Method and apparatus for recharging batteries in a more efficient manner

• US 8,653,789 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superior Communications (Sinclair Broadcast Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Superior Communications (Sinclair Broadcast Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, George, Mkhitarian, Harry, Sentosa, Samuel, Su, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US13/649,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/107, 320/111, 320/138, 307 43- 46, 307/48, 307 64- 67
• US Class Current: 320/111
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/007 Detection of the absence of a load

Abstract

A battery charger including a converter unit, a terminal adaptor, a cable, a battery, and/or multiple power connectors. A terminal, such as an electronic device, can be connected to the converter unit using the cable or directly to the converter unit without the cable. The converter unit determines when to draw power from an external power and when to cease drawing power from the external power source by detecting a power enablement condition or a power disablement condition. The power disablement condition occurs when the terminal is fully charged, the terminal is disconnected from the converter unit, and/or a charge time of the terminal exceeds the predetermined charge time threshold. The power enablement condition occurs when the terminal is initially connected to the converter unit and/or the terminal needs to be charged. The battery supplies power to components of the converter unit and/or the terminal.

Claims

1. An electric charge cutoff device for delivering power to a terminal, comprising:

a housing;

a terminal adaptor connectable to the terminal;

a cable extending from the housing and connected to the terminal adaptor, and including a conductive material and a shell positioned upon the conductive material, the cable configured such that a capacitance of the cable varies in response to a touch of a user applied to the shell;

a power connector plug connected to the housing and configured to receive power from a power source external to the housing;

a sensor circuit positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the cable, and configured to detect a power disablement condition that occurs when the sensor circuit detects that a load of the terminal varies, and configured to detect a power enablement condition that occurs when the sensor circuit detects that the capacitance of the cable varies in response to the touch of the user applied to the shell;

a latched relay positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the power connector plug and the terminal adaptor, and configured to disable reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source in response to the sensor circuit detecting the power disablement condition, and configured to enable reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source that is delivered to the terminal in response to the sensor circuit detecting the power enablement condition; and

a renewable energy source positioned within the housing and electrically coupled to the sensor circuit, and configured to provide power to the sensor circuit when reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source is disabled.

2. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller electrically connected to the sensor circuit and the latched relay, and configured to send a signal to the latched relay indicating that the sensor circuit detected the power disablement condition, and configured to send a signal to the latched relay indicating that the sensor circuit detected the power enablement condition.

3. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 2, wherein the renewable energy source is electrically coupled to the microcontroller and is configured to provide power to the microcontroller when reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source is disabled.

4. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 3, wherein the renewable energy source is a rechargeable battery.

5. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 4, further comprising a battery monitor electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and configured to determine a charge level of the rechargeable battery.

6. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 5, wherein the battery monitor is configured to cause the latched relay to enable reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source for delivery to the rechargeable battery in response to the charge level detected by the battery monitor.

7. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein the shell surrounds the conductive material.

8. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein the power disablement condition occurs when the terminal is disconnected from the terminal adaptor.

9. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein the power disablement condition occurs when a voltage of the terminal exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold.

10. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein the power disablement condition occurs when a current drawn by the terminal is below a predetermined current threshold.

11. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein when the terminal is connected to the terminal adaptor and the reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source is disabled for a time that exceeds a predetermined threshold, the latched relay enables reception of power from the power source and the sensor circuit monitors the terminal for the power disablement condition.

12. The electric charge cutoff device of claim 6, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to supply power to the terminal when the latched relay disables reception of power by the power connector plug from the power source and the terminal is connected to the terminal adaptor.

13. A method for charging a battery comprising:

detecting, using a sensor circuit, a variation in a capacitance of a cable that extends from a housing of a converter unit, the variation occurring in response to a user applying a touch to the cable, the sensor circuit being positioned within the housing;

enabling, using a latched relay, reception of power into the housing from an external power source when the variation in the capacitance is detected, the latched relay being positioned within the housing;

delivering the power, using the latched relay, to the battery of a terminal that is connected to the cable, the power being delivered to the battery through the cable and from the external power source when the power is enabled to be received into the housing;

detecting, using the sensor circuit, a variation in a load of the terminal;

disabling, using the latched relay, reception of the power into the housing from the external power source when the variation in the load is detected; and

powering the sensor circuit with a renewable energy source when the power is disabled from being received into the housing, the renewable energy source being positioned within the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the variation in the load of the terminal is caused by the terminal being disconnected from the cable.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the variation in the load of the terminal is caused by a voltage of the terminal exceeding a predetermined voltage threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising disabling, using the latched relay, delivery of the power from the external power source to the terminal when the power is disabled from being received into the housing.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch is applied by the user to a shell positioned upon a conductive material of the cable.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, using a battery monitor positioned within the housing, a charge level of the renewable energy source;

enabling, using the latched relay, reception of the power into the housing from the external power source in response to the charge level; and

delivering the power to the renewable energy source from the external power source to recharge the renewable energy source.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting if reception of the power into the housing from the external power source is disabled for a time that exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

enabling, using the latched relay, reception of the power into the housing from the external power source in response to the time exceeding the predetermined threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising supplying the power to the battery of the terminal from the renewable energy source when reception of the power into the housing from the external power source is disabled.