Wirefree mobile device power supply method & system with free positioning

• US 6,913,477 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Science Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mobilewise
• Inventors: Dayan, Tal, Goren, Ofer, Stein, Elliott J., Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harvey, James R.
• Application Number:
  US10/211,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20040048511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/246, 439/504, 439/488, 439/315, 439/911, 439/919, 439/913, 439/950
• US Class Current: 439/188
• 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;

a plurality of electrical contacts on the contactor body at or adjacent the contactor surface, a number, shape, dimension, and spatial configuration of the electrical contacts permitting 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 when the adaptor surface of the adaptor device is brought into physical contact with the contactor surface of the contactor body, there being no need for aligning the electrical contacts of the adaptor device and the contactor device;

a control mechanism comprising a sensing circuit to select a pair of the 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, wherein the sensing circuit selects multiple pairs of electrical contacts to energize; and

the controller energizes each selected pair.

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 1, wherein the contactor body defines a flat mat.

4. The electrical coupling device of claim 3, wherein the contactor body is integrated into an article of furniture.

5. 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.