The present invention generally relates to chargers for electronic devices, and more particularly relates to a portable battery charger with which a user can charge an electronic device directly from a standard power source, such as a car charger socket, or on-the-go from a portable and rechargeable power source.
Present day consumers typically own several electronic devices specifically designed for portability and on-the-go use, including, for example, a laptop computer, a mobile phone or smart phone, a portable music player like an iPod® or an MP3 player, a tablet like an iPad®, a portable gaming unit, a digital camera or camcorder, and the like. Each of these devices requires frequent recharging. Such electronic devices typically utilize a power cord or cable for connecting the device to a power source, such as a wall outlet, a car charger, an airplane charger, or a computer. However, a separate cable is usually required for each power source, and moreover, with some power sources, only one device can be plugged in at one time. Moreover, during recharging, the device must remain attached to the power source via the cable, which makes on-the-go use of the device difficult, as the user is tethered to one spot. When the device is disconnected from the power source or the cable, charging stops. This can be inconvenient if the device has not been sufficiently recharged for intended use away from a power source.
For example, when a phone is plugged into a car charger socket (e.g., a cigarette lighter socket) for recharging, the phone usually can still be used to make and receive calls. However, if the user wants or needs to disconnect the phone from the car charger socket for any reason—e.g., to take a call outside the car, to check a text message, search for directions, or if the user has reached her destination—without feeling tethered to one spot, the phone will stop charging when it is disconnected from the power source. Additionally, once the car engine is turned off, the phone may stop charging. In either of these situations, the phone battery may not have been charged sufficiently such that a call may be lost or the phone cannot be used sufficiently for intended functions when it is separated from a power source.
Additionally, different electronic devices often utilize different connection ports and interfaces such that a single power cord or charging device is not compatible with multiple power sources or multiple electronic devices. Accordingly, a tech-savvy consumer, with several electronic devices, will usually have multiple power cords or charging devices to keep track of for charging all the devices. Even then, the consumer may not always be in a place where a standard power source is readily available, or even if so, may not have the appropriate power cord or adapter available to use with a particular power source or electronic device.
Multi-source adapters are also available on the market for making a power cord compatible with multiple power sources. For example, a power cord with a traditional plug interface for connecting an electronic device to a wall outlet for recharging could exchange the plug with a car charger interface, or an airplane charger interface, or a standard USB interface. However, for such adapter devices, each of the power interfaces is usually a separate piece, and therefore difficult to keep track of when not in use, or, if stored away, may not be readily available when needed.
Additionally, most charging devices designed for use in a car are strictly limited to use as a charging device. Ideally, a charger would have additional functionality, especially when it is not needed as a charger and thus, not necessarily plugged into a car charger socket but readily available for other functions.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a portable battery charger that can be used to charge a variety of electronic devices, including but not limited to laptop computers, smart phones, mobile phones, data tablets, music players, cameras, camcorders, gaming units, e-books, Bluetooth® headsets and earpieces, GPS devices, and the like. Additionally, there is a need for such a battery charger that is portable and easily used in various conditions and locations to charge electronic devices, including but not limited to in a house or office, a car, with a computer, or even on-the-go where no standard power source is readily available. Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a portable battery charger that improves upon conventional power chargers currently on the market and that overcomes the problems and drawbacks associated with such prior art devices and accessories.
In accordance with the present invention, a portable battery charger is provided for charging electronic devices. In general, the battery charger may comprise a charger housing having a rechargeable battery unit provided therein, and a power input interface and a power output interface each in operative communication with the battery unit. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the charger housing can take the form of a generally Y-shaped or a generally T-shaped device, though other shapes and designs may be used. In a Y-shaped or T-shaped housing, one end of the housing, having a single branch, acts as a power input and include a car charger interface adapted for engagement with a car charging socket or cigarette lighter. The other end of the housing in such a design includes two branches each having one or more power connection interfaces, such as female USB ports or male USB interfaces, each of which can act as either a power input, a power output, or both.
In additional embodiments, the battery charger can be combined with an adapter unit on the power input end to interface with various power sources, including U.S. and foreign wall sockets of varying designs, a car charger socket, an airline charger socket, and a USB interface. Alternatively, the power input can comprise multiple input connectors, each capable of attachment to a different power source, thereby eliminating the need for separate adapter pieces.
The battery charger can similarly be combined with an adapter unit at the power output interfaces to interact with various charging interfaces used on electronic devices, including a USB interface, a micro-USB interface, a mini-USB interface, an Apple Lightning® interface, an AC/DC interface, and the like. Such an adapter unit can comprise interchangeable parts, each adaptable to a different type of connection interface, or alternatively, include several different connection interfaces on the same part—e.g., a squid connector with multiple connectors.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the power charger includes one or more USB or similar connection ports for connecting electronic devices to the portable battery charger for recharging or data exchange, or for connection with an external power source for recharging the internal battery unit of the charger, without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.
In a first aspect of the present invention, the portable battery charger comprises a charger housing having a first end and a second end, with a power connection input interface on the first end for connection to a power source and at least one power connection output interface on the second end for connection to electronic devices needing recharging. A rechargeable battery internally disposed within the charger housing is operably connected with the power input and power output connection interfaces.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the power connection input interface is adaptable for use with a standard car charger socket—e.g., a cigarette lighter socket—but the charger is still usable separate from such a car charger socket for on-the-go recharging of electronic devices directly from an internal rechargeable battery disposed within the charger housing.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the power connection input interface is adaptable for use with a USB port, for example, provided on a personal computer. Indeed, the present invention can include more than one power input connection means to improve upon the functionality and usability of the charger, especially in emergency situations. For example, a power connection input port can be provided on the charger housing for connection to an external power source, such as a computer USB port, via a charging cable inserted into the input port.
In embodiments of the present invention, the power connection output interfaces on the second end of the charger housing can comprise a female connection port adapted to connect to an electronic device by use of a standard charging cable. More than one such port can be provided so that the charger can be connected with multiple devices at the same time. In alternate embodiments, a male connection interface can also be provided on the second end of the charger housing and act as a power input, or a power output, or both, wherein such male interface can be further concealed when not in use by a cap.
In another aspect of the present invention, a portable battery charger may further comprise a processing unit contained within the charger housing, which can keep track of the capacity level of the rechargeable battery unit disposed therein, store data or provide a conduit means by which data can be exchanged between electronic devices, such as between a smart phone and a computer.
In another aspect of the present invention, a power indicator is provided on the charger housing to indicate the power level of the internal rechargeable battery unit. The power indicator can comprise a light or series of lights, a digital readout, or other known forms of indicating power level of a battery. Additional indicator means can be utilized in the present invention for various functionalities, including but not limited to indicating that a charge is being provided to an electronic device, either from a standard power source or the internal battery unit of the portable battery charger, or indicating the power level in an electronic device attached to the charger via the power connection output interface.
In various embodiments of the present invention, additional features can be provided to improve the functionality of the power charger, especially when it is not in use or needed to recharge electronic devices. For example, the charger housing may include a light operable as a flashlight, flare or safety beacon. A sharp edge or razor blade can be provided on the housing to assist the user in cutting items as needed, such as a seat belt following a car accident. Further, the tip of the housing, for example, on the end of the car charger interface, can be hardened, pointed and sharpened to help the user to break a car window, as needed. Similarly the opposite end can be hardened to act as a hammer or glass-breaker for emergency situations.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the detailed description of embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
A portable battery charger in accordance with the present invention is shown in
As shown in
Referring to
Moreover, though the interfaces on the second “output” end 16 are generally illustrated and described herein a female connection ports, male connection interfaces may be used on that end of the housing 12 as power inputs, power outputs, or both, without departing from the general spirit and principles of the present invention. For example, in an alternate embodiment, a male interface, such as a male USB interface, can be provided on one of the branches 16a or 16b of the Y-shaped housing 12, and covered by a hardened cap when not needed, whereby the cap can be used as a hammerhead for breaking a car window in an emergency situation.
In accordance with the present invention, the power charger 10 can also be combined with or incorporate an adapter unit on the power input end 14 to interface with various additional power sources, including U.S. and foreign wall sockets of varying designs, an airline charger socket, and a USB interface, such as the adapter unit described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 9,093,848, issued Jul. 28, 2015, which shares common inventors with the present application and which is incorporated herein by reference.
The charger 10 can similarly be combined on the power output end 16 with an adapter unit adapted for the power output interfaces 22a, 22b and 24 to interface with various charging interfaces used on electronic devices, including for example a USB interface, a mini-USB interface, a micro-USB interface, an Apple Lightning® interface, an AC/DC interface, and the like. Such an output adapter unit can comprise interchangeable pieces, each adaptable to a different type of interface, or alternatively, the portable power charger 10 can include an output interface collectively comprising multiple different interfaces or be adapted for use with an adapter comprising multiple different interfaces on the same part—e.g., a squid connector with multiple connectors.
A rechargeable battery, generally designated in
As illustrated, the power connection input interface 20 is adapted for connection to a standard car charger socket—e.g., a cigarette lighter socket. As noted, at least one of the power connection ports on the power output end 16 of the charger housing 12, such as micro-USB port 24, can be provided to recharge the internal battery unit 100 via a charging cable connected to an external power source, such as a computer, so that the charger 10 can be recharged even when it is not in a car and thus not near a car charging socket. In an alternate embodiment, such a power input connection port could be provided on the same “input” end 14 of the charger housing 12 near the car charger interface 20. Still further, the present invention can utilize a design that permits interchanging of power input connector adapter pieces for use with a variety of standard power sources, including by simply changing out the power connection input interface 20 or modularly adapting the power input end 14 of the charger housing 12 to adapt to whatever power source is available at a particular time. For example, the power input end 14 of the charger housing 10 could be provided with a single, multi-functional power input adapter or a fixed power connection input interface that includes interfaces for two or more power sources, such as the design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 9,093,848, wherein the power input end 14 of the charger 10 comprises an interface that permits connection to a standard U.S. wall socket, a car charger socket, an airline charger socket, and a computer, as necessary.
As illustrated in
The charger housing 12 also encloses various electrical components (such as integrated circuit chips and other circuitry) to provide computing operations for the device—e.g., by converting the DC input from the car charger interface 20 to an AC output suitable for common electronic devices such as a smart phone or a tablet using an inverter within the charger housing 12. The integrated circuitry and other components may comprise a power supply (e.g., the internal rechargeable battery), a microprocessor and controller (e.g., a CPU), memory (e.g., ROM, RAM, flash), a circuit board, a hard drive, and/or various input/output (I/O) support circuitry. The electrical components may also include components for sending and receiving data and media (e.g., antenna, receiver, transmitter, transceiver, Bluetooth, etc.).
In general, the charger 10 comprises a controller, generally represented in
The processing unit also includes a smart interface to determine the total current required for specific devices connected to the charger 10. In this regard, the processing unit operates in connection with input/output (I/O) support circuitry to control interactions with devices connected to the charger 10. The I/O support circuitry may be integrated with the processing unit or may be a separate component. Generally, the I/O support circuitry operates by exchanging power (and possibly data) between the charger 10 and electronic devices connected thereto via the power connection output interfaces 22a and 22b.
The processing unit may further include a storage unit that provides a place to hold data or instructions for operation of the charger 10 and rechargeable battery unit 100, or data exchanged between the charger 10, a computer, and electronic devices connected to the charger 10, or memory needed for further operations of the charger 10, including but not limited to recharging of the internal battery unit 100.
The charger 10 is readily portable and easily storable when not in use as a result of the small size and shape, as generally illustrated in
In accordance with intended operation of the portable charger 10, a user can recharge one or more electronic devices using the internal rechargeable battery unit 100, a car charger socket, or a computer. For example, the portable charger 10 of the present invention can be used to charge smart phones, mobile phones, data tablets, laptop computers, music players, cameras, camcorders, gaming units, e-books, Bluetooth® headsets and earpieces, GPS devices, and the like. In operation, the rechargeable battery unit 100 can be recharged by connecting the charger 10 to an external power source, such as a car battery or a computer, using the power connection input interface 20 or the input connection port 24, respectively. Indeed, the car charger interface 20 can be inserted into a car charger socket, leaving the connection interfaces 22a and 22b on the second “output” end 16 of the charger housing 12 available for connection to electronic devices where both are capable of acting as a power output. In embodiments where a connection port on the “output” end 16 is capable of acting as a power input, such as illustrated connection port 24, that port 24 can alternatively be connected to an external power source using a standard charging cable while the other connection ports 22a and 22b (and any other “output” interface provided on the charger 10) is connected to electronic devices to output power provided from the external power source.
In operation, any time the charger 10 is connected to an external power source, an electronic device can be connected to the charger 10 via a power connection output interfaces 22a and 22b. When the charger 10 is connected to an external power source, the electronic device will be recharged directly from the external power source. This can be done at the same time as when the rechargeable battery unit 100 inside the charger 10 is being recharged. When the charger 10 is disconnected from the external power source, the rechargeable battery unit 100 can be used to recharge any electronic device connected to the charger 10 via a power output interfaces 22a and 22b, which is especially useful for on-the-go use of an electronic device, or when the user needs to recharge an electronic device where no external power source is readily accessible.
Referring to
The processing unit of the charger 10, which can keep track of the capacity level of the internal rechargeable battery unit 100, store data or provide a conduit means by which data can be exchanged between electronic devices, such as between a smart phone and a computer, communicates with the battery unit 100 to determine how much capacity is remaining in the battery 100. Upon determining the capacity level, the processing unit communicates with the power indicator means 32 to provide the user with the appropriate signal for showing how much capacity is remaining in the internal battery 100.
The processing unit may also includes a smart interface to determine the total current required for the specific electronic devices connected to the battery charger 10. Additionally, the battery charger 10 may comprise an internal switch (not shown) to draw power from the rechargeable battery unit 100 or essentially turn off the battery unit 100. For example, the processing unit can determine if the charger 10 is connected to an external power source. If so, when an electronic device is also connected to the charger 10, the processing unit can ensure that the electronic device is being charged directly from the external power source instead of drawing power from the rechargeable battery unit 100 as it is being recharged itself. Further, the processing unit can determine when the charger 10 is disconnected from an external power source, and, if still connected to an electronic device, sufficiently switch the internal circuitry of the battery charger 10 so that the electronic device continues to be recharged from the rechargeable battery unit 100 without delay.
The processing unit also preferably includes a timer for automatically turning the battery charger off if there is no device attached to the charger 10 for a predetermined period of time, or if any device still attached to the charger 10 has reached maximum capacity. In this regard, the capacity of the internal rechargeable battery unit 100 in the charger 10 can be preserved. Upon shut down of the charger 10, the power indicator means 32 will indicate that the charger 10 is being turned off—for example, the lights will provide a sequential blinking signal.
Additional indicator means can be utilized in the present invention for various functionalities, including but not limited to indicating that a charge is being provided to an electronic device, either from a standard external power source or from the internal rechargeable battery unit 100 of the portable charger 10, or indicating the power level in an electronic device attached to the power charger 10 via the power connection output interfaces 22a and 22b.
Referring to
Referring to the
Still referring to
In embodiments where the sharp edge or blade 34 is pivotably movable between an extended condition (shown in
Referring to
The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. The embodiments described were chosen to best illustrate the principles of the invention and practical applications thereof to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as suited to the particular use contemplated.
This application is a continuation of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. Design Application No. 29/608,382, filed Jun. 21, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 29608382 | Jun 2017 | US |
Child | 15726698 | US |