Charging mechanism with ground contact and non-contact coupling

• US 9,472,975 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Calkins, Willis, Gummalla, Ajay Chandra Venkata
• Primary Examiner(s): PACHECO, ALEXIS BOATENG
• Application Number:
  US15/047,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/109, 320/114, 320/107, 320/115, 320/112, 320/137, 320/139, 320/110, 320/111, 320/113, 320/134, 320/103, 320/106, 320/128, 320/136, 320/138, 320/157, 320/162, 307/104, 307/150, 307/66, 439/38, 439/39, 439/40
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

The embodiments provide a device including an enclosure having circuitry associated with the device and a battery configured to power the circuitry, and a power plug receiving unit configured to receive a power plug of a power charger to charge the battery. The power plug receiving unit includes a ground contact that is exposed through the enclosure for contact with a secondary ground contact of the power plug, and an active electrode configured to receive alternating current (AC) energy from the power charger for charging the battery or powering the circuitry via non-contact coupling.

Claims

1. A power charger for providing energy to a device, the power charger comprising:

a power unit configured to receive alternating current (AC) power from an external power source; and

a power plug configured to provide AC energy to the device based on the AC power received from the external power source, the power plug including a ground contact that is exposed to the device for contact with a secondary ground contact of the device, an active electrode configured to provide the AC energy to the device via non-contact coupling, and a dielectric material disposed between the active electrode and the ground contact such that the ground contact is electrically isolated from the active electrode.

2. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the non-contact coupling includes capacitance coupling.

3. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the non-contact coupling includes inductive coupling.

4. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the power plug includes an inner circular portion and an outer circular portion, the inner circular portion including the ground contact, the outer circular portion including the active electrode.

5. The power charger of claim 4, wherein the inner circular portion and the outer circular portion are separated by the dielectric material.

6. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the power unit includes an up-transformer configured to upscale a voltage of the AC power, and a frequency up-converter configured to upscale a frequency of the AC power, wherein the active electrode is configured to provide the AC energy having the upscaled frequency and the upscaled voltage.

7. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the power unit includes:

a power charging negotiator configured to receive wirelessly receive power requirements of the device; and

a power controller configured to adjust the AC charging energy according to the power requirements.

8. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the power charger includes:

an antenna configured to wirelessly receive at least one of video and audio data from the device; and

at least one output port configured to provide the video data and/or audio data to an external device connected to the at least one output port.

9. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the ground contact includes a metallic ground pad.

10. The power charger of claim 9, wherein the metallic ground pad includes a magnetic material such that the secondary ground contact is magnetically attracted to the ground contact.

11. The power charger of claim 1, wherein the power plug is coupled to the power unit via a connection cord.

12. A charging system, comprising:

a power charger configured to provide energy to a device, the power charger including;

a power unit configured to receive alternating current (AC) power from an external power source; and

a power plug including a ground contact that is exposed to the device for contact with a secondary ground contact of the device such that the ground contact and the secondary ground contact, when coupled together, create a ground return,

the power plug including an active electrode configured to provide AC energy via non-contact coupling with a secondary electrode of the device, the active electrode being concealed by a material of the power plug such that the active electrode does not directly contact the secondary active electrode of the device.

13. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the active electrode completely surrounds the ground contact.

14. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the non-contact coupling includes inductive coupling or capacitance coupling.

15. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the power plug includes a dielectric material disposed between the active electrode and the ground contact such that the ground contact is electrically isolated from the active electrode.

16. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the power charger includes:

an antenna configured to wirelessly receive video and audio data from the device; and

one or more output ports configured to be coupled to an external device.

17. The charging system of claim 12, further comprising:

circuitry, a battery configured to power the circuitry, and a power plug receiving unit configured to receive the power plug of the power charger to charge the battery, the power plug receiving unit including the secondary ground contact, the secondary active electrode, and a dielectric material disposed between the secondary active electrode and the secondary ground contact such that the secondary ground contact is electrically isolated from the secondary active electrode.

18. The charging system of claim 12, further comprising:

a power charging negotiator configured to determine power requirements of the device, and a communication antenna configured to wirelessly transmit the power requirements of the device to the power charger, wherein the device receives a level of AC energy according to the determined power requirements.

19. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the power plug includes an inner circular portion and an outer circular portion, the inner circular portion including the ground contact, the outer circular portion including the active electrode, the inner circular portion and the outer circular portion being separated by a dielectric material.

20. The charging system of claim 12, wherein the power unit includes:

a power charging negotiator configured to receive wirelessly receive power requirements of the device; and

a power controller configured to adjust the AC charging energy according to the power requirements.