Plug with supplemental memory

• US 20070164704A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Horizon Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Horizon Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Rimdzius, Donald, McGinley, James
• Application Number:
  US11/331,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164704A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/114
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable

Abstract

A plug is provided that includes a charging circuit and a supplemental memory and the plug body includes an outer profile that is a compact size. The plug allows for data from a battery powered device to be written to the supplemental memory for emergency access by the battery powered device. The plug provides for the backup from a battery powered device such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant of data such as telephone numbers, addresses, calendars, ring-tones, video or music files.

Claims

1. A plug for charging a battery powered (BP) device comprising:

a plug body having an outer profile and mounted within the plug body is a charging circuit and a memory for receiving data sent from the BP device; and

power contact blades protruding from a front plate of the plug body, the power contact blades for connecting the charger to a standard electrical outlet including a face having a first dimension and the outer profile protruding generally perpendicular to the face, the outer profile being smaller than or equal to the first dimension.

2. The plug of claim 1 further including a memory control circuit for controlling data written to the memory.

3. The plug of claim 1 wherein the memory is a supplemental memory and the BP device is a cell phone that includes a host memory and a communication interface for writing data from the host memory to the memory of the plug.

4. The plug of claim 1 wherein the data includes telephone numbers, names, pictures, sound files, or other such data stored in a host memory of the BP device.

5. The plug of claim 1 wherein the BP device includes a communication interface that reads data from the memory.

6. The plug of claim 5 wherein the plug includes a memory control circuit and communication between the memory control circuit and the communication interface is wireless.

7. The plug of claim 1 wherein the memory is an EEPROM.

8. The plug of claim 1 further comprising a cord and connector for connecting the plug to the BP device and the cord for carrying DC to a battery of the BP device and data to a communication interface of the BP device.

9. The plug of claim 1 wherein the face of the outlet includes a second dimension and the first dimension and second dimension provide a peripheral dimension of the outlet face and the plug outer profile being smaller than or equal to the peripheral dimension.

10. The plug of claim 9 wherein the peripheral dimension includes an overhang area.

11. A method of charging a battery powered (BP) device comprising the steps of:

providing a host memory and battery in a BP device and a memory in a charger having a body;

grasping a plug body of the charger;

substantially aligning an outer profile of the body with an outer dimension of a standard electrical outlet;

connecting the charger to the standard electrical outlet by inserting blades of the plug body into the outlet so that the body outer profile does not extend substantially beyond the outer dimension of the standard electrical outlet;

attaching the charger to the BP device;

transferring current from the charger to the battery; and

automatically transferring data from the host memory to the charger memory.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the BP device includes a communication interface and the charger includes a memory control circuit and the method further comprising the steps of:

writing data to the memory control circuit via the communication interface; and

transmitting data to the memory via the memory control circuit.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

converting AC to DC via an AC to DC conversion bridge.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the transfer of data from the host memory to the charger memory occurs independently from the charging operation.

15. A cell phone charging system comprising:

a substantially standard sized electrical plug adapted to

convert AC, supply DC and charge a cell phone battery;

receive data from a data storage area of the cell phone; and

maintain data in a memory provided by the plug.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the plug is adapted to connect to a standard electrical outlet having an outer dimension and the plug having a plug body substantially aligning with the outer dimension of the outlet.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the outer dimension includes an overhang area.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the cell phone includes a communication interface for transmitting data to the memory of the plug.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the plug includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a memory circuit a memory control circuit and a charging circuit.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the memory circuit includes non-volatile ROM or RAM.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein an LED is disposed on the plug to indicate that the cell phone is charging.

22. The system of claim 15 further comprising an electrical switch disposed on the plug body, the switch for the purpose of controlling the transfer of data between the plug memory and the data storage area of the cell phone.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the plug includes a plug body and an extended body connector for connecting a cord of the plug to the cell phone and the switch disposed on one of the plug body, cord and extended body connector.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the switch is a pushbutton switch.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein the plug is adapted to connect to a vehicle electrical outlet in order to charge the cell phone from a battery of the vehicle.

26. A charger for a battery powered (BP) device comprising:

a plug body having a front plate;

a charging circuit and a memory disposed in the body, the memory for receiving data sent from the BP device; and

power contact blades protruding from the front plate, the power contact blades for connecting the charger to an electrical outlet.

27. The charger of claim 26 wherein the plug body includes an outer profile, the electrical outlet include a face having a first dimension and an overhang area adjacent the face and the outer profile of the plug body does not extend substantially beyond the overhang area.

28. The charger of claim 26 wherein the plug body includes an outer profile, the electrical outlet include a first face having a first dimension and a second face having a first dimension and the charger attached to the first face and the outer profile of the plug body does not obstruct the second face.

29. The charger of claim 28 wherein a gap is provided between the first and second face and the outer profile of the plug body does not extend substantially beyond the gap.

30. The charger of claim 26 wherein the power contact blades are pivotally attached to the front plate.

31. The charger of claim 26 wherein the plug body includes an outer profile, the electrical outlet including a face having a first dimension and the outer profile of the plug body does not extend substantially beyond the first dimension.

32. The charger of claim 31 wherein the face includes a second dimension and the outer profile of the plug body does not extend substantially beyond the second dimension.

33. The charger of claim 26 wherein the plug body, the front plate, charging circuit and memory comprise an integral package having a compact size that may be grasped by a users hand in order to plug the charger into the electrical outlet.

34. The charger of claim 26 further including a memory control circuit for controlling data written to the memory.

35. The charger of claim 26 wherein the memory is a supplemental memory and the BP device is a cell phone that includes a host memory and a communication interface for writing data from the host memory to the supplemental memory of the charger.

36. The charger of claim 26 wherein the data includes telephone numbers, names, pictures, sound files, or other such data stored in a host memory of the BP device.

37. The charger of claim 26 wherein the BP device includes a communication interface that reads data from the memory.

38. The charger of claim 26 wherein the charger includes a memory control circuit and communication between the memory control circuit and the communication interface is wireless.

39. The charger of claim 26 wherein the memory is an EEPROM.

40. The charger of claim 26 further comprising a cord and connector for connecting the charger to the BP device and the cord for carrying DC to a battery of the BP device and data to a communication interface of the BP device.

41. The charger of claim 26 wherein the memory is removable via an opening in the plug body and is contained within a portable memory card.