Patent Publication Number: US-2022239130-A1

Title: Coordinating complementary notifications across related computing devices connected to a wireless charging apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/019,155, entitled “COORDINATING COMPLEMENTARY NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS RELATED COMPUTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS,” filed Sep. 11, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/353,941, entitled “COORDINATING COMPLEMENTARY NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS RELATED COMPUTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS,” filed Mar. 14, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,778,023 on Sep. 15, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/721,478, entitled “COORDINATING COMPLEMENTARY NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS RELATED COMPUTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS,” filed Sep. 29, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,270,270, issued Apr. 23, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/514,875, entitled “SYNCHRONIZING COMPLEMENTARY NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS RELATED COMPUTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS,” filed Jun. 4, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/556,362, entitled “COORDINATING COMPLEMENTARY NOTIFICATIONS ACROSS RELATED COMPUTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO A WIRELESS CHARGING APPARATUS,” filed Sep. 9, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     The described embodiments relate generally to a wireless (e.g., inductive) charging apparatus capable of receiving/charging two or more computing devices. More particularly, the described embodiments involve enabling related computing devices to display complementary notifications in a coordinated manner as they are placed onto and removed from the wireless charging apparatus. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Recent years have shown a proliferation in the average number and types of computing devices that are owned by individuals. For example, it is common for an individual to own a laptop device, a tablet device, a smartphone device, a wearable device (e.g., fitness tracker), a pair of headphones, and so on. Notably, owning these devices can deliver a rich user experience as each device can provide specialized functionality to meet a given user&#39;s needs throughout the day. However, owning these devices can also present the ongoing challenge of effectively managing the charge levels of the batteries included in these devices so they can be readily utilized when needed. For example, charging multiple devices typically involves a mass of cables that consumes space and is difficult to manage. Moreover, many of the aforementioned devices lack the capability to display their battery statuses in a user-friendly manner. For example, battery statuses for wearable devices typically are presented via small displays or LEDs that can be difficult for users to interpret. As a result, users often fail to properly maintain the battery levels of their devices, which leads to frustrating scenarios where a device is needed but cannot power-on or function for a desirable amount of time. 
     SUMMARY 
     To cure the foregoing deficiencies, the representative embodiments set forth herein disclose various techniques for enabling related computing devices to display complementary notifications in a coordinated manner as they are placed onto and removed from a wireless charging apparatus. 
     According to some embodiments, a wireless charging apparatus can be configured to implement a method for carrying out the techniques described herein. In particular, the method can include the steps of (1) receiving, from a first computing device communicably coupled to the wireless charging apparatus, first information that includes (i) a first unique identifier (ID) associated with the first computing device, and (ii) one or more unique IDs that are each associated with a respective auxiliary computing device known to the first computing device, (2) receiving. from a second computing device communicably coupled to the wireless charging apparatus, second information that at least includes a second unique ID associated with the second computing device, and (3) in response to determining that the second unique ID is included in the one or more unique IDs: causing both the first and second computing devices to display respective notifications in a coordinated manner. 
     According to some embodiments, a computing device can also be configured to implement a method for carrying out the techniques described herein. In particular, the method can include the steps of (1) providing, in response to establishing a communication channel with a wireless charging apparatus, (i) a first unique ID associated with the computing device, and (ii) one or more unique IDs that are each associated with a respective auxiliary computing device known to the computing device, (2) receiving, from the wireless charging apparatus, a notification that a second computing device among the respective auxiliary computing devices is communicatively coupled to the wireless charging apparatus, wherein the notification includes a second battery status associated with the second computing device, (3) indicating, to the wireless charging apparatus, a time delay by which a second indication of the second battery status is to be displayed by the second computing device, and (4) displaying the second indication of the second battery status in accordance with the time delay. 
     Additionally, and according to some embodiments, a first computing device can be configured to participate in coordinated notifications (with other computing devices) in association with being placed onto and removed from a wireless charging apparatus. In particular, the first computing device can be configured to carry out steps that include (1) detecting a placement of the first computing device on the wireless charging apparatus. According to some embodiments, the first computing device can be configured to output a first indication of a first battery status of the first computing device in response to being placed on the wireless charging apparatus. Additionally, the steps can include (2) receiving a notification that a second computing device is placed on the wireless charging apparatus, (3) in response to identifying that the second computing device is known to the first computing device: receiving a second battery status associated with the second computing device, (4) indicating, to the second computing device, when a second indication of the second battery status is to be output by the second computing device, and (5) outputting the second indication of the second battery status. According to some embodiments, the second battery status can be output by both the first computing device and the second computing device in a coordinated manner. According to some embodiments, the first computing device and the second computing device communicate with one another over a cellular connection, a Bluetooth connection, a Near Field Communication (NFC) connection, or a WiFi connection. 
     Other embodiments include a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to carry out the various steps of any of the foregoing methods. Further embodiments include a computing device that is configured to carry out the various steps of any of the foregoing methods. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the described embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of different computing devices that can be configured to implement different aspects of the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. 
         FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate conceptual diagrams of example computing devices displaying complementary notifications in a coordinated manner as they are placed onto and removed from the wireless charging apparatus, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a method that involves a wireless charging apparatus causing computing devices that are coupled to the wireless charging apparatus to display complementary notifications in a coordinated manner, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a method that involves a first computing device coupling to a wireless charging apparatus and displaying complementary notifications in a coordinated manner with other related computing devices that are coupled to the wireless charging apparatus, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a method that involves example devices—in particular, a smartphone and a smart watch-displaying complementary notifications in accordance with their placement onto a wireless charging apparatus, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a detailed view of a computing device that can represent the computing devices of  FIG. 1  used to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Representative applications of apparatuses and methods according to the presently described embodiments are provided in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the presently described embodiments can be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presently described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
     The embodiments described herein set forth techniques for coordinating complementary notifications across related computing devices they are placed onto and removed from a wireless charging apparatus. According to some embodiments, the wireless charging apparatus can be configured to receive information from each computing device as it is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus. This information can include, for example, a unique identifier (ID) associated with the computing device, one or more unique IDs of other computing devices known to the computing (e.g., previously/actively paired computing devices), and a battery status of the computing device. In this manner, as new computing devices are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus, the wireless charging apparatus can reference the unique IDs to identify when at least two related computing devices are present. For example, when the wireless charging apparatus identifies that a first computing device and a second computing device are (1) placed on the wireless charging apparatus, and (2) related to one another, the wireless charging apparatus can cause the first computing device to display information about the second computing device on behalf of or in conjunction with information displayed by the second computing device. 
     Consider, for example, a scenario in which the first computing device is a smartphone device, and the second computing device is a smaller device that is related to the smartphone device (e.g., a smart watch device). In this scenario, when the smart watch device is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus (with the smartphone device already present), the wireless charging apparatus can (1) identify the relationship between the devices, and (2) notify the smartphone device of the presence/battery status of the smart watch device. In turn, the smartphone device can produce a notification associated with the battery status of the smart watch device, e.g., through one or more animations/sounds that provide a pleasant user experience. As mentioned above, the smart watch device can also be configured to produce a notification in conjunction with the notification produced by the smartphone device. In particular, the smartphone device can be configured to indicate, to the wireless charging apparatus, a time delay that will be honored by the smartphone device prior to producing the notification associated with the battery status of the smart watch device. In turn, the wireless charging apparatus provides the time delay to the smart watch device. In this manner, the smart watch device can display, in accordance with the time delay, a notification that includes one or more animations/sounds that complement the animations/sounds included in the notification produced by the smartphone device. 
     Additionally, it is noted that the smartphone device and the smart watch device can periodically/responsively issue relevant updates to the wireless charging apparatus while they remain connected to the wireless charging apparatus. For example, the smartphone device can indicate to the wireless charging apparatus whether it is appropriate for the smartphone device to display a notification associated with the smart watch device. The appropriateness can be based on, for example, whether the smartphone device is locked/unlocked, in-use/not in use, and so on. For example, when the smartphone device is in an unlocked state/in-use, the smartphone device can refuse to display any notifications associated with the smart watch device. Alternatively, the smartphone device can display an unobtrusive notification (e.g., a popup) of the battery status of the smart watch device to keep a user informed. Additionally, each of the smartphone device and the smart watch device can provide battery status updates to the wireless charging apparatus as they are charged to enable a variety of useful features to be implemented. This can enable, for example, the smartphone device to display the latest battery status of the smart watch device when the smart watch device is removed from the wireless charging surface, thereby enhancing the user experience. 
     A more detailed discussion of these techniques is set forth below and described in conjunction with  FIGS. 1, 2A-2D, and 3-6 , which illustrate detailed diagrams of systems and methods that can be used to implement these techniques. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram  100  of different computing devices that can be configured to implement various aspects of the techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. Specifically,  FIG. 1  illustrates a high-level overview of a wireless charging apparatus  102  that is configured to communicate with and provide an electrical charge to different computing devices  120 . Although not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , it is understood that the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the computing devices  120  each can include at least one processor, at least one memory, and at least one storage device that collectively enable these devices to operate in accordance with this disclosure. For example, in a given device, instructions can be stored in the at least one storage device and loaded into the at least one memory for execution by the at least one processor to enable the techniques described herein to be implemented. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include a power supply  104 , one or more indicators  106 , a memory (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) for storing device information  110 , one or more communications components  108 , and at least one wireless charging surface  112 . According to some embodiments, the wireless charging surface  112  can implement any form of wireless (e.g., inductive) charging technology to enable one or more computing devices  120  to receive a charge when placed in proximity to (e.g., directly onto) the wireless charging surface  112 . For example, the wireless charging surface  112  can implement Qi wireless charging technology, Power Matters Alliance (PMA) technology, or any other form of wireless charging technology. It is noted, however, that wireless charging techniques are not required to implement the techniques described herein. On the contrary, the wireless charging surface  112  can be replaced or supplemented by any component (e.g., a conductor-based charging component) that enables computing devices  120  to receive a charge and communicate with the wireless charging apparatus  102 . 
     According to some embodiments, the indicators  106  included in the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs) that indicate a variety of information to an end-user of the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, the LEDs can indicate whether the power supply  104  is receiving power from a power source, whether at least one computing device  120  is properly connected to and being charged via the wireless charging surface  112 , and so on. According to some embodiments, the communications component  108  can enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  to transmit information to and receive information from the computing devices  120 . According to some embodiments, this information can be transmitted between the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the computing devices  120  using “in-band”communications that coincide with any wireless charging technology implemented by the wireless charging apparatus  102 . In this manner, pre-existing relationships—e.g., Bluetooth pairings, Near Field Communication (NFC) pairing, WiFi pairings, etc.—are not required for the wireless charging apparatus  102  to effectively communicate with the computing devices  120 . Moreover, implementing in-band communications can enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  to communicate with a given computing device  120  even when the computing device  120  is operating in a minimal mode—e.g., airplane mode—where the primary communications components (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc.) within the computing device  120  are disabled. As described in greater detail herein, it is noted that while the techniques primarily involve the computing devices  120  communicating with the wireless charging apparatus  102 , other approaches can be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, direct communication links (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc.) between the computing devices  120  can supplement or supplant the communications that take place by way of the wireless charging apparatus  102  to achieve the same or similar results. 
     It is noted that the internal components of the wireless charging apparatus  102  illustrated in  FIG. 1  and described herein do not represent an exhaustive list of what can be included in the wireless charging apparatus  102 . On the contrary, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include any number of components that contribute to or supplement the embodiments described herein. For example, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include display devices/speakers that can be used to inform end-users about information associated with the wireless charging apparatus  102  and/or the computing devices  120 . In another example, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include any form of input device to enable interactions with the wireless charging apparatus  102  to take place, e.g., touch-screens, biometric sensors, buttons, dials, sliders, and so on. In yet another example, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can include any communication components (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc.) to enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  to communicate with the computing devices  120 . 
     According to some embodiments, the device information  110  can be used by the wireless charging apparatus  102  to manage the flow of information between the computing devices  120  in accordance with the techniques described herein. For example, when a computing device  120  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 , the computing device  120  can transmit, e.g., via the in-band communications described herein, one or more packets  128  that include relevant information to enable the techniques described herein to be effectively implemented. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a packet  128  transmitted by a computing device  120  can include a unique identifier (ID)  122  for the computing device  120 , one or more known unique IDs  122  of other computing devices  120  known to the computing device  120 , and miscellaneous information  126  associated with the computing device  120 , the purposes of which are described below in greater detail. 
     According to some embodiments, the unique ID  122  can take any form that enables the computing device  120  to be uniquely identifiable. For example, the unique ID  122  can be based on hardware/software properties (e.g., identifiers) associated with the computing device  120 . However, in some cases it can be desirable to separate the unique ID  122  from properties of the computing device  120 , especially in the interest of preserving privacy. For example, the unique ID  122  can be a randomly-generated string that is unrelated to the hardware/software properties of the computing device  120 . In this manner, nearby malicious devices attempting to snoop on information transmitted between the computing device  120  and the wireless charging apparatus  102  will only be able to gather innocuous data. Moreover, the embodiments described herein can involve periodically refreshing the unique IDs  122  of the computing devices  120  to further-thwart any malicious activity that may be attempted. 
     As described above, the packet(s)  128  transmitted by the computing device  120  can also one or more known unique IDs  124 , which represent the unique IDs  122  of other computing devices  120  that are relevant to the computing device  120 . According to some embodiments, these other computing devices  120  can represent devices with which the computing device  120  is actively paired or previously paired, e.g., wearable devices, headphones, speakers, sensors, and so on, that can directly communicate with the computing device  120  (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc.). In this manner, and as described in greater detail herein, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can utilize the unique IDs  122  and the known unique IDs  124  provided by various computing devices  120  to identify when interactions should take place between specific ones of the computing devices  120 . Additionally, and as described above, the packet(s)  128  transmitted by a computing device  120  can include miscellaneous information  126  about the computing device  120  that can be utilized by the wireless charging apparatus  102  to implement the techniques described herein. For example, the miscellaneous information  126  can include an indication of a type of the computing device  120 , including model information associated with the computing device  120  (e.g., a device name, model, color, etc.), state information associated with the computing device  120  (e.g., locked/unlocked), battery information associated with the computing device  120 , and so on. 
     Additionally, and although not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , it will be understood that the various computing devices  120  described herein include hardware/software components that enable the computing devices  120  to interface with the wireless charging apparatus  102 , which can include, for example, receiving energy from the wireless charging apparatus  102  (e.g., via the wireless charging surface  112 ), communicating with the wireless charging apparatus  102 , and so on. It will be further understood that the various computing devices  120  can include hardware/software elements that enable the computing devices  120  to implement the techniques described herein at varying levels. For example, computing devices  120  having larger display devices (e.g., laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) can be designated as primary/high-priority devices that display information about known computing devices  120  as they are placed onto/removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . Continuing with this example, computing devices  120  having smaller displays (e.g., smart watches) can be designated as secondary/low priority devices that should only display information when the primary/high-priority devices are not present on the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, when only a smart watch computing device  120  is present on the wireless charging apparatus  102 , and a pair of wireless headphones is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 , the smart watch computing device  120  can take on the responsibility of displaying information about the wireless headphones in conjunction with/on behalf of the wireless headphones. It is noted that the foregoing examples are not meant to be exhausting in any way, and that the computing devices  120  described herein can be configured in any fashion to achieve different variations on the techniques described herein. 
     Accordingly,  FIG. 1  sets forth an overview of different configurations of the wireless charging apparatus  102 /computing devices  120  that can be utilized to enable the implementation of the embodiments described herein. As described in greater detail below, these components can be utilized to provide a rich user experience through coordinated/complementary notifications when two or more related computing devices  120  are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  for charging. 
       FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate conceptual diagrams of example computing devices  120  displaying complementary notifications in a coordinated manner as they are placed onto and removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 2A , a first step  210  can involve a computing device  120 - 1  being placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . This can represent, for example, when a user places the computing device  120 - 1  onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  with the intent to charge the computing device  120 - 1  via the wireless charging techniques described herein. As shown in  FIG. 2A , step  210  can involve the computing device  120 - 1  transmitting one or more packets  128  to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . As previously described above, these packets  128  can include information associated with the computing device  120 - 1 , e.g., a unique ID  122 , known unique IDs  124 , and miscellaneous information  126 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , example information transmitted by the packets  128  is placed into the device information  110  by the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, the value “DEVICE_ 1 ” can be assigned as the unique ID  122 , the values “DEVICE_ 2 ” and “DEVICE_ 3 ” can be assigned as the known unique IDs  124 , and the value “SMARTPHONE, 52% BAT” can be assigned as the miscellaneous information  126 . In this example, the computing device  120 - 1  has an assigned unique ID  122  of “DEVICE_ 1 ”, where the computing device  120 - 1  has been previously paired with two other computing devices  120 - a  computing device  120 - 2  having the unique ID  122  “DEVICE_ 2 ”, and a computing device  120 - 3  having the unique ID  122  “DEVICE_ 3 ”. Moreover, in this example the computing device  120 - 1  is a smartphone device whose battery level is at 52% when the computing device  120 - 1  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 2A , the wireless charging apparatus  102  can assign, within the device information  110  for the computing device  120 - 1 , a “STATE INFO” property  200  that identifies whether the computing device  120 - 1  is present on or absent from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . The “STATE INFO” property  200  can also identify additional information about the computing device  120 - 1 , e.g., whether the computing device  120 - 1  is assigned as a high-priority device/low-priority device for displaying complementary notifications associated with other related computing devices  120  that are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  (as previously described above). As described in greater detail herein, the “STATE INFO” property  200  can enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  to appropriately respond to and instruct the other computing devices  120 - 2 , 3  when they are placed onto/removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the computing device  120 - 1  is the first and only computing device  120  present on wireless charging apparatus  102 . In this regard, and according to some embodiments, the computing device  120 - 1  can be responsible for displaying its own battery status, which is illustrated in  FIG. 2A  as the notification  202 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the notification  202  can indicate, by way of one or more animations/sounds, (1) the type of the computing device  120 - 1  (i.e., “SMARTPHONE”), and (2) the battery status for the computing device  120 - 1 . It is noted that the content associated with the notification  202  illustrated in  FIG. 2A  is merely exemplary, and that any content, in any form, sequence, manner, etc., can be utilized when producing the notification  202 . 
     Accordingly, at the conclusion of the first step  210  illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the first computing device  120 - 1  provides useful information via the notification  202 , and is receiving power from the wireless charging apparatus  102  to charge any internal batteries included in the computing device  120 - 1 . At this point, the computing device  120 - 1  can now function as a supplemental device for displaying complementary notifications associated with the computing devices  120 - 2 , 3  when they are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, a second step  220  illustrated in  FIG. 2B  can involve the computing device  120 - 2  being placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , and in accordance with the techniques described herein, the computing device  120 - 2  can provide, via one or more packets  128 , information about the computing device  120 - 2  to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, the computing device  120 - 2  can provide the value “DEVICE_ 2 ” as the unique ID  122 , the values “DEVICE_ 1 ” and “DEVICE_ 3 ” as the known unique IDs  124 , and the value “WEARABLE, 17% BAT” as the miscellaneous information  126 . For example, in  FIG. 2A , the computing device  120 - 2  can represent a smart watch, a fitness tracker, an augmented reality device, a sensor, and so on. 
     As a brief aside, it is noted that each of the computing devices  120  placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  can periodically/responsively issue packets  128  to provide relevant updates to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, the device information  110  can be updated to manage a status property for each computing device  120  that indicates whether the computing device  120  is capable of displaying a complementary notification. Again, this can be based on, for example, whether the computing device  120  is locked/unlocked, in-use/not in use, and so on. In another example, the device information  110  can be updated to reflect the battery statuses of the computing devices  120  as they are charged via the wireless charging apparatus  102 , e.g., as shown by the battery status of the computing device  120 - 1  advancing from 52% to 60% between the times at which step  210  of  FIG. 2A  and step  220  of  FIG. 2B  occur. Notably, a variety of useful features can be implemented by keeping the battery statuses up-to-date within the device information  110 . For example, when a pair of headphones is removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 , and an associated device having a display (e.g., a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, a smart watch, etc.) remains on the wireless charging apparatus  102 , the associated device can display an indication of the latest battery status of the headphones. In this manner, a user who is removing the headphones from the wireless charging apparatus  102  can promptly receive an easy-to-read indication (via the display of the associated device) of the battery status of the headphones, thereby enhancing the user experience. 
     Additionally, by updating the information described herein, one or more of the computing devices  120  can promptly display a summary of information about associated devices that are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . This can occur, for example, when a trigger occurs at a given computing device  120 , e.g., when a home/power button is pressed on the computing device  120 , when the computing device  120  is moved while placed on the wireless charging apparatus  102  (e.g., nudged by a user), when the computing device  120  detects that a user is in proximity to the computing device  120 , and so on. For example, when a smartphone, a smart watch, and a pair of headphones are charging on the wireless charging apparatus  102 , the smartphone can be configured to display, in response to any of the aforementioned triggers, an up-to-date summary of its own battery status, the battery status of the smart watch, and the battery status of the headphones. According to some embodiments, the smartphone can also be configured to cause one or more of the smart watch/headphones to present information through the complementary notifications in a coordinated manner. 
     Returning back now to  FIG. 2B , it is noted that, according to some embodiments, the computing devices  120  can be configured to omit known unique IDs  124  from the packets  128  any time they represent redundant information. Consider, for example, a first computing device  120  that is paired only with a second computing device  120  (and vice-versa). In this example, when the first computing device  120  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  and provides a known unique ID  124  that corresponds to the unique ID  122  of the second computing device, it would be redundant for the second computing device  120  to provide a known unique ID  124  that corresponds to the unique ID  122  of the first computing device  120 . Instead, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can readily identify the relationship by comparing the unique ID  122  of the second computing device  120  against the known unique IDs  124  of the first computing device  120  (managed within the device information  110 ) to identify the relationship, and carry out the same techniques described herein in accordance with the identification of the relationship. 
     In any case, when the information associated with the computing device  120 - 2  is incorporated into the device information  110 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  can identify that the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2  are relevant to one another. In turn, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can query the computing device  120 - 1  (e.g., via one or more packets  128 ) to identify whether the computing device  120 - 1  is willing to display a notification  206  in association with the computing device  120 - 2 . According to some embodiments, the query can include the miscellaneous information  126  provided by the computing device  120 - 2  to minimize the number of messages transmitted between the computing device  120 - 1 , the wireless charging apparatus  102 , and the computing device  120 - 2 , thereby reducing overall latency and improving the overall user experience. In particular, this approach will enable the computing device  120 - 1  to be in possession of the necessary information to display within the notification  206  should the computing device  120 - 1  accept the responsibility to do so. For example, the computing device  120 - 1  can indicate an acceptance to display the notification  206  when the computing device  120 - 1  remains on the wireless charging apparatus  102  and is in a locked and/or inactive state. Alternatively, the computing device  120 - 1  can indicate a refusal to display the notification  206  when the computing device  120 - 1  is in an unlocked state and/or is being actively utilized by a user. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the computing device  120 - 1  indicates, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , an acceptance to display the notification  206  in association with the computing device  120 - 2  being placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . According to some embodiments, the computing device  120 - 1  can indicate the acceptance by transmitting one or more packets  128  to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . According to some embodiments, the packets  128  can indicate a time delay by which the computing device  120 - 1  plans on displaying the notification  206 . In this manner, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can forward the time delay to the computing device  120 - 2 , where the time delay also indirectly indicates to the computing device  120 - 2  an acceptance by the computing device  120 - 1  to display the notification  206 . In turn, the computing device  120 - 2  can prepare to display a complementary notification  210  in accordance with the time delay provided by the computing device  120 - 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2B , the notification  206  is displayed by the computing device  120 - 1  when the time delay is satisfied, and can indicate information about the computing device  120 - 2  through one or more animations/sounds. For example, the animations/sounds can display “WEARABLE BATTERY 17%”. Moreover, in accordance with the satisfaction of the time delay, and in conjunction with the notification  206 , the notification  210  produced by the computing device  120 - 2  can include miscellaneous information presented through one or more animations/sounds, e.g., when the computing device  120 - 2  includes a display device (e.g., a smart watch). In another example, when the computing device  120 - 2  does not include a display device, but includes one or more LEDs, the LED(s) can be utilized to communicate information to a user, e.g., pulsating animations that coincide with the animations/sounds displayed by the computing device  120 - 1 . In another example, the LED(s) can display a solid orange light that indicates that the computing device  120 - 2  is being charged, a solid green light that indicates that the computing device  120 - 2  is fully charged, and so on. In any case, the user experience can be enhanced as useful information about the computing device  120 - 2  is displayed in an aesthetically-pleasing manner between the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2  even when the computing device  120 - 2  includes only a small display device or no display device at all. 
     As described herein, computing devices  120  will regularly be placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  under expected use-case environments. To capture how the embodiments described herein manage such events,  FIG. 2C  illustrates a third step  230  in which a third computing device  120 - 3  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  (while the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2  remain on the wireless charging apparatus  102 ). As shown in  FIG. 2C , and in accordance with the techniques described herein, the computing device  120 - 3  can provide, via one or more packets  128 , information about the computing device  120 - 3  to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . For example, the computing device  120 - 3  can provide the value “DEVICE_ 3 ” as the unique ID  122 , the values “DEVICE_ 1 ” and “DEVICE_ 2 ” as the known unique IDs  124 , and the value “HEADPHONES, 23% BAT” as the miscellaneous information  126 . For example, in  FIG. 2C , the computing device  120 - 3  can represent a pair of wireless headphones associated with both the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2C , and as previously described above, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can receive the packets  128  and add the information about the computing device  120 - 3  to the device information  110 . In turn, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can identify that the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2  are known to the computing device  120 - 3 , and issue messages (e.g., via packets  128 ) that include information about the computing device  120 - 3 . Again, such information can include a type of the computing device  120 - 3 , a battery status of the computing device  120 - 3 , and so on. In turn, the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 2  can indicate whether they are willing (as described herein) to display a notification in association with the appearance of the computing device  120 - 3 . According to some embodiments, when two or more computing devices  120  are involved in displaying a notification, a primary computing device (e.g., the computing device  120 - 1 ) can indicate a time delay by which the notification should be displayed, where the other computing devices  120  act in accordance with the time delay. 
     For example, in  FIG. 2C , the computing device  120 - 1  can indicate, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a time delay at which a notification  214  will be displayed at the computing device  120 - 1 . In turn, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can provide the time delay to both the computing device  120 - 2  and the computing device  120 - 3 , whereupon the computing device  120 - 2  and the computing device  120 - 3  can prepare to display notifications  218  and  222 , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 2C , the notification  214  displayed by the computing device  120 - 1  can present the information “HEADPHONES BATTERY 23%” by way of one or more animations/sounds. Additionally, the notification  218  produced by the computing device  120 - 2  can communicate miscellaneous information about the computing device  120 - 3  by way of one or more animations/sounds. For example, continuing with the example scenario described above in which the computing device  120 - 2  represents a smart watch, the computing device  120 - 2  can display miscellaneous information in conjunction with the notification  214  displayed by the computing device  120 - 1 . Additionally, in this example scenario, the notification  222  produced by the computing device  120 - 3  can be optional, and can be used communicate miscellaneous information by way of one or more animations/sounds in accordance with the time delay and one or more of the notification  214  and the notification  218 . For example, the computing device  120 - 3 -which, within  FIG. 2C , can represent a pair of wireless headphones—can include an LED that operates in conjunction with the animations/sounds. In another example, one or more of the speakers included in the pair of wireless headphones can be used to play an audible sound that operates in conjunction with the animations/sounds. 
     Additionally, it is noted that computing devices  120  will regularly be removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102  under expected use-case scenarios. To capture how the embodiments described herein manage such events,  FIG. 2D  illustrates a fourth step  240  in which the computing device  120 - 2  is removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102  (while the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 3  remain on the wireless charging apparatus  102 ). As shown in  FIG. 2D , and in accordance with the techniques described herein, the device information  110  can be updated to reflect that the computing device  120 - 2  is now absent from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . In turn, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can be configured to notify the related computing devices  120 —i.e., the computing device  120 - 1  and the computing device  120 - 3 —that the computing device  120 - 2  is no longer present. At this point, the computing device  120 - 1  can optionally display (e.g., if locked/in use, as described herein) a notification  226  that provides the up-to-date battery status of the computing device  120 - 2  by way of one or more animations/sounds. Additionally, the computing device  120 - 3  can optionally display a notification  230  that provides miscellaneous information (as previously described herein) about the computing device  120 - 2  by way of one or more animations/sounds. 
     Accordingly,  FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate scenarios in which computing devices  120  can display, in a coordinated manner, complementary notifications in accordance with (1) their placement onto/removal from the wireless charging apparatus  102 , and (2) the presence of other known computing devices  120 . In association with  FIGS. 2A-2D , additional  FIGS. 3-5 -which are described below-provide high-level breakdowns of the techniques described herein. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a method  300  that involves the wireless charging apparatus  102  causing computing devices  120  that are coupled to the wireless charging apparatus  102  to display complementary notifications in a coordinated manner, according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the method  300  begins at step  302 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  establishes, in response to detecting a first presence of a first computing device  120 , a first communication channel with the first computing device  120 . Again, the communication channel can be an “in-band” communication channel associated with the wireless charging techniques implemented between the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the first computing device  120 . However, it is noted that the techniques described herein are not limited only to such in-band communications, and that any form of communication can be utilized to enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the computing devices  120  to communicate with one another. For example, existing communication channels (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, etc.) formed between the wireless charging apparatus  102 /computing devices  120  can be used to exchange information in lieu of/addition to the communication channels described herein. At step  304 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  receives, from the first computing device  120 , first information that includes (1) a first unique ID  122  associated with the first computing device  120 , and (2) one or more unique IDs  124  that are each associated with a respective auxiliary computing device  120  known to the first computing device. 
     At step  306 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  establishes, in response to detecting a second presence of a second computing device  120 , a second communication channel with the second computing device  120 . At step  308 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  receives, from the second computing device  120 , second information that includes (1) a second unique ID  122  associated with the second computing device  120 . Notably, in step  308  the known unique IDs  124  associated with the second computing device  120  can be omitted from the second information when the known unique IDs  124  are redundant to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , as previously described herein. However, it is by no means a requirement to omit the known unique IDs  124  at step  308 . On the contrary, the second computing device  120  can be configured to provide a complete collection of the known unique IDs  124  to the wireless charging apparatus  102  to enable the wireless charging apparatus  102  to readily identify related computing devices  120  as they are placed onto and removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . 
     Finally, at step  310 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  determines that the second unique ID  122  is included in the one or more unique IDs  124  (provided by the first computing device  120 ), and, in response, causes both the first computing device  120  and the second computing device  120  to display respective notifications in a coordinated manner. The notifications can include, for example, information about one or more of the first computing device  120  and the second computing device  120  (e.g., device types, battery statuses, etc.). 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a method  400  that involves a first computing device  120  coupling to the wireless charging apparatus  102  and displaying complementary notifications in a coordinated manner with other related computing devices  120  that are coupled to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the method  400  begins at step  402 , where the first computing device  120  establishes a communication channel with a wireless charging apparatus  102 . At step  404 , the first computing device  120  provides, by way of the communication channel, (1) a first unique ID  122  associated with the first computing device  120 , (2) one or more unique IDs  124  that are each associated with a respective auxiliary computing device  120  known to the first computing device  120 , and (3) a first battery status for the first computing device  120 . 
     At step  406 , the first computing device  120  receives, from the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a notification that a second computing device  120  among the respective auxiliary computing devices  120  is communicatively coupled to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , where the notification includes a second battery status associated with the second computing device  120 . At step  408 , the first computing device  120  determines whether the first computing device  120  is unlocked/in-use. If, at step  408 , the first computing device  120  determines that the first computing device  120  is unlocked/in-use, then the method  400  transitions to step  414 , where the first computing device  120  indicates that it will not display a notification in conjunction with the second computing device  120  being coupled to the wireless charging apparatus  102 . Alternatively, if, at step  408 , the first computing device  120  determines that the first computing device  120  is not unlocked/in-use, then the method  400  transitions to step  410 , which is described below in greater detail. 
     At step  410 , the first computing device  120  indicates, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a time delay by which an indication of the second battery status is to be displayed by the first computing device  120 . At step  412 , the first computing device  120  displays the indication of the second battery status in accordance with the time delay. Although not illustrated in  FIG. 4 , it is noted that the second computing device  120  can also be configured to display animations/sounds in accordance with the time delay provided by the first computing device  120  (as described herein). 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a method  500  that involves a smartphone  502  and a smart watch  504  displaying complementary notifications in accordance with their placement onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the method  500  begins at step  510 , where the smartphone  502  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . At step  512 , the smartphone  502  provides, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a unique ID  122 , known unique IDs  124 , and a battery status (i.e., miscellaneous information  126 ) for the smartphone  502 . At step  513 , the smartphone  502  itself can display the battery status of the smartphone  502 . In turn, at step  514 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  registers—e.g., within the device information  110 —the unique ID  122 , the known unique IDs  124 , and the battery status provided by the smartphone  502 . 
     At step  516 , a smart watch  504  is placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . At step  518 , the smart watch  504  provides, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a unique ID  122 , known unique IDs  124 , and a battery status for the smart watch  504 . Again, and as previously described above, it is noted that it can be optional for the smart watch  504  to provide the known unique IDs  124 , as it is likely that the wireless charging apparatus  102  will be able to match the unique ID  122  of the smart watch  504  with the known unique IDs  124  provided by the smartphone  502 . In any case, at step  520 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  registers the unique ID  122 , the known unique IDs  124 , and the battery status of the smart watch  504 . At step  522 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  identifies that the smart watch  504  and the smartphone  502  are related devices. 
     In response to the identification that occurs at step  522 , at step  524 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  provides the battery status of the smart watch  504  to the smartphone  502 . In turn, at step  526 , the smartphone  502  provides, to the wireless charging apparatus  102 , a time delay by which a first notification including the battery status of the smart watch  504  is to be displayed by the first computing device  120 . At step  528 , the wireless charging apparatus  102  informs (e.g., via packets  128 ) the smart watch  504  of the time delay. Accordingly, at step  530 , the smart watch  504  prepares to display a second notification (e.g., including complementary information to the first notification) in accordance with the time delay. Finally, at steps  532  and  534 , the smartphone  502  and the smart watch  504  display the first notification and the second notification, respectively, in accordance with the time delay. 
     Additionally, it is noted that the orders/manners in which the foregoing interactions between the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the various computing devices  120  can be modified without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the computing devices  120  can be configured submit fewer parameters to the wireless charging apparatus  102  when being placed upon/establishing a communication channel with the wireless charging apparatus  102 . This can be implemented, for example, to establish a more reactive environment in which the wireless charging apparatus  102  queries present computing devices  120  (if any) about whether they are familiar with a new computing device  120  that is being placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102  (e.g., as opposed to the computing devices  120  notifying the wireless charging apparatus  102  about known computing devices  120  when being placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 ). In this manner, flexible operating environments can be implemented in which the wireless charging apparatus  102 /computing devices  120  can be configured to effectively identify appropriate times at which to coordinate notifications between computing devices  120  that are known to one another. Moreover, it is noted that the informational components that are communicated between the wireless charging apparatus  102  and the computing devices  120  can be transmitted using fewer (or more) messages in comparison to the various examples described herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure. 
     Additionally, it is noted that the embodiments set forth herein do not require computing devices  120  to be known to one another in order to participate in the coordinated notification schemes described herein. For example, it might be beneficial for a user to place their wearable computing device  120 —e.g., one that does not have a built-in display device-onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 , upon which an unrelated (e.g., a friend or family member&#39;s) computing device  120 —e.g., one having a built-in display—and that is placed on the wireless charging apparatus  102 -assists in displaying relevant information (e.g., a battery status) associated with the wearable computing device  120 . In this regard, the computing devices  120  can be configured (e.g., via a settings menu) to participate or ignore coordinated notification events when unknown computing devices  120  are placed onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 . It is additionally noted that the embodiments set forth herein can be adapted to include computing devices  120  that are not necessarily placed on the wireless charging apparatus  102  as participants in the coordinated notification schemes described herein. For example, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can be configured to notify nearby computing devices  120  (e.g., via a direct connection, the Internet, etc.) when other computing devices  120  are placed onto/removed from the wireless charging apparatus  102 . This can be beneficial, for example, when a user places their wearable computing device  120  onto the wireless charging apparatus  102 , but is holding their smartphone computing device  120  away from (e.g., above or near) the wireless charging apparatus  102 . In this regard, the wireless charging apparatus  102  can provide information to the smartphone computing device  120  about the wearable computing device  120 , whereupon the smartphone computing device  120  can display the information in a coordinated manner. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a detailed view of a computing device  600  that can represent the computing devices of  FIG. 1  used to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. For example, the detailed view illustrates various components that can be included in the computing device  120 /wireless charging apparatus  102  described in conjunction with  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the computing device  600  can include a processor  602  that represents a microprocessor or controller for controlling the overall operation of the computing device  600 . The computing device  600  can also include a user input device  608  that allows a user of the computing device  600  to interact with the computing device  600 . For example, the user input device  608  can take a variety of forms, such as a button, keypad, dial, touch screen, audio input interface, visual/image capture input interface, input in the form of sensor data, and so on. Still further, the computing device  600  can include a display  610  that can be controlled by the processor  602  (e.g., via a graphics component) to display information to the user. A data bus  616  can facilitate data transfer between at least a storage device  640 , the processor  602 , and a controller  613 . The controller  613  can be used to interface with and control different equipment through an equipment control bus  614 . The computing device  600  can also include a network/bus interface  611  that couples to a data link  612 . In the case of a wireless connection, the network/bus interface  611  can include a wireless transceiver. 
     As noted above, the computing device  600  also includes the storage device  640 , which can comprise a single disk or a collection of disks (e.g., hard drives). In some embodiments, storage device  640  can include flash memory, semiconductor (solid state) memory or the like. The computing device  600  can also include a Random-Access Memory (RAM)  620  and a Read-Only Memory (ROM)  622 . The ROM  622  can store programs, utilities or processes to be executed in a non-volatile manner. The RAM  620  can provide volatile data storage, and stores instructions related to the operation of applications executing on the computing device  600 . 
     The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic tape, hard disk drives, solid state drives, and optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.