PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9901147-B1
Application Number: US-201715616631-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Case for wearable electronic device

Abstract:
A case for a wrist-worn electronic device and one or more bands that can be attached to a wrist-worn electronic device. The case can include first and second housing members foldably coupled together by one or more hinges between an open position and a closed position; a recess formed in one of the housing members that is sized and shaped to hold the one or more bands within the case; and an attachment mechanism positioned within the cavity. The attachment mechanism can include a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled to one of the housing members between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end. The case can further include a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A case for one or more bands that can be attached to a wrist-worn electronic device, the case comprising:
 first and second housing members foldably coupled together by one or more hinges between a first open position and a second closed position; 
 a cavity sized and shaped to hold the one or more bands within the case when the first and second housing members are in the second position; 
 an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the cavity, the attachment mechanism comprising a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled to the second housing member between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end; and 
 a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
 
     
     
       2. The case set forth in  claim 1  wherein the cavity includes a lug receiving portion, a band receiving portion and a neck portion between the lug receiving portion and the band receiving portion, wherein the lug receiving portion has a first width and the neck portion has a second width narrower than the first width. 
     
     
       3. The case set forth in  claim 2  wherein the first and second magnets bias the piston towards the neck portion. 
     
     
       4. The case set forth in  claim 3  wherein the attachment mechanism is configured to secure a lug in the lug receiving portion such that the cam profile of the piston overhangs the lug. 
     
     
       5. The case set forth in  claim 4  wherein the attachment mechanism is configured such that, when a lug portion of a band is inserted into the lug receiving portion, the piston slides away from the neck portion enabling the lug to be snapped into a secured position. 
     
     
       6. The case set forth in  claim 1  wherein the first housing member has a first inner surface and an opposing first outer surface, the second housing member has a second inner surface and an opposing second outer surface, and the first and second housing members each lay completely flat when the case is open in the first position with the first inner surface facing in the same direction as the second inner surface. 
     
     
       7. The case set forth in  claim 6  wherein the one or more hinges further enable the first and second housing members to be rotated to a third folded position in which the first inner surface of the first housing member is facing directly away from the second inner surface of the second housing member. 
     
     
       8. The case set forth in  claim 1  wherein the one or more hinges couple a first edge of the first housing member to a second edge of the second housing member, and wherein each of the first and second edges is a fully rounded edge. 
     
     
       9. The case set forth in  claim 1  wherein the cavity is sized and shaped to hold two separate bands side-by-side with each other and the attachment mechanism includes a first attachment mechanism to secure a first band within the case and a second attachment mechanism to secure a second band within the case. 
     
     
       10. A case for storing a wrist-worn electronic device and a band that can be attached to the wrist-worn electronic device by a lug coupled to the band, the case comprising:
 first and second housing members foldably coupled together by one or more hinges between a first open position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are accessible to a user and a second closed position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are enclosed within the case; 
 a first recess in one or both of the first and second housing members sized and shaped to hold the wrist-worn electronic device within the case when the first and second housing members are in the second position; 
 a second recess in the second housing member; 
 an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the second recess, the attachment mechanism comprising:
 a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled within the second recess between a first piston position and a second piston position, and 
 a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end; and 
 
 a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
 
     
     
       11. The case set forth in  claim 10  wherein the second recess includes a lug receiving portion sized and shaped to receive the lug and wherein the attachment mechanism is slidably coupled to the second housing member within the lug receiving portion. 
     
     
       12. The case set forth in  claim 11  wherein the second recess further includes a band receiving portion and a neck portion between band receiving portion and the lug receiving portion, wherein the lug receiving portion has a first width and the neck portion has a second width narrower than the first width. 
     
     
       13. The case set forth in  claim 12  wherein the first and second magnets bias the piston towards the neck portion. 
     
     
       14. The case set forth in  claim 13  wherein the attachment mechanism is configured to secure a lug in the lug receiving portion such that the cam profile of the piston overhangs the lug. 
     
     
       15. The case set forth in  claim 14  wherein the attachment mechanism is configured such that, when a lug portion of a band is inserted into the lug receiving portion, the piston slides away from the neck portion enabling the lug to be snapped into a secured position. 
     
     
       16. A case for storing a wrist-worn electronic device separate from a band that can be attached to the wrist-worn electronic device by a lug coupled to the band, the case comprising:
 a first housing member; 
 a second housing member having a first recess sized and shaped to accept the wrist-worn electronic device and a second recess sized and shaped to accept the band; 
 one or more hinges that couple the first housing member to the second housing member such that the first and second housing members are foldable between a first open position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are accessible and a second closed position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are secured within the case; 
 an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the second recess, the attachment mechanism comprising a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled to the second housing member between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end; and 
 a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
 
     
     
       17. The case set forth in  claim 16  wherein the second recess includes a lug receiving portion and the attachment mechanism is configured to secure the lug in the lug receiving portion such that the cam profile of the piston overhangs the lug. 
     
     
       18. The case set forth in  claim 17  wherein the attachment mechanism is configured such that, when the lug of the band is inserted into the lug receiving portion, the piston slides away towards the second position enabling the lug to be inserted under the cam profile of the piston. 
     
     
       19. The case set forth in  claim 16  wherein the first housing member has a first inner surface and an opposing first outer surface, the second housing member has a second inner surface and an opposing second outer surface, and the first and second housing members each lay completely flat when the case is open in the first position with the first inner surface facing in the same direction as the second inner surface. 
     
     
       20. The case set forth in  claim 19  wherein the one or more hinges further enable the first and second housing members to be rotated to a third folded position in which the first inner surface of the first housing member is facing directly away from the second inner surface of the second housing member.

Description:
FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to wirelessly charging electronic devices, to cases and/or docking stations for electronic devices, and to systems and methods associated with such. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Many portable electronic devices include one or more rechargeable batteries that require external power to recharge from time to time. These devices may include cell phones, smart telephones, wearable devices, navigation devices, sports devices, health devices, accessory devices, and so on. 
     Some portable electronic devices with rechargeable batteries, including some wearable electronic devices include an inductive charging system or other type of wireless charging system. In an inductive charging system, a user may place the electronic device on an inductive charging surface to replenish the internal battery without the need for plugging the device into a charging cable. 
     One type of wearable electronic device that is becoming more common is a device that can be worn on a user&#39;s wrist and do much more than act as a simple time piece. Such devices may include a display to indicate the time and date. The devices may also include accelerometers and one or more sensors that enable a user to track fitness activities and health-related characteristics, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, among other information. The devices also typically include a rechargeable battery that powers the electronics within the device. 
     In some instances, such wrist-worn electronic devices can be part of a large ecosystem of interchangeable bands and devices such that a user may have two or more bands the user may want to use with their wearable electronic device. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a case that can securely hold and store a portable electronic device, such as a wrist-worn or other wearable electronic device, along with one or more bands that can be used with the device. Embodiments of the case can include circuitry that can charge the stored electronic device and some embodiments can further include circuitry that can charge the one or more bands stored in the case if those bands have electronic components, such as circuitry, sensors and/or batteries, that also require power. 
     In some embodiments, the case can include an attachment system that allows bands of different geometry, including bands that vary in length, width and/or thickness from each other, to be secured within the case. For example, the bands in one ecosystem of wearable devices all include a lug at each end of the band that is configured to attach the band to the face of the wearable electronic device. While the size and shape of the lugs may vary in certain ways, embodiments of the disclosure enable a band to be secured in the case by pushing the lug into the attachment system with minimal force. The attachment system can include a pair of magnets spaced apart from each other with a first magnet in a moveable piston and the second magnet positioned within the housing of the casing. The piston can have a cam profile at one end that includes a first angled surface that the lug comes into contact with during the insertion process forcing the piston towards the second magnet against the repulsive force. When the lug is pushed an apex of the cam profile, the lug can snap into a secured position in which the lug is positioned under a second angled surface of the cam profile. The attachment system further allows a user to extract the band from the case with minimum force by tilting the band (e.g., lifting the band up) towards the second surface, which again forces the piston towards the second magnet against the repulsive force and allows the lug to be pulled up past the apex of the cam profile and the band to be extracted from the case. 
     Some embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a case that can hold one or more bands that can be attached to a wrist-worn electronic device. The case can include first and second housing members foldably coupled together by one or more hinges between a first open position and a second folded and closed position; a cavity sized and shaped to hold the one or more bands within the case when the first and second housing members are in the second position; and an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the cavity. The attachment mechanism can include a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled to the second housing member between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end. The case can further include a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, where the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
     In various examples, the case can include one or more of the following features. The cavity can include a lug receiving portion, a band receiving portion and a neck portion between the lug receiving portion and the band receiving portion where the lug receiving portion has a first width and the neck portion has a second width narrower than the first width. The first and second magnets can be positioned to bias the piston towards the neck portion. And, the attachment mechanism can be configured to secure the lug in the lug receiving portion such that the cam profile of the piston overhangs the lug. 
     In some embodiments a case for storing a wrist-worn electronic device and a band that can be attached to the wrist-worn electronic device by a lug coupled to the band is provided. The case can include: first and second housing members foldably coupled together by one or more hinges between a first open position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are accessible to a user and a second closed position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are enclosed within the case; a first recess in one or both of the first and second housing members sized and shaped to hold the wrist-worn electronic device within the case when the first and second housing members are in the second position; a second recess in the second housing member; and an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the second recess. The attachment mechanism can include a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled within the second recess between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end. The case can further include a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, wherein the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
     In still other embodiments a case for storing a wrist-worn electronic device separate from a band that can be attached to the wrist-worn electronic device by a lug coupled to the band is provided. The case can include a first housing member; a second housing member having a first recess sized and shaped to accept the wrist-worn electronic device and a second recess sized and shaped to accept the band; one or more hinges that couple the first housing member to the second housing member such that the first and second housing members are foldable between a first open position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are accessible and a second closed position in which the wrist-worn electronic device and band are secured within the case; and an attachment mechanism coupled to the second housing member and positioned within the second recess. The attachment mechanism can include a piston having a cam profile at a first end and slidably coupled to the second housing member between a first piston position and a second piston position, and a first magnet mechanically coupled to the piston near a second end, opposite the first end. And the case can further include a second magnet positioned within the second housing member and spaced apart from the first magnet, where the first and second magnets are aligned to repel each other biasing the piston in the first piston position. 
     To better understand the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present disclosure. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a side perspective view of one type of wearable electronic device with which embodiments of the disclosure may be used; 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear perspective view of the wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  is a simplified perspective view of a case for a wearable electronic device in an open position according to some embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified top perspective view of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  in a folded position; 
         FIG. 4  is a simplified bottom perspective view of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  in a folded position; 
         FIG. 5  is a simplified side plan view of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  in a folded position; 
         FIG. 6A  is a is a simplified rear plan view of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  in a folded position; 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates a hinge that can be employed in the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  according to some embodiments of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrate simplified cross-sectional views of a portion of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  as a band is inserted into and extracted from the case; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of the case for a wearable electronic device shown in  FIG. 2  taken along the dotted line shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a simplified block diagram of various power-related components in a system that includes a wearable electronic device and a wireless charger according to some embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , which depict side and rear perspective views of one type of wearable electronic device with which embodiments of the disclosure may be used. As shown, wearable electronic device  100  includes a casing  102  that houses a display  104  and various input devices including a dial  106  and a button  108 . 
     Device  100  may be worn on a user&#39;s wrist and secured thereto by a band  110 . Thus, in some instances, wearable electronic device  100  can be referred to as a wrist-worn electronic device. Band  110  includes lugs  112   a ,  112   b  at opposing ends of the band that fit within respective recesses or apertures  114   a ,  114   b  of the casing and allow band  110  to be removeably attached to casing  102 . Lugs  112   a ,  112   b  may be part of band  110  or may be separable (and/or separate) from the band. Generally, each lug may lock into one of recesses  114   a ,  114   b  and thereby maintain connection between the band and casing  102 . The user may release a locking mechanism (not shown) to permit the lugs to slide or otherwise move out of the recesses. In some wearable devices, the recesses may be formed in the band and the lugs may be affixed or incorporated into the casing. 
     Casing  102  also houses electronic circuitry (not shown in  FIG. 1A or 1B ), including a processor and communication circuitry, along with sensors  122 ,  124  that are exposed on a bottom surface  120  of casing  102 . The circuitry, sensors, display and input devices enable wearable electronic device  100  to perform a variety of functions including, but not limited to: keeping time; monitoring a user&#39;s physiological signals and providing health-related information based on those signals; communicating (in a wired or wireless fashion) with other electronic devices; providing alerts to a user, which may include audio, haptic, visual and/or other sensory output, any or all of which may be synchronized with one another; visually depicting data on a display; gathering data form one or more sensors that may be used to initiate, control, or modify operations of the device; determining a location of a touch on a surface of the device and/or an amount of force exerted on the device, and use either or both as input; accepting voice input to control one or more functions; accepting tactile input to control one or more functions; and so on. 
     A battery (not shown in  FIG. 1A or 1B ) internal to casing  102  powers wearable electronic device  100 . The battery can be inductively charged by an external power source, such as a wireless charger, and wearable electronic device  100  can include circuitry configured to operate as a receiver in a wireless power transfer system as described with respect to  FIG. 9 . Bottom surface  120  can have a convex shape that enables the surface to facilitate proper alignment to a wireless power transmitter in the wireless charger. Also, while not shown in  FIG. 1A or 1B , wearable electronic device  100  may include one or more magnets or magnetic plates, such as alignment magnet  918  shown in  FIG. 9 , that can further assist in aligning wearable electronic device  100  to the charging surface of a wireless charger. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 2 , which is a simplified perspective view of a case  200  according to some embodiments of the disclosure. Case  200  can be used, for example, as a travel case to store a wearable electronic device and one or more bands that can be used to secure the wearable electronic device to a user&#39;s wrist. As shown in  FIG. 2 , case  200  is designed to hold a single wrist-worn electronic device  230  along with first and second bands  232  and  234  either one of which can be used to attach wrist-worn electronic device to a user&#39;s wrist. Each of bands  232  and  234  includes first and second band segments (e.g., segments  234   a ,  234   b  of band  234 ) that can be connected together by a clasp or other type of connector (e.g., clasp  116  shown in  FIGS. 1A, 1B ), and each band segment includes a lug (not labeled) at one end. Embodiments of the disclosure can store bands having multiple segments, such as bands  232 ,  234 , as well as bands having a single segment. 
     Additionally, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to storing any particular number of devices or bands. For example, some embodiments can be designed to store a wrist-worn electronic device and just a single band, while other embodiments can be designed to store a wrist-worn electronic device and more than two bands. Still other embodiments can be designed to store only one or more bands and thus do not include a cavity, recess or any similar area for storing a corresponding wrist-worn electronic device. 
     Case  200  includes first and second housing members  202  and  204  and is shown in  FIG. 2  in an open position in which the inner surfaces of each housing member  202 ,  204  are both facing upward in the same direction. Case  200  can be folded together at hinges  206   a  and  206   b  so that the inner surfaces of each housing member  202 ,  204  face each other thereby reducing the width of the case in half as shown in  FIG. 3 . First housing member  202  includes a recess or cavity  210  and second housing member  204  includes a complementary recess or cavity  212 . Cavities  210  and  212  are sized and shaped such that, when casing  200  is in the folded position, two bands  232  and  234  fit within the combined cavity and are protected within the case. Similarly, first housing member  202  also includes a recess or cavity  214  and second housing member  204  includes a complementary recess or cavity  216 , such that when case  200  is in the folded position, cavities  214  and  216  combine to secure wrist-worn electronic  230  within the case within the combined cavity. 
     Case  200  further includes a receptacle connector and circuitry that accepts power from an external source and can charge wrist-worn device  230 . Neither the receptacle or charging circuitry are shown in  FIG. 2 , but the receptacle connector is shown as connector  224  in  FIG. 6  and the charging circuitry is shown as circuitry  810  in  FIG. 8 . A plug connector  240  can be mated with the receptacle connector to provide power to the charging circuitry. In some embodiments, plug connector can also be used to transfer data to/from case  200 . Also included within case  200  are two band attachment mechanisms  220   a ,  220   b , one for each of bands  232  and  234 , that sit within portions  222   a ,  222   b  of cavity  212 . Each of portions  222   a ,  222   b  is sized and shaped to include its respective attachment mechanism and enable a lug for a watch band to be inserted into portion  222   a ,  222   b  and secured by the attachment mechanism. A larger portion  226  of cavity  212  is sized and shaped to receive the watch bands and is connected to portions  222   a ,  222   b  by neck regions  228   a ,  228   b  that are narrower in width than portions  222   a ,  222   b . In some embodiments the narrower necks are sized and shaped to accommodate the width of a band but are narrower than the width of the lugs. In other embodiments, instead of having a common area  226 , cavity  212  can be separate cavities, one for each band that case  200  is designed to accommodate. Further details of attachment mechanisms  220   a ,  220   b  are described in more detail below in conjunction with  FIGS. 7A-7D . 
       FIGS. 3-6  illustrate additional views of case  200 . Specifically,  FIG. 3  is a simplified top perspective view of case  200  in the folded position;  FIG. 4  illustrates a simplified bottom perspective view of case  200  in the folded position and  FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate simplified side and front plan views, respectively, of case  200  in the folded position. As shown in each of these figures, first and second housing members  202  and  204  have essentially the same length and width so that when the housing members are in the folded position the case has a solid and secure feel. One or more magnets, not shown, can be included in case  200  to keep the case in the folded position until a force is applied by a user to open the case. Towards this end, case  200  can include a slight recess or curved notch area  302  that can be centered along the length of housing member  204  to enable a user to insert his or her thumb, finger or the like and more easily open the case. 
     Hinges  206   a ,  206   b  allow housing members  202  and  204  to open completely flat and completely close. In some embodiments, the hinges also allow housing member  202  to fold over onto the back of housing member  204  such that the housing members are in a folded position but with the cavities  210  and  212  each on outer surfaces of the folded device instead of facing each other. To enable such a full rotational motion, in some embodiments housing members  202  and  204  can have full rounds along edges  202   a ,  204   a  that hinges  206   a ,  206   b  are connected to as shown in  FIG. 6B . The full rounds enable rotational movement of the members all the way around thus allowing the members  202 ,  204  to fold flat in the two different configurations described without any interference between the members during the entire rotational motion of the hinges. 
     Hinges  206   a ,  206   b  can also include detents that enable the hinges to mechanically stay in multiple different positions depending on the number of detents. The detents can receive dimples or other retention features that enable housing members  202 ,  204  to be positioned in multiple different positions. 
     While the embodiments described immediately above include two separate hinges  206   a ,  206   b , embodiments of the invention are not limited to any particular number of hinges. In some embodiments a single hinge can be employed and other embodiments more than two hinges can be employed. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 7A-7D , which illustrate cross-sectional views of a portion of case  200  as a band  750  is inserted into and extracted from the case with respect to attachment mechanism  220   b . While not shown in  FIGS. 7A-7D , attachment mechanism  220   a  can be similar to or identical to attachment mechanism  220   b .  FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view through the portion of case  200  indicated by the dotted line in  FIG. 2  prior to the insertion of a band into cavity  212 . As shown in  FIG. 7A , attachment mechanism  220   b  includes a piston  702 . Piston  702  is slidably coupled to housing  204  by a tooth  708  that includes opposing ends that fit within an undercut portion (not shown) of cavity  222   b  such that the piston can move back and forth within portion  222   b  of cavity  212  in the direction indicated by arrow  720 . In other embodiments, other types of mechanisms, such as a knob attached to piston  702  that slides within a groove formed at the bottom of cavity  222   b , can be used to allow piston  702  to move back and forth within cavity  212 . 
     A first magnet  704  is positioned within piston  702  and a second magnet  706  is positioned within housing  204 . Magnets  704  and  706  are aligned so that the repel each other forcing piston  702  towards wall  710  of cavity  222   b . Additionally, piston  702  has a cam profile at one end facing wall  710 , which can be a part of housing member  204  that forms the neck region  228   b  of cavity  212 . The cam profile forms an undercut that can secure a band to case  200  via a lug as described below. 
       FIG. 7B  illustrates a band  750  that is about to be inserted into cavity  222   b . Band  750  includes a lug  752  that can be pressed against an angled surface  712  of piston  702 . In response to the force against surface  712 , piston  702  is pushed in direction  722  toward wall  715  of cavity  222   b  allowing lug  752  to be inserted into portion  222   b  and underneath an angled surface  714  of piston  702  as shown in  FIG. 7C . In some embodiments, due to the cam profile of piston  702 , the lug snaps into place into the secured position shown in  FIG. 7B  once the lug moves past the apex of the cam profile. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7C , once lug  752  is positioned under surface  714  of piston  702 , the magnets push the piston in direction  724  away from wall  715  and towards wall  710 . The overlap of piston  702  secures the lug and band within case  202 . Additionally, cavity  222   b  can be sized and shaped so that in the secured position shown in  FIG. 7C , piston  702  can also push the outer portions of lug  752  against the wall  710  further securing the band within the cavity. In some embodiments, additional or different mechanisms can be included within case  202  to secure other portions of band  750  to the case. For example, in some embodiments an attachment mechanism similar to attachment mechanism  222   b  can also be included at the other end of case  200  to secure the other end band  750 . Such an additional attachment mechanism can be adjustable within cavity  212  so that it can be properly positioned at different locations depending on the length of the particular band that the mechanism is intended to secure. 
     The process of removing a band from case  200  is illustrated in  FIG. 7D , which is a simplified cross-sectional view of case  200  taken at the same location as  FIGS. 7A-7C . To remove band  750  from the case, a user can lift up on the band producing extraction force against the undercut portion of piston  702  (surface  714 ) that moves the slidable piston  702  in direction  726  towards wall  715  so that band  750  can be readily removed. 
     The combination of magnets  704 ,  706  and piston  702  allows a user to insert and secure a band within case  202  with minimal force and conversely extract the band with minimum force. Additionally, bands in a given ecosystem can vary greatly in geometry including the width, length and thickness of the bands. The described attachment system secures the bands within case  202  by the lug portion of the band which enables bands of all different geometries to be held and secured within the case. 
       FIG. 8  shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of case  200  taken along the dotted line shown in  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , some embodiments of case  200  can include a wireless charger  810  that is configured to wireless charge wearable electronic device  230 . Also shown in  FIG. 8  is a receptacle connector  820  that can be mated with a corresponding plug connector so that power can be delivered to case  200  and/or data can be transferred between case  200  and another device over a wired interface. In some embodiments case  200  can include either or both an interface to wirelessly receive power and/or one or more interfaces to wireless exchange date with other devices. Also, while not shown in  FIG. 8 , in some embodiments case  200  can include one or more magnets positioned around the cavity that accepts wearable electronic device  230 . The one or more magnets can be aligned with magnetic components of wearable electronic device  230  to magnetically secure the electronic device within the case. 
     Additionally, in some embodiments, case  200  can include circuitry that can charge one or more bands in addition to wearable electronic device  230 . For example, either or both of bands  232  and  234  can be a “smart band”. That is, a band that includes some form of circuitry that can supplements the capabilities of wearable electronic device  230 , such as one or more sensors, a battery or other type of electronic device) that include a rechargeable battery within the smart band to power its circuitry. Some embodiments of case  200  can include charging circuitry that, once the smart band is secured within the case (e.g., in the manner described above with respect to  FIGS. 7A-7D ), the smart band will be in a position such that either electrical contacts of the band are coupled to contacts within case  200  to deliver power to the band or wireless power receiving circuitry of the band will be aligned with wireless power transmitting circuitry of the case to wirelessly deliver power to the band. 
       FIG. 9  is a simplified block diagram of various power-related components in a system  900  that includes a portable electronic device  910  and a wireless charger  930 . System  900  can be representative of components in wearable electronic device  230  and wireless charging circuitry  810  within case  200 . That is, portable electronic device  910  can be, for example, wearable device  230  discussed above. Wireless charger  930  can be, for example, wireless charger  810  referenced above. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , portable electronic device  910  includes an inductive power-receiving component  912  while wireless charger  930  includes a power-transmitting component  932 . In system  900 , power receiving component  912  can be operatively coupled to power transmitting component  932  to charge a battery  913  within the portable electronic device. Within the power receiving component, battery  913  is operably connected to a receive coil  914  via power conditioning circuitry  916 . Receive coil  914  can be inductively coupled to a transmit coil  936  of wireless charger  930  to receive power wirelessly from the charger and pass the received power to battery  913  within the portable electronic device via power conditioning circuitry  916 . 
     Power conditioning circuitry  916  can be configured to convert alternating current received by the receive coil  914  into direct current power for use by other components of portable electronic device  910 . Also within device  910 , a processing unit  920  may direct the power, via one or more routing circuits and under the execution of an appropriate program residing in a memory  922 , to perform or coordinate one or more functions of the portable electronic device typically powered by battery  913 . 
     Within wireless charger  930 , power transmitting component  932  includes a power source  934  operatively coupled to transmit coil  936  to transmit power to portable electronic device  910  via electromagnetic induction or magnetic resonance. Transmit coil  936  can be an electromagnetic coil that produces a time-varying electromagnetic flux to induce a current within an electromagnetic coil within the portable electronic device (e.g., coil  914 ). The transmit coil may transmit power at a selected frequency or band of frequencies. In one example the transmit frequency is substantially fixed, although this is not required. For example, the transmit frequency may be adjusted to improve power transfer efficiency for particular operational conditions. More particularly, a high transmit frequency may be selected if more power is required by the accessory and a low transmit frequency may be selected if less power is required by the accessory. In other examples, transmit coil  936  may produce a static electromagnetic field and may physically move, shift, or otherwise change its position to produce a spatially-varying electromagnetic flux to induce a current within the receive coil. 
     When portable electronic device  910  is operatively attached to wireless charger  930  (e.g., by aligning connection surface  915  of device  910  with charging surface  935  of wireless charger  930  which, for example, can happen in case  200  when wearable device  230  is properly placed within cavity  216 ), the portable electronic device may use the received current to replenish the charge of its rechargeable battery or to provide power to operating components associated with the electronic device. Thus, when portable electronic device  910  is operatively attached to wireless charger  930 , the charger may wirelessly transmit power at a particular frequency via transmit coil  936  to receive coil  914  of the portable electronic device. 
     Transmit coil  936  can be positioned within the housing of wireless charger such that it aligns with receive coil  914  in the portable electronic device along a mutual axis when the charger is operatively attached to portable electronic device. If misaligned, the power transfer efficiency between the transmit coil and the receive coil may decrease as misalignment increases. The housing of the portable electronic device and the wireless charger can be designed to facilitate proper alignment between connection surface  915  and charging surface  935  to ensure high charging efficiency. In some embodiments of the disclosure, transmit coil  936  is moveable within the housing such that it can be accurately positioned to align with receive coil  914  of different sized portable electronic devices  910 . 
     As also discussed below, in some embodiments, one or more alignment assistance features can be incorporated into the devices to facilitate alignment of the transmit and receive coils along the mutual axis can be employed. As one example, an alignment magnet  938  can be included in wireless charger  930  that magnetically mates with an alignment magnet  918  of portable electronic device  910  to facilitate proper alignment of the portable electronic device and wireless charger. Additionally, the connection and charging surfaces  915 ,  935  of portable electronic device  910  and wireless charger  930 , respectively, may cooperate to further facilitate alignment. For example, in one embodiment connection surface  915  of portable electronic device  910  has a convex shape while charging surface  935  of wireless charger  930  has a concave shape (e.g., as shown in  FIG. 8 ) following the same curvature as connection surface  915  of device  910 . In this manner, the complementary geometries may facilitate alignment of the device charger and wearable device in addition to the alignment magnets. 
     Wireless charger  930  may also include a processor  940  that may execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory  942  to control the operation of or coordinate one or more functions of the wireless charger and case  200 . In some embodiments, wireless charger  930  may also include one or more sensors  944  to determine whether wearable electronic device  910  is received within the case (e.g., placed within cavity  216 ) and ready to receive transmitted power from the charger. For example, wireless charger  930  may include an optical sensor, such as an infrared proximity sensor. When electronic device  910  is placed within cavity  216 , the infrared proximity sensor may produce a signal that processor  940  uses to determine the presence of device  910 . Processor  940  may, optionally, use another method or structure to verify the presence of electronic device  910  via sensor  944 . Examples of different sensors that may be suitable to detect or verify the presence of device  910  may include a mass sensor, a mechanical interlock, switch, button or the like, a Hall effect sensor, or other electronic sensor. Continuing the example, after sensor  944  reports that the device  910  may be present, the processor  940  may activate a communication channel to attempt to communicate with the device  910 , for example, through connector  820 . 
     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 the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not target to be exhaustive or to limit the 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.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20170607
Publication Date: 20180227
Grant Date: 20180227
Priority Date: 20170607
Inventors: KARANIKOS Demetrios B.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "B65D25/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16B1/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A44C5/0015", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0226", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H02J7/025", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16B2001/0035", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A44C5/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0226", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0204", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16B1/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B65D25/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A44C5/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A44C5/0015", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G04B37/1486", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A44C5/0007", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45F2005/008", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45F5/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F16B2200/83", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 61226015