REMOTELY MONITORABLE MULTI-PORT CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20160118824A1
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hsu Han
• Original Assignee: Hsu Han
• Inventors: HAN, HSU
• Granted Patent: US 9,509,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems

Abstract

A remotely monitorable multi-port charging device has a circuit board provided with plural current-detecting elements and a processing unit. A charging portion having plural connecting ports is for connecting and charging multiple electronic devices. The connecting ports are electrically connected the current-detecting elements. A transmission unit is electrically connected to the circuit board. The current-detecting elements serve to detect charging currents of the electronic devices and generate detection signals. The transmission unit receives detection signals, and transmits the signals through wired or wireless transmission to a remote monitoring station. The processing unit performs remote control through the transmission unit, and switch charging states of the electronic devices at the connecting ports. The charging states include a fast charging mode, a slow charging mode, an adjustment mode, a power-saving mode and a mis-connection mode. Thereby, the multi-port charging device can manage all the connected electronic devices rapidly and effectively.

Claims

1. A remotely monitorable multi-port charging device for charging plural electronic devices simultaneously, the remotely monitorable multi-port charging device comprising:

a body, containing therein a circuit board that is provided with a plurality of current-detecting elements and a processing unit, in which a managing program is installed;

a charging portion, being deposited at one side of the body and including a plurality of connecting ports, each connected to one said electronic device to be charged; and

a transmission unit, being electrically connected to the circuit board of the body, and having a transmission element, an Ethernet port and a signal transmitting/receiving end, wherein the transmission element is coupled to the circuit board, and the signal transmitting/receiving end is connected to an antenna for transmitting/receiving wireless signals;

wherein the current-detecting elements being at least configured to detect magnitude of charging currents for the electronic devices and generate detection signals, which are transmitted by the transmission element in a wired manner through the Ethernet or in a wireless manner through the signal transmitting/receiving end to at least one remote monitoring station, so as to inform the remote monitoring station of how each of the electronic devices is charged, and the transmission unit transmitting the signals to the processing unit so as to switch charging states of the electronic devices at the connecting ports, in which the charging states at least include a fast charging mode, a slow charging mode, an adjustment mode, a power-saving mode and a mis-connection mode.

2. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, further comprising a data port and an extension port deposited at another side of the body, in which the extension port serves to connect a second multi-port charging device for providing more said connecting ports, and the data port serves to connect a remote device that is configured to synchronously update data in the electronic devices.

3. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 2, wherein the extension port has an RS485 interface that transmits and receives the detection signals of the connecting ports in a one-to-many manner, and the data port has a USB interface or a Micro USB interface.

4. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring station is configured to, through the processing unit, direct the multi-port charging device to perform automatic scanning, power-saving operation, maximum-charging-current setting or minimum-charging-current setting, in which the automatic scanning scans the connecting ports so as to detect the charging state at each said connecting port, and the power-saving operation activates the power-saving mode.

5. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein when the multiple electronic devices are connected to the connecting ports, the processing unit through the transmission unit and wired or wireless network connection of the remote monitoring station, synchronously verifies whether data in each of the connected electronic devices conforms with a preset requirement or not, and if any unconformity is detected, the processing unit uses data provided by the remote monitoring station to update the relevant electronic devices.

6. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein each of the connecting ports is associated with an indication light that displays the corresponding charging state according to the detection signal.

7. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein the fast charging mode relates to outputting a first current in a first duration, and the slow charging mode relates to outputting a second current in the first duration, in which the first current is greater than the second current, and the adjustment mode relates to outputting a third current in the first duration, in which the third current is smaller than the second current or equal to zero, while the mis-connection mode relates to null current output.

8. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein the charging states further include a battery-protecting mode in addition to the power-saving mode, so that when the current-detecting element detects that the electronic device in the power-saving state has a remaining power level lower than a bottom limit, the multi-port charging device automatically charges the electronic device, thereby preventing the electronic device from battery damage caused by low power, and when the current-detecting element detects that the electronic device in the power-saving state has a remaining power level higher than the bottom limit, the multi-port charging device is switched to the power-saving mode and disables charging thereof.

9. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, wherein when one of the connecting ports of the charging portion is not connected to one said electronic device, the multi-port charging device enters the vacant connecting port into the charging state of the power-saving mode, and disables charging thereof.

10. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, further comprising a controlling portion, which has a setting element and a displaying element, wherein each said connecting port has a unique port number, so that one of the connecting ports is allowed to be selected by the setting element, and the displaying element then shows the port number of the selected connecting port and a charging current associated therewith, for the setting element to perform maximum-charging-current setting or minimum-charging-current setting.

11. The remotely monitorable multi-port charging device of claim 1, further comprising a scanning module, which at least includes a scanning element and a scanning indicator, wherein the scanning element serves to perform automatic scanning on the connecting ports in a periodic manner, so as to automatically detect the charging state of each of the connecting ports, and show the port numbers and the charging currents of the scanned connecting ports through the displaying element, and the scanning indicator serves to indicate that the scanning module is performing the automatic scanning.