Firewire/USB bus-charger for 12V DC automotive

• US 6,842,356 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2003
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Benjamin Hsu
• Inventors: Hsu, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/600,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 363/144, 363/146, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 439/34, 439/503, 439/884, 439/891
• US Class Current: 363/146
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

An on-vehicle charger is provided to connect with a cigarette-lighting receptacle for supplying a DC power from an automotive to a circuit board. The input power is shunted, converted, regulated, and outputted to a USB jack and a FireWire jack respectively to serve as a FireWire power source for iPod.

Claims

1. A FireWire/USB based charger comprising:

a plug seat comprising a casing inside which a shunting/regulating circuit board is fixed, the circuit board further comprising;

a pair of cigarette-lighting receptacle connecting wires, having a cigarette-lighting plug at one end for plugging into an on-vehicle cigarette-lighting receptacle of an automotive; and

the other end connected with the circuit board for input of current from electrical system of the automotive,

a USB bus cable comprising a first end forming a USB jack for selective connection with a first electronic device having a USB interface and a second end for connection with the circuit board to convert the input power and supplying the converted power to the USB interface, and

a FireWire bus cable comprising a third end forming a FireWire jack for selectively receiving a second electronic device having a FireWire interface and a fourth end for connection with the circuit board to convert the input power and supplying the converted power to the FireWire interface; and

the casing forming three receptacles for sleeve-jointing with the plug, USB jack, and FireWire jack respectively.

2. The charger according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is fixed inside the casing by way of plug-disposition or slide-disposition or screw-disposition.

3. The charger according to claim 1, wherein a tube fuse is connected between the paired conductive wires in series for over-current protection.

4. The charger according to claim 3, wherein the shunting/regulating circuit comprises:

a current-shunting unit electrically connected with a fuse unit, the fuse unit comprising a tube fuse for introducing the vehicle power through a receptacle of on-vehicle cigarette lighter and shunting current;

a voltage-converting unit electrically connected with the current-shunting unit for converting 12VDC into 5 VDC and outputting the same;

a 5VDC-regulating unit electrically connected with the voltage-converting unit for regulating 5VDC and outputting the same to said USB jack; and

a 12VDC-regulating unit electrically connected with the current-shunting unit for regulating 12VDC and outputting the same to said FireWire jack.

5. The charger according to claim 4, wherein the voltage-converting unit comprises a voltage divider.