Charging docking system

• US 8,553,408 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dana Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dana Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Supran, Ari, Struthers, Scott, Bui, Huy, Roland, Rob, Dahl, Derick, O'Dea, Jim, Call, Ray, Bertagni, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US13/603,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.41
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/00 Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus casings, cabinets, drawers H05K5/00

Abstract

Systems and methods provide power to a device via a dock. A mounting base may include a mounting component, including a receiving area configured to removably receive a mating device at a plurality of orientations within a plane, wherein the mounting component comprises one or more indexing members and the mating device comprises one or more indexing elements, or the mating device comprises one or more indexing members and the mounting component comprises one or more indexing elements, the indexing members and elements configured to engage each other to align the mating device with the mounting component in one or more rotational orientations on said plane. A detector, configured to detect the presence of the mating device, and a driver circuit may be included. A device may be configured to control power sourced to the mating device by the driver circuit after the detector detects the mating device.

Claims

1. A mounting component for use in a docking system for a mobile electronic device, the mounting component comprising:

a mounting portion removably coupleable to a mounting section of the docking system for coupling a mobile electronic device to the docking system, the mounting portion comprising;

a coupling mechanism configured to removably couple the mounting portion to the mounting section, the coupling mechanism comprising a magnet on at least one of the mounting portion and the mounting section, the magnet configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and mounting section to maintain the mounting portion coupled to the mounting section and the magnet is configured to exert a magnetic force in an amount sufficient to maintain the mounting section coupled to the mounting portion while adjusting the rotational orientation of the mounting section relative to the mounting portion, the magnet configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and mounting section in an amount sufficient to maintain the mobile electronic device, in a generally vertical orientation,

a mounting surface that extends along a plane generally parallel to a base surface of the mounting component,

one or more indexing members disposed along at least a portion of the mounting surface of the mounting portion, said indexing members configured to removably engage one of a plurality of corresponding indexing elements on the mounting section to align the mounting section with the mounting portion in one or more rotational orientations on said plane, and

a first coil, wherein the first coil is configured to inductively communicate power from a power source included in the docking system at a plurality of orientations in said plane; and

one of the mounting portion and mounting section having a male component and the other of the mounting portion and mounting section having a female component, the female component configured to removably receive the male component to couple the mounting portion to the mounting section, and a circumference of each of the male component and the female component being circular in shape.

2. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is pivotable relative to a horizontal plane to one or more angular positions that define a different angle between the mounting surface and the horizontal plane.

3. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein said mounting portion protrudes from said base surface, and

a circumference of the mounting portion is circular in shape and defined about a central axis of symmetry.

4. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a magnet configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and the mounting section to maintain the mounting portion coupled to the mounting section, wherein the magnetic force on the mounting section is in an amount sufficient to maintain the mounting section coupled to the mounting portion while adjusting the rotational orientation of the mounting section relative to the mounting portion.

5. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a magnet configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and the mounting section to maintain the mounting portion coupled to the mounting section and the magnet is configured to exert a magnetic force on the mounting section in an amount sufficient to maintain the mounting section coupled to the mounting portion while adjusting the rotational orientation of the mounting section relative to the mounting portion, wherein the mounting portion is configured to attach to a wall and the magnet is configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and mounting section in an amount sufficient to maintain the mobile electronic device, including a display thereon, in a generally vertical orientation.

6. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to maintain the mounting section coupled to the mounting portion and to facilitate an electrical connection between the mounting portion and the mounting section.

7. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein the one or more indexing members comprises a plurality of protrusions on the mounting surface and the protrusions are spaced apart along at least a portion of a circumference of the mounting surface to align the mounting section with the mounting portion in one or more discrete rotational orientations on said plane.

8. The mounting component of claim 1, wherein, while the mounting portion is coupled to the mounting section of the docking system, the first coil is configured to inductively communicate power from the power source included in the mounting section regardless of the mounting component'"'"'s orientation in said plane.

9. The mounting component of claim 1, further comprising at least one exposed electrical contact configured to be in electrical communication with at least one exposed electrical contact on the mounting section.

10. The mounting component of claim 1, further comprising a sleeve configured to removably receive the mobile electronic device.

11. A docking system for a mobile electronic device, comprising:

the mounting component of claim 1, wherein;

the mounting portion is removably attachable to a support surface;

the mounting section is on a rear surface of a mobile electronic device, the mounting section having a shape corresponding to a shape of the mounting portion and removably coupleable to the mounting portion via a coupling mechanism to support the mobile electronic device on the support surface,

a detector configured to detect the presence of the mounting portion or the mobile electronic device;

a driver circuit; and

a first device configured to control the sourcing of power to the mobile electronic device by the driver circuit at least partly in response to the detector detecting the presence of the mounting portion or the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mounting section is disposed on a sleeve removably attachable to the mobile electronic device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mounting section is disposed on a sleeve removably attachable to the mobile electronic device and wherein the sleeve comprises one or more heat sinks configured to dissipate heat generated by one or both of a charging circuit of the sleeve and the mobile electronic device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the mounting portion is pivotable relative to a horizontal plane to one or more angular positions that define a different angle between the mounting surface and the horizontal plane.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a magnet on one of the mounting portion and mounting section, the magnet configured to exert a magnetic force between the mounting portion and mounting section to maintain the mounting portion coupled to the mounting section, wherein the magnetic force is in an amount sufficient to maintain the mounting section coupled to the mounting portion while adjusting the rotational orientation of the mounting section relative to the mounting portion.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mounting portion is configured to attach to a wall.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said indexing members and indexing elements align the mounting portion and mounting section so as to align an electrical connection between the mounting portion and mounting section.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the indexing members and indexing elements comprises a plurality of protrusions and the other of the indexing members and indexing elements comprises a plurality of indentations sized to engage the protrusions and the protrusions and indentations are spaced apart along at least a portion of a circumference of the mounting portion and mounting section so as to align the mounting section with the mounting portion in one or more discrete rotational orientations on said plane.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first coil is coupled to the driver circuit and the mounting section includes a second coil configured to inductively receive power from the first coil.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the mounting section includes a second coil configured to inductively receive power from the first coil, wherein the second coil is configured to inductively receive power from the first coil regardless of the mounting section'"'"'s orientation in said plane.

21. A mounting base comprising:

the mounting component of claim 1, wherein the mounting component includes a receiving area configured to removably receive a mating device of the mounting portion at a plurality of orientations within a plane;

a detector configured to detect the presence of the mounting section;

a driver circuit; and

a first device configured to control the sourcing of power to the mating device by the driver circuit at least partly in response to the detector detecting the presence of the mating device.

22. The mounting base of claim 21, wherein the mating device comprises a sleeve configured to receive a tablet computing device.

23. The mounting base of claim 21, wherein the mating device comprises a tablet computer or a phone.

24. The mounting base of claim 21, further comprising a driver coil coupled to the driver circuit, wherein the driver coil is configured to inductively provide power from the driver circuit to the mounting portion while the mounting portion is located at the receiving area.

25. The mounting base of claim 21, wherein the mounting base is configured to conductively provide power from the driver circuit to the mounting portion while the mating device is located at the receiving area.

26. The mounting base as defined in claim 21, wherein the first device is configured to cause, at least in part, the driver circuit to operate in a low power mode when the detector fails to detect a proper positioning of the mating device with respect to the receiving area.

27. The mounting base as defined in claim 21, wherein the detector magnetically senses the presence of the mating device.

28. The mounting base as defined in claim 21, wherein a circumference of the receiving area is circular in shape and defined about a central axis of symmetry.

29. The mounting base as defined in claim 21, wherein the mounting component comprises a magnet or a ferrous metal configured to magnetically couple the mounting base to the mating device.