CHARGE FARE METER

• US 20150326048A1
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eever Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Etron Technology Inc
• Inventors: Lu, Chao-Chun
• Granted Patent: US 10,157,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A charge fare meter includes a charge module and a display. The charge module is used for outputting a direct (DC) current and calculating total charges, wherein the charge module includes an input interface, a calculating unit, and an output interface. The input interface is used for converting power provided by an alternating current power source or the DC power source into the DC current. The calculating unit is electrically connected to the input interface for calculating the total charges. The output interface is electrically connected to the calculating unit for outputting the DC current. The display is electrically connected to the charge module for displaying the DC current, a voltage corresponding to the DC current, or a charge fare corresponding to the total charges.

Claims

1. A charge fare meter, comprising:

a charge module outputting a direct (DC) current and calculating total charges, wherein the charge module comprises;

an input interface converting power provided by an alternating current (AC) power source or a DC power source into the DC current;

a calculating unit electrically connected to the input interface for calculating the total charges; and

an output interface electrically connected to the calculating unit for outputting the DC current;

a display electrically connected to the charge module for displaying the DC current, a voltage corresponding to the DC current, or a charge fare corresponding to the total charges; and

a cable to which the charge module and the display are attached, wherein a plug is positioned at one end of the cable and is electrically connected to the input interface of the charge module which is capable to receive power from the AC power source or the DC power source.

2. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the input interface converts the power provided by the AC power source or the DC power source into the DC current according to specifications of a portable device electrically connected to the output interface, an interface protocol, or a requirement of a user.

3. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the calculating unit calculates the total charges according to the DC current and a charging period of a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

4. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the output interface outputs the DC current to a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

5. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the output interface is a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) or a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

6. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the calculating unit further measures the voltage corresponding to the DC current.

7. The charge fare meter of claim 1, wherein the output interface further detects a charging state of a battery within a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

8. The charge fare meter of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device electrically connected to the calculating unit for storing a relationship between charges and fares, wherein the calculating unit further generates the charge fare according to the storage device and the total charges.

9. A charge fare meter, comprising:

a charge module outputting a DC current and calculating total charges, wherein the charge module comprises;

an input interface converting power provided by an alternating current (AC) power source or a DC power source into the DC current;

a calculating unit electrically connected to the input interface for calculating the total charges; and

an output interface electrically connected to the calculating unit for outputting the DC current; and

a wireless module electrically connected to the charge module for transmitting a value of the DC current, a value of a voltage corresponding to the DC current, or a charge fare corresponding to the total charges to an external device through a wireless method, wherein the external device displays the value of the DC current, the value of the voltage corresponding to the DC current, or the charge fare corresponding to the total charges.

10. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the wireless module is a Near Field Communication (NFC) wireless module, a wireless LAN (WLAN) wireless module, an IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee) wireless module, a Bluetooth wireless module, a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) wireless module, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) wireless module, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) wireless module, a third generation (3G) wireless module, a fourth generation (4G) wireless module, a fifth generation (5G) wireless module, or an Actor Network Theory+ (Ant+) wireless module.

11. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the input interface converts the power provided by the AC power source or the DC power source into the DC current according to specifications of a portable device electrically connected to the output interface, an interface protocol, or a requirement of a user.

12. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the calculating unit calculates the total charges according to the DC current and a charging period of a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

13. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the output interface outputs the DC current to a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

14. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the output interface is a NFC interface, a WLAN interface, a Zigbee interface, a Bluetooth interface, a WWAN interface, a GSM interface, a GPRS interface, a 3G interface, a 4G interface, a 5G interface, or an Ant+ interface.

15. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the calculating unit further measures the voltage corresponding to the DC current.

16. The charge fare meter of claim 9, wherein the output interface further detects a charging state of a battery within a portable device electrically connected to the output interface.

17. The charge fare meter of claim 9, further comprising:

a storage device electrically connected to the calculating unit for storing a relationship between charges and fares, wherein the calculating unit further generates the charge fare according to the storage device and the total charges.

18. A charge fare meter, comprising:

a charge module outputting a direct (DC) current and calculating total charges, wherein the charge module comprises;

an input interface converting power provided by an alternating current (AC) power source or a DC power source into the DC current;

a calculating unit electrically connected to the input interface for calculating the total charges; and

an output interface electrically connected to the calculating unit for outputting the DC current; and

a display electrically connected to the charge module for displaying the DC current, a voltage corresponding to the DC current, or a charge fare corresponding to the total charges.

19. The charge fare meter of claim 18, wherein the charge fare meter has a cable-shape profile.