Method of transmitting data between a small electric appliance and a supplementary electric appliance connectible therewith, as well as appliances suitably configured for this purpose

• US 6,326,884 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Wohlrabe, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/291,695
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.02, 340/310.06, 340/310.08
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/38 Details of, or accessories for, hair clippers, or dry shavers, e.g. housings, casings, grips, guards cutters, cutting heads B26B19/04, B26B19/12, B26B19/14; cleaning or disinfecting devices A45D27/46; drying devices A45D27/48; casings for electric apparatus in general H05K
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/3873 Electric features; Charging; Computing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 19/388 Sensors; Control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

The apparatus includes a method of transmitting data between a small electric appliance such as an electric hair cutting apparatus, an electric toothbrush or a household appliance, and a supplementary electric appliance connectible therewith such as a charging, cleaning or diagnostic device, as well as to appliances suitably configured for this purpose. The supplementary appliance supplies to the power supply connection of the small electric appliance an electric current, an electric voltage or an electric and/or magnetic field which is modulated with a corresponding data signal by the small electric appliance or by the supplementary appliance, depending on the desired direction of data transmission. Demodulation is effected in the receiving appliance.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data between a first electric appliance having a power supply connection and a second electric appliance connectible therewith, comprising:

directly connecting the second appliance to the power supply connection of the first electric appliance;

supplying power over the power supply connection via a signal medium that is selected from one of the group consisting of an electric current, an electric voltage an electric field and a magnetic field; and

modulating the signal medium by at least one of the first electric appliance and the second appliance for data transmission purposes; and

transmitting the modulated carrier signal over the power supply connection between the first and second appliance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electric appliance has a rechargeable battery connected to the power supply connection, said method further comprising supplying one of a charging current and a charging voltage to the rechargeable battery through the power supply connection and wherein said carrier signal is said one of said charging current and said charging voltage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein modulating said carrier signal comprises turning the carrier signal on and off.

4. The method of transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the first electric appliance is selected from the group consisting of an electric hair cutter, an electric toothbrush, and an electric household apparatus.

5. The method of transmitting data of claim 1, wherein the second appliance is selected from the group consisting of an electric appliance charging device, an electric appliance cleaning device and an electric appliance diagnostic device.

6. An electric appliance comprising:

a housing;

a power supply connection;

a power supply element disposed within said housing, which during operation supplies power to the power supply connection via a signal medium selected from one of an electric current, an electric voltage, an electric field, and a magnetic field; and

a signal processing device which during operation performs at least one of modulating and demodulating the signal medium supplied to the power supply connection.

8. The electric appliance of claim 6 or 7, wherein the housing is hand-holdable, whereby the appliance is portable.

9. The appliance as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the signal processing element is a modulating device including a controllable switch and a control circuit for driving the controllable switch.

10. The appliance as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the signal processing device is a demodulating device including an evaluation circuit and a sensor chosen from the group consisting of a current sensor and a voltage sensor.

11. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor chosen from the group consisting of the current sensor and the voltage sensor includes a resistor and a comparator.

12. The appliance as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one of the control circuit and the evaluation circuit is implemented by a microcontroller.

13. The small electric appliance as claimed in claim 6 or 7, further comprising a switchable indicating device enabling information to be displayed selectively in the proper position or upside down.

7. An electric appliance that is selected from the group consisting of an electric hair cutter, an electric toothbrush, and an electric household apparatus, said appliance comprising:

a housing;

a power supply connection disposed in said housing, through which the appliance receives power delivered via a signal medium selected from one of an electric current, an electric voltage, an electric field, and a magnetic field; and

a signal processing device for performing at least one of modulating and demodulating said signal medium received through the power supply connection.