Motorized horizontal docking station having integrated locking mechanism

• US 10,459,486 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uinta Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Brydge Technologies, LLC (Uinta Products, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vroom, Matthew Leigh, Maskell, Benjamin Edwards
• Primary Examiner(s): Santana, Eduardo Colon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Agared, Gabriel
• Application Number:
  US14/584,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 318476
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0082 for office machines, e.g. PC's, portable computers, typewriters, calculators
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/065 using screw-thread elements F16B2/08 - F16B2/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2035/106 Monitoring of overload
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 35/10 Arrangements or devices for absorbing overload or preventing damage by overload for screw mechanisms F16H25/2021
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0024 Peripheral component interconnect [PCI]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18808 with rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2066 Friction

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for detecting misalignment between a plurality of plugs in a motorized docking station and a corresponding plurality of ports on an electronic device, the method including applying an electrical charge to a motor, the motor connected to a drive train and the drive train connected to the plurality of plugs, monitoring an electrical property of the electrical charge, and removing the electrical charge from the motor if the electrical property exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for detecting misalignment between a plurality of plugs in a motorized docking station and a corresponding plurality of ports on an electronic device, the method comprising:

applying an electrical charge to a motor, the motor connected to a drive train and the drive train connected to the plurality of plugs of the motorized docking station, the plurality of plugs disposed in relative positions to interface with the corresponding plurality of ports on the electronic device;

monitoring by a sensor an electrical property of the electrical charge to detect the misalignment between the plurality of plugs in the motorized docking station; and

removing by a processor the electrical charge from the motor if the electrical property exceeds a predetermined threshold;

wherein the processor is further configured to apply a reverse electrical charge to the motor when the electrical property exceeds the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical charge is a positive DC voltage.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical property is an electrical current.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the wherein the predetermined threshold is measured in terms of a current increase.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the wherein the predetermined threshold is an absolute current.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical property is a voltage.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined threshold is measured in terms of a voltage drop.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the predetermined threshold is an absolute voltage.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein the electrical charge is a positive DC voltage;

wherein the reverse electrical charge is a negative DC voltage;

wherein the electrical property is an electrical current;

and wherein the predetermined threshold is an absolute current.

10. A device for detecting misalignment between a plurality of plugs a motorized docking station and a corresponding plurality of ports on an electronic device, the device comprising:

a motor connected to a drive train and the plurality of plugs of the motorized docking station, the plurality of plugs disposed in relative positions to interface with the corresponding plurality of ports on the electronic device;

a sensor configured to detect an electrical property of an electrical charge applied to detect the misalignment between the plurality of plugs in the motorized docking station; and

a processor configured to remove the electrical charge from the motor when the electrical property exceeds a predetermined threshold;

wherein the processor is further configured to apply a reverse electrical charge to the motor when the electrical property exceeds the predetermined threshold.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the electrical charge is a positive DC voltage.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the electrical property is a current.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the predetermined threshold is an absolute current.

14. The device of claim 10 wherein the electrical property is a voltage.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the predetermined threshold is an absolute voltage.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the predetermined threshold is a voltage drop.

17. A device for detecting misalignment between a plurality of plugs in a motorized docking station and a corresponding plurality of ports on an electronic device, the device comprising:

a motor connected to a drive train and the plurality of plugs of the motorized docking station, the plurality of plugs disposed in relative positions to interface with the corresponding plurality of ports on the electronic device;

a sensor configured to detect an current of an electrical charge applied to detect the misalignment between the plurality of plugs in the motorized docking station; and

a processor configured to remove the electrical charge from the motor when the current exceeds a predetermined absolute threshold current;

wherein the processor is further configured to apply a reverse electrical charge to the motor when the electrical property exceeds the predetermined threshold.