Apple Inc.

Chad A Bossetti

Todd K Moyer

Christopher S Graham

Steven G Herbst

Jeffrey J Terlizzi

Thomas J Sullivan

Jeffrey M Alves

Xiaoyu Guo

Paras Samsukha

Anirban Chatterjee

Eric Steven Jol

Albert John Golko

Zaki Moussaoui

Paul Mansky

David W Ritter

Stephen Christopher Terry

Shimon Elkayam

Brandon R Garbus

Christopher M Pinciuc

Habib Sami Karaki

James C Clements

Nileshbhai J Shah

Detecting user contact with one or more electrodes of a physiological signal sensor can be used to ensure physiological signals measured by the physiological signal sensor meet waveform characteristics (e.g., of a clinically accurate physiological signal). In some examples, a mobile and/or wearable device can comprise sensing circuitry, stimulation circuitry, and processing circuitry. The stimulation circuit can drive one or more stimulation signals on one or more electrodes, the resulting signal(s) can be measured (e.g., by the sensing circuitry), and the processing circuitry can determine whether a user is in contact with the electrode(s). Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, mobile and/or wearable device can comprise saturation detection circuitry, and the processing circuitry can determine whether the sensing circuitry is saturated.

Contact detection for physiological sensor

A wireless charging mat and method of operating the same. The wireless charging mat includes a detection system configured to determine a location and an orientation of an electronic device on the wireless charging mat. The location and orientation are determined based on detected locations of one or more structural features of the electronic device. The wireless charging mat is operated according to the detected location and orientation.

Detection of object location and orientation on a wireless charge mat

An electronic device housing encloses a temperature sensing system including a temperature sensor and a differential temperature probe. The differential temperature probe includes a flexible substrate defining two ends. A first end is thermally coupled to the temperature sensor and a second end is thermally coupled to a surface, volume, or component of the electronic device. The temperature probe is an in-plane thermopile including a series-coupled set of thermocouples extending from the first end to the second end. A temperature measured at the temperature sensor can be a first measured temperature and a voltage difference across leads of the differential temperature probe can be correlated to a differential temperature relative to the first measured temperature. A sum of the differential temperature and the first measured temperature is a second measured temperature, quantifying a temperature of the second end of the differential temperature probe.

Temperature gradient sensing in portable electronic devices

An inductive charging system can include a transmitter device and a receiver device. The transmitter device may be adapted to detect when a receiver coil in the receiver device is coupled to a transmitter coil in the transmitter device. For example, the current input into a DC-to-AC converter in the transmitter device can be measured and coil coupling detected when the current equals or exceeds a threshold value.

Detection of coil coupling in an inductive charging system

A wireless transmitter device is configurable and operable to transfer energy to multiple receiver devices at the same time. The transmitter device is configured to enable one or more sections of a charging surface to transfer energy by selectively choosing one or more conductive traces in the transmitter device based on the position of the receiver device on the charging surface. The size and shape of each section of the charging surface that is used to transfer energy to a receiver device can change dynamically based on each receiver device. Additionally, the process of transferring energy to each receiver device may be adjusted during energy transfer based on conditions specific to each receiver device.

Configurable wireless transmitter device

Methods and systems for improved efficiency when an inductive power transmitter associated with an inductive power transfer system experiences a low-load or no-load condition. More particularly, methods and systems for detecting when an inductive power receiver is absent or poorly connected to an inductive power transmitter. The inductive power transmitter includes, in one example, a current peak monitor coupled to an inductive power transmit coil. The current peak monitor waits for a current peak resulting from spatial displacement of a magnetic field source within the inductive power receiver, indicating to the inductive power transmitter that the inductive power receiver is moving, or has moved, toward the inductive power transmitter. Other examples include one or more Hall effect sensors within the inductive power transmitter to monitor for the magnetic field source of the inductive power receiver.

Methods for detecting mated coils

Wireless power transfer systems having improved tolerance for coil misalignment are disclosed. These systems efficiently transfer power to accessories having a variety of power modes. For example, a power transmitter may vary the amount of power transmitted to a power receiver in response to changes in the power requirements of that power receiver. The power transmitter and the power receiver may be mutually tuned to filter or substantially reduce respective leakage inductances at both a primary and secondary operating frequency.

Tuning of primary and secondary resonant frequency for improved efficiency of inductive power transfer

Power management and power transfer systems within the transmit and receive portions of an inductive charging system. An inductive charging system may include an inductive charging station to transmit power and a portable electronic device to receive power. Embodiments may take the form of power transfer systems within an inductive charging station including load-based transmit frequency adjustments. Embodiments may also take the form of power management systems within portable electronic devices which conserve power by disconnecting circuits from ground when those circuits are in an idle state.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Chad A Bossetti