Forward-looking: Is having the ability to wirelessly charge your phone with your laptop or tablet something you would use? Apple tree thinks then. It submitted patent applications that describe a system where any Apple device could wirelessly charge any other Apple product. The USPTO granted and published those patents yesterday.

The U.s.a. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple two patents on Tuesday that may betoken engineers are looking at a radical new product design featuring reverse charging. Diagrams show a MacBook Pro equipped with multiple charging coils beneath the lid, trackpad, and areas adjacent to the trackpad.

Users could essentially set their iPhone anywhere on the laptop other than the keyboard to charge it. An iPad could charge when placed on the closed MacBook lid. Besides, the 2d patent shows that the chargers would work between all devices. In other words, you could peak off your iPhone or Apple Picket with your iPad or any like combination of scenarios. The patents aim to offer users more flexibility when charing their devices.

"Some electronic devices include one or more rechargeable batteries that may require external power to recharge," reads patent 10,886,769'southward clarification. "All the same, despite having standardized connectors and cable, each device may require a carve up or dedicated ability supply to charge. In some cases, having separate power supplies for each device may be burdensome to use, store, and/or transport."

Not having to tote around multiple chargers does offer a new level of convenience. As long every bit users take just i ability supply, they tin can charge whatsoever device via reverse charging. Theoretically, with their MacBook plugged in, users could stack their iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch on top of each other and have them all charged simultaneously (diagram higher up).

The question is: volition Apple tree e'er brand employ of these patents? Patents are non guaranteed to come about. Additionally, Apple promised us the AirPower charging station, which it abandoned but months before information technology was supposed to be released. Reverse charging was supposed to be a feature of the iPhone xi, but it never happened. Perhaps Apple gave up on these earlier projects to focus on a total wireless power-sharing ecosystem rather than bringing out the feature in a piecemeal fashion. Nosotros'll have to expect and come across.

Image credit: Andreea-Maria Juganaru (modified)