Wireless charging for an input device

Abstract

An apparatus including a removable modular insert disposed within a housing of a host device, the housing including one or more magnets, and one or more conductive contacts disposed on the removable modular insert to magnetically couple to the one or more magnets and secure the modular insert within the housing of the host device, and electrically couple the modular insert to the host device. A conductive coil can be coupled to the modular insert to electromagnetically receive power from a base device having a surface, where the host device moves and operates along the surface of the base device. The apparatus can include a communication device and a processor to control the communication device for communication between the modular insert and the host device, and control operation of the conductive coil. The communication device further controls the electromagnetic coupling between the modular insert and the base device.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system comprising:
 a computer mouse including:
 a housing defining a cavity; and 
 an energy storage device operable to store electrical power; and 
   a modular insert including:
 a receiving coil operable to wirelessly receive power; 
 a wireless transceiver configured to be powered by the wirelessly received power of the receiving coil and control electromagnetic power coupling between the modular insert and an external source of the wirelessly received power, 
 wherein the computer mouse is configured to non-destructively mechanically and electrically couple and decouple with the modular insert at the cavity, 
 wherein the computer mouse operates on the wirelessly received power when the modular insert is coupled to the computer mouse, and 
 wherein the computer mouse operates on power received from the energy storage device when the modular insert is not coupled to the computer mouse. 
   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the energy storage device of the computer mouse is a rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the energy storage device of the computer mouse is operable to be recharged via the wirelessly received power received via the modular insert. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the rechargeable battery is comprised of a nickel-cadmium, a nickel-metal hydride, or a lithium ion. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the modular insert includes a second energy storage device configured to store the wirelessly received power. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the second energy storage device is a supercapacitor. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the computer mouse includes one or more processors operable to control the computer mouse including operation of the energy storage device. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the modular insert includes a second one or more processors operable to control the modular insert including controlling a flow of the wirelessly received power from the external source. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the modular insert includes a second energy storage device configured to store the wirelessly received power, and
 wherein the second one or more processors are further operable to control the modular insert including operation of the second energy storage device.   
     
     
         28 . A method of operating a computer mouse comprising:
 receiving a modular insert within a cavity of the computer mouse, the cavity configured to receive the modular insert in an orientation such that a receiving coil of the modular insert aligns with a transmitting coil for wireless power transfer from a base device when the computer mouse is operating on the base device,
 wherein the modular insert includes a wireless transceiver operable to be powered via wirelessly received power from the base device by the receiving coil and transmit data corresponding to a position of the computer mouse relative to the base device; 
   operating the computer mouse via power received by an on-board energy storage device configured within the computer mouse when the computer mouse is not operating on the base device; and   operating the computer mouse via power received by the wirelessly received power when the computer mouse is moving along a surface of the base device.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the energy storage device of the computer mouse is a rechargeable battery. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the energy storage device of the computer mouse is operable to be recharged via the wirelessly received power received via the modular insert. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the rechargeable battery is comprised of a nickel-cadmium, a nickel-metal hydride, or a lithium ion. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the modular insert includes a second energy storage device configured to store the wirelessly received power. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the second energy storage device is a supercapacitor. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the computer mouse includes one or more processors operable to control the computer mouse including operation of the energy storage device. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the modular insert includes a second one or more processors operable to control the modular insert including controlling a flow of the wirelessly received power from the base device. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the modular insert includes a second energy storage device configured to store the wirelessly received power, and
 wherein the second one or more processors are further operable to control the modular insert including operation of the second energy storage device.   
     
     
         37 . A modular insert comprising:
 a receiving coil operable to wirelessly receive power; and   a wireless transceiver configured to be powered by the wirelessly received power of the receiving coil and control electromagnetic power coupling between the modular insert and a base device providing the wirelessly received power,
 wherein the modular insert is configured to non-destructively mechanically and electrically couple and decouple with a computer mouse, 
 wherein the modular insert provides the wirelessly received power to the computer mouse when the modular insert is coupled to the computer mouse and when the computer mouse is moving along a surface of the base device. 
   
     
     
         38 . The modular insert of  claim 37  further comprising an energy storage device configured to store the wirelessly received power and provide stored power to operate the computer mouse.