The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 58 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover a patent that is titled "Combining power from multiple resonance magnetic receivers in resonance magnetic power system," which relate generally to utilizing a wireless power transmission in a portable computing environment. In 2012 Patently Apple was first to report on Apple's future magnetic resonance power system. In 2013 we covered the same system with far more detail and later posted a report titled " The Cordless Home is now in Reach with Magnetic Resonance ," discussing the new power system in the larger context of how it was progressing within the industry. Today we see for the first time how peripherals like Apple's Magic Mouse and future wireless keyboard will integrate magnetic resonators that will be powered by the new power system hidden within a future iMac or Mac Pro tower.

Apple Granted a Patent Related to a Future Magnetic Resonance Power System



Apple has been granted a patent today for their invention relating to a system and method for utilizing wireless near field magnetic resonance (NFMR) power transmission in a computing environment. A small form factor wireless power unit can be used to replace conventional batteries.

In particular, methods, systems, and apparatus that describe a peripheral device arranged to wirelessly receive power from an NFMR power transmitter in useable amounts while positioned in about any spatial orientation with respect to the NFMF transmitter.

A peripheral device arranged to wirelessly receive power from a NFMR power transmitter independent of the orientation of the peripheral device with respect to the NFMR power transmitter is described.

The NFMR power supply can be a standalone unit such as, for example, included in a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, and so on. In other embodiments, the NFMR power supply can take the form of a portable type unit such as a dongle that can be connected to a legacy device such as a desktop computer thereby providing the ability to retrofit devices. In still other embodiments, housing or a portion of a housing used to enclose the NFMR power source can act to extend a useful range of the NFMR power supply.

Overview of the Magnetic Resonance Power System

As shown in Apple's FIG. 12 below, a virtual charging area includes central unit such as a desktop computer that can include the NFMR power supply, keyboard, mouse, and portable media player. In one embodiment, the keyboard can be configured to receive power directly from the NFMR power supply included in desktop computer as can mouse and portable media player (when located within range R).





Apple's patent FIG. 10 below shows a computer keyboard positioned in front of a future iMac or desktop computer. Since small form factor wireless power units 1002 and 1004 can be sized along the lines of a standard AAA battery, the small form factor wireless power units can be accommodated into the battery compartment 1010 of the keyboard as shown in patent FIG. 11. In this way, small form factor wireless power supply 1002 and 1004 can be used to systematically replace conventional batteries along the lines of standard AAA batteries.





We're able to see that a future version of Apple's (Magic) Mouse will incorporate magnetic resonators as part of the new power system





Apple credits Li-Quan Tan and David Amm as the inventors of granted patent 8,796,885 which was originally filed in Q2 2012 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Apple was granted a second patent relaing to magnetic resonance power under patent number 8,796,886.

You can review more details regarding this system in general by clicking on the links that we provided you with in our opening summary.



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Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 8pm MST and sporadically on the weekend.