Systems and methods for modular shock proof electrical outlets

• US 9,577,389 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Safety Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Safety Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Dicks, Michael Drew, Innes, Roger Dean, Edstrom, Paul Robert, Calderon, Rafael, Herrera Rojas, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David
• Application Number:
  US14/641,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20150255932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6666 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing electrical power from an electrical outlet. In some embodiments, an electrical outlet for providing high voltage power to a device includes power input terminals for connection to a high voltage power source, and at least one power output socket configured to receive a plug configured to receive high voltage power. The outlet may also include a shock-proof circuit connected to the at least one power output socket, a communication circuit configured, and a processor coupled to the communication circuit and the shock-proof circuit, the processor and the shock-proof circuit collectively configured to determine when to provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket based on a sensed condition, and the processor and the communication circuit collectively configured to communicate information relating to an operation aspect of the electrical outlet with a remote computing device.

Claims

1. An electrical outlet for providing high voltage power to a device, comprising:

power input terminals for connection to a high voltage power source;

at least one power output socket configured to receive a plug configured to receive high voltage power;

a shock-proof circuit connected to the at least one power output socket, the shock-proof circuit comprising a capacitance sensor configured to sense a presence of a person within a proximity distance threshold of the electrical outlet;

at least one optical sensor configured to detect the insertion of plug prongs into a neutral line socket and a hot line socket of the at least one power output socket;

a communication circuit configured to communicate over a communication network; and

a processor coupled to the communication circuit, the capacitance sensor, the at least one optical sensor and the shock-proof circuit, the processor and the shock-proof circuit collectively configured to determine when to provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket based on information received from the capacitance sensor, the shock-proof circuit, and the optical sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to control the shock-proof circuit to not provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket when proximity information the processor receives from the capacitance sensor indicates a person is within a proximity distance threshold of the at least one power output socket unless the processor detects a plug is already in the at least one power output socket and power is being supplied to the plug in which case the high voltage power is allowed to be provided to the at least one power output socket,

wherein the processor and the communication circuit are further collectively configured to communicate information relating to an operation aspect of the electrical outlet with a remote computing device via the communication network.

2. The electrical outlet of claim 1, further comprising at least one other sensor in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor is further configured to receive information from the at least one other sensor, and

wherein the communication circuit is further configured to receive sensor information from the processor and sends the sensor information to a remote computing device.

3. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the proximity distance threshold includes the distance of when a person is within one inch of the electrical outlet.

4. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the capacitance sensor comprises at least one antenna disposed around a portion of the electrical outlet, the at least one antenna configured to transmit a field and receive information that results from a disturbance in the field.

5. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the shock-proof circuit further comprises

a current sensor coupled to a power output terminal of the at least one power output socket, the at least one current sensor configured to detect a low voltage power through the power output terminal,

wherein the shock-proof circuit and the processor are collectively configured to provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket when the current sensor current indicates that a load of an electrical device is coupled to the at least one power output terminal.

6. The electrical outlet of claim 1,

wherein the at least one power output socket includes a first power output socket and a second power output socket, and

the electrical outlet further comprises

a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor, the first optical sensor configured to detect the insertion of plug prongs into a neutral line socket and a hot line socket of the first power output socket, and the second optical sensor configured to detect the insertion of plug prongs into a neutral line socket and a hot line socket of the second power output socket.

7. The electrical outlet of claim 1, further comprising a housing around at least a portion of the at least one power output socket, the shock-proof circuit, the communication circuit and the processor.

8. The electrical socket of claim 7, wherein the housing is configured to fit into a wall such that a portion of the housing is disposed inside the wall and a portion of the housing extends outside of the wall, and the housing is further configured to have a flat surface disposed towards the portion of the housing that is configured to be disposed inside the wall such that the flat surface substantially contacts a planar surface of the wall when the housing is disposed inside the wall.

9. The electrical outlet of claim 7, further comprising at least one sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information from the at least one sensors, and the communication circuit is further configured to receive sensor information from the processor and send the sensor information to a remote computing device, and wherein the at least one capacitance sensor is positioned at least partially outside of the housing.

10. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the at least one capacitance sensor or at least one current sensor is in wireless communication with the communication circuit.

11. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is configured to wirelessly connect to a communication network and send information from the sensors to a computing device via the communication network.

12. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit and the processor are collectively configured to communicate, via the communication network, with another electrical outlet coupled to the communication network.

13. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the shock-proof circuit to provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket when a current sensor indicates that the load connected to the at least one power output socket is an electronic device.

14. The electrical outlet of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to control the shock-proof circuit to not provide high voltage power to the at least one power output socket when the capacitance sensor indicates the presence of the person within the threshold distance and the current sensor does not indicate that an electronic device is already connected to the at least one power output socket.

15. The electrical outlet of claim 1, wherein the capacitance sensor is further configured to sense a presence of an object.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing high voltage power to the power output socket when the person is no longer within the threshold distance to the electrical outlet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the electrical outlet comprises a capacitance sensor configured to sense the proximity of a person to the electrical outlet.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the capacitance sensor comprises at least one antenna disposed around at least a portion of the electrical outlet.

16. A method for operating an electrical outlet comprising one or more power output sockets, comprising:

sensing that a person is within a threshold distance to the electrical outlet using a capacitance sensor;

optically sensing that plug prongs are inserted into a power output socket of the electrical outlet;

sensing a load condition at the power output socket using a current sensor, the load condition indicative of an electrical device connected to the power output socket and receiving power; and

stopping providing high voltage power to the power output socket while the person is within the threshold distance to the electrical outlet unless a plug is detected as inserted in the power output socket and power is being supplied to the plug in which case the high voltage power is allowed to be provided to the power output socket.

20. An apparatus for providing high voltage power to a device, comprising:

power input terminals for connection to a high voltage power source;

an electrical outlet comprising at least one power output socket configured to receive a plug configured to receive high voltage power;

a shock-proof circuit connected to the at least one power output socket, the shock-proof circuit comprising a capacitance sensor including an antenna disposed around a portion of the apparatus and a current sensor configured to detect a low voltage power through the power output terminal; and

a processor coupled to the shock-proof circuit, the processor configured to sense that a person is within a threshold distance to the electrical outlet using the capacitance sensor,

sense that a device is not plugged into the at least one power output socket using the current sensor, and

stop providing high voltage power to the at least one power output socket while the person is within the threshold distance to the electrical outlet unless the processor detects a plug is inserted in the at least one output socket and power is being supplied to the plug in which case the high voltage power is allowed to be provided to the at least one output socket.