That’s right.
The discovery made in a filing by the Cupertino company that was published to the U.S Patent and Trademark Office – earlier this week, sees the firm discuss the possibility of an inductive Apple Watch charger that would be either “embedded in a strap accessory” or that would “[attach] itself onto an existing band,” AppleInsider reports.
A two-way design, Apple’s portable charging module features an inductive power transfer component, or inductive coil, good for transmitting power to Watch or accepting power to top off its internal batteries. To help align the inductive coils, and thus boost efficiency, magnets are disposed in the battery pack’s charging plate.
The filing specifically covers a wearable power apparatus for a wearable electronic device that includes one or more conductors, one or more batteries connected to the conductor, and/or an inductive coil that attaches to the wearable electronic device to inductively transmit power from the battery to the wearable electronic device, “such as while the wearable electronic device is worn,” Apple explains.
“The power apparatus may have attachment mechanisms that attach to a band coupled to the wearable electronic device,” the company adds.
Alternatively or additionally, Apple says that this power apparatus may be at least “partially embedded” within the band, and the ‘inductive coil’ may also receive power for the battery from another inductive coil.
“The battery may include one or more connectors that power to (and/or receiving power from) one or more other electronic devices,” it says.
Since its public introduction just over 18-months ago, many third-party manufacturers have tried to develop a solution to the Apple Watch’s mediocre battery life situation … yet with most of these charging bands either costing hundreds of dollars a piece – or worse, simply considered not fit for purpose, there is strong base for Apple releasing its own solution sometime in the near future, (especially as the Apple Watch‘s form-factor and function continues to evolve …)
The patent entitled Charging Apparatus for Wearable Electronic Device was originally filed July 27, 2015, and names Gregory S. Adamisin of Cupertino, CA as the method’s inventor.