The United States Patent and Trademark Office has released an Apple patent application detailing how the new brushing and polishing tools could be used to complete a wireless charging base station.
While its application encompasses general techniques for polishing cylindrical and contoured surfaces, from Patently Apple it is noted that in this patent also how to create a space in which to locate an inductive load coil is detailed. This would confirm that the tools are designed with the specific purpose of creating a device that will serve for wireless charging of other devices.
Apple continues to think about wireless charging
In describing how the tools would work, the patent documents include several illustrations of a charging station used to provide electrical current to another device through inductive transmission of energy.
In the illustrations, an inductive transmission coil is wrapped around a metal core. This core is designed to pair with another coil, in this case a power receiver, and thus charge the battery of an electronic device.
This charging station could include a transparent electromagnetic bearing surface upon which the device would be loaded. This would allow the energy to be received wirelessly through induction coupling technology. The charging station also describes the inclusion of a port for a USB-type connector cable. This would be used to connect to an external power source, such as a laptop.
An interest with a long history
The patent application already has about a year since was presented at the end of 2015. It's great evidence that Apple's engineering teams continue to research suitable wireless charging solutions. In fact, Apple's interest in wireless charging technology dates back to the first iPhone. Since then, it has filed and obtained different patents for wireless charging stations and wireless charging through a field of magnetic resonance imaging. The latter would allow the loading of a device as long as it is within a certain space.
Why not now?
Earlier this year, a strong rumor emerged suggesting that the iPhone 7 It would have wireless charging, as well as better water resistance and it would lack a headphone jack. This same report, however, warned that the wireless charging function could finally not be implemented in the iPhone 7. Apple would choose to implement this function in a future version of the device, as the company is still working on this technology.
As we could see at the Apple event last Wednesday, two of the aforementioned features have finally been included in the iPhone 7. This suggests that Apple would be deliberately delaying wireless charging in order to include it as one of the great improvements of the XNUMXth anniversary iPhone that, perhaps, could make the direct jump to the iPhone 8.
If we think about it, the ideal time to include wireless charging would have been precisely time. With the removal of the headphone jack, it would have been the perfect solution for charging the iPhone while listening to music through the new Lightning EarPods.. In this way, you would not have to resort to solutions like the one I told you yesterday.
Phil's Suggestions
Meanwhile, Apple's chief marketing officer, Phil Schiller, suggested use the company's official lightning charging dock, which includes a 3,5 mm jack connector. Another € 59 for the sack! It will be that no!
Already in 2012, statements by Schiller give us the clue as to why Apple continues to investigate wireless charging. In September of that year, Phil Schiller stated that Apple wasn't convinced by wireless charging because most systems had to be connected to a wall. Perhaps this is why the investigation is continuing.
I honestly think Apple is ready to offer an iPhone with wireless charging technology however it has downplayed the iPhone 7 enhancements by reserving the best for the XNUMXth anniversary iPhone. And this system is one of those reserved upgrades.
