Wirefree mobile device power supply method & system with free positioning

• US 20050208817A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Science Inc.
• Original Assignee: Power Science Inc.
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Dayan, Tal, Stein, Elliott J., Goren, Ofer
• Granted Patent: US 7,399,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/346
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/22 Contacts for co-operating by abutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/147 Low voltage devices, i.e. safe to touch live conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/913 Condition determining device, e.g. oxygen sensor, accelerometer, ionizer chamber, thermocouple
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/95 Electrical connector adapted to transmit electricity to mating connector without physical contact, e.g. by induction, magnetism, or electrostatic field

Abstract

The invention provides an electrical coupling device. The coupling includes a contactor device and a plurality of electrical contacts which close an electrical circuit between the contactor device and an adaptor device when the adaptor device is brought into physical contact with the contactor device, there being no need for aligning for the electrical contacts of the contactor device with electrical contact of the adaptor device.

Claims

1. An electrical coupling device comprising:

a contactor device including a contactor body defining a generally flat contactor surface shaped and dimensioned to make physical contact with an adaptor surface of an adaptor device; and

more than two electrical contacts on the contactor body at or adjacent the contactor surface, a number, shape, dimension, and spatial configuration of the electrical contacts to permit at least two of the electrical contacts to be electrically connected to corresponding electrical contacts of the adaptor device to close an electrical circuit between the contactor device and the adaptor device, the at least two of the electrical contacts to be determined after the adaptor surface of the adaptor device is brought into physical contact with the contactor surface of the contactor body.

2. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, wherein the electrical contacts with the contactor body are normally de-energized.

3. The electrical coupling device of claim 2, further comprising a control mechanism comprising a sensing circuit to select a pair of electrical contacts in the more than two electrical contacts of the contactor body to energize in order to complete the circuit;

and a controller to energize the selected pair based on input from the sensing circuit.

4. The electrical coupling device of claim 3, wherein the sensing circuit selects multiple pairs of electrical contacts to energize;

and the controller energizes each selected pair.

5. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, wherein the contactor body defines a flat mat.

6. The electrical coupling device of claim 5, wherein the contactor body is integrated into an article of furniture.

7. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, further comprising a modulation circuit to modulate a data signal which is transmitted by the electrical contacts to the adaptor device or demodulate another data signal which is received by the electric contacts from the adaptor device.

21. The electrical coupling device of claim 1, wherein the contactor surface is comprised of electrically or mechanically interconnected modular units, each unit having at least one of the more than two electrical contacts.

8-20. -20. (canceled)

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of conductive areas for electrically connecting to a load; and

a sensor for activating at least two of the conductive areas when the load is physical connected to the at least two of the conductive areas.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the load is a mobile device

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the apparatus is to have an electrical connection with the load after the load is physically separate from at least one of the at least two of the conductive areas and is physically connected to another conductive area in the plurality of conductive areas.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the load is to have at least two degrees of freedom relative to the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the sensor is to sense one of an operational status, an identification, a power requirement, an authorization or a compatibility of the load, a signal asserted by the load, a position of one of the plurality of conductive areas relative to the load or an electrical connectivity between one of the plurality of conductive areas and the load.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of conductive areas are arranged as an array of circles, as an array of rectangles, as an array of triangles, in a honeycomb pattern or in a linear array.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a switch to dynamically activate or deactivate conductive areas in the plurality of conductive areas when the load moves relative to the apparatus.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein activating includes powering the at least two of the conductive areas to a predefined voltage, polarity or frequency.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the plurality of conductive areas is to electrically connect to a plurality of loads.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electrical connection is to transmit power or data to the load.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, furthering comprising a circuit component to prevent the load from being in at least one of a short-circuit state, an over voltage state or an under voltage state.

33. A system, comprising:

means for sensing proximity between a first mobile device and an apparatus having two or more conductive areas;

means for powering or communicating with the first mobile device when the first mobile device is in physical contact with two of the two or more conductive areas; and

means for powering or communicating with the first mobile device after the first mobile device is repositioned to be in physical contact with a different conductive area of the two or more conductive areas.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the two or more conductive areas are integrated with a mat, a desk, a tablet, a touch pad or an anti-static material.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

means for activating two or more other conductive areas to power or communicate with a second mobile device, wherein the power or communication with the second mobile device differs from the power or communication with the first mobile device.