System and method for recharging a mobile, submersible device

• US 8,184,010 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OY Everon AB
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Montplaisir, Jean-François, Moisan, Alain, Gagne, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/525,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 340/636.1, 455571-574, 320/103, 320/134
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

There is herein described a charging unit adapted for insertion into a mobile device to enable a charging of a rechargeable battery in the mobile device, the unit comprising: at least two electrical charging contacts for receiving a potential difference from a power source; a blocking device for blocking energy leaking through the at least two electrical charging contacts and out of the rechargeable battery to ensure a neutrality of the at least two charging contacts when the charging is inactive; and a logic circuitry for controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device by activating the charging based on the potential difference received at the at least two electrical charging contacts.

Claims

1. A system for charging a mobile device having a rechargeable battery, the system comprising:

a power charge unit comprising a power source and at least two electrical contacts, said power source for supplying an electrical potential at the at least two electrical contacts, said power charge unit being removably engageable with the mobile device via the two electrical contacts; and

a charging unit in said mobile device comprising

at least two charging contacts for engaging with said at least two electrical contacts of the power charge unit and for receiving the electrical potential therefrom;

a logic circuitry for controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery by activating the charging only when the electrical potential difference is received at the at least two charging contacts; and

a blocking device for blocking energy leaking through said at least two charging contacts out of said mobile device and ensuring a neutrality of the at least two charging contacts when the charging is inactivated.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the blocking device comprises a switch.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the at least two electrical contacts comprise three electrical contacts, and wherein the at least two charging contacts comprise three charging contacts.

4. The system as in claim 1, further comprising an engaging device for preventing said power charge unit from being disengaged from said mobile device.

5. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a charge indicating device located on at least one of said mobile device and said power charge unit, for indicating a charging state of said mobile device.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein said charge indicating device comprises a light-emitting diode.

7. A method for charging a rechargeable battery of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving through at least two charging contacts of the mobile device an electrical potential;

activating the charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device once the electrical potential is received through the at least two charging contacts;

deactivating the charging when no electrical potential is received through the at least two charging contacts; and

blocking energy leaking from the rechargeable battery upon the deactivating to ensure a neutrality of the at least two charging contacts of said mobile device when the charging is deactivated.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein said deactivating comprises deactivating as a result of a disengagement of a device from the at least two charging contacts of said mobile device.

9. The method as in claim 7, wherein said activating and said deactivating each comprises toggling a switch between an opened and a closed state respectively, the switch blocking currents flowing towards the at least two charging contacts.

10. The method as in claim 7, further comprising sending a control signal to a charge indicating device adapted to display a charging state of said rechargeable battery based on the control signal.

11. A charging unit adapted for insertion into a mobile device to enable a charging of a rechargeable battery in the mobile device, the unit comprising:

at least two electrical charging contacts for receiving a potential difference from a power source;

a blocking device for blocking energy leaking through the at least two electrical charging contacts and out of the rechargeable battery to ensure a neutrality of the at least two charging contacts when the charging is inactive; and

a logic circuitry for controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery of the mobile device by activating the charging based on the potential difference received at the at least two electrical charging contacts.

12. The unit as in claim 11, wherein the blocking device comprises a switch.

13. The unit as in claim 11, wherein the at least two electrical charging contacts comprise three electrical charging contacts, one of the three electrical charging contacts communicating a status of the charging of the rechargeable battery to a charge indicating device.

14. A system for charging a mobile device having a rechargeable battery, the system comprising:

a charging unit in said mobile device comprising

at least two charging contacts for receiving an electrical potential; and

a blocking device for blocking energy leaking through said at least two charging contacts out of said mobile device and ensuring a neutrality of the at least two charging contacts when the charging is inactivated; and

a removably engageable power charge unit comprising a power source for supplying said electrical potential, at least two electrical contacts for engaging with said at least two charging contacts of the power charge unit, and a logic circuitry for controlling the charging of the rechargeable battery by activating the charging only when the electrical potential difference is received at the at least two charging contacts.