Programmable power supply capable of receiving AC and DC power input

• US 7,035,126 B1
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Comarco Wireless Technologies Incorporated (Comarco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lanni, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton, Gary L
• Application Number:
  US10/166,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 363/142, 363/146, 439/131, 439/170, 439/171, 439/174, 439/501, 439/518
• US Class Current: 363/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/72 Means for accommodating flexible lead within the holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc

Abstract

A power supply capable of receiving an AC or DC input power signal and converting the received input power signal into a DC output power signal includes retractable AC and DC input plugs as well as a retractable output cable. One or more interchangeable tips may be attached to the end of the output cable to change a characteristic of the output power to meet a power requirement of an electronic device to which power is being supplied. The tips may be stored in a recess in the outer housing of the power supply.

Claims

1. A power supply for providing electrical power to an electronic device, said power supply comprising:

a DC power input plug adapted to receive a DC input power signal from a DC power source, said DC power input plug coupled to a hinge, said hinge rotatably fixed to an outer housing, capable of being pivoted between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the retracted position, a first side of the DC power input plug rests against a first side of the outer housing of the power supply and an end of the DC power input plug rests within a protective cap attached to the outer housing, the protective cap being formed to fittingly engage the end of the DC power input plug;

an AC power input plug adapted to receive an AC input power signal from an AC power source;

a power output terminal adapted to couple to a power input terminal of an electronic device to transmit a DC output power signal to said electronic device, wherein the power output terminal is coupled to an output cable, the power output terminal rests against an outlet in a retracted state, and the power output terminal and cable rest against the first side of the outer housing along with the DC power input plug; and

a power conversion circuit capable of receiving either of said DC input power signal and said AC input power signal and producing said DC output power signal.

2. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein an electrical characteristic of said DC output power signal meets an input power requirement of said electronic device.

3. The power supply according to claim 2, wherein said electrical characteristic of said DC output power signal is determined by a programming signal received at said output terminal.

4. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein said AC input plug is changeably configurable between an extended state and a retracted state.

5. The power supply according to claim 4, wherein said AC input plug includes at least one prong.

6. The power supply according to claim 5, wherein a portion of said at least one prong extends from said outer housing when said AC input plug is in said extended state.

7. The power supply according to claim 4, wherein said at least one prong is electrically decoupled from said power conversion circuit when said AC input plug is in said retracted state.

8. The power supply according to claim 4, wherein said at least one prong is electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit when said AC input plug is in said extended state.

9. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein said output cable is electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit.

10. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein said output cable is changeably configurable between an extended state and a retracted state.

11. The power supply according to claim 10, wherein a retracted portion of said output cable is contained within said outer housing when said output cable is in said retracted state.

12. The power supply according to claim 11, wherein said output cable is flat.

13. The power supply according to claim 11, wherein said output cable exits said outer housing through an outlet.

14. The power supply according to claim 11, further including a retraction mechanism for placing said retracted portion of said output cable within said outer housing.

15. The power supply according to claim 14, wherein said outer housing includes a rounded portion, and further wherein said retraction mechanism is a take-up spool, and further wherein said retracted portion of said output cable is wound around said take-up spool when said output cable is in said retracted state.

16. The power supply according to claim 14, wherein said retraction mechanism is biased toward retracting said output cable.

17. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the protective cap is formed as part of the outlet.

18. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the hinge is located in a recess formed between a front surface and a back surface of the outer housing.

19. A power supply for supplying output power to one of a plurality of electronic devices, each of said electronic devices having a required input power characteristic, said power supply comprising:

an input plug;

an output terminal for transmitting said output power to said one of the plurality of electronic devices,

an outer housing having a recessed surface portion configured to hold a plurality of detached tips, each of said plurality of detached tips configured to be coupled between said output terminal and at least one of said plurality of electronic devices, wherein the recessed surface portion includes a single docking site, said docking site mating with one of the plurality of detached tips and others of the plurality of detached tips being successively stacked thereon; and

a power conversion circuit for converting power received by said input plug into an output power,

wherein a characteristic of said output power is changed depending on which of a plurality of tips is coupled to said output terminal such that said characteristic of said output power matches said required input power characteristic of one of said plurality of electronic devices.

20. The power supply according to claim 19, wherein said recessed portion of said outer housing includes a docking site having a size and a shape similar to the size and shape of said output terminal.

21. The power supply according to claim 19, wherein each of said plurality of tips has an identical first end configured to be coupled to said output terminal.

22. The power supply according to claim 19, wherein each of said plurality of tips has a second end configured to be coupled to at least one of said plurality of electronic devices at an input terminal thereof, each of the second ends of said plurality of tips different from each other.

23. The power supply according to claim 22, wherein each of said plurality of tips includes an electrical component having an electrical characteristic, such that the coupling of one of said plurality of tips to said output terminal causes said electrical component of said one of said plurality of tips to be electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit.

24. The power supply according to claim 23, further wherein said electrical characteristics of each of said electrical components differ from each other.

25. The power supply according to claim 22, further including an output cable having a first end affixed to said output terminal and a second end electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit.

26. The power supply according to claim 25, further including a retraction mechanism that shortens the portion of said output cable protruding from said opening when activated.

27. The power supply according to claim 25, wherein a portion of said output cable protrudes from an opening in said outer housing and the remainder of said output cable is contained within said outer housing.

28. The power supply according to claim 27, wherein said retraction mechanism is biased toward activation.

29. The power supply according to claim 27, wherein said output terminal is prevented from moving through said opening.

30. The power supply of claim 19, wherein the recessed surface portion of a back surface holding the plurality of detached tips is at a different level than a remaining surface portion of the back surface.

31. A method of providing power to an electronic device, said electronic device having an input power requirement, said method comprising:

connecting a first input plug of a power supply to a power source to receive power from said power source, wherein said power supply includes said first input plug and a second input plug, one of said first input plug and said second input plug configured to be coupled to an AC power source and the other of said first input plug and said second input plug configured to be coupled to a DC power source, wherein said second input plug is capable of being pivoted between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the retracted position, a first side of the second input plug rests against a first side of an outer housing of the power supply and an end of the DC power input plug rests within a protective cap, the protective cap being formed to fittingly engage the end of the DC power input plug;

a power conversion circuit for converting power received by said input plug into an output power;

transmitting power received from said power source to a power conversion circuit;

by said power conversion circuit, converting said power received from said power source to an output power characterized by said input power requirement of said electronic device;

coupling an output cable of said power supply to said electronic device, wherein an power output terminal is coupled to the output cable, the power output terminal rests against an outlet in a retracted state, and the power output terminal and the output cable rest against the first side of the outer housing along with the DC power input plug; and

transmitting said output power to said electronic device through said output cable.

32. The method according to claim 31, further including retracting the second input plug.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein said second input plug does not protrude beyond an outer housing of said power supply.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein retracting said second input plug further including electrically decoupling said second input plug from said power conversion circuit.

35. The method according to claim 31, further including, extending a prong of said first input plug.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein said extended prong is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the outer housing of said power supply.

37. The method according to claim 31, wherein coupling said output cable to said electronic device includes attaching a tip to an end of said output cable and an input terminal of said electronic device.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said tip has a first end configured to mate with said output cable and a second end configured to mate with said input terminal of said electronic device.

39. The method according to claim 38, further including removing said tip from a recess in the outer housing of said power supply.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein said tip contains an electrical component corresponding to said input power requirement of said electronic device.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said electrical component is a resistor, and further wherein coupling said resistor to said power conversion circuit changes a characteristic of said output power to match said input power requirement.

42. The method according to claim 37, wherein said tip attached to said output cable is one of a plurality of tips.

43. The method according to claim 31, further including extending said output cable from a retracted position.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein extending said output cable includes expelling a portion of said output cable from within the outer housing of said power supply.

45. The method according to claim 43, wherein extending said output cable includes spinning a take-up spool around which a retracted portion of said output cable is wrapped.

46. The method according to claim 45, further including extending said output cable.

47. A method for powering an electronic device, said method comprising:

decoupling a first input plug on a power supply from a first power source;

coupling a second input plug to a second power source such that power is transmitted from said second power source to a power conversion circuit;

selecting a tip from among a plurality of detached tips held in a recessed surface portion of an outer housing of the power supply, said selected tip configured to be coupled to said electronic device, wherein the recessed surface portion may include a single docking site, said docking site mating with one of the plurality of detached tips and others of the plurality of detached tips being successively stacked thereon;

converting power, at a power conversion circuit, received by said input plug into an output power;

coupling an output cable to said electronic device using said selected tip, said output cable electrically coupled to said power conversion circuit, wherein

said first power source is a one of a DC power source and an AC power source and said second power source is one of a DC power source and an AC power source.

48. The method according to claim 47, further including retracting said first input plug.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein retracting said first input plug includes electrically decoupling said first input plug from said power conversion circuit.

50. The method according to claim 48, wherein retracting said first input plug includes placing a prong of said first input plug within a recess in the outer housing encasing said power conversion circuit.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein said second plug extends substantially perpendicularly from a surface of said power supply.

52. The method according to claim 50, wherein extending said second plug includes electrically coupling said second plug to said power conversion circuit.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein extending said output cable includes moving a retracted portion of said output cable from within the outer housing encasing said power conversion circuit.

54. The method according to claim 47, further including extending said second input plug.

55. A power supply for supplying output power to one of a plurality of electronic devices, each of said electronic devices having a required input power characteristic, said power supply comprising:

an input plug;

an output terminal for transmitting said output power to said one of the plurality of electronic devices,

an outer housing that holds a plurality of detached tips, each of said plurality of detached tips configured to be coupled between said output terminal and at least one of said plurality of electronic devices, wherein the outer housing includes a single docking site, said docking site mates with one of the plurality of detached tips and others of the plurality of detached tips are successively stacked thereon; and

a power conversion circuit for converting power received by said input plug into an output power,

wherein a characteristic of said output power is changed depending on which of the plurality of detached tips becomes attached to the power supply because it is coupled to said output terminal, said characteristic of said output power mating said required input power characteristic of said one of said plurality of electronic devices.

56. The power supply of claim 55 wherein the plurality of detached tips are held to the outer surface by a fastener.