SMART PLUGS, SMART SOCKETS AND SMART ADAPTORS

• US 20130164971A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chung, Shen-Ming, Lee, Hsiao-Hui, Lee, Chin-Chen
• Granted Patent: US 9,231,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/489
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2513 Arrangements for monitoring electric power systems, e.g. power lines or loads; Logging
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus

Abstract

A smart socket is provided. The smart socket has a set of power sockets, configured for a set of power pins of a smart plug to plug into, a driving pin and a set of detection pins, configured for forming a circuit with a set of feedback pins of a smart plug when the set of power pins is plugged into the power sockets, and an identification code module, configured for obtaining an identification code of an electric appliance, from the circuit, to which the smart plug belongs.

Claims

1. A smart socket, comprising:

a set of power sockets, configured for a set of power pins of a smart plug to plug into;

a driving pin and a set of detection pins, configured for forming a circuit with a set of feedback pins of a smart plug when the set of power pins is plugged into the power sockets; and

an identification code module, configured for obtaining an identification code of an electric appliance, from the circuit, to which the smart plug belongs.

2. The smart socket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least two socket pins, wherein the power pins electrically connect to a power source via the at least two socket pins.

3. The smart socket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adapting pin which electrically connects to a power source through plugging into a normal socket.

4. The smart socket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a network module for transmitting the identification code to a network.

5. The smart socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection pins are insulated from the power pins.

6. The smart socket as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a safety switch for controlling the connection between the socket pins and the power source, wherein the safety switch is turned on or off corresponding to the identification code.

7. A smart plug, comprising:

a set of power pins, for plugging into a set of power sockets of a smart socket; and

a set of feedback pins, configured for forming a circuit with a driving pin and a set of detection pins of a smart socket when the set of power pins and the set of power sockets are connected to each other.

8. The smart plug as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power pins are electrically connected to an electric appliance.

9. The smart plug as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an adapting socket, configured for a normal plug of an electric appliance to plug into.

10. The smart plug as claimed in claim 7, wherein the feedback pins are insulated from the power pins.

11. The smart plug as claimed in claim 7, further comprises an identification code circuit for generating an identification code.

12. The smart plug as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a transmission circuit, which is coupled to the identification code circuit, for actively transmitting the identification code to the identification code module when the set of power pins and the set of power sockets are connected to each other.

13. A smart adaptor, comprising:

a set of adapting pins, configured for a set of power pins of a normal plugs to plug into, and for adapting the set of power pins to a set of power sockets of a smart socket; and

a set of feedback pins, configured for forming a circuit with a driving pin and a set of detection pins of the smart socket when the power pins and the power sockets are connected to each other.

14. The smart adaptor as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an identification code circuit for generating an identification code.

15. The smart adaptor as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a transmission circuit, which is coupled to the identification code circuit, for transmitting the identification code to the identification code module when the power pins and the power sockets are connected to each other.