Travel nightlight with USB charger

• US 9,188,325 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Tinaphong, Prapan Paul, Tittle, William Roger, Caskey, Henry D., Woodling, Yiqi W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US13/736,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 320/114, 320/115, 320/111, 362/183, 362/651, 362/95
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 13/00 Electric lighting devices with built-in electric generators with solar cells F21L4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A nightlight charger for charging an external electronic device is mountable to a common 120 volt AC wall outlet, and includes a power supply to convert the 120 volts AC to +5 volts DC, and a charging profile configuration circuit. A charging profile selection switch is provided for the user to select a desired charging profile that is compatible with the electronic device to be charged. The nightlight includes a housing having a side wall, a portion of which is translucent. A light emitting device within the housing emits light that passes though the translucent portion of the side wall.

Claims

1. A nightlight charger, mountable on an AC wall outlet, for charging an external electronic device, which comprises:

a housing, the housing having a cylindrical main body, the cylindrical main body including a front wall, a rear wall situated opposite the front wall, and a side wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall, the cylindrical main body of the housing defining an interior cavity, the main body being segmented to define a front cylindrical portion and a rear cylindrical portion situated adjacent to the front cylindrical portion, the side wall of the main body having a first section forming part of the front cylindrical portion and a second section forming part of the rear cylindrical portion, the first section of the side wall being formed of an at least partially light transmissive material;

power outlet prongs mounted on and extending outwardly from the rear wall of the main body of the housing, the power outlet prongs being receivable by an AC wall outlet to allow the nightlight charger to be mounted on and supported by the AC wall outlet;

at least one USB port situated on the front wall of the cylindrical main body of the housing, the at least one USB port including a charge pin, a DATA+ pin and a DATA−

pin, the at least one USB port being provided with a charge voltage on the charge pin thereof for charging an external electronic device electrically connected to the at least one USB port, a first configuration voltage on one of the DATA+ pin and the DATA−

pin thereof and a second configuration voltage on one of the DATA−

pin and the DATA+ pin thereof;

a charging status indicator, the charging status indicator being in the form of a ring which encircles the at least one USB port and being situated on and viewable from the front wall of the main body of the housing and selectively illuminating to indicate that an external electronic device connected to the at least one USB port is charging;

a power conversion circuit situated within the interior cavity of the main body of the housing, the power conversion circuit being electrically coupled to the power outlet prongs and converting an AC voltage provided on the AC wall outlet on which the nightlight charger is mounted to a DC voltage, the charge voltage provided to the charge pin of the at least one USB port being derived from the DC voltage from the power conversion circuit;

at least one charging profile configuration circuit situated within the interior cavity of the main body of the housing, the at least one charging profile configuration circuit being responsive to the DC voltage from the power conversion circuit and generating the first configuration voltage provided to one of the DATA+ pin and the DATA−

pin of the at least one USB port and the second configuration voltage provided to one of the DATA−

pin and the DATA+ pin of the at least one USB port;

at least one light emitting device, the at least one light emitting device being at least one of mounted on and situated in the main body of the housing, the light emitting device one of selectively illuminating and continuously illuminating to emit light from the main body of the housing, the light emitted by he at least one light emitting device being viewable through the at least partially light transmissive first section of the side wall of the cylindrical main body;

wherein the diameter of the main body of the housing is dimensioned such that the main body covers only one receptacle of an AC wall outlet when the nightlight charger is mounted thereon and does not cover an adjacent receptacle of the AC wall outlet to allow the adjacent receptacle to be used for other purposes.

2. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

a charging profile selection switch mounted on the main body of the housing, the charging profile selection switch being selectively changeable between at least a first state and a second state, the charging profile selection switch being responsive to the first configuration voltage and the second configuration voltage provided by the at least one charging profile configuration circuit and providing the first configuration voltage to the DATA+ pin and the second configuration voltage to the DATA−

pin of the at least one USB port when the charging profile selection switch is in the first state, and providing the first configuration voltage to the DATA−

pin and the second configuration voltage to the DATA+ pin when the charging profile selection switch is in the second state.

3. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 1, wherein the at least one charging profile configuration circuit includes at least a first voltage divider network and a second voltage divider network, the first voltage divider network generating the first configuration voltage, and the second voltage divider network generating the second configuration voltage.

4. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 3, wherein the first voltage divider network includes at least a first resistor and a second resistor, the first resistor being connected in series with the second resistor;

and

wherein the second voltage divider network includes at least a third resistor and a fourth resistor, the third resistor being connected in series with the fourth resistor.

5. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

a photosensor, the photosensor being at least one of mounted on and exposed through a first opening formed in the main body of the housing, the photosensor sensing ambient light conditions and generating an output signal in response thereto;

wherein the at least one light emitting device selectively illuminates in response to the output signal generated by the photosensor.

6. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

a light pipe, the light pipe being disposed in proximity to the at least one light emitting device and to the at least partially light transmissive first section of the side wall of the main body of the housing;

wherein light emitted by the at least one light emitting device is received by the light pipe and is directed by the light pipe to pass through the at least partially light transmissive first section of the side wall.

7. A nightlight charger as defined by claim 1, wherein the housing further includes an end cap, the end cap being mountable on the rear wall of the main body of the housing to cover the power outlet prongs extending from the rear wall and being selectively removable from the rear wall to uncover the power outlet prongs.