USB wall plate charger

• US 9,312,704 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• 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, Rinehart, James K., Woodling, Yiqi W., Geise, S. Ian, Caskey, Henry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M'Baye
• Application Number:
  US13/736,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 320/111
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A USB wall plate 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.

Claims

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

a housing, the housing having a first wall and at least a second wall, the housing defining an interior cavity;

power outlet prongs mounted on and extending outwardly from the first wall of the housing, the power outlet prongs being receivable by an AC wall outlet to allow the USB wall plate charger to be mounted on and supported by the AC wall outlet;

at least one USB port situated on the at least second wall 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 the 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 power conversion circuit situated within the interior cavity 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 USB wall plate 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 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; and

a charging profile selection switch mounted on 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.

2. A USB wall plate 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.

3. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 2, 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.

4. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

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

a control circuit situated within the interior cavity of the housing, the control circuit being responsive to the output signal of the photocell and generating a control signal in response thereto; and

a light emitting device, the light emitting device being at least one of mounted on and exposed through a second opening formed in the housing, the light emitting device selectively illuminating in response to the control signal generated by the control circuit.

5. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 1, which further comprises:

a secondary power outlet, the secondary power outlet being situated on the at least second wall of the housing and electrically coupled to the power outlet prongs.

6. A USB wall plate charger, mountable on an AC wall outlet, for charging an external electronic device, which comprises:

a housing, the housing having a first wall and at least a second wall, the housing defining an interior cavity;

power outlet prongs mounted on and extending outwardly from the first wall of the housing, the power outlet prongs being receivable by an AC wall outlet to allow the USB wall plate charger to be mounted on and supported by the AC wall outlet;

at least a first USB port and a second USB port, each of the at least first USB port and the second USB port being situated on the at least second wall of the housing, each of the first USB port and the second USB port having a charge pin, a DATA+ pin and a DATA−

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

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

pin and the DATA+ pin thereof;

a power conversion circuit situated within the interior cavity 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 USB wall plate charger is mounted to a DC voltage, the charge voltage provided to the charge pin of each of the first USB port and the second USB port being derived from the DC voltage from the power conversion circuit; and

a first charging profile configuration circuit and a second charging profile configuration circuit, each of the first charging profile configuration circuit and the second charging profile configuration circuit being situated within the interior cavity of the housing, the first 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 first USB port and the second configuration voltage provided to one of the DATA−

pin and the DATA+ pin of the first USB port, the second charging profile configuration circuit being responsive to the DC voltage from the power conversion circuit and generating the third configuration voltage provided to one of the DATA+ pin and the DATA−

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

pin and the DATA+ pin of the second USB port;

a first charging profile selection switch circuit mounted on the housing, the first charging profile selection switch circuit being selectively changeable between at least a first state and a second state, the first charging profile selection switch circuit being responsive to the first configuration voltage and the second configuration voltage generated by the first 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 first USB port when the first charging profile selection switch circuit 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 first charging profile selection switch circuit is in the second state; and

a second charging profile selection switch circuit mounted on the housing, the second charging profile selection switch circuit being selectively changeable between at least a first state and a second state, the second charging profile selection switch circuit being responsive to the third configuration voltage and the fourth configuration voltage generated by the second charging profile configuration circuit and providing the third configuration voltage to the DATA+ pin and the fourth configuration voltage to the DATA−

pin of the second USB port when the second charging profile selection switch circuit is in the first state, and providing the third configuration voltage to the DATA−

pin and the fourth configuration voltage to the DATA+ pin of the second USB port when the second charging profile selection switch circuit is in the second state.

7. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 6, wherein the first charging profile selection switch circuit and the second charging profile selection switch circuit are joined and switchable together to change the respective state of each of the first and second charging profile selection switch circuits between at least the respective first state and the respective second state.

8. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 6, wherein the first 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;

and

wherein the second charging profile configuration circuit includes at least a third voltage divider network and a fourth voltage divider network, the third voltage divider network generating the third configuration voltage, and the fourth voltage divider network generating the fourth configuration voltage.

9. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 8, 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;

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;

wherein the third voltage divider network includes at least a fifth resistor and a sixth resistor, the fifth resistor being connected in series with the sixth resistor; and

wherein the fourth voltage divider network includes at least a seventh resistor and an eighth resistor, the seventh resistor being connected in series with the eighth resistor.

10. A USB wall plate charger as defined by claim 6, which further comprises:

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

a control circuit situated within the interior cavity of the housing, the control circuit being responsive to the output signal of the photocell and generating a control signal in response thereto; and

a light emitting device, the light emitting device being at least one of mounted on and exposed through a second opening formed in the housing, the light emitting device selectively illuminating in response to the control signal generated by the control circuit.

11. A set top box adapted for charging an external electronic device, which comprises:

a housing, the housing having at least one wall and defining an interior cavity;

an AC power cord extending from the housing and being connectable to an AC outlet;

at least one USB port situated on the at least one wall 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 thereto, 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 power conversion circuit situated within the interior cavity of the housing, the power conversion circuit being electrically coupled to the AC power cord and converting an AC voltage provided on the AC outlet to which the set top box is electrically connected through the AC power cord 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 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; and

a charging profile selection switch mounted on 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.