COLLECTIVE CHARGER FOR TERMINAL DEVICES, AND METHOD FOR CHARGING TERMINAL DEVICES

• US 20170310131A1
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd. (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: YASUTAKE, Naoki
• Application Number:
  US15/517,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310131A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

Provided is a collective charger for a terminal device, which is configured to display a remaining battery level of a rechargeable battery-driven terminal device so that a user can visually recognize the remaining battery level easily and quickly. The collective charger for a terminal device according to this invention includes: a plurality of terminal receiving portions (101-1 to 101-5) capable of receiving a plurality of terminal devices, respectively; a power source unit configured to supply electric power for charging to one or a plurality of terminal devices each received in corresponding one of the plurality of terminal receiving portions (101-1 to 101-5); and a plurality of state-of-charge display portions (103-1 to 103-5) arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions (101-1 to 101-5), respectively, and each configured to display a state of charge of a battery including a remaining battery level of each terminal device received in a corresponding terminal receiving portion.

Claims

1. A collective charger, subjecting a terminal device to charge, the terminal device being shaped in a plate shape, having a first and a second plate surfaces, being provided with a display portion on the first plate surface, being a rechargeable battery-driven type, detecting state of charge of the rechargeable battery, and displaying remaining level of the rechargeable battery on the display portion, the collective charger comprising:

a plurality of terminal receiving portions capable of receiving a plurality of the terminal devices so that the terminal devices are arranged in parallel with the first plate surface and the second plate surface of the adjacent terminal devices opposed to each other, respectively;

a power source unit configured to supply electric power for charging to one or a plurality of terminal devices each received in corresponding one of the plurality of terminal receiving portions;

a plurality of state-of-charge display portions arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions, respectively, and each configured to display a state of charge of a battery including a remaining battery level of each terminal device received in a corresponding terminal receiving portion; and

a control unit configured to obtain information indicating the state of charge of the battery from the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion, to thereby control corresponding one of the plurality of state-of-charge display portions to display the state of charge of the battery based on the obtained information indicating state of charge of the battery.

4. The collective charger according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the state-of-charge display portions comprises a plurality of LED indicators, and is configured to graphically display the remaining battery level by causing a number of LED indicators corresponding to the remaining battery level to emit light.

5. The collective charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of charging terminals arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions, respectively, and each configured to be electrically connected to a power-receiving terminal arranged on the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion; and

a plurality of USB communication interfaces arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions, respectively, each of the plurality of USB communication interfaces comprising a USB terminal and a USB controller and being configured to perform USB communication by being electrically connected to the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion,

wherein the power source unit is configured to supply the electric power for charging to the one or the plurality of terminal devices each received in the corresponding one of the plurality of terminal receiving portions through corresponding one of the plurality of charging terminals, and

wherein the control unit is configured to obtain information indicating the state of charge of the battery from the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion through corresponding one of the plurality of USB communication interfaces.

6. The collective charger according to claim 1, wherein the power source unit also functions as a power source for the collective charger itself.

7. The collective charger according to claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises control units individually corresponding to the plurality of terminal receiving portions,

wherein the collective charger further comprises a plurality of receiving detection switches arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions, respectively, and each configured to detect whether or not the corresponding terminal receiving portion receives a terminal device, and

wherein, based on a detection signal from each of the plurality of receiving detection switches, the control unit brings an operation of the control unit into a reset state when the corresponding terminal receiving portion does not receive the terminal device, whereas the control unit cancels the reset state when the corresponding terminal receiving portion receives the terminal device.

8. The collective charger according to claim 1,

wherein the single control unit is shared by the plurality of terminal receiving portions, and

wherein the control unit is configured to individually obtain information indicating the state of charge of the battery from the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion, to thereby control the corresponding one of the plurality of state-of-charge display portions, which corresponds to the terminal receiving portion that receives the terminal device for which the information indicating state of charge of the battery is obtained, to individually display the state of charge of the battery based on the obtained information indicating state of charge of the battery.

10. The collective charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of receiving detection switches arranged correspondingly to the plurality of terminal receiving portions, respectively, and each configured to detect whether or not the corresponding terminal receiving portion receives a terminal device; and

a safety circuit configured to prevent voltage of the electric power for charging from being generated by the power source unit in the charging terminal corresponding to the terminal receiving portion in which the terminal device is not received, based on the detection signal from the each of the plurality of receiving detection switches, when the corresponding terminal receiving portion does not receive the terminal device.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

9. A method of charging a terminal device, the terminal device being an object to be charged, being shaped in a plate shape, having a first and a second plate surfaces, being provided with a display portion on the first plate surface, being a rechargeable battery-driven type, detecting state of charge of the rechargeable battery, and displaying remaining level of the rechargeable battery on the display portion, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving one or a plurality of the terminal devices, a plurality of the terminal devices being arranged in parallel when a plurality of terminal devices are received;

supplying electric power for charging to the received one or plurality of terminal devices;

obtaining information indicating the state of charge of the battery from the each terminal device received in the corresponding terminal receiving portion; and

displaying a state of charge of a battery including a remaining battery level of each of the received the plurality of terminal devices at a position corresponding to each terminal device based on the obtained information indicating state of charge of the battery.