Infrastructure for mobile devices and electronic loose equipment

• US 10,374,375 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingenio Aerospace
• Original Assignee: Ingenio Aerospace Incorporated
• Inventors: Donia, Daniel Mircea, Bell, James Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen Johnson, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Matthew R
• Application Number:
  US15/030,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20160248208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/008 Adjustable or movable supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00152 Seat back fixtures for removable monitors, e.g. tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2021 around a horizontal axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2078 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/74 Devices having four or more poles , e.g. holders for compact fluorescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/94 Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/003 responsive to reversal of power transmission direction reversal of direct current H02H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/06 with automatic reconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/087 for dc applications
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/202 for dc systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 : specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 : with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0204 : Mounting supporting structures on the outside of casings

Abstract

A new infrastructure for mobile devices and electronic loose equipment, preferably an aircraft infrastructure, is designed to be deployed for both new production aircraft and the after-market installed base for all parts of the aircraft that have human interaction, such as the galley, cockpit or cabin. The architecture is designed around two main objectives: creating stylized and functional products with flexibility in design and providing reliability and maintainability for operators while integrating power and charging mediums to those devices. This architecture is composed of several elements that as a whole complete our new architecture for mobile devices and electronic loose equipment design.

Claims

1. An aircraft device mounting system comprising:

at least one type of quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling with complementary male and female portions;

an aircraft body mountable unit having a mounting flange, one of a male portion or female portion of a first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling from among the at least one type of quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, and a power line connectable to an aircraft power bus and configured to supply power to said one of the male and female portions of the aircraft body mountable unit;

a support arm having a first end and a second end, and comprising at the first end the other of the male or female portion of a first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling from among the at least one type of quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, and comprising at the second end one of a male or female portion of a second quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling from among the at least one type of quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling;

a tablet computer holder having the other one of the male or female portion of the second quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, and comprising a connector for providing at least power to a tablet computer;

wherein the support arm is connectable between the aircraft body mountable unit and the tablet computer holder, wherein said male portion of said first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling comprises a biscuit and a breakable fastener located at least partially in said biscuit and connecting said biscuit to a rest of said first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, said breakable fastener acting as a mechanical fuse by breaking under excessive force.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a power supply circuit where in the power supply circuit is configured to measure a current level drawn and, when said current level drawn exceeds a threshold, to interrupt power delivered to the tablet computer while repeatedly trying to deliver current to the tablet computer with continuous power supplied being low to provide automatically resettable electronic fuse protection.

3. The system as defined in claim 2, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to protect against over-voltage on the aircraft bus side and to protect against over-current and reverse-voltage on a device side.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a flange and slot coupling.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling comprises a plug and socket coupling.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the male portion of the plug and socket coupling is spaced from an electrical connector.

7. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the female portion of the plug and socket coupling comprises a rim configured to extend from a surface of the aircraft body for engaging and securely supporting a complementary rim of said male portion of the plug and socket coupling.

8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said rim is circular.

9. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said rim is rectangular.

10. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the system comprises both said flange and slot coupling and said plug and socket coupling.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein said flange and slot coupling is provided between said tablet computer holder and said support arm, with said plug and socket coupling provided between said support arm and said aircraft body mountable unit.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein said flange and slot coupling is further provided between said aircraft body mountable unit and said support arm for use in a cockpit or other vertical panel of an aircraft.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling comprises a USB standard connector.

14. A portable device mounting assembly for aircraft, comprising:

a support part having a first end and a second end;

a quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling located at the first end of said support part with a male portion, for connecting said portable device mounting assembly to said aircraft and for creating power supply to a power connector on said portable device mounting assembly; and

a portable device holder located at the second end, for clamping said portable device;

wherein said power connector provides at least power to said portable device, and multiple degrees of freedom are created at the first end and the second end of said support part to provide position adjustability of said portable device,

wherein said male portion of said quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling comprises a biscuit and a breakable fastener located at least partially in said biscuit and connecting said biscuit to a rest of said first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, said breakable fastener acting as a mechanical fuse by breaking under excessive force.

15. A portable device mounting assembly as claimed in claim 14, said power connector is a USB port.

16. A portable device mounting assembly as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a power supply circuit wherein the power supply circuit comprises automatically resettable electronic fuse protection.

17. A mobile device securing and charging architecture for aircraft, comprising:

a removable support arm having at a first end a quick-release electrical and mechanical coupling with a male portion for connecting with a matching coupling connected to an aircraft body and aircraft electrical system;

a mobile device holder located at a second end of the removable support arm having at least one bracket for engaging and holding a mobile device from opposed sides to grip the mobile device;

a USB power bus located within the removable support arm;

an automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit comprising an over current protection circuit and bidirectional voltage protection circuit having as input aircraft electrical system voltage of 28V and providing an output voltage of 5V at the USB power bus wherein said automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit is connectable to a mobile device held by the mobile device holder via a USB connector provided within the mobile device securing and charging architecture,

wherein said male portion of said quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling comprises a biscuit and a breakable fastener located at least partially in said biscuit and connecting said biscuit to a rest of said first quick-release mechanical and electrical coupling, said breakable fastener acting as a mechanical fuse by breaking under excessive force.

18. The mobile device securing and charging architecture of claim 17, further comprising a network interface in communication with the USB connector and an aircraft data network.

19. The mobile device securing and charging architecture of claim 17, further comprising an electrical fuse provided by the automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit.

20. The mobile device securing and charging architecture of claim 17, wherein the automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit is housed as a single unit within said mobile device securing and charging architecture.

21. The mobile device securing and charging architecture of claim 17, wherein the automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit is a DO-160 compliant power supply.

22. The mobile device securing and charging architecture of claim 17, wherein the automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit comprises a LED indicator providing an output indicative of whether power is available to the automatically resetting aircraft-adapted power supply circuit.