Charging Station Configured To Provide Electrical Power to Electronic Devices And Method Therefor
First Claim
1. A charging station configured to provide electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices, the charging station comprising:
- at least one switch configured to turn-on and turn-off the charging station such that the charging station is not drawing any of the electrical power when the charging station is turned-off;
one or more output ports configured to supply the electrical power to the one or more portable electronic devices when the one or more portable electronic devices are electrically coupled to the one or more output ports and the charging station is turned-on;
one or more sensors electrically coupled to the one or more ports and configured to detect whether the electrical power is being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports; and
a controller module configured to turn-off the charging station using the at least one switch when the one or more sensors detect that the electrical power is not being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments disclose a charging station configured to provide electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices. The charging station can include: (a) at least one switch configured to turn-on and turn-off the charging station such that the charging station is not drawing any of the electrical power when the charging station is turned-off; (b) one or more output ports configured to supply the electrical power to the one or more portable electronic devices when the one or more portable electronic devices are electrically coupled to the one or more output ports and the charging station is turned-on; (c) one or more sensors electrically coupled to the one or more ports and configured to detect whether electrical power is being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports; and (e) a controller module configured to turn-off the charging station using the at least one switch when the one or more sensors detect that the electrical power is not being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports. Other embodiments are disclosed in this application.
164 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A charging station configured to provide electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices, the charging station comprising:
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at least one switch configured to turn-on and turn-off the charging station such that the charging station is not drawing any of the electrical power when the charging station is turned-off; one or more output ports configured to supply the electrical power to the one or more portable electronic devices when the one or more portable electronic devices are electrically coupled to the one or more output ports and the charging station is turned-on; one or more sensors electrically coupled to the one or more ports and configured to detect whether the electrical power is being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports; and a controller module configured to turn-off the charging station using the at least one switch when the one or more sensors detect that the electrical power is not being drawn by the one or more portable electronic devices through the one or more output ports. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A charge valet configured to charge two or more portable electronic devices, the charge valet comprising:
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an input power coupling configured to receive alternating current electrical power from one or more external electrical power sources; one or more switches electrically coupled to the input power coupling such that the charge valet is not pulling any of the alternating current electrical power from the one or more external electrical power sources when the one or more switches is turned-off; an electrical power converter electrically coupled to the one or more switches and configured to convert the alternating current electrical power to direct current electrical power; one or more output power couplings electrically coupled to the electrical power converter and configured to provide the direct current electrical power to the two or more portable electronic devices; one or more sensor units electrically coupled to the electrical power converter and the one or more output power couplings such that the one or more sensor units detect an electrical status of the one or more output power couplings; and a microprocessor electrically coupled to the one or more sensor units and the at least one of the one or more switches such that the microprocessor turns-off at least one of the one or more switches based on the electrical status of the one or more output power couplings. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of providing electrical power to one or more portable electronic devices using a charging station when the one or more portable electronic devices are electrically coupled to one or more output ports of the charging station, the method comprising:
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turning-on one or more switches to begin providing electrical power to the one or more output ports of the charging station; determining a connectivity status of the one or more output ports of the charging station; determining a change in the connectivity status of the one or more output ports of the charging station; and if the change in the connectivity status of the one or more output ports of the charging station is that all of the one or more portable electronic devices have been uncoupled from the one or more output ports of the charging station, turning-off at least one of the one or more switches such that the charging station is not using any electrical power. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification