coil(s) 90. These coil drive signals cause the coil(s) 90 to transmit wireless power. The coils 90 may be arranged in a planar coil array or may be arranged to form a cluster of coils. In some arrangements, the device 18 may have only a single coil. In other configurations, the device 18 may have multiple coils (e.g., two or more coils, 5-10 coils, at least 10 coils, 10-30 coils, less than 35 coils, less than 25 coils, or any other suitable number of coils).

[0033] When AC current flows through one or more coils 90, an alternating electromagnetic field (e.g., magnetic field) (wireless power signal 44) is generated that is received by one or more corresponding receiving coils, such as coil(s) 48 in power receiving device 24. In other words, one or more of coils 90 may be inductively coupled to one or more of coils 48.

[0034] The power transmitting / receiving device 18 can also receive wireless power (e.g., from the power transmitting device 12). The coil(s) 90 can receive an alternating electromagnetic field from the transmitting coil 36, resulting in a corresponding alternating current in the coil(s) 90. A rectifier circuit, such as rectifier circuit 88, including rectifier components, such as synchronous rectifier metal oxide semiconductor transistors arranged in a bridge network, converts the received AC signal (the received alternating signal associated with the electromagnetic signal 44) from one or more coils 90 into a DC voltage signal for powering the device 18. The DC voltage generated by the rectifier circuit 88 can be used in charging a battery, such as battery 94, and in powering other components in the device 18.

[0035] In some applications, the power transceiver device 18 only transmits wireless power (e.g., using the inverter 86 and coil(s) 90). In some applications, the power transceiver device 18 only receives wireless power (e.g., using the rectifier 88 and coil(s) 90). In some applications, the power transceiver device transmits and receives wireless power simultaneously. When transmitting and receiving wireless power simultaneously, the device 18 can optionally perform both power transmitting and power receiving operations associated with the inverter 86 and rectifier 88 (e.g., the device 18 uses the rectifier to charge a battery and operate the device, and independently uses the inverter to transmit a desired amount of power). Alternatively, the device 18 may relay or pass a received wireless power signal without rectifying the power. The device 18 may include only one coil used for both wireless power transmission and wireless power reception. Alternatively, the device 18 may have at least one dedicated wireless power transmitting coil and at least one dedicated wireless power receiving coil. The device 18 may have multiple coils used for both wireless power transmission and wireless power reception. Different coils within device 18 may optionally be shorted together in different operating modes.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary wireless charging circuit useful in implementing system 8. A wireless charging system of power transmitting device 12 and power receiving device 24 is shown. However, it should be understood that device 18 may have corresponding components for both power transmitting and power receiving and may be used in place of either device 12 and / or device 24, if desired. As shown in FIG. 2, circuit 52 may include an inverter circuit, such as one or more inverters 61, or other drive circuitry that generates a wireless power signal that is transmitted through an output circuit that includes one or more coils 36 and a capacitor, such as capacitor 71. In some embodiments, device 12 may include multiple individually controlled inverters 61, each providing a drive signal to each coil 36. In other embodiments, inverter 61 is shared among multiple coils 36 using a switching circuit.

[0037] During operation, control signals for the inverter(s) 61 are provided by the control circuit 16 at the control input 74. Although a single inverter 61 and a single coil 36 are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, multiple inverters 61 and multiple coils 36 may be used if desired. In a multiple coil configuration, a switching circuit (e.g., a multiplexer circuit) may be used to couple a single inverter 61 to multiple coils 36 and / or each coil 36 to a respective inverter 61. During wireless power transmission operation, transistors in one or more selected inverters 61 are driven by AC control signals from the control circuit 16. The relative phase between the inverters may be dynamically adjusted. For example, a pair of inverters 61 may generate in-phase or out-of-phase (e.g., 180° out of phase) output signals.

[0038] By applying a drive signal using an inverter(s) 61 (e.g., a transistor or other switch in circuit 52), an output circuit formed from a selected coil 36 and capacitor 71 is caused to generate an alternating electromagnetic field (signal 44) that is received by a wireless power receiving circuit 54 using a wireless power receiving circuit formed from one or more coils 48 and one or more capacitors 72 in device 24.

[0039] If desired, the relative phase between the drive coils 36 (e.g., the phase of one of the driven coils 36 relative to another adjacent one of the driven coils 36) may be adjusted by the control circuitry 16 to help enhance wireless power transfer between the device 12 and the device 24. A rectifier circuit 50 is coupled to one or more coils 48 (e.g., a pair of coils) to convert the received power from AC to DC and provide a direct current output voltage Vrect across the rectifier output terminals 76 for powering a load circuit within the device 24 (e.g., for charging the battery 58, for powering the display and / or other input / output devices 56, and / or for powering other components). A single coil 48 or multiple coils 48 may be included within the device 24. In an exemplary configuration, the device 24 may be a watch or other portable device having at least two coils 48. These two (or more) coils 48 may be used together in receiving wireless power. Other configurations may be used if desired.

[0040] As previously mentioned, in-band transmission using coils 36 and 48 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) information between devices 12 and 24. In one exemplary configuration, frequency shift keying (FSK) is used to transmit in-band data from device 12 to device 24, and amplitude shift keying (ASK) is used to transmit in-band data from device 24 to device 12. In other words, a device transmitting wireless power can use FSK to transmit in-band data to a device receiving wireless power (regardless of whether the device is a dedicated power transmitting / receiving device 12 / 24 or a power transmitting / receiving device 18). A device receiving wireless power can use ASK to transmit in-band data to a device transmitting wireless power (regardless of whether the device is a dedicated power transmitting / receiving device 12 / 24 or a power transmitting / receiving device 18).

[0041] During these FSK and ASK transmissions, power may be wirelessly conveyed from device 12 to device 24. While power transmit circuitry 52 drives an AC signal to one or more of coils 36 to generate signal 44 at the power transmit frequency, radio transceiver circuitry 40 may use FSK modulation to modulate the power transmit frequency of the driving AC signal, thereby modulating the frequency of signal 44. At device 24, coil 48 is used to receive signal 44. Power receive circuitry 54 uses coil 48 and the received signal on rectifier 50 to generate DC power. Simultaneously, radio transceiver circuitry 46 monitors the frequency of the AC signal passing through coil(s) 48 and uses FSK demodulation to extract the transmitted in-band data from signal 44. This approach allows coils 36 and 48 to transmit FSK data (e.g., FSK data packets) in-band from device 12 to device 24 at the same time as coils 36 and 48 are used to wirelessly convey power from device 12 to device 24.

[0042] In-band communication between device 24 and device 12 can use ASK modulation and demodulation techniques. The wireless transceiver circuit 46 transmits in-band data to device 12 by using a switch (e.g., one or more transistors in transceiver 46 coupled to coil 48) to modulate the impedance of power receiving circuit 54 (e.g., coil 48). This in turn modulates the amplitude of signal 44 and the amplitude of the AC signal passing through coil(s) 36. The wireless transceiver circuit 40 monitors the amplitude of the AC signal passing through coil(s) 36 and uses ASK demodulation to extract the transmitted in-band data from these signals transmitted by wireless transceiver circuit 46. The use of ASK communication allows ASK data bits (e.g., ASK data packets) to be transmitted in-band from device 24 to device 12 using coil 48 and coil 36 while power is simultaneously wirelessly transferred from device 24 to device 12 using coil 36 and coil 48.

[0043] The examples of FSK modulation used to communicate in-band data from the power transmitting device 12 to the power receiving device 24 and ASK modulation used to communicate in-band data from the power receiving device 24 to the power transmitting device 12 are merely illustrative. In general, any desired communication technique may be used to communicate information from the power transmitting device 12 to the power receiving device 24 and from the power receiving device 24 to the power transmitting device 12. In general, wireless power may be communicated simultaneously between devices during in-band communication (using ASK or FSK).

[0044] The power transmission frequency used for transmitting wireless power may be, for example, a predetermined frequency of about 125 kHz, at least 80 kHz, at least 100 kHz, between 100 kHz and 205 kHz, less than 500 kHz, less than 300 kHz, or other suitable wireless power frequency. In some configurations, the power transmission frequency may be negotiated in communications between devices 12 and 24. In other configurations, the power transmission frequency may be fixed.

[0045] It has been described that power may be transferred between devices simultaneously while using in-band communication for data transmission between the devices. In other words, in some examples, in-band communication may rely on modulation of the power transmission signal (e.g., modulation of the power transmission frequency or modulation of the amplitude of the signal at the power transmission frequency). However, other communication techniques that do not rely on modulation of the power transmission signal may be used. For example, signals (sometimes referred to as in-band signals) may be transferred between coils in a system at a frequency different from the power transmission frequency. Signals (at the same frequency or different frequency than the power transmission frequency) transferred using coils (e.g., coils 36, 48, and 90 in FIG. 1) may be considered in-band signals.

[0046] 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a portable electronic device 100 (e.g., a watch, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or other electronic device) on a surface of a wireless charging mat (or puck) 102. Device 100 may be a wireless power receiving device (e.g., device 24 of FIG. 1) or a wireless power transmitting and receiving device (e.g., device 18 of FIG. 1). Device 102 may be a wireless power transmitting device (e.g., device 12 of FIG. 1).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 3, the device 102 may include a wireless charging coil 120 (e.g., a wireless power transmission coil), an NFC antenna structure 122, and a magnetic alignment structure 124. The wireless charging coil 120 may be wound from a single stranded conductor, multiple stranded conductors with multiple wires connected in parallel, braided wire, Litz wire, conductive ink or conductive traces such as multi-layer tracks on a printed circuit board, or other conductive elements suitable for forming a coil. The coil 120 may represent a single coil or multiple coils (e.g., a planar coil array, a cluster of coils, or any suitable number of overlapping and / or non-overlapping coil structures). The NFC antenna 122 may be formed around the wireless charging coil 120 (e.g., the NFC antenna 122 may be routed along the inner or outer circumference of the coil 120, or may at least partially or completely surround the coil 120). In one suitable configuration, the wireless charging coil 120 and the NFC antenna 122 may form a concentric loop structure. The magnetic alignment structure 124 may be formed around the NFC antenna 122 (e.g., the alignment structure 124 may be formed along the periphery of the antenna 122 or may at least partially or completely surround the antenna 122). In some configurations, the NFC antenna 122 and the magnetic alignment structure 124 may form concentric loops.

[0048] The device 100 may include a wireless charging coil 110 (e.g., a wireless power receiving coil), an NFC antenna structure 112, a magnetic alignment structure 114, and a magnetic sensor such as a magnetometer 116. The wireless power receiving coil 110 may be configured to receive a wireless power signal from the wireless power transmitting coil 120. For example, the wireless power transmitting coil 120 may be driven using an inverter 61 in the device 12 of FIG. 2, while the wireless power receiving coil 110 may be used to drive a rectifier 50 in the device 24 of FIG. 2. The wireless charging coil 110 may be wound from a single stranded conductor, multiple stranded conductors with multiple wires connected in parallel, braided wire, Litz wire, conductive ink or conductive traces such as multi-layer tracks on a printed circuit board, or other conductive elements suitable for forming a coil.

[0049] The NFC antenna 112 may be formed around the wireless charging coil 110 (e.g., the NFC antenna 112 may be routed around the periphery of the coil 110 or may at least partially or completely surround the coil 110). In one suitable configuration, the wireless charging coil 110 and the NFC antenna 112 may form a concentric loop structure. The NFC antenna structure 112 in the device 100 should have the same or similar structure and footprint as the NFC antenna structure 122 of the device 102 to ensure optimal coupling between the two antenna structures.

[0050] The magnetic alignment structure 114 may be formed around the NFC antenna 112 (e.g., the alignment structure 114 may be formed along the periphery of the antenna 112 or may at least partially or completely surround the antenna 112). In some configurations, the NFC antenna 112 and the magnetic alignment structure 114 may form a concentric loop. The magnetic alignment structure 114 in the device 100 may be magnetically coupled with a corresponding magnetic alignment structure 124 in the device 102 (e.g., the magnet 114 may magnetically attract the magnet 124, or vice versa). When the magnetic alignment structure 114 in the device 100 is coupled to the magnetic alignment structure 124 in the device 102, the power transmitting coil 120 may be aligned with the power receiving coil 110 (e.g., such that the coils 110 and 120 are in proper spatial alignment for optimal wireless power transmission). Thus, the magnetic alignment structure facilitates proper alignment of the wireless power receiving coil with respect to the wireless power transmitting coil. The magnetic alignment structures 114 and 124 may be permanent magnets (eg, formed from a hard magnetic material that remains magnetic).

[0051] According to one embodiment, devices 100 and 102 can communicate prior to a wireless power transfer operation. These communications include communications to establish wireless power delivery. In some embodiments, these communications include negotiations to support features such as issuing charging notifications, chimes, alerts, or otherwise communicating the nature of device 102 so that a user is notified regarding the operation of the device. As an example, device 100 may receive information indicating that it has been placed on a wireless charging mat. In response, device 100 can present a wireless charging mat icon on its display to indicate that its battery is currently being charged from a wireless charging mat.

[0052] The communication may also include NFC-based communication. The NFC reader in the device 100 may be triggered or activated using a magnetic sensor such as the magnetometer 116. The magnetometer 116 may be, for example, a Hall effect sensor, a rotating coil magnetometer, a magnetoresistive sensor, a fluxgate sensor, a microelectromechanical system magnetic field sensor, or other type of magnetic sensor. In some embodiments, the magnetometer 116 is a multi-axis magnetic sensor configured to decode the polarity of the attachment. When the multi-axis magnetic sensor 116 detects that the accessory 104 is coupled to the device 100 in a first correct orientation, further processing such as NFC communication is triggered. When the multi-axis magnetic sensor 116 detects an unrecognized magnetic reading or indicates that the accessory is coupled in a second incorrect orientation (e.g., upside down), the device 100 refrains from action such as indicating the attachment via a user notification. The magnetic sensor 116 may monitor or measure the magnetic field at the magnetic alignment structure 114. When device 100 is not attached to device 102, magnetic sensor 116 may measure a first amount of magnetism that is below a threshold level. When device 100 is attached to device 102 (e.g., when structures 114 and 124 are aligned), magnetic sensor 116 may detect a second amount of magnetism that exceeds the threshold level. When the output of sensor 116 exceeds the threshold, magnetic sensor 116 may send a wake-up signal to an NFC reader in device 100. Operating in this manner, magnetometer 116 may be used to trigger or initiate NFC communications between devices 100 and 102.

[0053] In some embodiments, the device 100 presents an indication regarding the attachment of the accessory. For example, when a wireless power transmitter is inductively coupled to the device 100, the device 100 chimes audibly and displays a battery charging icon and chimes. In some embodiments, the device 100 presents an indication regarding the attributes of the attached accessory. For example, when the device 100 is coupled to a purple protective cover, the device 100 presents an indication that it is coupled to a purple cover. In some embodiments, the device 100 presents an indication regarding the functionality of the attached accessory. For example, when the device 100 is coupled to a battery-powered protective cover, the device 100 presents an indication that it is coupled to a purple cover, that the cover has a charged battery, and / or that it is receiving power from a battery-powered case. In some embodiments, the device 100 presents an indication regarding the identity of the attached accessory. For example, when the device 100 is coupled to a dock, the device 100 presents an indication that it is coupled to an unknown device and asks for permission to proceed further. In response to the user's permission to proceed, device 100 may indicate that the dock is named "Kitchen" and is associated with several food recipes that may be presented via device 100.

[0054] FIG. 4 illustrates another suitable configuration in which the portable electronic device 100 is inserted into the battery case 104. The device 102 may be a wireless power transmitting device, such as a wireless charging mat or pack with a charging surface. The device 104 has a housing, such as a housing 138, with a recess R and / or other structure configured to receive the device 100. In this manner, a user may removably attach the device 100 to the device 104 such that the devices 100 and 104 may be used together as a portable unit. When it is desired to receive wireless power from the device 102, the device 104 and the device 100 may be placed together on the charging surface of the device 102. The device 104 optionally includes an NFC antenna 132 and a magnetic alignment structure 134. The NFC antenna 132 enables the device 104 to communicate with the devices 100 and / or 102. The magnetic alignment structure 143 facilitates spatial alignment and inductive coupling of the device 104 with the devices 100 and / or 102.

[0055] In some embodiments, devices 100 and 104 communicate using NFC antennas 112 and 132, respectively. In some examples, NFC communication occurs during a wireless power handshake operation by temporarily pausing a power handshake / negotiation process to perform NFC communication. In some examples, NFC communication occurs during a wireless power transfer operation by temporarily pausing active wireless power transfer to perform NFC communication. The NFC reader in device 100 can be triggered or activated using magnetic sensor 116, which monitors or measures a magnetic field at magnetic alignment structure 114. When device 100 is not attached to device 104, magnetic sensor 116 can detect a first amount of magnetism below a given threshold. When device 100 is attached to device 104 (e.g., when structures 114 and 134 are aligned), magnetic sensor 116 can measure a second amount of magnetism above a given threshold. When the output of the sensor 116 exceeds a given threshold, the magnetic sensor 116 may send a signal to an NFC reader in the device 100. Operating in this manner, the magnetometer 116 may be used to trigger or initiate NFC communications between the devices 100 and 104.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 4 where the portable electronic device 100 is attached to two different accessory devices, audio, haptic, and / or visual affordances output by the device 100 may be triggered simultaneously upon attachment of each or both accessories. For example, the device 100 may be first installed in the device 104. When the device 100 is placed in a recess R in the housing 138 of the device 104, the magnetic alignment structures 114 and 134 may spatially align the devices 100 and 104 such that the transmit coil 130 is aligned with the receive coil 110. When the magnetic alignment structures 114 and 134 are aligned, the magnetic sensor 116 may detect the presence of the device 104 and activate the NFC antenna 112 of the reader in the device 100 to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field generated by the antenna 112 may induce a corresponding current to flow through the antenna 132 of the NFC tag in the device 104, thereby activating the NFC tag.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a side view of another accessory such as device 108 that may be attached to device 100. Device 108 may be a stand or dock for holding or otherwise supporting device 100 in an upright or semi-upright position. In some embodiments, device 108 does not include a wireless charging coil. However, if desired, device 108 may include one or more wireless charging coils. Device 106 includes an NFC antenna 152 and a magnetic alignment structure 154. Magnetic alignment structure 154 may be formed around NFC antenna 152 (e.g., magnetic alignment structure 154 may be routed around or at least partially or completely surround antenna 152). In one suitable configuration, NFC antenna 152 and magnetic alignment structure 154 may form a concentric loop structure. NFC antenna structure 152 in device 108 should have the same or similar structure and footprint as NFC antenna structure 112 of device 100 to ensure optimal coupling between the two antenna structures. The NFC antenna 152 may be part of an NFC tag in the device 108 that may be used to transmit device-specific information to the NFC antenna 112 in the device 100.

[0058] A magnetic alignment structure 154 in device 108 may be magnetically coupled with a corresponding magnetic alignment structure 114 in device 100 (e.g., magnet 114 may magnetically attract magnet 154, or vice versa). When magnetic alignment structure 154 in device 108 is coupled to magnetic alignment structure 114 in device 100, NFC tag antenna 152 may be aligned with a corresponding NFC reader antenna 112 in device 100 to perform NFC communications.

[0059] According to one embodiment, device 108 may be configured to transmit information to device 100 using NFC prior to a wireless power transfer operation upon attachment to device 100 such that device 100 may notify, chime, alert, or otherwise display some confirmation information regarding the coupling of device 108 to the user. As an example, device 100 may receive information from device 108 indicating that it has been inserted into a docking accessory. In response, device 100 may present a dock icon on its display to indicate that it is currently attached to the dock accessory. In another example, device 100 may receive information from device 108 indicating that it has been attached to a dock named "Kitchen." The device may present a kitchen icon on its display and / or provide a default user interface screen associated with the dock.

[0060] 6 is a top view of a wireless charging coil, an NFC antenna, and a magnetic alignment structure in an exemplary portable electronic device 100. As shown, the device 100 may include one or more coils 110. The coil(s) 110 may be wrapped around or overlap a magnetic core. The coil 110 may be ring-shaped (sometimes referred to as an annular or circular coil) and may have a central opening 164, with one or more magnetic cores optionally formed within the central opening. A ring-shaped NFC antenna 112 may laterally surround the coil 110. The antenna structure 112 may be described as annular or circular. A ring-shaped magnetic alignment structure 114 may laterally surround the NFC antenna 112. The magnetic alignment structure 114 may be described as annular or circular. 7, coil 110, antenna 112, and magnetic alignment structure 114 are concentric (e.g., each structure 110, 112, and 114 may have a center that coincides with point C). Antenna 112 extends along the periphery of wireless charging coil 110. Magnetic alignment structure 114 extends along the periphery of NFC antenna 112. Concentric point C may bisect the horizontal width dimension across the housing of device 100 (as shown by bisector 160) and may also bisect the vertical length dimension across the housing of device 110 (as shown by bisector 162).

[0061] If desired, device 100 may include two or more wireless charging coils, NFC antenna 112 may be formed from two or more separate antenna members arranged in a circular (annular) pattern, and magnetic alignment structure 114 may be formed from two or more separate magnetic alignment members arranged in a circular (annular) pattern. Each of the individual NFC antenna members and / or magnetic alignment members may have an arcuate arrangement. In other suitable embodiments, structures 110, 112, and 114 may be elliptical, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, or have another polygonal footprint.

[0062] The magnetic sensor 116 may be placed in close proximity to the magnetic alignment structure 114 to effectively measure the magnetism of the alignment structure 114. For example, the magnetic sensor 116 and the alignment structure 114 may be separated by a distance of less than 1 cm, less than 0.5 cm, less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm, less than 0.1 mm, 0.1 mm to 1 cm, 0.1 mm to 1 mm, 0.1 cm to 1 cm, 0.1 cm to 0.5 cm, 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, or other suitable distance.

[0063] Various configurations of the wireless charging coil (e.g., coil 110), NFC antenna (e.g., antenna 112), and magnet (e.g., magnet 114) may be consistent with the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, the NFC antenna 112 is disposed along the outer periphery of the magnet 114, and the wireless charging coil 110 is disposed along the inner periphery of the magnet 114. The positions of the NFC antenna 112 and the wireless charging coil 110 may be reversed. In some embodiments, both the wireless charging coil 110 and the NFC antenna 112 are inside the inner periphery of the magnet 114. The positions of the wireless charging coil 110 and the NFC antenna 112 may be reversed. In some embodiments, both the wireless charging coil 110 and the NFC antenna 112 are outside the outer periphery of the magnet 114. The positions of the wireless charging coil 110 and the NFC antenna 112 may be reversed. These examples are illustrative.

[0064] 7 is a flow chart of an example process involved in attaching a portable electronic device to one or more accessory devices according to embodiments described herein. At block 200, a device such as portable electronic device 100 (FIG. 1) is attached to an accessory device of FIG. 1 (e.g., power transmitting device 12 of FIG. 1, power transceiving device 18 of FIG. 1, device 102 of FIG. 3, device 104 of FIG. 4, device 108 of FIG. 5) via a magnetic alignment structure (e.g., structures 114 and 124 of FIG. 3, structures 114 and 134 of FIG. 4).

[0065] At block 202, the magnetic sensor 116 of the portable electronic device 100 detects the presence of an accessory device that has just been attached to the device 100. In response to the magnetic sensor 116 detecting proper attachment of the accessory device, at block 204 (FIG. 8), the NFC components in the device 100 and the attached accessory communicate with each other. In some embodiments, the NFC communication includes verifying the authenticity of the attached device. In some embodiments, the NFC communication includes encryption. In some embodiments, the NFC communication includes the transmission of information about the device 100 and / or the accessory. In some examples, the device 100 obtains information indicative of the type of the attached accessory, such as whether the accessory is a dock. In some examples, the device 100 obtains information indicative of the functionality provided by the attached accessory, such as whether the accessory provides power.

[0066] At block 206, the device 100 presents information about the attached accessory on its display using the information received during block 204. For example, the device 100 may display a wireless charging pack graphic or a phone case graphic in response to determining that a wireless charging pack or a phone case, respectively, is attached to the device 100. The device 100 may also display a charging icon if the device 100 is receiving power, such as a wireless power signal, from the attached accessory. Functionality of the device 100 may be made available or unavailable based on the information received from the attached accessory. That is, a particular application may be enabled when the device 100 is attached to a particular type of accessory, and a particular application may be disabled when the device 100 is attached to a particular type of accessory. The device 100 may also change a menu of available functionality, such as widgets and application icons, based on the information received from the attached accessory.

[0067] As indicated by branch 208, device 100 may repeat blocks 202-206 as additional devices are attached. For example, device 100 may be attached to a wireless charging pack via an intervening protective case.

[0068] When the device 100 is detached from the accessory, the magnetic sensor 116 can sense the accessory removal at block 210 and present information about the removal at block 212. The presentation of the information can include one or more of audio, tactile, and visual indications. When the device 100 is detached from the accessory, the device 100 can also record the location of the removal and present the lost property information later. For example, removing the device 100 from the chassis provides a meaningful parking location for the car, and the parking location can be presented on a map of the local area.

[0069] 8 is a timing diagram illustrating how the magnetic sensor 116 of the device 100 (FIG. 1) can detect the attachment and removal of an accessory to the device 100, such as during blocks 202 and 210 of FIG. 7, respectively. The sensor 116 can be configured to collect measurements at predetermined time intervals. For example, the sensor 116 can collect one or more readings once per second (at a frequency of 1 Hz), twice per second (at a frequency of 2 Hz), three times per second (at a frequency of 3 Hz), four or more times per second (at a frequency greater than 3 Hz), between three and ten times per second, less than once per second, at most once every two seconds, at most once every three seconds, or at any other suitable period.

[0070] FIG. 8 illustrates example measurements 312 at times t1, t2, and t3 provided by the sensor 116. These magnetic measurements are within a first range of values ​​302. A magnetic sensor output within the range 302 may indicate that no external accessory or magnetic component is currently attached to the device 100. At time t4, a first accessory (e.g., a battery case) may be placed on the device 100. During attachment of the device 100 and the battery case, a magnetic alignment structure within the battery case may be magnetically coupled and aligned with the magnetic alignment structure 114 of the device 100. The sensor 116 may detect the approach and proximity of the battery case and output a second magnetic measurement 314 within a second range of values ​​304. A magnetic sensor reading that falls within the range 304 may indicate that one external accessory is currently attached to the device 100. Ranges 302 and 304 may be separated by a trigger gap 308 to ensure that there is sufficient margin to help distinguish between a first scenario in which no accessory is present and a second scenario in which one accessory is attached.

[0071] At time t9, the device 100 and battery case may be placed on a second accessory (e.g., a wireless charging mat or pack) as one mobile unit. When the battery case is placed on the charging surface of the second accessory, the magnetic alignment structure in the battery case may be magnetically coupled to and aligned with the magnetic alignment structure of the second accessory and the magnetic alignment structure 114 of the device 100. As a result, the sensor 116 in the device 100 may output a second magnetic measurement 316 that is within a third range of values ​​306. A magnetic sensor reading that falls within the range 306 may indicate that two external accessories are currently attached to the device 100 (i.e., the device 100 is currently stacked with at least two external accessories). The ranges 306 and 304 may be separated by a trigger gap 310 to ensure that there is sufficient margin to help distinguish between a second scenario in which one accessory is attached to the device 100 and a third scenario in which the device 100 is attached or coupled to at least two accessories. In this illustrative example of FIG. 9, the magnetic sensor 116 distinguishes between the attachment of zero, one, or multiple external accessories.

[0072] The near-field communication reader in the device 100 can perform anti-collision operations when multiple external accessories are detected. For example, a first near-field communication tag in a first accessory and a second near-field communication tag in a second accessory may both want to transmit information to the reader in the device 100. Upon detecting such a potential collision, the near-field communication reader in the device 100 can communicate with only one tag and communication with the other tag is stopped. After communication with the first tag is completed, the reader can proceed to communication with the second tag.

[0073] Other sensing techniques are possible. In some examples, multiple magnetic sensors may be used. In some examples, once the magnetic sensor indicates the presence of at least one attached accessory, NFC communication may be used to detect the presence of multiple attached accessories. In some embodiments, device 100 uses NFC instead of magnetic sensor 116 to detect when one or more accessories are attached. An NFC reader may periodically send NFC pings to detect if an accessory has been coupled to the housing of device 100.

[0074] 9 and 10, an exemplary technique for communicating using NFC and wireless charging signals is described. Careful sequencing in the use of NFC and wireless charging signals can improve and mitigate interference between wireless operations. FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for performing NFC communications by pausing wireless power handshake operations, according to some embodiments.

[0075] At block 400, the portable electronic device 100 is attached to an accessory, such as the wireless power transmitting device 12 of FIG. 1. At block 402, the accessory detects the presence of the portable electronic device 100. At block 404, the power transmitting accessory 12 initiates wireless power handshake operations with the portable electronic device 100. These handshake operations may include authentication, negotiation of supported communication protocols and power transmission levels, etc. At block 406, the power transmitting accessory 12 suspends the wireless power handshake operations so that NFC communications may be performed between NFC components within the devices 12 and 100. In some embodiments, these NFC communications include those described with reference to block 204 of FIG. 7. At block 408, after the NFC communications, the power transmitting accessory 12 resumes the wireless power handshake operations. At block 410, after the necessary handshaking and power negotiation operations have been performed, the wireless power transmitting accessory 12 initiates active wireless power transmission by transmitting a wireless power signal at an appropriate (e.g., negotiated) level to the portable electronic device 100. During the active wireless power transmission at block 410, the devices 12 and 100 may further communicate with each other, such as via in-band communication, to convey control and / or feedback signals to maintain the wireless power transmission.

[0076] The example of Fig. 9 in which device 100 is attached to a power transmitting accessory is merely illustrative. As another example, device 100 may be attached to an accessory, such as power transceiver device 18 of Fig. 1. In such a scenario, device 100 may communicate with the accessory via short-range communication and then determine to either transmit wireless power to the accessory or receive wireless power from the accessory.

[0077] 10 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for performing near field communication by pausing an active ongoing wireless power transmission, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the NFC communication operation in block 204 of FIG. 8 is performed after the wireless power transmitting device 12 and the portable electronic device 100 have negotiated and initiated wireless power transmission.

[0078] At block 500, the portable electronic device 100 is attached to an accessory, such as the wireless power transmitting device 12 of FIG. 1. At block 502, the wireless power transmitting accessory 12 detects the presence of the portable electronic device 100. At block 504, the wireless power transmitting accessory 12 initiates wireless power handshake operations with the portable electronic device 100. These handshake operations may include authentication, negotiation of supported communication protocols and power transmission levels, etc. At block 506, after the handshake and power negotiation operations are performed, the wireless power transmitting accessory 12 initiates active wireless power transmission at the appropriate (e.g., negotiated) level. During the operation of block 506, the power transmitting accessory can transmit wireless power signals to the device 100 via the wireless power charging coil and can optionally perform in-band communication to convey control and data signals between the two devices.

[0079] At block 508, the wireless power transmitting accessory 12 suspends active wireless power transmission operations (e.g., by temporarily stopping wireless power transmission and operating the accessory in a wireless power transmission stopped mode). During the wireless power transmission stopped mode, close-range communications can be performed between NFC circuitry in the device 12 and 100. In some embodiments, these NFC communications include those described with reference to block 204 of FIG. 8. At block 510, after any necessary NFC communications have been performed, the wireless power transmitting device 12 resumes active wireless power transmission operations.

[0080] Although the method of operations is described in a particular order, it should be understood that other operations may be performed between the described operations, the described operations may be coordinated to occur at slightly different times, or the described operations may be distributed across a system that allows for the occurrence of processing operations at various intervals associated with the processing, so long as the processing of the overlay operation is performed in the desired manner.

[0081] The above describes an exemplary embodiment of a wireless power transfer system that utilizes NFC communication. This information can be beneficially used to control efficient wireless charging operation and to assess the characteristics of accessories that are inductively coupled with the user's device. It is contemplated that some implementers of the present technology may consider passing identifiers such as serial numbers, UIDs, manufacturer IDs, MAC addresses, etc. to aid in identifying and handling devices in a wireless charging system.

[0082] Entities implementing the present technology should take care to ensure that, to the extent any sensitive information is used in a particular implementation, well-established privacy policies and / or practices are adhered to. In particular, such entities would be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Implementers should inform users of where personally identifiable information is expected to be transmitted in the wireless power transfer system and allow users to "opt-in" or "opt-out" of participation. For example, such information may be presented to users when they place their device over a wireless power transmitter.

[0083] Moreover, it is the intent of this disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use. Risks can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting it when it is no longer needed. Furthermore, where applicable, de-identification of data can be used to protect user privacy. For example, device identifiers can be masked to convey characteristics of the device without uniquely identifying the device. Where appropriate, de-identification can be facilitated by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of data stored, controlling how data is stored, and / or other methods such as differential privacy. For example, a dock paired with a user device can identify itself using minimally required information, such as a byte value of 0x00000001. A device explicitly paired by the user may understand that 0x00000001 refers to a kitchen dock, but the bit value of 0x00000001 itself does not inherently convey this level of information. Robust encryption can also be utilized to reduce the likelihood that communications between inductively coupled devices can be spoofed or intercepted. NFC authentication can provide additional protection by preventing certain information from being exchanged with unauthorized NFC devices.

[0084] Entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage, or other use of any personal information data shall adhere to robust privacy policies and / or practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for keeping personal information data confidential and secure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users and should be updated as data collection and / or use changes. Personal information from users should be collected for the entity's lawful and legitimate uses and should not be shared or sold except for those lawful uses. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be done after informing and obtaining consent from the user. Moreover, such entities should consider taking all necessary measures to protect and secure access to such personal information data and ensure that others who have access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to attest to their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Moreover, policies and practices should be adapted to the specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and should comply with applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations.

[0085] According to one embodiment, there is provided an electronic device operable with an accessory, the electronic device including: a wireless charging coil; a near-field communications circuit having a near-field communications antenna around the wireless charging coil; a magnetic alignment structure configured to align the near-field communications antenna with a corresponding near-field communications antenna in the accessory and to align the wireless charging coil with a corresponding wireless charging coil in the accessory when the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory; and a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory, wherein the near-field communications circuit is configured to receive information from the accessory in response to detecting that the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory and an output device configured to present an output associated with the accessory using the received information.

[0086] According to another embodiment, the near field communications antenna extends along a periphery of the wireless charging coil and the magnetic alignment structure extends along a periphery of the near field communications antenna.

[0087] According to another embodiment, the output device includes a display configured to use the received information to present an icon associated with the accessory.

[0088] According to another embodiment, the icon includes an icon selected from the group consisting of a wireless charging mat icon, a wireless charging pack icon, a removable case icon, a battery case icon, and a dock icon.

[0089] According to another embodiment, the output device includes a display configured to use the received information to present physical characteristics associated with the accessory.

[0090] According to another embodiment, the physical characteristic includes the color of the accessory.

[0091] According to another embodiment, the output device includes a display configured to use the received information to present functionality associated with the accessory.

[0092] According to another embodiment, the functionality includes an operational mode that changes depending on the position of the accessory.

[0093] According to another embodiment, the output device includes a display configured to use the received information to present ownership information associated with the accessory.

[0094] According to another embodiment, the near-field communications circuitry is further configured to perform an authentication operation with the accessory, the near-field communications circuitry being configured to receive unprotected data before the authentication operation and to receive protected data after the authentication operation.

[0095] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes control circuitry configured to perform a wireless power handshake operation with the accessory, and the authentication operation is performed while pausing the wireless power handshake operation.

[0096] According to another embodiment, the wireless charging coil is configured to receive a wireless power signal from the accessory during wireless power transfer operations, and the authentication operations are performed while pausing the wireless power transfer operations.

[0097] According to one embodiment, there is provided a method of operating an electronic device that includes using a magnet to magnetically attract an accessory that includes a corresponding magnet, using a magnetic sensor to detect the presence of the magnet in the accessory, receiving information from the accessory using a near-field communications circuit, and using a display to display an output associated with the accessory based on the received information.

[0098] According to another embodiment, an electronic device includes a battery, and a method includes receiving a wireless power signal from an accessory using a wireless charging coil, and charging the battery with the received wireless power signal.

[0099] According to another embodiment, a method includes performing a near-field communication authentication operation using near-field communication circuitry, the near-field communication circuitry receiving generic data prior to the near-field communication authentication operation and receiving identification data after the near-field communication authentication operation.

[0100] According to another embodiment, a method includes using a control circuit to perform a wireless power handshake operation with an accessory, pausing the wireless power handshake operation to perform a near-field communication authentication operation, and resuming the wireless power handshake operation upon completion of the near-field communication authentication operation.

[0101] According to another embodiment, the wireless charging coil receives a wireless power signal during an active wireless power transmission mode, and the method includes suspending the active wireless power transmission mode to perform a near-field communication authentication operation, and resuming the active wireless power transmission mode upon completion of the near-field communication authentication operation.

[0102] According to another embodiment, a method includes enabling an application or application functionality in response to a characteristic of an attached accessory.

[0103] According to one embodiment, there is provided an electronic device operable in a wireless power system to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting device, the electronic device including: a wireless power receiving coil configured to receive the wireless power signal; a near-field communication reader having a near-field communication antenna extending along a periphery of the wireless power receiving coil; a magnet at least partially surrounding the near-field communication antenna and configured to be magnetically coupled to a corresponding magnet in the power transmitting device to align the wireless power receiving coil with the wireless power transmitting coil in the power transmitting device; and a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnet is magnetically coupled to an external accessory separate from the power transmitting device and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both the external accessory and the power transmitting device.

[0104] According to another embodiment, the magnetic sensor is further configured to distinguish between when the magnet is magnetically coupled only to an external accessory and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both an external accessory and a power transmitting device.

[0105] According to another embodiment, the power transmitting device includes a first near-field communications tag configured to transmit information about the power transmitting device to the near-field communications reader, and the external accessory includes a second near-field communications tag configured to transmit information about the external accessory to the near-field communications reader.

[0106] According to another embodiment, the wireless power receiving coil is configured to receive a wireless power signal during an active wireless power transmission mode, and the near-field communication reader is configured to receive information transmitted from the first and second near-field communication tags prior to the active wireless power transmission mode or while the active wireless power transmission mode is stopped.

[0107] According to another embodiment, the magnetic sensor is further configured to detect when the magnet is magnetically coupled to an additional accessory different from the external accessory and the power transmitting device.

[0108] The above is merely illustrative and various modifications may be made to the described embodiments. The above embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. 1. An electronic device operable with an accessory, comprising: A wireless charging coil; a short-range communication circuit having a short-range communication antenna around the wireless charging coil; a magnetic alignment structure configured, when magnetically coupled to the accessory, to align the near field communications antenna with a corresponding near field communications antenna in the accessory and to align the wireless charging coil with a corresponding wireless charging coil in the accessory; a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory, the near-field communications circuitry configured to receive information from the accessory in response to detecting that the magnetic alignment structure is magnetically coupled to the accessory; and an output device configured to use the received information to present an output associated with the accessory; and An electronic device comprising:

2. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the near field communications antenna extends along a periphery of the wireless charging coil and the magnetic alignment structure extends along a periphery of the near field communications antenna.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a display configured to use the received information to present an icon associated with the accessory.

4. 4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the icons include an icon selected from the group consisting of a wireless charging mat icon, a wireless charging pack icon, a removable case icon, a battery case icon, and a dock icon.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a display configured to use the received information to present physical characteristics associated with the accessory.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the physical characteristic includes a color of the accessory.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a display configured to use the received information to present functionality associated with the accessory.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the functionality includes an operational mode that changes depending on the position of the accessory.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises a display configured to use the received information to present ownership information associated with the accessory.

10. 10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the near field communications circuitry is further configured to perform an authentication operation with the accessory, the near field communications circuitry being configured to receive unprotected data before the authentication operation and to receive protected data after the authentication operation.

11. and control circuitry configured to perform a wireless power handshake operation with the accessory, the authentication operation being performed while pausing the wireless power handshake operation.

11. The electronic device of claim 10.

12. 11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the wireless charging coil is configured to receive a wireless power signal from the accessory during a wireless power transfer operation, and the authentication operation is performed while pausing the wireless power transfer operation.

13. 1. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising: using a magnet to magnetically attract an accessory, the accessory including a corresponding magnet; detecting the presence of the magnet in the accessory using a magnetic sensor; receiving information from the accessory using near field communications circuitry in response to detecting the presence of the magnet in the accessory; using a display to display an output associated with the accessory based on the received information; A method comprising:

14. the electronic device further comprising a battery, the method comprising: receiving a wireless power signal from the accessory using a wireless charging coil; The method of claim 13 , further comprising: charging the battery with the received wireless power signal.

15. performing a near field communication authentication operation using the near field communication circuitry, the near field communication circuitry receiving generic data prior to the near field communication authentication operation and receiving identification data after the near field communication authentication operation; The method of claim 14 further comprising:

16. performing a wireless power handshake operation with the accessory using a control circuit; pausing the wireless power handshake operation to perform the near field communication authentication operation; resuming the wireless power handshake operation upon completion of the near field communication authentication operation; The method of claim 15 further comprising:

17. the wireless charging coil receives the wireless power signal during an active wireless power transmission mode, and the method further comprises: suspending the active wireless power transmission mode to perform the near field communication authentication operation; The method of claim 15 , further comprising: resuming the active wireless power transfer mode upon completion of the near field communication authentication operation.

18. enabling an application or application feature in response to characteristics of the attached accessory; The method of claim 13 further comprising:

19. 1. An electronic device operable to receive a wireless power signal from a power transmitting device in a wireless power system, comprising: a wireless power receiving coil configured to receive the wireless power signal; a short-range communication reader having a short-range communication antenna extending along a periphery of the wireless power receiving coil; a magnet at least partially surrounding the near field communication antenna, the magnet configured to be magnetically coupled to a corresponding magnet in the power transmitting device to align the wireless power receiving coil with a wireless power transmitting coil in the power transmitting device; and a magnetic sensor configured to detect when the magnet is magnetically coupled to an external accessory separate from the power-transmitting device, and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both the external accessory and the power-transmitting device; An electronic device comprising:

20. 20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the magnetic sensor is further configured to distinguish between when the magnet is magnetically coupled only to the external accessory and when the magnet is magnetically coupled to both the external accessory and the power transmitting device.

21. 21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the power transmitting device comprises a first near-field communications tag configured to transmit information about the power transmitting device to the near-field communications reader, and the external accessory comprises a second near-field communications tag configured to transmit information about the external accessory to the near-field communications reader.

22. 22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the wireless power receiving coil is configured to receive the wireless power signal during an active wireless power transmission mode, and the near field communication reader is configured to receive the information transmitted from the first and second near field communication tags before the active wireless power transmission mode or while the active wireless power transmission mode is stopped.

23. 21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the magnetic sensor is further configured to detect when the magnet is magnetically coupled to an additional accessory different from the external accessory and the power-transmitting device.

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