Plug device for controlling connection with power source

• US 8,531,061 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seong Kyu Lim
• Original Assignee: Seong Kyu Lim
• Inventors: Lim, Seong-Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US12/666,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 307/125, 307/131
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/655 with earth brace
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/30 with additional earth or shield contacts

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plug device, which can control the power source of an electrical product using a plug of the electrical product. The plug device includes a plug control circuit unit embedded in a plug main body of an electrical product, which is inserted in a power source outlet. The plug control circuit unit includes a switching unit coupled to internal power source lines of the plug control circuit unit, a current detection unit for detecting a current flowing from the internal power source lines to the electrical product, a wireless unit for receiving an external plug control wireless signal, and a controller for checking a current value corresponding to a non-operation of the electrical product and controlling the switching unit to switch on or off according to the checking result.

Claims

1. A plug device in which a plug control circuit unit is embedded in a plug main body of an electrical product, which is inserted in a power source outlet, wherein the plug control circuit unit senses a current corresponding to a power on/off state of the electrical product and selectively supplies an AC power source to the electrical product or blocks the supply of the AC power source according to a time interval during which the sensed current is sustained and an external power-on request, and internal power source lines coupled to terminals of the plug main body are connected to power source supply lines of the electrical product, wherein the plug control circuit unit comprises:

a switching unit connected to the internal power source lines;

a current transformer configured to surround and couple the internal power source lines for transforming a magnetic field, which is generated by a current flowing through the internal power source lines, into a current value;

a current detection unit configured to output a voltage value corresponding to the transformed current value;

a radio frequency (RF) wireless unit configured to receive an external plug control wireless signal for controlling transmission of the supply of power to the electrical product;

an infrared (IR) wireless unit configured to receive the external plug control wireless signal for controlling transmission of the supply of power to the electrical product;

a controller configured to control the switching unit based on the outputted voltage value or in response to the external plug control wireless signal received through one of the RF or IR wireless units,

wherein

when the outputted voltage value corresponds to a non-operation of the electrical product, the controller checks the non-operation state while monitoring the current detection unit during a first time interval, and

after the first time interval, when the non-operation state is maintained during a second time interval for verifying validity of the non-operation, the controller controls the switching unit to be switched off; and

a remote control device having a keypad, a remote RF wireless unit, a remote IR wireless unit, a mode switch, and a remote controller,

wherein

in response to the mode switch being set to an infrared transmission mode, the remote control device transmits a first IR signal to the plug main body and a second IR signal to the electrical product, and

in response to the mode switch being set to an RF transmission mode, the remote control device transmits an RF signal to the plug main body and a third IR signal to the electrical product.

2. The plug device of claim 1, wherein if a voltage value corresponding to a non-operation state of the electrical product is outputted in the state where the AC power source is supplied to the electrical product through the plug main body according to a plug power-on request, the controller is configured to monitor the current detection unit during a third interval, and if the non-operation state is maintained, the controller is configured to control the switching unit to be switched off.

3. The plug device of claim 1, wherein the plug main body includes at least one of a buzzer and an operating lamp that are operated under the control of the controller.

4. A plug device comprising:

a plug control circuit unit embedded in a plug main body of an electrical product, which is inserted in a power source outlet, wherein the plug control circuit unit senses a current corresponding to a power on/off state of the electrical product, checks a time interval during which the sensed current is sustained, selectively supplies an AC power source to the electrical product or blocks the supply of the AC power source according to the time interval, and selectively supplies or blocks the AC power source to the electrical product according to an external power-on request; and

a remote control device including a Jog/shuttle dial, a remote RF wireless unit, a remote IR wireless unit, a mode switch, a remote controller, and a keypad having a power source control key and configured to transmit an external plug control wireless signal to a plug main body of a corresponding electrical product when the power source control key is pressed after the Jog/shuttle dial is turned through the keypad, wherein marks corresponding to a plurality of electrical appliances to be controlled remotely are formed on a surface of the Jog/shuttle dial,

wherein the plug control circuit unit comprises;

a switching unit connected to the internal power source lines;

a current transformer configured to surround and couple the internal power source lines for transforming a magnetic field, which is generated by a current flowing through the internal power source lines, into a current value;

a current detection unit configured to output a voltage value corresponding to the transformed current value;

a radio frequency (RF) wireless unit configured to receive the external plug control wireless signal for controlling transmission of the supply of power to the electrical product;

an infrared (IR) wireless unit configured to receive the external plug control wireless signal for controlling transmission of the supply of power to the electrical product; and

a controller configured to control the switching unit based on the outputted voltage value or in response to the external plug control wireless signal received through one of the RF or IR wireless units,

wherein

when the outputted voltage value corresponds to a non-operation of the electrical product, the controller checks the non-operation state while monitoring the current detection unit during a first time interval, and

after the first time interval, when the non-operation state is maintained during a second time interval for verifying validity of the non-operation, the controller controls the switching unit to be switched off, and

wherein

in response to the mode switch being set to an infrared transmission mode, the remote control device transmits a first IR signal to the plug main body and a second IR signal to the electrical product, and

in response to the mode switch being set to an RF transmission mode, the remote control device transmits an RF signal to the plug main body and a third IR signal to the electrical product.

5. The plug device of claim 4, wherein if a voltage value corresponding to a non-operation state of the electrical product is outputted in the state where the AC power source is supplied to the electrical product through the plug main body according to a plug power-on request, the controller is configured to monitor the current detection unit during a fourth time interval, and if the non-operation state is maintained, the controller is configured to control the switching unit to be switched off.

6. The plug device of claim 4, wherein the plug main body includes at least one of a buzzer and an operating lamp that are operated under the control of the controller.