Current sensing circuit disconnect device and method

• US 10,050,459 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Michael Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Robert Michael Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Robert M., Hockman, Peter M., Connary, Gregg M., Berkowitz, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kebede, Tessema
• Application Number:
  US14/329,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/007 Detection of the absence of a load

Abstract

A device and method are provided for saving power and electricity in a charging device including external power supplies and battery chargers having a primary circuit and a secondary circuit where a switch is located in the primary circuit and a current sensing device in the secondary circuit to sense when there is a drop in current in the secondary circuit or no current in the secondary circuit because the load such as a cell phone or tablet is charged and when this occurs the switch in the primary circuit is opened and the primary circuit no longer draws power from the source of power until the switch in the primary circuit is closed by either a user activating a switch to reenergize the charging device, where the switch may be powered by an on-board battery to close the primary circuit, or where a control circuit is activated by a program in the load or device to be charged, such that the charging device will cycle on and off according to an external app program residing on the device to be charged or some other device not attached to the controller.

Claims

1. A charging device, comprising:

a primary-side circuit and a secondary-side circuit;

the primary-side circuit including a first switch having an open state that opens said primary-side circuit to current flow and a closed state that permits current flow through said primary-side circuit;

the secondary-side circuit including a connector for connection to a load for charging an energy storage device in said load;

a second switch in said secondary-side circuit for switching the first switch from an open state to a closed state; and

said first switch remaining in the open state when no load is connected to said connector of the secondary-side circuit, said second switch being closed from an open state using a residual battery power stored in the load when the load is connected to said connector.

2. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first switch is part of a relay or other electromechanical switch.

3. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the first switch is a relay contact in the primary-side circuit closed by a relay coil in the secondary-side circuit that is energized when a solid state switching device is turned-on.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein said secondary-side circuit includes a battery that provides power to initiate closing of the first switch when the second switch is closed.

9. The charging device of claim 1, wherein said second switch is activated by a program executed on the load.

10. The charging device of claim 2, wherein said first switch includes an optocoupler.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said second switch is actuated in response to a signal from an external program executed on the load.

5. A method for disconnecting a charging device including a primary side circuit and a secondary side circuit, with a load connectable to the secondary side circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first switch in the primary-side circuit having an open state that opens said primary-side circuit to current flow and a second switch in the secondary-side circuit, said second switch switching the first switch from an open state to a closed state when said second switch is actuated;

opening the first switch when a sensing device determines a decrease of current flow in the secondary-side circuit, the first switch remaining in the open state when no load is connected to the secondary-side circuit; and

actuating the second switch using a residual battery power stored in the load when the load is connected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first switch is part of a relay or other electromechanical switch.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said secondary-side circuit includes a battery that provides power to initiate closing of the first switch when the second switch in the actuating step is closed.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said secondary-side circuit uses power from the load to initiate closing of the first switch when the second switch in the actuating step is closed.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first switch includes an optocoupler.

13. A method for disconnecting a charging device including a primary side circuit and a secondary side circuit, with a load connected to the secondary side circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first switch in the primary-side circuit having an open state that opens said primary-side circuit to current flow;

opening the first switch in response to a signal from the secondary-side circuit indicating that the load is charged;

closing the first switch in response to a signal from a program resident in the load and executed by a processor internal to the load using a control circuit in the secondary-side circuit; and

said first switch remaining in the open state when no load is connected to the secondary-side circuit.

14. The charging device of claim 13, wherein said first switch includes an optocoupler.