Connector carrier for self-service terminal of electronic device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a connector carrier (e.g., a connector turntable) for use with a processing self-service terminal of an electronic device such as a mobile phone recycling self-service terminal. In some embodiments, the connector carrier includes a chassis and a plurality of electrical connectors fixedly positioned around the periphery of the chassis. In operation, the connector carrier is configured to rotate about a central axis to position a selected one of the electrical connectors in a first position adjacent to a detection area of the self-service terminal, and then move towards the detection area to move the selected electrical connector from the first position to a second position where a user can connect a mobile phone to the electrical connector.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 804,714, filed on February 12, 2019, entitled "Connector Carrier for Electronic Device Self - Service Terminals", which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to self - service terminals for purchasing and / or selling mobile phones and / or other electronic devices, and more particularly, to a connector carrier for use with such self - service terminals. Background Art

[0004] The current usage of mobile phones is greater than the population of the earth. Part of the reason for the rapid growth of mobile phones is due to the rapid iteration speed of these devices. Due to the rapid development speed, as consumers continuously upgrade their mobile phones to obtain the latest features or better operating plans, the replacement rate of mobile phones is relatively high each year. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in the United States alone, more than 370 million mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and other electronic devices are disposed of each year. Millions of other obsolete or damaged mobile phones are simply thrown into junk drawers or otherwise stored until a suitable disposal solution emerges.

[0005] Although many electronic device retailers and mobile phone carrier stores now offer mobile phone trade - in or buy - back programs, many old mobile phones still end up in landfills or are inappropriately disassembled and disposed of. Unfortunately, however, mobile phones and similar devices often contain environmentally harmful substances such as arsenic, lithium, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc. If not properly disposed of, these toxic substances can leach into groundwater and contaminate soil from the decomposition of landfills, with potentially harmful consequences for humans and the environment.

[0006] As an alternative to retailer trade-in or buyback programs, consumers can now use self-service kiosks located in malls, retail stores, or other public areas to recycle and / or sell their used mobile phones. These self-service kiosks are operated by ecoATM, LLC, the assignee of this application, and various aspects of these self-service kiosks are described in, for example: U.S. Patent Nos. 7,881,965, 8,195,511, 8,200,533, 8,239,262, 8,423,404, and 8,463,646; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62 / 169,072, 62 / 202,330, 62 / 332,736, and 62 / 782,302; and U.S. Patent Application Nos. 14 / 498,763, 14 / 500,739, 14 / 506,449, 14 / 568,051, 14 / 598,469, 14 / 660,768, 14 / 663,331, 14 / 873,145, 14 / 873,158, 14 / 925,357, 14 / 925,375, 14 / 934,134, 14 / 964,963, 14 / 967,183, 14 / 966,346, 15 / 057,707, 15 / 130,851, and 15 / 176,975, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0007] Mobile phone recycling self-service kiosks typically provide users with connectors for connecting to the devices they wish to sell so that the kiosk can electrically evaluate the identity, functionality, etc. of the device. Since different brands and models of mobile devices typically require different connectors, the self-service kiosks generally include at least one of each type of common connector so that the self-service kiosk can accommodate most commercial devices. Each connector is typically attached to its respective cable, which is carried by a rotating turntable or other type of carrier device. To use the connector, the user pulls the connector and cable out of the carrier device and manually connects the connector to their device. Due to the repeated pulling and manipulation by the user, the cable can break or become damaged over time, requiring time-consuming replacement and causing the self-service kiosk to be out of service. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a connector carrier device for use with a mobile device recycling self-service kiosk that is less susceptible to damage to the connector and / or cable during use and thus requires less maintenance and has a longer service life than traditional connector carrier devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1A is a front isometric view of an electronic device recycling self-service kiosk configured according to an embodiment of the present technology, Figure 1BIs a front isometric view of a self-service terminal with the front door and related hardware omitted to better illustrate the internal components and systems of the self-service terminal.

[0009] Figure 1C Is an enlarged front isometric view of selected internal components and systems of a self-service terminal configured according to an embodiment of the present technology. Figure 1D Is a further enlarged isometric view of a connector carrier and related components of a self-service terminal configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0010] Figure 2A Is Figure 1D An enlarged front isometric view of the connector carrier and related components of Figure 2B Is a front lower isometric view of the connector carrier and the related components. Figure 2C Is a rear isometric view of the connector carrier and the related components.

[0011] Figure 2D Is a front view of the connector carrier with a selected connector in a first position. Figure 2E Is a similar front view of the connector carrier with a selected connector for connecting to a mobile phone in a second position.

[0012] Figure 3A Is Figure 1D - 2C A front isometric view of the connector carrier of Figure 3B Is a disassembled front isometric view of a connector carrier configured according to an embodiment of the present technology. Specific embodiments

[0013] The following describes various embodiments of a connector carrier for use with a self-service terminal, such as a consumer-operated self-service terminal for purchasing mobile phones and / or other handheld electronic devices from consumers and / or for selling mobile phones and / or other mobile electronic devices to consumers. In some embodiments, a connector carrier configured according to the present technology may include a rotatable turntable that carries a plurality of different mobile phone connectors around its periphery. Unlike traditional connector carriers, in which the connectors and associated cables are manually withdrawn from the carrier for manually connecting to a mobile device, in the connector carrier of the present technology, the connectors remain stationary relative to the carrier and are not manually withdrawn for connection to the mobile device. Instead, as described in more detail below, the connector carrier of the present technology can be moved as a unit to present the correct connector to the user so that the user can dock their mobile device to the connector. After electrical detection, the self-service terminal automatically disconnects the connector from the mobile device. Thus, the connectors and associated cables are not subject to repeated pulling and other rough handling that can cause premature wear. Accordingly, the use of a connector carrier configured according to the present technology can extend the service life of the connectors / cables, reduce maintenance, and result in longer uptime of the self-service terminal.

[0014] Certain details are set forth in the following description and Figure 1A - 3B discussed in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the present technology. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, operations, and / or systems associated with mobile electronic devices, mobile device recycling self-service terminals, etc. are not shown or described in detail below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the various embodiments of the present technology. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the present technology can be practiced without one or more of the details described herein or with other structures, methods, components, etc.

[0015] The terms used hereinafter are to be interpreted in the broadest reasonable manner, even though they are used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain examples of the embodiments of the technology. In fact, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any term intended to be interpreted in a limiting manner will be clearly and explicitly defined as such in the specific embodiments section.

[0016] Embodiments of the present technology are depicted in the figures, which are not intended to limit its scope. The sizes of the various elements described are not necessarily drawn to scale, and these various elements may be enlarged arbitrarily to improve readability. When the details of some components are unnecessary for a complete understanding of how to make and use the present invention, these component details may be removed from the figures to eliminate the details, such as the positions of the components and certain precise connections between these components. Many of the details, dimensions, angles, and other features shown in the figures are merely illustrative of specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, other embodiments may have other details, dimensions, angles, and features without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that further embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without several of the details described below.

[0017] In the figures, like reference numerals denote like or at least generally similar elements. For the sake of facilitating discussion of any particular element, one or more digits of the most significant bit in any reference numeral refer to the figure in which the element is first introduced. For example, element 1 10 is first introduced and discussed with reference to FIG. 1.

[0018] Figure 1A is a partial schematic front isometric view of a self-service terminal 100 configured according to an embodiment of the present technology for purchasing an electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone) from a consumer. Figure 1B is a front isometric view of the self-service terminal 100 with the front door 108 removed from the housing 106 to better illustrate selected internal components of the self-service terminal 100. Referring together to Figure 1A and 1B , in some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 may include a plurality of user interface devices to facilitate the use of the self-service terminal 100. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the self-service terminal 100 includes a display 104 (e.g., an LCD screen) that may provide text and / or graphical information to the user to facilitate the phone purchase process. The display 104 may include touchscreen capabilities to receive user input in response to displayed prompts and the like. In addition, in some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 may further include a keyboard, an ID card reader, a fingerprint scanner, a cash dispenser, a receipt printer, and / or other user interface devices to facilitate the phone purchase process. The self-service terminal 100 further includes a channel door 102 that covers an internal device detection area 112. As Figure 1BAs shown, door 102 can be slidably coupled to inclined track 122 such that door 102 can move upward to provide a user access to detection area 112. Self-service terminal 100 also includes a suitable processor 140 that controls the operation of the self-service terminal components and systems described herein according to computer-readable instructions stored on the system memory. Processor 140 can be any logic processing unit, such as one or more CPUs, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. Processor 140 can be a single processing unit or multiple processing units within the self-service terminal or distributed across multiple devices.

[0019] Figure 1C is an enlarged front isometric view of self-service terminal 100 with housing 106 removed to better illustrate selected internal components of self-service terminal 100 related to device assessment. Figure 1D is Figure 1C a further enlarged isometric view of the self-service terminal portion shown, where cover 116 is removed to expose connector carrier 130 configured according to an embodiment of the present technology. In both views, access door 102 slides upward along track 122 in direction U to expose detection area 112. As Figure 1D shown, connector carrier 130 is rotatably mounted in opening 143 of support plate 145, which is positioned below detection area 112 and below cover 116 ( Figure 1C ). In the embodiment shown, connector carrier 130 has the form of a cylindrical turntable (which can also be considered a cylindrical hub) that has a plurality of mobile phone electrical connectors 132a-f radially disposed about the periphery of chassis 136. Individual connectors 132a-f can be selected such that all or at least most commercial mobile phones can be connected to carrier 130. For example, in some embodiments, connectors 132a-f can include Mini-USB, Micro-USB, Type-C, and / or Lightning connectors.

[0020] In some embodiments, the process for selling mobile phones via self-service terminal 100 can be at least generally similar to one or more processes described in the patents and patent applications incorporated herein by reference. For example, with reference to Figure 1A - 1D , a user wishing to sell mobile phone 120 ( Figure 1C and 1D ) can approach self-service terminal 100 and input various mobile phone and / or personal information via one or more of the user interface devices described above. This information can include, for example, phone identification information (e.g., brand and / or model), user identification information (e.g., driver's license and / or fingerprint), etc.

[0021] Based on the phone brand and / or model information provided by the user, the connector carrier 130 rotates about the central axis 134 in the clockwise direction CW and / or the counterclockwise direction CCW, as Figure 1D shown, to selectively position a corresponding one of the connectors 132a-f directly adjacent to an opening in the device shelf 118 (the shelf 118 can also be considered an edge member, guide, wall, etc.) ( Figure 1D not shown in the figure). As described in more detail below, the connector carrier 130 then moves upward as a unit to insert the selected connector 132 through the opening such that it is slightly above the shelf 118 and extends into the detection area 112. Then, the channel door 102 moves upward along the track 122 in the direction U to expose the transparent plate 114 in the detection area 112. In the illustrated embodiment, the transparent plate 114 is perpendicular to the central axis 134 and is inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane, such as from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees, from about 55 degrees to about 65 degrees, or about 60 degrees. In other embodiments, the transparent plate 114 can be positioned at other angles with respect to the horizontal plane, or the transparent plate 114 can be parallel to the horizontal plane. After the door 102 is opened, the user docks or connects the mobile phone 120 to the selected connector 132 by directly placing the connector port in the mobile phone 120 on the connector 132 and moving the phone 120 downward in the direction D to insert the connector 132 into the port. By forming an electrical connection in this way, and with the phone 120 placed face up on the transparent plate 114, as Figure 1D shown, the door 102 moves downward along the track 122 in the direction D to Figure 1A and 1B the position shown to close the detection area 112 and initiate the phone evaluation process. In some embodiments, the structure and function of the self-service terminal 100 can be at least generally similar to the structure and function of the self-service terminal described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,153, titled "Self-Service Terminal for Evaluating and Purchasing Used Electronic Devices," filed on February 18, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0022] In some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 and its various features are at least generally similar in structure and function to the systems, methods, and corresponding features described in the following patents and patent applications, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: U.S. Patent Nos.: 10,496,963; 10,475,002; 10,445,708; 10,438,174; 10,417,615; 10,401,411; 10,269,110; 10,157,427; 10,127,647; 10,055,798; 10,032,140; 9,911,102; 9,904,911; 9,885,672; 9,881,284; 9,818,160; 8,463,646; 8,423,404; 8,239,262; 8,200,533; 8,195,511; and 7,881,965; U.S. Patent Application Nos.: 12 / 573,089; 12 / 727,624; 13 / 113,497; 12 / 785,465; 13 / 017,560; 13 / 438,924; 13 / 753,539; 13 / 658,825; 13 / 733,984; 13 / 705,252; 13 / 487,299; 13 / 492,835; 13 / 562,292; 13 / 658,828; 13 / 693,032; 13 / 792,030; 13 / 794,814; 13 / 794,816; 13 / 862,395; 13 / 913,408; 14 / 498,763; 14 / 500,739; 14 / 873,158; 14 / 506,449; 14 / 925,357; 14 / 925,375; 14 / 934,134; 14 / 964,963; 14 / 568,051; 14 / 966,346; 14 / 598,469; 14 / 660,768; 14 / 663,331; 15 / 057,707; 15 / 091,487; 15 / 214,791; 15 / 630,460; 15 / 641,145; 15 / 672,157; 15 / 855,320; 15 / 901,526; 15 / 977,729; 16 / 195,785; 16 / 357,041; 16 / 534,741; 16 / 556,018; 16 / 556,104; 16 / 575,003; 16 / 575,090; 16 / 601,492; and 16 / 719,699; U.S. Provisional Application No. titled "Methods and Systems for Visual Evaluation of Electronic Devices" filed by the applicant on June 1, 201562 / 169,072; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 202,330, filed Aug. 7, 2015, entitled "Methods and Systems for Detecting Mobile Devices and Other Consumer Electronic Devices Using Robot Actuation"; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 332,736, filed May 6, 2016, entitled "Method and System for Detecting Damage in Edge Regions of Mobile Electronic Devices"; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 804,714, filed Feb. 12, 2019, entitled "Connector Carrier for an Electronic Device Self-Service Terminal"; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 807,153, filed Feb. 18, 2019, entitled "Self-Service Terminal for Evaluating and Purchasing Used Electronic Devices"; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 807,165, filed Feb. 18, 2019, entitled "Neural Network-Based Physical State Assessment of Electronic Devices, and Associated Systems and Methods"; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 950,075, filed Dec. 18, 2019, entitled "Systems and Methods for Selling and / or Purchasing Mobile Phones and Other Electronic Devices". All patents and patent applications listed in the previous sentence, and any other patents or patent applications pointed out herein, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Although the connector carrier 130 and its embodiments are described herein in the context of the self-service terminal 100, it should be understood that, unless the context otherwise requires, the connector carrier 130 is not limited to use with such self-service terminals. Accordingly, the connector carrier 130 and its various embodiments are expected to be usable with other types of self-service terminals and / or machines for the evaluation / recycling / purchase / processing of mobile phones and / or other purposes.

[0023] Figure 2A is an enlarged front isometric view of a connector carrier 130 and associated components configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Figure 2B is a front lower isometric view of the connector carrier 130 and associated components, Figure 2C is a rear isometric view of the connector carrier 130 and associated components. In Figure 2A - 2C , for purposes of illustration, the support plate 145 ( Figure 1D ) is omitted. Referring together to Figure 2A - 2C , the connector carrier 130 is rotatably mounted on a support frame 240 (which may also be referred to as a bracket 240). The support frame 240 is pivotally mounted to the support plate 145 ( Figure 1D) at the rear side. The other end of the frame 240 includes a slot 241 that slidably receives a guide pin 243. In the illustrated embodiment, the slot 241 is generally oriented along a horizontal axis. The guide pin 243 is attached to the distal portion of an eccentric crank arm 242, which in turn has a proximal portion fixedly attached to a rotating shaft 247 extending from a motor 248. The motor 248 can be mounted on the support plate 145( Figure 1D ) at the rear side. As Figure 2C shown, the connector carrier chassis 136 includes a plurality of teeth 256 around its periphery. The teeth 256 mate with corresponding teeth on a pinion 254 (which can also be considered a spur gear 254), which in turn is attached to the drive shaft of a motor 252. The motor 252 is mounted on the rear side of the support frame 240 by a suitable bracket.

[0024] Referring Figure 2B , in some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 can identify a suitable connector 132 for connecting to a mobile phone 120 based on the brand and / or model of the phone 120 (e.g., via the self-service terminal display 104; Figure 1A ). In operation, the motor 252 (under the control of, for example, the self-service terminal processor 140) is activated to rotate the pinion 254, and through the mating with the teeth 256, the connector carrier 130 rotates about the central axis 134 to position the suitable connector 132 at the 12 o'clock position, which is exactly adjacent to and aligned with the opening 246 in the shelf 118. In some embodiments, the motor 252 can rotate the connector carrier 130 180 degrees clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) about the central axis 134 to position the selected connector 132 adjacent to the opening 246. In other embodiments, the motor 252 can rotate the connector carrier 130 more than or less than 180 degrees in either direction about the central axis 134 for connector positioning, such as a full 360 degrees in either direction. Before the connector carrier 130 rotates about the axis 134 in this way, the crank arm 242 positions the guide pin 243 at Figure 2A the position shown (e.g., the 9 o'clock position) or at a lower position (e.g., a lower position between the 9 o'clock position and the 3 o'clock position, such as the 6 o'clock position). Moving the guide pin 243 to the lower position in this way causes the support frame 240 to rotate downward away from the shelf 118 about the axis 245 in the CW direction. This allows the connectors 132a-f to rotate about the axis 134 without hitting the lower side of the shelf 118 on either side of the opening 246.

[0025] Figure 2Dis a front view of the connector carrier 130, with a selected connector (e.g., connector 132a) of the connector carrier 130 aligned with an opening 246 in the shelf 118 ( Figure 2B ), but not extending through the opening 246; Figure 2E is a similar front view, where the connector 132a is inserted through the opening 246 to connect to the mobile phone 120. Referring together to Figure 2D and 2E , once the correct connector 132 is positioned directly adjacent to and generally aligned with the opening 246 (which can be considered to be in, e.g., a "first connector position" or a "phasing position"), as Figure 2D shown, the motor 252 stops the rotation of the connector carrier 130, and the motor 248 rotates the crank arm 242 to position the guide pin 243, e.g., in a clockwise direction CW, at or near the 12 o'clock position ( Figure 2B ). Moving the guide pin 243 in this manner causes the connector support frame 240 to rotate counterclockwise CCW about the axis 245 of the pivot pin 244 ( Figure 2B ), thereby moving the connector carrier 130 toward the detection area 112 and inserting the selected connector 132a through the opening 246 such that at least a portion of the connector 132a (e.g., the tip portion 232) extends out of the shelf 118 and into the detection area 112, as Figure 2E shown. As described above, when the selected connector 132a is in this position (which can be considered to be, e.g., a "second connector position" or a "mating position") the user can insert the selected connector 132a (e.g., the tip portion 232 of the selected connector 132a) into the connector port 250 on the phone 120 by moving the phone 120 downward on the transparent plate 114 ( Figure 2B ), thereby manually docking or connecting the mobile phone 120 to the connector carrier 130.

[0026] Once the mobile phone 120 is correctly connected to a suitable connector 132 in the above-described manner, the access door 102 on the self-service terminal 100 ( Figure 1A and 1B)Slide down on the rail 122 to close the detection area 112 to the user. Then, the self-service terminal 100 can perform electrical detection on the mobile phone 120 (e.g., device identification (e.g., IMEI number, etc.), battery capacity, functions, etc.) and / or perform visual analysis on the mobile phone 120 (e.g., for cracks on the display screen, appearance condition, etc.). In some embodiments, the electrical and / or visual detection performed by the self-service terminal 100 can be at least substantially similar to the electrical and visual detection described in one or more patents and patent applications incorporated herein by reference. Once these detections are completed, the self-service terminal 100 can automatically activate the motor 248 to rotate the crank arm 242 and the corresponding guide pin 243 downward from the 12 o'clock position. When the guide pin 243 moves downward in this way, it drives the carrier support frame 240 downward in the clockwise direction CW around the pivot pin 244, thereby moving the connector carrier 130 downward and out of the detection area 112. This movement of the connector carrier 130 causes the selected connector 132 to retract through the opening 246 to automatically disconnect the connector 132 from the mobile phone 120. If the user wishes to accept the proposed price and sell the phone to the self-service terminal 100, the transparent plate 114 can be rotated backward and downward to slide the phone 120 out of the detection area 112 and into a collection bin (not shown). Conversely, if the user refuses to sell the phone at the proposed price, the access door 102 ( Figure 1A and 1B ) can move upward on the guide rail 122 to enable the user to enter the detection area 112 and retrieve the mobile phone 120.

[0027] In some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 can periodically perform self-tests on the connectors 132a-f to ensure that all connectors are functioning and to identify any non-functioning connectors that may need to be replaced. For example, as Figure 2A shown, in some embodiments, the self-service terminal 100 can include electrical test ports 138 (e.g., mounted on the front side of the support plate 145; Figure 1D ). The test port 138 can be a female socket or receptacle that is configured to receive one or more of the connectors 132a-f and perform an electrical test of the connector's function. For example, to perform a self-test of a selected connector 132, the motor 252 ( Figure 2C)The carrier 130 can be rotated about the central axis 134 as needed to position the selected connector 132 in a position radially aligned with the test port 138. Then, the motor 248 rotates the crank arm 242 and the guide pin 243 downward to the 6 o'clock position, thereby rotating the carrier support frame 240 downward in the CW direction about the pivot pin 244, and the pivot pin 244 thereby drives the selected connector 132 into the test port 138. Once the test is complete, the motor 248 rotates the crank arm 242 and the guide pin 243 upward, thereby rotating the carrier support frame 240 upward in the CCW direction about the pivot pin 244 and disconnecting the selected connector 132 from the test port 138. If needed, the self-service terminal 100 can include multiple test ports 138 as needed to accommodate different types of connectors 132. One or more test ports 138 can be connected to a suitable self-service terminal software and / or electrical system to test the continuity, impedance, etc. of each of the connectors 132a-f and ensure proper functioning. If any of the connectors 132 are found to be malfunctioning, the self-service terminal 100 can send a corresponding text message or other electronic information to the service personnel to alert them about the faulty connector so that it can be replaced immediately.

[0028] Figure 3A is an enlarged front isometric view of a connector carrier 130 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology, Figure 3B is an exploded isometric view of a connector carrier 130 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Referring together to Figure 3A and 3B , in the illustrated embodiment, the connector carrier 130 includes a plurality of connector cable assemblies 378a-f positioned beneath the top cover 370. The cover 370 is releasably secured to the carrier chassis 136 by a plurality of fasteners 372 (e.g., screws) extending through the slotted ends of openings 374 in the cover 370. To remove the cover 370 and access the connector cable assemblies 378, the user can loosen the fasteners 372 and rotate the cover 370 counterclockwise CCW to align the fastener heads with the large-sized ends of the openings 374. Then, the cover 370 can be lifted off the fasteners 372 and removed from the chassis 136.

[0029] As Figure 3BAs shown, each connector cable assembly 378a-f includes one of the mobile phone connectors 132, a connector holder 360, a cable 362, and a chassis connector 366 (e.g., a universal cable connector such as a USB connector). Each cable 362 has a first end electrically connected to a corresponding one of the phone connectors 132 and a second end electrically connected to a corresponding one of the chassis connectors 366. To hold (e.g., fixedly hold) the phone connectors 132 in their proper positions relative to the chassis 136, each connector 132 is received in a corresponding connector holder 360, and the corresponding connector holder 360 is in turn held in a corresponding bracket 364 of an annular flange 373 fixedly attached to the chassis 136. The connector holder 360 may include asymmetric protrusions 361a, b (e.g., Figure 3B the rectangular protrusions shown) on both sides thereof and / or other dimensional features to ensure that the holder 360 is positioned on the corresponding bracket 364 in the correct orientation (e.g., with the tip of the connector 132 facing radially outward). Each chassis connector 366 is operatively received in a corresponding connector socket 368 fixedly arranged on the carrier board 370.

[0030] As described above, some electronic device recycling self-service terminals include connectors and associated cables that are configured to be pulled by a user from a connector carrier and manually connected to a device the user wishes to sell. Thus, the cables are subject to stress and strain from manual use, which over time causes damage and thus requires replacement and / or repair. In contrast, the connector carrier 130 does not rely on the user to grasp a selected connector 132 and manually remove it from the carrier and connect it to their mobile device. Instead, referring to Figure 2B , the user simply docks or connects the mobile device 120 to the presented connector 132 by aligning the mobile device connector port (e.g., connector port 250) with the connector 132 and sliding the mobile device 120 downward to insert the connector into the connector port. Similarly, the mobile device 120 can be automatically disconnected from the presented connector 132 by moving the connector carrier 130 downward about the pivot pin 244 in the clockwise direction CW, as Figure 2A shown. Due to these features, the connectors 132 and associated cables 362 described herein ( Figure 3B ) are not subject to manual use, which can cause damage and require frequent and costly replacement or maintenance.

[0031] In addition to the above features, in some embodiments, the connector carrier 130 may include a plurality of visual indicators to assist service personnel in identifying damaged or malfunctioning cable assemblies 378 that they may need to replace. For example, as Figure 3BAs shown, in some embodiments, the connector carrier 130 may include a plurality of visual indicators 376a-f (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs)) positioned on a flange 373 of the chassis 136, the flange 373 being near the corresponding connectors of the connectors 132a-f. If it is determined that a particular cable assembly 378 needs to be replaced (e.g., as a result of the connector self-test described above), the associated indicator 376 may be illuminated to signal to the service personnel which cable assembly 378 should be replaced. In other embodiments, each cable component 378 and / or a selected portion thereof may have a unique color, and when the service personnel receive an alert indicating that one of the cable assemblies 378 needs to be replaced, the alert may identify the color of the particular cable component 378 so that the service personnel can quickly identify it during a service call. In further embodiments, other types of cable assembly identification may be used, such as identifying each cable component 378 with printed or provided selected numbers near each cable location.

[0032] Certain aspects of the present invention may be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to execute one or more computer-executable instructions described in detail herein. Although certain aspects of the present invention, such as certain functions, are described as being executed only on a single device, the present invention may also be implemented in a distributed environment where functions or modules are shared among different processing devices that are linked together by a communication network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and remote storage devices.

[0033] Multiple aspects of the present invention may be stored or distributed on a tangible computer-readable medium, including magnetic or optically readable computer disks, hard-wired or pre-programmed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memories, biological memories, or other data storage media. Alternatively, computer-implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data according to multiple aspects of the present invention may be distributed over the Internet or other networks (including wireless networks) over time, on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., one or more electromagnetic waves, sound waves, etc.), or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other schemes). Although specific circuits are described above, those skilled in the art or those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that microprocessor-based systems may also be used in software configured for any logical decision-making.

[0034] All references to the foregoing description of characteristics, advantages, or the like are not meant to imply that all features and advantages that can be realized by the present technology should be present in a single embodiment or in any single embodiment of the present invention. Rather, the expressions regarding characteristics and advantages are understood to mean that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, the discussion of the features and advantages and the like in this specification may, but need not, refer to the same embodiment.

[0035] Furthermore, the features, advantages, and characteristics described in the present technology may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present technology may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be effective in a particular embodiment that may not be present in all embodiments of the present technology.

[0036] Including any patents and patent applications that may be listed in the attached filing documents and other references as described above, are hereby incorporated by reference herein, except for any subject matter disclaimed or disavowed, and, unless the incorporated material is inconsistent with the explicit disclosure herein, in which case, the expressions in this disclosure shall prevail. If necessary, various aspects of the present invention may be modified to adopt the systems, functions, and concepts of the above-mentioned multiple references to provide further embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the specification and the claims, the words "comprising," "including," and the like shall be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is, the sense of "including but not limited to." As used herein, the term "connected," "coupled," or any variant thereof refers to any connection or coupling between two or more elements, whether direct or indirect; the coupling or connection between the elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below," and words of similar import when used in this application refer to the entire application rather than to any particular part of the application. Where the context permits, the singular or plural words used in the above detailed description may also include the plural or singular, respectively. For the word "or" in a list of two or more items, the following interpretations of the word are all covered: any item in the list, all items in the list, and any combination of items in the list.

[0038] Although the foregoing description has described various embodiments and the best mode of the inventive concept of the present invention, the present invention may be practiced in many ways regardless of how detailed the above text is. The details of the system may vary significantly in its specific embodiments, but are still included in the present technology. As described above, the specific terms used when describing certain features or aspects of the present invention should not be considered to imply that the terms are redefined herein to be limited to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the present invention related to the terms. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the present invention to the specific examples disclosed in the specification, unless the specific embodiments section above specifically defines these terms. Therefore, the actual scope of the present invention includes not only the disclosed examples, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the present invention under the claims.

[0039] From the foregoing, it can be understood that, for purposes of illustration, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, but various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present invention. In addition, although the foregoing has described various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the present invention in the context of these embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit these advantages, and moreover, not all embodiments need to exhibit these advantages to fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited except as defined by the appended claims.

[0040] Although certain aspects of the present invention are presented below in the form of certain claims, the applicant contemplates multiple aspects of the present invention in the form of any number of claims. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to add additional claims after the filing of this application, or to add such additional claim forms in this application or in a continuing application.

Claims

1. A self-service terminal for purchasing a mobile phone from a user, the self-service terminal comprising: a detection area configured to receive a mobile phone from the user; and a connector carrier, wherein the connector carrier includes a chassis; and a plurality of electrical connectors positioned around a periphery of the chassis, wherein the connector carrier is configured to rotate about a central axis to position a selected one of the electrical connectors in a first position adjacent to the detection area, and wherein the central axis is a first axis, and the connector carrier is further configured to rotate about a second axis spaced from the first axis when the selected electrical connector is in the first position to move toward the detection area to move the selected electrical connector from the first position to a second position, the selected electrical connector being positioned in the second position to connect to the mobile phone in the detection area.

2. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein each of the electrical connectors is fixedly attached to the chassis of the connector carrier.

3. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein moving the selected electrical connector from the first position to the second position includes moving at least a tip portion of the selected electrical connector into the detection area.

4. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the connector carrier toward the detection area includes movement of the connector carrier in a first direction, and wherein the connector carrier is further configured to move in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the selected electrical connector from the second position to the first position and automatically disconnect the selected electrical connector from the mobile phone.

5. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the connector carrier toward the detection area includes rotation of the connector carrier about the second axis in a first direction, and wherein the connector carrier is further configured to rotate about the second axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the selected electrical connector from the second position to the first position and automatically disconnect that one electrical connector from the mobile phone.

6. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein the self-service terminal further comprises: a support frame configured to rotate about the second axis, wherein: the connector carrier is rotatably mounted on the support frame, the movement of the connector carrier toward the detection area includes rotation of the support frame about the second axis in a first direction; and the support frame is further configured to rotate about the second axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction to move the selected electrical connector from the second position to the first position and automatically disconnect that one electrical connector from the mobile phone.

7. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein the mobile phone includes a front surface, a rear surface, and at least one side surface having a connector socket, and wherein the self-service terminal further comprises: a support surface positioned in the detection area and configured to contact at least one of the front surface or the rear surface of the mobile phone; and a shelf having an opening positioned adjacent to the support surface, wherein the shelf is configured to contact the at least one side surface of the mobile phone having the connector socket, and wherein the opening is configured to receive at least a portion of the selected electrical connector when the selected electrical connector is moved to the second position.

8. The self-service terminal according to claim 7, wherein the support surface is inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane.

9. The self-service terminal according to claim 7, wherein the central axis extends perpendicular to the support surface.

10. The self-service terminal according to claim 7, further comprising a transparent plate positioned in the detection area, wherein the transparent plate includes the support surface.

11. The self-service terminal according to claim 1, wherein the connector carrier has a cylindrical shape.

12. A connector carrier for use with a self-service terminal configured to purchase a mobile phone from a user, the connector carrier comprises: a support frame configured to be movably mounted near the phone detection area of the self-service terminal; a carrier chassis rotatably supported by the support frame; and a plurality of mobile phone electrical connectors fixedly positioned on and extending outwardly from the chassis, wherein the chassis is configured to rotate about a central axis in the support frame to selectively position the electrical connectors relative to the detection area, and wherein the central axis is a first axis, and the support frame is configured to rotate about a second axis spaced apart from the first axis to move the chassis relative to the detection area.

13. The connector carrier according to claim 12, wherein the support frame is configured to move the chassis relative to the detection area in an arc.

14. The connector carrier according to claim 13, wherein the arc is in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the turntable chassis.

15. The connector carrier according to claim 12, wherein the support frame is configured to be pivotally mounted to the support structure of the self-service terminal at the second axis.

16. The connector carrier according to claim 12, wherein the detection area of the self-service terminal includes a transparent plate configured to support a mobile phone, and wherein the chassis is configured to rotate about the central axis in a plane parallel to the transparent plate.

17. A method for presenting a selected electrical connector of a plurality of different electrical connectors to a user of a self-service terminal for connection to a mobile phone, the method comprises: Rotate a connector turntable about a central axis, where the connector turntable carries the plurality of different electrical connectors about its periphery, and where the central axis is a first axis; Stop the rotating turntable when the selected electrical connector is positioned adjacent to the mobile phone detection area of the self-service terminal; And After stopping the rotation of the turntable about the central axis, rotate the turntable about a second axis spaced from the central axis to move the turntable toward the detection area to present the selected electrical connector to the user for connection to the mobile phone.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising, after moving the turntable toward the detection area to present the selected electrical connector to the user for connection to the mobile phone, moving the turntable away from the detection area to automatically disconnect the selected electrical connector from the mobile phone.

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