WO2021064739A1

WO2021064739A1 - A charger displaying battery status in real time

Info

Publication number: WO2021064739A1
Application number: PCT/IN2019/050966
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sneha Amit NIMJE; Amit Ramesh NIMJE
Original assignee: Nimje Sneha Amit; Nimje Amit Ramesh
Priority date: 2019-10-01
Filing date: 2019-12-31
Publication date: 2021-04-08

Abstract

The various embodiments of the present invention provide a charging apparatus for a load device comprising a charge management unit, a display unit and a communication medium. The charge management unit comprises a charge input pin and a charge output pin. The charge management unit is connected to a processing unit. The display unit is connected to the processing unit and forms an outer surface of a housing. The communication medium comprises a data bus and a charge cable. The charge cable is connected to the charge output and the data bus is connected to the processing unit. The communication medium connects the charge management unit to the load device for charge transfer and a data communication.

Description

A CHARGER DISPLAYING BATTERY STATUS IN REAL TIME

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an energy supply apparatus, and more particularly to a power supply charger that displays battery status in real time.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Infotainment devices, especially smartphone employ charger with supply voltage (VCC) and ground (GND) pins for charging. These pins provide the power supply to smartphone. Such chargers consume long time durations to charge infotainment devices like smartphone(s) during which the user of the infotainment devices is forced to observe the charging status at numerous instances by interacting with the screen/display of the infotainment device(s). Advent of fast/turbo chargers may have reduced the charging time but still the user needs to interact with the screen/display to determine instant charge status. Such interactions reduce human productivity leading to redundancy of human effort. Providing a visual/audio indication in the form of a LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an alarm at the infotainment device or an LED at the charger is insufficient to negate the redundant human effort as correct status of the charge accumulated to the battery still needs to be determined by interaction with the screen/display of the infotainment device.

The research initiatives to address these problems encompass providing a transparent/translucent connecting cable/medium between the charger plugged to a power source and the charging interface of the infotainment device undergoing charging from the corresponding charger. The transparent/translucent medium luminance and colour vary according to the recent charge status of the battery of the infotainment device but still the user may be unable to determine the exact charge status at an instant as varying colour luminance indicates a range but not the exact value of the charge.

Hence in view of the foregoing, there is a need for a charger for load devices primarily comprising infotainment devices with a display of an accurate battery status of the load devices.

OBJECT OF INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a charger having a display that provides or displays real-time battery charge status or battery status for load devices primarily comprising infotainment devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a charger for a computing device with display of a notification received by the computing device.

These and other objects and advantages of the embodiments herein will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a charging apparatus that displays the status or charging status of a load device [a device being charges by the charging apparatus] in real time.

In an aspect, the charging apparatus includes a charge management unit, a display unit and a communication medium. The charge management unit includes a charge input pin and a charge output pin. The charge management unit is connected to a processing unit. The display unit is connected to the processing unit and forms an outer surface of a housing. The communication medium comprises a data bus and a charge cable. The charge cable is connected to the charge output and the data bus is connected to the processing unit. The communication medium connects the charge management unit to the load device for charge transfer and a data communication.

The load device includes smartphones, mobile telephone, camera, laptop, a personal digital assistant device, a tablet, or a media playing device or any other electronic equipment having a chargeable battery.

The charge management unit receives a battery value of the load device through a charging circuit connected to the charge cable and displays the battery value on the display unit. The display unit emits indicative lights with variable intensity and colours. The varying intensity of the emitted indicative lights and a selection of the displayed colours is based on a data pertaining to a charge status of the load device. The charging apparatus includes at least one of a wall charger, a USB charger, a car charger, a power-bank, a wireless charger, or a multiport USB charger. The processing unit receives a plurality of notifications from an interface of the load device, and the notifications are displayed on the display unit with an alert. The alert includes at least one of an audible alert and a visual alert.

The processing unit communicates with a computer readable program installed on a computing device. The computer readable program provides an interface to control the display functions in the display unit. The display functions include a battery level colour and font, an audible alert intensity and pattern, a visual alert intensity and pattern and a type of notification. The processing unit commands the charge management unit to control a charging current and voltage on a basis of a type of the load device. The type of load device is identified by a feedback provided from the load device to the processing unit through the data bus.

These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. la and lb illustrates a front view and side perspective view of a charger with display connected to a computing device and a main power supply respectively, according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 2a and 2b illustrates a block diagram of an assembly of the charger, according to an embodiment herein;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a process of communication between a computing device and the charger, according to an embodiment herein; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of a process of communication to display an information over the charger, according to an embodiment herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following detailed description, a reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. The embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense. With respect to FIG. la, lb, 2a and 2b, the charging apparatus for a load device comprising a charge management unit (101), a display unit (102) and a communication medium (103). The charge management unit (101) comprises a charge input pin (105) and a charge output pin (106). The charge management unit (101) is connected to a processing unit (104). The display unit (102) is connected to the processing unit (104) and forms an outer surface of a housing. The communication medium (103) comprises a data bus (201) and a charge cable (202). The charge cable (201) is connected to the charge output (106) and the data bus (201) is connected to the processing unit (104). The communication medium (103) connects the charge management unit (101) to the load device for charge transfer and a data communication. The charging management unit (101) comprises an AC-DC converter (1), a filter circuit (2), a switching circuit (3), a transformer (4), a rectifier circuit (5) and a voltage -current regulator (6). The charging apparatus convert a current from a main power supply in DC current through the AC-DC converter (1). The DC current is filtered through a filter circuit (2) to removed unwanted spikes in the current. The charge current is then passed through the switching circuit (3) which adjust a level of the charge current as per a load device requirement. The switched current is transmitted to a load device through the transformer (4), the rectifier circuit (5) and the voltage -current regulator (6). The load device is connected to the data bus (201) through a multi-pin connector (8). A data pertaining to a charge status of the load device and notifications is passed to the processing unit (104) or a microcontroller (12) through a data converter (11). The data is further converted to be displayed on the display unit (102 & 15) in a user defined format. A charge signal is fed back to the switching circuit through a coupler (9) and a feedback circuit (10) allowing the switching circuit to dynamically adjust a charge current and voltage. In an embodiment, the processing unit generates a number of variable audible alerts on achievement of different levels of a charge status, and the different levels of the charges status is set by the user.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of a process of communication between a computing device and the charger, according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG. 3, the charging apparatus detects a load device connection (301) and a main power supply connection through an interrupt-based mechanism to consume less power (302). Unless the charging apparatus detect an event of connection detected through an interrupt signal, the load device won’t consume power. Once charging device is connected successfully, the processing unit enabled with a computer readable program triggers the charging initiation and a data communication with the load device is followed (303). The data is sent serially through the data bus. After receipt of the data, the processing unit parses the data into a user readable format and display the data on the display unit as shown in FIG. 4 (401-403).

The charge status determination module is configured to determine the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable-battery in real time. The communication module is configured to communicate in real time the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable -battery determined by the charge status determination module, to the charger using the communication medium. The charge management module is configured to utilize the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable-battery received from the communication module of the chargeable- battery device, as a feedback to condition the charger to accordingly withdraw/obtain electric charge potential signal from a power source feeding the charger in real time. The extraction/conversion module extracts/converts the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable -battery in real time from the combination of withdrawn electric charge potential signal and the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable-battery.

The display/visual indication module(s) is configured to display/indicate the charge status of the chargeable -battery based on the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable-battery extracted/converted by the extraction/conversion module in real time. The display/visual indication module(s) is configured to emit indicative lights with variable intensity and color(s) with the varying intensity of the emitted indicative light(s) and the selection of the displayed color(s) is based on the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable -battery extracted/converted by the extraction/conversion module in real time.

The display/visual indication module(s) is configured to selectively activate/illuminate one of one or more Alphanumeric/Numeric/Scriptical/Special Characters display/indicative module(s) based on the data pertaining to the charge status of the chargeable -battery extracted/converted by the extraction/conversion module in real time.

The communication medium may include a wired connector, one end of the wired connector is communicatively coupled to the power source feeding the charger and the second end of the wired connector is communicatively coupled to a communication port of the chargeable-battery device.

The communication medium may include a Bluetooth/ (Near-Field-Communication) NFC/ infrared blaster, WI-FI and/or any wireless connectivity technology and/or a combination of any wireless connectivity technology for coupling the charger and the chargeable-battery device. ADVANTAGES OF INVENTION

The present invention allows a user to view an accurate real-time charging status of the load device through the display unit, hence reducing dependency of the user to view a charging status or a notification on the load device while a charging process. By using an interrupt-based mechanism to detect an event of the load device connection, the present invention save a charge voltage being drawn in conventional charging apparatuses.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A charging apparatus for a load device comprising: charge management unit (101), wherein the charge management unit comprises a charge input pin (105) and a charge output pin (106), wherein the charge management unit is connected to a processing unit (104); a display unit (102), wherein the display unit is connected to the processing unit and forms an outer surface of a housing; and a communication medium (103), wherein the communication medium comprises a data bus (201) and a charge cable (202), wherein the charge cable is connected to the charge output and the data bus is connected to the processing unit; wherein, the communication medium connects the charge management unit to the load device for charge transfer and a data communication.

2. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the load device is selected from at least one of a smartphone, a mobile telephone, a camera, a laptop, a personal digital assistant device, a tablet, or a media playing device.

3. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge management unit receives a battery value of the load device through a charging circuit connected to the charge cable and displays the battery value on the display unit.

4. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit emits indicative lights with variable intensity and colours, wherein the varying intensity of the emitted indicative lights and a selection of the displayed colours is based on a data pertaining to a charge status of the load device.

5. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprises at least one of a wall charger, a USB charger, a car charger, a power-bank, a wireless charger, or a multiport USB charger.

6. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit receives a plurality of notifications from an interface of the load device, wherein the notifications are displayed on the display unit with an alert.

7. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alert comprises at least one of an audible alert and a visual alert.

8. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit communicates with a computer readable program installed on a computing device, wherein the computer readable program provides an interface to control the display functions in the display unit.

9. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display functions comprise a battery level colour and font, an audible alert intensity and pattern, a visual alert intensity and pattern and a type of notification.

10. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit commands the charge management unit to control a charging current and voltage on a basis of a type of the load device, wherein the type of load device is identified by a feedback provided from the load device to the processing unit through the data bus.

11. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication medium fetches a data from a processing unit of the load device, wherein the load device is not installed with a computer readable program.

12. The charging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit generates a plurality of variable audible alerts on achievement of different levels of a charge status, wherein the different levels of the charges status is set by the user.