UNIVERSAL SYSTEM FOR CHARGING AT LEAST ONE PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20140103868A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ERGYLINK
• Original Assignee: ERGYLINK
• Inventors: GILBERT, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 9,559,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters

Abstract

A universal system for recharging at least one portable appliance, the dedication of which is being capable from a device (4) of suiting any portable appliance version with at least one adapter (6) which may be specific in all or part of the relevant portable appliance. The system, in its preferred alternative embodiments, allows simultaneous or sequential recharging of a plurality of portable appliances. With the system it is further possible to save electric energy in a stand-by mode and the risks of fire and electrocution in the case of any dysfunction are reduced as compared with the solutions of the state of the art.

Claims

1. A universal system for recharging one or more portable appliances, comprising:

a recharging device including a recharging means that includes at least one DC power supply source configured to provide electric energy at a constant voltage to at least one first sub-assembly connected to the recharging device, said first sub-assembly configured to transfer electric energy to said one or more portable appliances,

said recharging device comprising means for starting recharging, means for switching on a power supply of said recharging means, and means for automatically switching off the power supply of said recharging means upon a determination that either i) all of said one or more portable appliances are not being charged or ii) the recharging of all of said one or more portable appliances are determined to have ended, an end of the recharging of all of said one or more portable appliances being determined through a measurement of at least one current.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for starting recharging is configured to automatically start recharging of a portable appliance upon detection of the portable appliance in a position to be recharged by the recharging means.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an adapter configured to transfer electric energy from said recharging device to said one or more portable appliances, the adapter comprising a first sub-assembly connected to the recharging means, and one or more second sub-assemblies configured to interface between the first sub-assembly and said one or more portable appliances; and

guiding and/or maintaining means configured to position and hold at least one of said one or more second sub-assemblies in correspondence with said first sub-assembly for recharging.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first sub-assembly includes a bearing surface configured to receive said one or more portable appliances to be recharged, said first sub-assembly configured to transfer electric energy to said one or more portable appliances by direct electric conduction through contacts between said at least one first sub-assembly and said one or more second sub-assemblies.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said first and second sub-assemblies comprise contacts and/or inductors configured to be provided in a coupling position suitable for transferring electric energy through the effect of a force controlled by an electric command in connection with the charge condition of the portable appliance.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first sub-assembly comprises inductors configured to transfer electric energy to at least one of said one or more portable appliances wirelessly by induction.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first sub-assembly transfers electric energy to at least one of said one or more portable appliances via one or more wires comprising at least two contacts connectable to said one of said one or more portable appliances.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said first sub-assembly further comprises inductors configured to transfer electric energy to at least another of said one or more portable appliances wirelessly by induction

9. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or more second sub-assemblies further comprises a structure configured to at least partially overclad one of said one or more portable appliances.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein said one or more second sub-assemblies comprise a connector configured to electrically connect a corresponding portable appliance with electric circuits of said second sub-assembly, said connector configured such that when interfaced with a power interface of a portable appliance, said connector is received completely within said interface and does not protrude from said power interface, said connector being connected to the electric circuits by a flexible means.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for automatically switching off the power supply of said recharging means also switches off the power supply of said recharging means upon a determination that a load corresponding to a power consumed by the recharging of said one or more portable appliances exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. The system according to claim 3, wherein said one or more second sub-assemblies comprise means for providing access to at least one original user interface of the portable appliance corresponding to audio and/or video and/or communication and/or visualization and/or commands and/or recharge.

13. The system according to claim 3, wherein said one or more second sub-assemblies comprise at least one additional user interface corresponding to audio and/or video and/or communication and/or visualization and/or commands.

14. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or more second sub-assemblies comprise at least one contactless identification means enabling identification of a corresponding portable appliance and/or a user associated therewith.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the recharging device comprises at least one socket for recharging at least one of said one or more portable appliances via a cable.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said charging device is configured, when a total power draw from the recharging of said one or more portable appliances connected to said at least one DC power supply source is determined to be less than a capacity limit of said at least one DC voltage power supply source, to operate in a simultaneous recharging mode wherein said recharging deice is configured to apply the constant charging voltage simultaneously and continuously to all of said one or more portable appliances until they are fully recharged.

17. The system according to claim 16,

wherein said recharging device is configured, when a total power draw from the recharging of said one or more portable appliances connected to said at least one DC power supply source is determined to exceed a capacity limit of said at least one DC voltage power supply source, to enter into a sequential recharging mode for all or part of several portable appliances,

wherein in the sequential recharging mode the constant charging voltage is applied continuously to only a subset of said one or more portable appliances until said subset of said one or more portable appliances is fully charged, after which the constant charging voltage is applied to all or part of remaining portable appliances still to be recharged until all of said one or more portable appliances are fully recharged, and

wherein in the sequential recharging mode the total power draw is maintained under the capacity limit of said single DC power supply source.

18. The system according to claim 3, wherein the adapter comprises a power supply circuit that includes one or more rectifying diodes mounted in series and forward-biased in order to lower a first regulated voltage provided by the recharging device to a second predetermined voltage suitable for recharging the one of said one or more portable appliances.

19. The system according to claim 1,

wherein the recharging device comprises an audio recording and playback means for recording a voice message and for playing the recorded voice message upon connection of a portable appliance to said recharging device for recharging, and

wherein the recharging device further comprises means for recognizing automatically an addressee of the recorded voice message upon initiating charging of a portable appliance associated with the addressee, the initiating of the charging of the portable appliance causing automatic playback of the recorded voice message intended for the recognized addressee.

20. A method for recharging a one or more portable appliances by providing electric energy at a constant voltage from at least one DC power supply source of a recharging device, said method comprising the steps of:

supplying a constant voltage to each of the portable appliances to be recharged,

determining whether a total power load for recharging said portable appliances exceeds a capacity of said at least one DC power supply source, and where the total power load is less than a capacity of said at least one DC power supply source, applying the constant voltage being applied simultaneously and continuously to all the portable appliances, and where the total power load is greater a capacity of said at least one DC power supply source, applying continuously the constant charging voltage to only a subset of said several portable appliances until the subset is fully charged and then applying the constant voltage to remaining portable appliances still to be recharged until the remaining portable appliances are fully charged.