Interrupting the charging status of a rechargeable battery

• US 8,816,644 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Perumala Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Perumala Corporation
• Inventors: Pisharodi, Madhavan
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US14/094,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20140132224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 320/149
• US Class Current: 320/149
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004

Abstract

Interrupting the charging status of a rechargeable battery comprises providing a timer operable electrical extension cord. The extension cord comprises a conducting cable or media capable of transmitting electric current providing desired extended operative connection between at least a power input connector to a power source or one or more electrical sockets at one end of the conducting media and a power output connector at other end of the conducting media to any intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit. The extension cord includes a timer for continuously tracking the desired time duration for which the switch is to be either in an on state or in an off state. The timer cooperates with a controller to trigger a corresponding change in a switching state of the extension cord.

Claims

1. A timer operable electrical extension cord comprising:

a conducting media capable of transmitting electric current, the conducting media providing a desired extended operative connection between at least a power input connector to a power source or one or more electrical sockets at one end of the conducting media and a power output connector at an other end of the conducting media to any intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit;

a controller and a cooperative timer based switchable on and off electrical operation operatively connected to the conducting media and separated from the connector to a power source or electrical sockets for intermittently or charge dependent electrical operation;

a switch configured to selectively be in either the switchable on or off state wherein the switchable on state operatively connects the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit with the power source or electrical sockets and the switchable off state operatively disconnects the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit with the power source or electrical sockets, wherein the controller automatically adjusts a time duration for which the switch is to be in the on state for charging a device comprising a rechargeable battery up to a predefined charge level; and

a timer for continuously tracking a desired time duration for which the switch is to be either in the on state or in the off state and cooperating with the controller to trigger a corresponding change in the switching state of the extension cord, wherein the controller includes an estimator for an amount of the time duration by;

storing charge behavior data of the rechargeable battery;

gauging a charge level of the rechargeable battery by calculating a ratio of amount of charge remaining in the rechargeable battery to the total charge capacity of the rechargeable battery;

reading stored charge behavior data of the rechargeable battery; and

extrapolating based on the charge level and the charge behavior data.

2. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises an input terminal, the input terminal facilitating provision of instructions including the time duration for enabling and/or disabling electrical communication between an appliance or the rechargeable battery and the power source or electrical sockets to the timer.

3. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 2, wherein the input terminal comprises a rotary dial.

4. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 2, wherein the power output connector for accepting the plug from the appliance or from the device incorporating a rechargeable battery comprises female contacts preferably 2-prong plug, 3-prong plug, USB connector/receptor, micro USB connector or 30-pin connector.

5. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 2, comprising a converter for facilitating stepped up or down voltage of the power source in accordance with a requirement of the appliance or the rechargeable battery.

6. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 2, wherein the input terminal comprises a keypad.

7. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises an analog display.

8. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a digital display.

9. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the timer is configured to receive instructions corresponding to the duration of time between receiving the instructions and producing a signal to the controller, the signal triggering a change of the switch state instantly or after a previously specified time delay.

10. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the power input connector for placement in electrical communication with any other type of power source or electrical socket comprises male contacts preferably 2-prong plug, 3-prong plug, or similar plug type.

11. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, comprising a socket adaptor to adapt a first type of socket to a desired second type of socket.

12. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the controller and cooperative timer based switch is further adapted to intermittently disable or enable the electrical connection between the power source or electrical sockets and the device incorporating the rechargeable for ensuring the predefined charge level in the rechargeable battery.

13. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the switch is to be either in the on state or in the off state for ensuring the predefined charge level in the rechargeable battery.

14. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the controller further automatically adjusts the time duration for which the switch is to be in the off state in which the rechargeable battery may discharge for reaching to the predefined charge level by way of discharging.

15. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the state of the switch based on a predefined modified charge level in the rechargeable battery which includes a lower charge than the gauged charge level or a higher charge than the gauged charge level.

16. The timer operable electrical extension cord of claim 1, wherein the timer tracks the estimated time duration for which the switch is to be in the enable or in the disable state.

17. A method for intermittently interrupting the electrical communication between the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit and a power source or electrical socket involving a timer operable electrical extension cord, comprising:

providing operative connection of the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit to the power source through the timer operable electrical extension cord comprising;

a conducting media capable of transmitting electric current, the conducting media providing a desired extended operative connection between at least a power input connector to a power source or one or more electrical sockets at one end of the conducting media and a power output connector at an other end of the conducting media to any intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit;

a controller and a cooperative timer based switchable on and off electrical operation operatively connected to the conducting media and separated from the connector to a power source or electrical sockets for intermittently or charge dependent electrical operation;

a switch configured to selectively be in either the switchable on or off state wherein the switchable on state operatively connects the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit with the power source or electrical sockets and the switchable off state operatively disconnects the intermittently operable or charge dependent electrically operable unit with the power source or one or more electrical sockets, wherein the controller automatically adjusts a time duration for which the switch is to be in the on state for charging a device comprising a rechargeable battery up to a predefined charge level; and

a timer for continuously tracking a desired time duration for which the switch is to be either in the on state or in the off state and cooperating with the controller to trigger a corresponding change in the switching state of the extension cord, wherein the controller includes an estimator for an amount of the time duration by;

storing charge behavior data of the rechargeable battery;

gauging a charge level of the rechargeable battery by calculating a ratio of amount of charge remaining in the rechargeable battery to the total charge capacity of the rechargeable battery;

reading stored charge behavior data of the rechargeable battery; and

extrapolating based on the charge level and the charge behavior data;

disposing the switch either in the on state for providing operative connection between the power input connector and the power output connector through the conducting media in order to dispose the electrically operable unit in electrical communication with the electrical socket or in the off state for disabling the operative connection between the power input connector and the power output connector through the conducting media in order to detach the electrically operable unit from the electrical socket;

receiving the time duration for disposing the switch in the respective state through the controller;

initiating the time tracking by involving the timer and producing signal to the controller on elapsing the time duration; and

triggering a change in the switch state by involving the controller on receiving the signal from the timer.