Inductive Charging Keyboard Keycap Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices made from conductive materials like aluminum and steel interfere with wireless charging signals, making it challenging to integrate inductive chargers, and as devices become thinner, this issue worsens due to reduced plastic usage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating inductive charging coils within keycaps of a keyboard, along with a charge control circuit and signal analyzing circuit, allowing for wireless charging signal transmission and reception, enabling efficient charging through non-conductive plastic keycaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If inductive charging coils are integrated into electronic devices made from conductive materials, then wireless charging capability is achieved, but the conductive materials interfere with wireless charging signals
Solution Approach 1:
The inductive charging system is segmented into discrete keycap modules, each containing its own inductive charging coil. This segmentation allows the wireless charging functionality to be distributed across multiple non-conductive keycap units, reducing overall signal interference compared to a single large coil in a metal device body.
Solution Approach 2:
Non-conductive plastic keycaps serve as intermediary elements between the user and the conductive device body. The keycaps contain the inductive charging coils and provide a non-conductive barrier that prevents interference from the metal device chassis, allowing wireless charging signals to pass through without significant interference.
2Length of moving object
If electronic devices are designed thinner with more metal and less plastic, then device thickness is reduced, but wireless charging signal interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless charging functionality is moved from the device body plane to the keyboard surface plane. By embedding inductive charging coils within the keycaps on the keyboard surface, the system creates a new dimensional space for wireless charging that is separate from the thin metal device body, effectively bypassing the interference problem caused by thin metal construction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the entire device body to be non-conductive for wireless charging, the solution applies local quality by making only the keycap regions non-conductive. This localized approach to material selection allows the rest of the device to remain thin and metal-based while specific areas (keycaps) provide the necessary non-conductive properties for wireless charging.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inductive charging coils are placed within keycaps, then wireless charging is enabled through non-conductive media, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The keycap structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the user interface element for keyboard input and as the housing for the inductive charging coil. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by combining what would otherwise be separate components into a single integrated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The inductive charging coil, control circuitry, and keycap structure are merged into a single integrated module. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and connections needed, simplifying the overall device architecture despite adding wireless charging functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient wireless charging in devices with high metal content by utilizing inductive charging coils within keycaps, facilitating charging between devices positioned above the keyboard, reducing the need for physical connections and enhancing charging efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
An inductive charger can efficiently and wirelessly charge a battery in an electronic device by generating a wireless charging signal
Implementation Method 2
The wireless charging signal may be transmitted through non-conductive media, such as through air or plastic
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to a wireless charging device having an inductive charging coil built into a keyboard, such as the interior space of a keycap in the keyboard. The wireless charging device and keyboard may further be built into a housing of a primary device, such as a laptop computer. The wireless charging device may communicate with another secondary device having a compatible coil. For example, the wireless charging device may transmit, via the inductive charging coil, a wireless charging signal to a wirelessly chargeable device placed on top of the keyboard. In another example, the wireless charging device may receive, through the inductive charging coil, a wireless charging signal from a wireless powering device placed on top of the keyboard.