Wirefree mobile device power supply method & system with free positioning

• US 20040048511A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Science Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobilewise
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Dayan, Tal, Stein, Elliott, Goren, Ofer
• Granted Patent: US 6,913,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/493
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/22 Contacts for co-operating by abutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/913 Condition determining device, e.g. oxygen sensor, accelerometer, ionizer chamber, thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/95 Electrical connector adapted to transmit electricity to mating connector without physical contact, e.g. by induction, magnetism, or electrostatic field

Abstract

The invention provides an electrical coupling device. The coupling includes a contactor device and a plurality of electrical contacts which close an electrical circuit between the contactor device and an adaptor device when the adaptor device is brought into physical contact with the contactor device, there being no need for aligning for the electrical contacts of the contactor device with electrical contact of the adaptor device.

Claims

1. An electrical coupling device comprising:

a contactor device including a contactor body defining a generally flat contactor surface shaped and dimensioned to make physical contact with an adaptor surface of an adaptor device; and

a plurality of electrical contacts on the contactor body at or adjacent the contactor surface, a number, shape, dimension, and spatial configuration of the electrical contacts permitting at least two of the electrical contacts to be electrically connected to corresponding electrical contacts of the adaptor device to close an electrical circuit between the contactor device and the adaptor device when the adaptor surface of the adaptor device is brought into physical contact with the contactor surface of the contactor body, there being no need for aligning the electrical contacts of the adaptor device and the contactor device.

2. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts with the contactor body are normally de-energized.

3. The electrical coupling device of claim 2, further comprising a control mechanism comprising a sensing circuit to select a pair of the electrical contacts of the contactor body to energize in order to complete the circuit;

and a controller to energize the selected pair based on input from the sensing circuit.

4. The electrical coupling device of claim 3, wherein the sensing circuit selects multiple pairs of electrical contacts to energize;

and the controller energizes each selected pair.

5. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, wherein the contactor body defines a flat mat.

6. The electrical coupling device of claim 5, wherein the contactor body is integrated into an article of furniture.

7. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, further comprising a modulation circuit to modulate a data signal which is transmitted by the electrical contacts to the adaptor device.

8. A power provisioning system comprising:

a sensing arrangement connectable to a plurality of electrical contacts, the sensing arrangement sensing parameters of an electrical load bridging a pair of the plurality of electrical contacts; and

a control mechanism connectable to a power supply to cause the power supply to selectively energize the pair of electrical contact based on the sensed parameters of the electrical load.

9. The power provisioning system of claim 8, wherein the sensing arrangement senses parameters of multiple electrical loads, each electrical load of the multiple electrical loads bridging a different pair of the plurality of electrical contacts and wherein the control mechanism causes the power supply to selectively energize each pair of the electrical contacts that is bridged by an electrical load based on sensed parameters of the electrical load.

10. The power provisioning system of claim 9, wherein the parameters of an electrical load sensed by the sensing arrangement is selected from the group consisting of a magnitude and plurality of a voltage required to energize the electrical load, and an identification, product type, and manufacturer associated with the electrical load.

11. The power provisioning system of claim 10, wherein the sensing arrangement sends a non-destructive sensing signal to the electrical load and determines the parameters of the electrical load based on a response to the sensing signal.

12. The power provisioning system of claim 11, wherein the selectively energizing a pair of electrical contacts comprises performing authentication and compatibility checks;

and only energizing the pair of electrical contacts if the electrical load is authenticated and the power supply can supply power that is compatible with the electrical load.

13. An electrical coupling system comprising:

a contactor body defining a generally flat contactor surface;

an adaptor body defining a generally flat adaptor surface;

first electrical contacts on the contactor body on or adjacent the contactor surface;

second electrical contacts on the adaptor body on or adjacent the adaptor surface;

an interface to connect the second electrical contacts to a mobile device, a number, shape, dimension and spatial configuration of the first electrical contacts permitting at least two of the first electrical contacts to be electrically connected to a pair of second electrical contacts when the adaptor surface is brought into physical contact with the contactor surface, there being no need for aligning the first and second electrical contacts.

14. The electrical coupling system of claim 13, wherein the adaptor body is integrated into the mobile device.

15. A memory device for installation in a mobile device, the memory device comprising:

a storage area storing hand shaking information which includes information selected from the group consisting of information identifying the mobile device, information on settings for a power supply to energize the mobile device, and authentication information required to connect the mobile device to a computer network.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the storage area stores the hand shaking information as read-only data within an integrated circuits.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the storage area stores the hand shaking information as programmed microcode.

18. A chipset comprising:

a power management circuit to control power to the chipset, the power management unit comprising an identification unit to store hand shaking information selected from the group consisting of information to identify the mobile device, information on settings for a power supply to energize the mobile device, and authentication information required to connect a mobile device to a computer network.

19. The chipset of claim 18, wherein the identification unit stores the hand shaking information as read-only data within an integrated circuit.

20. The chipset of claim 18, wherein the identification unit stores the hand shaking information as programmed microcode.