Microsoft is working on an inductive charging pad for portable devices according to a patent filed by Microsoft Asia.
The patent, spotted by Microsoft MVP Manan Kakkar, reveals a charging pad device that uses inductive charging to "wirelessly" charge devices. Microsoft's implementation will include an accelerometer, OLED screen, ambient lights and Internet access (wired and wireless).
According to the patent, devices can be placed on any side of the pad for charging. The device will use the inbuilt accelerometer to detect which part is facing up to send the charge. The pad will also include an OLED screen to display information such as news and sports headlines and weather information. Manan speculates that the pad could be used for future Zune devices and the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series of devices.
Powermat devices currently offer similar features by using a combination of wireless induction charging, magnetic alignment and RFID handshake. Powermat offers replacement battery covers and batteries for devices such as the iPhone, BlackBerry and Nexus One. The technology works by aligning magnetic points to a desktop pad that completes an RFID handshake to determine the exact amount of power required for the device. The device is then charged using electromagnetic fields to transfer energy between two objects (inductive charging).
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