Wireless charging with magnetic retention
A magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are used to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging occurring between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device. A housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas. The contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device that will be stored in that storage area.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are configured to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, as well as
a housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, where the magnet in the wireless charger and the ferromagnetic target plate in each hearing assistance device are positioned relative to a charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive coil in the hearing assistance device such that a first magnetic field supplied from the magnet to cause the magnetic retention force of the hearing assistance device to be controlled to not significantly interfere with a second magnetic field causing the wireless charging between the charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive coil in the hearing assistance device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the contours of the storage areas each conform to the shape of the hearing assistance device to enable an insertion and a retention of the hearing assistance device correctly in the storage area of the wireless charger, where a first strength of the magnetic retention force between the ferromagnetic target plate in the hearing assistance device and the magnet in the wireless charger is set to be above a second strength of the magnetic retention force for the hearing assistance device to shake out of place in the wireless charger when a user is transporting the hearing assistance device.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , where a shape and slope of the housing of the wireless charger leading into the contours of the storage areas conforming to the shape of the hearing assistance device are configured to aid in repeatedly physically guiding the hearing assistance device into its proper location and alignment in the storage area conforming to the shape of the hearing assistance device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the ferromagnetic target plate is located within the hearing assistance device such that a center of mass is located offset from a centerline of the magnet, where the offset between the center of mass of the ferromagnetic target plate and the centerline of the magnet is configured to create a force vector that pulls the hearing assistance device downward into the storage area and due to the contour shape of the storage area backwards towards a transmit charging coil so that the hearing assistance device abuts firmly against the housing of the wireless charger at a location of a receive charging coil in the hearing assistance device.
5. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are configured to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, as well as
a housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, where the magnet in the wireless charger is positioned relative to a transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, where the magnet is positioned at least one of i) to a side of the transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device, ii) to below the transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive coil in the hearing assistance device and iii) not in between the transmit charging coil and receive coils.
6. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are configured to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, as well as
a housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, where the magnet in the wireless charger and the ferromagnetic target plate in the hearing assistance device are configured to cooperate with the contours of the storage areas that conform to the shape of the hearing assistance device to magnetically pull the hearing assistance device into its charge location and alignment between a transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and a receive coil in the hearing assistance device.
7. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are configured to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, as well as
a housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, where a distance of a gap between a transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and a receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device is controlled within a threshold amount by use of a foam that is made out of a compliant material, where a directional force applied by the compliant foam when compressed is configured to force the transmit charge coil to be pressed flat against a wall of the housing for the wireless charger.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , where the distance of the gap between the transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and the receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device is controlled within the threshold amount by integrating the transmit charge coil as part of a flexible printed circuit that is adhered to the compliant foam.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device are configured to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, as well as
a housing for the wireless charger has one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, where both the hearing assistance device and the wireless charger have a shield made out of ferrite material, where a transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive charging coil in the hearing assistance device have the shield made out of ferritic material on i) a backside of the transmit charging coil as opposed to a front side that faces the receive charging coil and ii) a backside of the receive charging coil as opposed to a front side that faces the transmit charging coil.
10. A method for a wireless charging system, comprising:
configuring a magnet in a wireless charger and a ferromagnetic target plate in a hearing assistance device to create a magnetic retention force to hold the hearing assistance device in place when charging in order to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device,
configuring a housing for the wireless charger to have one or more storage areas, where contours of the storage areas each conform to a shape of the hearing assistance device, and
configuring the magnet in the wireless charger and the ferromagnetic target plate in each hearing assistance device to be positioned relative to a charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive coil in the hearing assistance device such that a first magnetic field supplied from the magnet to cause the magnetic retention force of the hearing assistance device to be controlled to not significantly interfere with a second magnetic field causing the wireless charging between the charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive coil in the hearing assistance device.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the contours of the storage areas each conform to the shape of the hearing assistance device to enable an insertion and a retention of the hearing assistance device correctly in the storage area of the wireless charger, where a first strength of the magnetic retention force between the ferromagnetic target plate in the hearing assistance device and the magnet in the wireless charger is set to be above a second strength of the magnetic retention force for the hearing assistance device to shake out of place in the wireless charger when a user is transporting the hearing assistance device.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the magnet in the wireless charger to be positioned relative to a transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device to control an amount of interference with a wireless charging between the wireless charger and the hearing assistance device, where the magnet is positioned at least one of i) to a side of the transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device, ii) to below the transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and the receive coil in the hearing assistance device and iii) not in between the transmit charging coil and receive coils.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the magnet in the wireless charger and the ferromagnetic target plate in the hearing assistance device to cooperate with the contours of the storage areas that conform to the shape of the hearing assistance device to magnetically pull the hearing assistance device into its charge location and alignment between a transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and a receive coil in the hearing assistance device.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring a shape and slope of the housing of the wireless charger leading into the contours of the storage areas conforming to the shape of the hearing assistance device to aid in
repeatedly physically guiding the hearing assistance device into its proper location and alignment in the storage area conforming to the shape of the hearing assistance device.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the ferromagnetic target plate to be located within the hearing assistance device such that a center of mass is located offset from a centerline of the magnet, where the offset
between the center of mass of the ferromagnetic target plate and the centerline of the magnet is configured to create a force vector that pulls the hearing assistance device downward into the storage area and due to the contour shape of the storage area backwards towards a transmit charging coil so that the hearing assistance device abuts firmly against the housing of the wireless charger at a location of a receive charging coil in the hearing assistance device.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring a distance of a gap between a transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and a receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device is controlled within a threshold amount by use of a foam that is made out of a compliant material, where a directional force applied by the compliant foam when compressed forces the transmit charge coil to be pressed flat against a wall of the housing for the wireless charger.
17. The apparatus method of claim 16 , further comprising:
configuring the distance of the gap between the transmit charge coil in the wireless charger and the receive charge coil in the hearing assistance device to be controlled within the threshold amount by integrating the transmit charge coil as part of a flexible printed circuit that is adhered to the compliant foam.
18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring both the hearing assistance device and the wireless charger have a shield made out of ferrite material, where a transmit charging coil in the wireless charger and a receive charging coil in the hearing assistance device have the shield made out of ferritic material on i) a backside of the transmit charging coil as opposed to a front side that faces the receive charging coil and ii) a backside of the receive charging coil as opposed to a front side that faces the transmit charging coil.