Custom wireless retrofitted solar powered public telephone

• US 9,614,398 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renewable Edge, LLC
• Original Assignee: Renewable Edge, LLC
• Inventors: Contrata, Jr., Richard C., Contrata, III, Richard C., Schaffer, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US14/091,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20140179368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 1/14 Telephone cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/20 Supporting structures directly fixed to an immovable object H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

A public telephone powered by a solar panel system and configured to transmit and receive calls over a cellular network is provided. A solar panel systems and wireless unit are retrofitted to conventional public telephones to convert them to wireless operation and to enable operations independent of the electrical grid and from the local telephone exchange.

Claims

1. A method of retrofitting a solar panel system to provide power to a public telephone that includes at least one telephone component comprising a handset, the method comprising:

mounting a charge controller and a wireless unit in a pedestal of the public telephone, wherein the wireless unit is coupled to the charge controller and configured to access a wireless communications network;

disconnecting a telephone landline from a line interface within circuitry of the public telephone;

connecting a first end of a two-wire modular connector to the line interface and a second end of the two-wire modular connector to the wireless unit, wherein the public telephone is converted to enable wireless telecommunications through operation of the handset;

attaching a solar panel to an outer surface of a surrounding enclosure that houses the public telephone, wherein the solar panel is configured to be substantially flat against the outer surface; and

connecting the solar panel to existing wiring in the pedestal of the public telephone and to the charge controller coupled to the wireless unit, wherein the at least one telephone component is powered using energy output from the solar panel without requiring an additional power source,

wherein the public telephone retrofitted with the solar panel system operates on the wireless communications network without connection to the telephone landline.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pedestal of the public telephone comprises a plurality of pedestals, wherein mounting the charge controller and the wireless unit in the public telephone comprises mounting comprises mounting the charge controller and the wireless unit in at least one of the plurality of pedestals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the surrounding enclosure houses a plurality of public telephones.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the surrounding enclosure comprises a top surface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the top surface of the surrounding enclosure is substantially parallel with the ground.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the solar panel comprises a flexible solar panel, wherein the top surface of the surrounding enclosure is curved, and wherein the flexible solar panel bends to an arc angle of up to around 30 degrees to remain substantially flat against the top surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery unit is mounted in the pedestal of the public telephone, and wherein the battery unit comprises two 12 volt, 7 ampere-hour (AH) rechargeable sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries connected in parallel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless unit comprises a registered jack, a transceiver, and a UICC on which a subscriber identity module (SIM) is stored; and

connecting the second end of the two-wire modular connector to the wireless unit comprises connecting the second end of the two-wire modular connector to the registered jack of the wireless unit,

wherein the method further comprises programming the SIM in the wireless unit to access the wireless communications network by connecting to a cellular network base station.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the registered jack comprises a RJ11 jack.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pedestal and the surrounding enclosure includes a digital advertising display unit comprising:

at least one display panel with advertising content;

a LED lighting system; and

a network interface configured to allow a remote computer system to control the advertisement content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein mounting the charge controller in the public telephone comprises mounting dual-use charge controller within a side of the surrounding enclosure, wherein the dual-use charge controller is configured to connect to the wireless unit and the to the LED lighting system.

12. A solar-powered pay telephone, comprising:

at least one telephone device comprising a handset;

a surrounding enclosure that houses the at least one telephone device;

at least one pedestal;

a solar panel system retrofitted to the at least one telephone device, wherein the solar panel system comprises;

a solar panel configured attached to an outer surface of the surrounding enclosure, wherein the solar panel is configured to be substantially flat against the outer surface;

a charge controller, wherein the solar panel is connected to the charge controller via existing wiring in the pedestal; and

a battery unit coupled to the charge controller; and

a wireless unit mounted in the pedestal and connected to the charge controller, wherein the wireless unit is configured to access a wireless communications network, and wherein;

a telephone landline is disconnected from a line interface within circuitry of the at least one telephone device; and

a first end of a two-wire modular connector is connected to the line interface and a second end of the two-wire modular connector is connected to the wireless unit, wherein the at least one telephone device is converted to enable wireless telecommunications through operation of the handset,

wherein the solar panel system is configured to power a the at least one telephone device without requiring an additional power source,

wherein the at least one telephone device retrofitted with the solar panel system operates on the wireless communications network without connection to the telephone landline.

13. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein the at least one pedestal comprises a plurality of pedestals, and wherein mounting the charge controller and the wireless unit in the public telephone comprises mounting the charge controller and the wireless unit in each of the plurality of pedestals.

14. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein the at least one telephone device comprises a plurality of telephone devices, and wherein the surrounding enclosure houses a plurality of telephone devices.

15. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein the outer surface of the surrounding enclosure is a top surface.

16. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 15, wherein the top surface of the surrounding enclosure is substantially parallel with the ground.

17. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 15, wherein the solar panel comprises a flexible solar panel, wherein the top surface of the surrounding enclosure is curved, wherein the flexible solar panel bends to an angle up to around 30 degrees to remain substantially flat against the outer surface.

18. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein the battery unit comprises two 12 volt, 7 ampere-hour (AH) rechargeable sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries connected in parallel.

19. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein:

the wireless unit comprises a registered jack, a transceiver, and a UICC on which a subscriber identity module (SIM) is stored; and

the second end of the modular connector is plugged into the registered jack in the wireless unit.

20. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 19, wherein the registered jack comprises a RJ11 jack.

21. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 12, wherein at least one of the pedestal and the surrounding enclosure includes a digital advertising display unit comprising:

at least one display panel with advertising content;

a LED) lighting system; and

a network interface configured to allow remote computer system to control to the advertisement content.

22. The solar-powered pay telephone of claim 21, wherein the charge controller comprises a dual-use charge controller mounted within a side of the surrounding enclosure, and wherein the dual-use charge controller is configured to connect to the wireless unit and the to the LED lighting system.