Wall socket with load detecting circuit

• US 9,812,876 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lin, Kun-Chi, Cheng, Chung-Chieh, Chen, Chun-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Gblende, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGH, DAVID ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US15/000,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160372964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 363 13, 363 15, 363 16, 363 20, 363 2101, 363 2104, 363 2106, 363 2107, 363 2109, 363 2112, 363 2114, 363 2115, 363 2117
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/703 operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling partH01R13/71 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/76 with sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop

Abstract

A wall socket includes a socket housing, an output terminal, a power converter circuit and a load detection circuit. The output terminal is arranged at a side of the socket housing and configured to output a DC output voltage. The power converter circuit is arranged in the socket housing and configured to convert an input voltage to the DC output voltage according to a control signal. The load detection circuit is configured to receive an identification signal outputted by an electronic device when the electronic device is connected to the output terminal, and output the control signal according to the identification signal to adjust a voltage level of the DC output voltage.

Claims

1. A wall socket, comprising:

a socket housing;

an input terminal, wherein the input terminal of the wall socket is configured to receive an input voltage from a power grid;

an output terminal arranged at a side of the socket housing and configured to output a dc output voltage;

a power converting circuit arranged in the socket housing and configured to convert the input voltage to the dc output voltage according to a control signal; and

a load detecting circuit configured to receive an identification signal outputted by an electronic device when the electronic device is connected to the output terminal, and output the control signal according to the identification signal to adjust a voltage level of the dc output voltage of the output terminal, in order to configure the dc output voltage of the output terminal to be the voltage level corresponding to the identification signal selected from a plurality of different voltage levels;

wherein the voltage level of the dc output voltage outputted by the same output pin of the ouput terminal of the wall socket varies according to the identification signal.

2. The wall socket of claim 1, further comprising:

a driving circuit configured to receive the control signal, and output a driving signal according to the control signal,

wherein the power converting circuit is configured to receive the driving signal and convert the input voltage to the dc output voltage according to the driving signal.

3. The wall socket of claim 2, wherein the driving signal is a pulse width modulation signal.

4. The wall socket of claim 2, further comprising:

an isolating circuit electrically coupled between the load detecting circuit and the driving circuit,

wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal to the driving circuit via the isolating circuit.

5. The wall socket of claim 2, wherein the power converting circuit comprises:

a transformer comprising a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the secondary side is configured to output the dc output voltage; and

a switch electrically coupled to the primary side and the driving circuit, configured to be turned on or off selectively according to the driving signal such that the voltage level of the dc output voltage outputted by the transformer corresponds to the driving signal.

6. The wall socket of claim 5, wherein the power converting circuit further comprises:

a rectifier and filter circuit electrically coupled to the primary side and configured to convert the input voltage to a rectified voltage signal,

wherein the primary side is configured to receive the rectified voltage signal.

7. The wall socket of claim 1, wherein the load detecting circuit is further configured to output the control signal, according to a shutdown signal, such that the power converting circuit is configured to stop supplying power to the electronic device when the electronic device outputs the shutdown signal.

8. The wall socket of claim 1, wherein the output terminal comprises:

an output pin configured to output the dc output voltage;

a ground pin; and

an identification pin configured to receive the identification signal.

9. The wall socket of claim 8, wherein the output terminal further comprises:

a device detecting pin electrically coupled to the ground pin and configured to be shorted to ground with the ground pin when the electronic device is connected to the output terminal, so as to detect whether the electronic device is connected to the output terminal.

10. The wall socket of claim 9, wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal when the device detecting pin detects the electronic device disconnected to the output terminal, such that the power converting circuit is configured to stop outputting the dc output voltage.

11. The wall socket of claim 1, wherein the output terminal is a universal serial bus interface.

12. The wall socket of claim 1, wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal to adjust the voltage level of the dc output voltage to be a value between 0 volts to 50 volts.

13. A wall socket, comprising:

an input terminal, wherein the input terminal of the wall socket is configured to receive an input voltage from a power grid;

an output terminal;

a rectifier and filter circuit electrically coupled to the input terminal and configured to convert the input voltage to a rectified voltage signal;

a transformer comprising a primary side electrically coupled to the rectifier and filter circuit, and a secondary side electrically coupled to the output terminal and configured to output a dc output voltage according to the rectified voltage signal;

a load detecting circuit electrically coupled to the output terminal, configured to receive an identification signal outputted by an electronic device when the electronic device is connected to the output terminal, and output a control signal according to the identification signal;

a driving circuit electrically coupled to the load detecting circuit, configured to receive the control signal and output a driving signal according to the control signal; and

a switch electrically coupled to the primary side of the transformer and the driving circuit, configured to be turned on or off selectively according to the driving signal such that the voltage level of the dc output voltage of the output terminal outputted by the transformer corresponds to the driving signal, in order to configure the dc output voltage of teh output terminal to be the voltage level corresponding to the identification signal selected from a plurality of different voltage levels;

wherein the voltage level of the dc output voltage outputted by the same output pin of the output terminal of the wall socket varies according to the identification signal.

14. The wall socket of claim 13, wherein the load detecting circuit is further configured to output the control signal, according to a shutdown signal, such that the transformer is configured to stop outputting the dc output voltage when the electronic device outputs the shutdown signal.

15. The wall socket of claim 13, wherein the output terminal comprises:

an output pin configured to output the dc output voltage;

a ground pin; and

an identification pin configured to receive the identification signal.

16. The wall socket of claim 15, wherein the output terminal further comprises:

a device detecting pin electrically coupled to the ground pin, and configured to be shorted to ground with the ground pin when the electronic device is connected to the output terminal, so as to detect whether the electronic device is connected to the output terminal.

17. The wall socket of claim 16, wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal when the device detecting pin detects the electronic device disconnected to the output terminal, such that the power converting circuit is configured to stop outputting the dc output voltage.

18. The wall socket of claim 13, further comprising:

an isolating circuit electrically coupled between the load detecting circuit and the driving circuit,

wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal to the driving circuit via the isolating circuit.

19. The wall socket of claim 13, wherein the output terminal is a universal serial bus interface.

20. The wall socket of claim 13, wherein the load detecting circuit is configured to output the control signal to adjust the voltage level of the dc output voltage to be a value between 0 volts to 50 volts.