In May 2020 Patently Apple posted an IP report titled "Apple Patent Reveals an Alternative to their Failed AirPower Wireless Charging Pad in the form of a 3D Container. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple this patent today. While Apple just introduced the new MagSafe Charger primarily for iPhone 12 on October 13, it's still possible that Apple may still be working on some kind of multi-device wireless charger. Apple's granted patent presents two possible charger form factors that could provide added power supply to the walls of the charger as noted in the patent figures in this report. 

In Apple's patent FIG. 1 below we're able to see a transmitter #1 for an inductive power transfer (IPT) system. The transmitter takes the form of a charging enclosure #2 with sidewalls #3 and a base portion #4. The transmitter includes a coil #5 that generates a time-varying magnetic field inside the enclosure. A device #6 such as an iPhone placed inside the enclosure includes a receiver coil #7, which inductively couples with the time-varying magnetic field and produces a current that can be used to charge or power the device.

The coil is contained with the sidewalls of the enclosure, and is wound about the perimeter of the enclosure, coplanar with the base portion, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 above shows a transmitter #9 where the enclosure is of a cylindrical form, having a single continuous sidewall #10. In this example, the coil #11 is generally circular and is wound around the perimeter of the enclosure, as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 2.

Apple's patent FIGS. 4A-B above illustrate schematics comparing the magnetic field lines generated by two different transmitters.

For more details, review our IP report posted in May here or review granted patent 10,818,430 that was published today by the U.S. Patent Office.