Connector device having counter thereof

• US 7,591,670 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Xiao-Zhu, Ye, Zhen-Xing
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US11/309,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20080057789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 439/517, 439/61, 439/631, 439488-491, 439/910, 340/656, 340/568.4
• US Class Current: 439/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/91 Observation aide, e.g. transparent material, window in housing

Abstract

A connector device having a counter thereof includes a connector, a micro control unit, an encoder, a display drive unit, and a display unit. The connector provides a power signal to the micro control unit when plugged an electrified device. The micro control unit outputs data and clock signals to the display drive unit to make the display drive unit count plug-in times of the connector, and also outputs a drive signal to the encoder after receiving the power signal. The encoder encodes the drive signal and outputs corresponding signals to the display drive unit to make the display drive unit control the display unit to display a count of plug-in times of the connector.

Claims

1. A connector device having a counter thereof, comprising:

a connector for receiving a power signal every time the connector is plugged into an electrified device;

a micro control unit for outputting data, clock, and drive signals after receiving the power signal from the connector, wherein the micro control unit comprises a first micro-controller, a second micro-controller, a battery, a resistor, and a reset switch;

a detecting pin of the first micro-controller is connected to a power pin of the connector for collecting the power signal;

a data exchange pin of the first micro-controller is for outputting an actuating signal to a data exchange pin of the second micro-controller for controlling the second micro-controller to output the drive signal;

data and clock pins of the first micro-controller are for outputting data and clock signals;

power pins of both the first micro-controller and the second micro-controller are coupled to the battery via the resistor;

a reset pin of the second micro-controller is grounded via the reset switch;

an encoder for receiving and encoding the drive signal from the second micro-controller, and then outputting encoded signals;

a display drive unit for counting number of times the connector has been plugged-in, the number of times adding one every time the display drive unit receiving the data and clock signals from the second micro-controller, wherein the display drive unit comprises a plurality of serial input/parallel output shift-registers, date and clock pins of each shift-register are connected to the data and clock pins of the first micro-controller, and the shift-registers count the number of times the connector has been plugged-in, after receiving the data and clock signals from the first micro-controller; and

a display unit displaying the number of times the connector has been plugged-in, after the display drive unit receiving the encoded signals from the encoder.

2. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein numbers of the shift-registers are four.

3. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a plurality of numeric light emitting diode (LED) indicators, and the display drive unit controls the indicators to display the number of times the connector has been plugged-in.

4. The connector device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the indicators are located side by side on the surface of the connector device.

5. The connector device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the micro control unit, encoder, display drive unit, and display unit are incorporated to the connector.

6. A connector device comprising:

a connector receiving a power signal every time the connector is plugged into an electrified device;

a micro control unit electrically connected to the connector, wherein the micro control unit comprises a first micro-controller, a second micro-controller, a battery, a resistor, and a reset switch;

a detecting pin of the first micro-controller is connected to a power pin of the connector for collecting the power signal;

a data exchange pin of the first micro-controller is for outputting an actuating signal to a data exchange pin of the second micro-controller for controlling the second micro-controller to output a drive signal;

data and clock pins of the first micro-controller are for outputting data and clock signals;

power pins of both the first micro-controller and the second micro-controller are coupled to the battery via the resistor;

a reset pin of the second micro-controller is grounded via the reset switch;

an encoder electrically coupled to the second micro-controller;

a plurality of shift-registers electrically coupled to both the second micro-controller and the encoder; and

a plurality of indicators electrically connected to the shift-registers;

wherein the second micro-controller outputs data and clock signals to the shift-registers after receiving the power signal from the connector to make the shift-registers count plug-in times;

the second micro-controller outputs drive signals to the encoder, and the encoder outputs encoded signals to the shift-registers after receiving the drive signal to make the indicators display the number of times the connector has been plugged-in.

7. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shift-registers are serial input/parallel output.

8. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein numbers of the shift-registers are four.

9. The connector device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the indicators are numeric light emitting diode (LED) indicators located side by side on the surface of the connector device.