Mechanically featureless inductive charging using an alignment marking feature
An inductive charging system including an inductive charger having an inductive charging surface and an alignment feature depicted on a surface of the inductive charger indicating a location of the inductive charging surface. A structural feature may extend substantially perpendicular to the alignment feature and provides a guide for positioning of a portable device to facilitate inductive changing of the portable device by the inductive charging surface. The inductive charger may include a plurality of inductive chargers positioned to facilitate charging of a portable device by two or more of the plurality of the inductive chargers.
1. An inductive charging system comprising:
an inductive charger comprising an inductive charging surface; and
an alignment marking feature depicted on a surface of the inductive charger indicating a location of the inductive charging surface; and
a transceiver configured for wireless communication of data with a portable device positioned for charging on the inductive charging surface.
2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a structural feature, wherein the structural feature extends substantially perpendicular to the alignment marking feature and provides a guide for positioning of a portable device to facilitate inductive charging of the portable device by the inductive charging surface.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inductive charger comprises a plurality of inductive chargers.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of inductive chargers comprises a field of inductive chargers positioned to facilitate charging of a portable device by two or more of the plurality of the inductive chargers.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inductive charging surface is a raised surface extending outward from the surface of the inductive charger.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the inductive charging surface is parallel to the surface of the inductive charger.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the inductive charging surface is sloped as compared to the surface of the inductive charger.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the alignment marking feature comprises a plurality of alignment marking features that cross at substantially a right angle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured for receiving charging information from the portable device.
10. The system of claim 1 , comprising a primary transformer winding arranged to be inductively coupled to a secondary transformer winding of a portable device, wherein the transceiver is configured from the primary and secondary windings.
11. The system of claim 1 , comprising a user indication configured for providing an indication if a portable device is positioned to be charged on the inductive charging surface.
12. method of providing an inductive charging system, the method comprising the acts of:
providing an inductive charging surface;
providing an alignment marking feature on a surface of the inductive charger indicating a location of the inductive charging surface; and
providing a transceiver configured for wireless communication of data with a portable device positioned for charging on the inductive charging surface.
13. The method of claim 12 , comprising the act of providing a structural feature arranged to extend substantially perpendicular to the alignment marking feature to guide positioning of a portable device to facilitate inductive changing of the portable device by the inductive charging surface.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of providing an inductive charger comprises an act of providing a plurality of inductive chargers.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the act of providing the plurality of inductive chargers comprises the act of providing a field of inductive chargers positioned to facilitate charging of a portable device by two or more of the plurality of the inductive chargers.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the inductive charging surface is provided as a raised surface extending outward from the surface of the inductive charger.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the inductive charging surface is provided as one of parallel and sloped to the surface of the inductive charger.
18. The method of claim 12 , comprising an act of providing a communication path between the inductive charging system and a portable device through use of a primary and secondary transformer inductively coupled together to act as the transceiver.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of providing the alignment marking feature comprises providing a plurality of alignment features that cross at substantially a right angle.
20. The method of claim 12 , comprising an act of communicating with a portable device to receive charging information from the portable device.
21. The method of claim 19 , comprising an act of modulating a coupling field between the inductive charging system and the portable device, wherein the modulated coupling field is the communication path between the inductive charging system and the portable device.