Apple may someday offer an iPhone model that will not only wirelessly charge other devices through the front of the display. While Apple has been previously reported to be considering similar charging schemes, the solution is usually targeted to work through the back of the iPhone.
Now, a recently discovered Apple patent application indicates the company is working on charging other devices or accessories by laying them on the iPhone’s front display.
“Through-Display Wireless Charging,” makes the display be the charging point.
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.
The ability to lay your Apple Pencil or AirPods Pro on the edge of your iPhone or iPad to charge the accessory would definitely be appreciated by numerous device users.
This patent application is credited to eight inventors.
(Via AppleInsider)