Interface circuit and charging cabinet
Through interface circuit design, the processor allocates communication addresses and uses a bus conversion chip to convert data types, solving the problem of insufficient interfaces in shared power bank cabinets. This enables power supply and disassembly safety for multiple electrical appliances, improving the practicality and reliability of the charging cabinets.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422902298.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing shared power bank cabinets have limited external interfaces, making it impossible to power multiple electrical appliances simultaneously.
The system employs an interface circuit design, including a processor, a bus conversion chip, an identification interface, and multiple slave modules. The processor allocates communication addresses and the bus conversion chip converts communication data types, enabling communication between multiple slave modules and expanding the interface of the charging cabinet.
This enables the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances simultaneously, and the main power supply does not need to be cut off when disassembling the sub-modules, thus avoiding disassembly accidents and improving the practicality and reliability of the charging cabinet.
Smart Images
Figure CN223625599U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of shared power bank technology, and in particular to an interface circuit and a charging cabinet. Background Technology
[0002] Shared power bank kiosks are a major form of shared power bank service, allowing users to rent or return power banks. Currently, shared power bank kiosks have become an integral part of people's lives, often deployed in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls, restaurants, airports, and train stations to meet the charging needs of people whose electrical appliances are low on power while out and about. While existing shared power bank kiosks on the market can meet this need, they have limited external ports, preventing them from simultaneously powering a large number of devices. Utility Model Content
[0003] One advantage of this application is that it provides an interface circuit that can expand the interface of the charging cabinet to increase the external interface of the charging cabinet.
[0004] Another advantage of this application is that it provides a charging cabinet that can not only meet people's needs for charging electrical appliances when they are out and about, but also supply power to a large number of electrical appliances at the same time.
[0005] Another advantage of this application is that it provides an interface circuit and a charging cabinet that, to achieve the aforementioned advantages, does not require the use of expensive materials or complex structures. Therefore, the solution provided by this application successfully and effectively solves the above-mentioned problems, and not only provides a simple interface circuit and charging cabinet, but also increases the practicality and reliability of the interface circuit and charging cabinet.
[0006] Based on this, in order to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned advantages or other benefits and objectives of this application, this application provides an interface circuit, the interface circuit comprising:
[0007] The system consists of a processor, a bus conversion chip, an identification interface, and n slave modules, where n ≥ 1. When n > 1, the first slave module to the nth slave module are connected sequentially.
[0008] The slave module includes a slave interface and a slave controller. The slave controller is provided with one or more expansion interfaces for connecting to external electrical appliances. One end of the slave interface of the first slave module is connected to the identification interface, and the other end of the slave interface of the first slave module is connected to the slave controller of the first slave module. The slave interface of the first slave module is used to establish communication between the first slave module and the processor.
[0009] The identification interface acts as a relay point, receiving and sending signals and communication data between the slave controller and the processor;
[0010] One end of the bus conversion chip is connected to the processor, and the other end of the bus conversion chip is connected to the identification interface, used to convert the type of communication data between the slave controller and the processor.
[0011] The first end of the processor is connected to the identification interface for communicating with the slave module, and when the slave module does not have a communication address, the processor assigns a communication address to the slave module.
[0012] With this configuration, the processor can be used to assign communication addresses to the n slave modules to establish communication with them, thereby expanding the interface of the charging cabinet and enabling it to supply power to more electrical appliances.
[0013] According to one embodiment of this application, the interface circuit further includes a power module, one end of which is connected to the processor and the other end of which is connected to the identification interface for supplying power to the slave module.
[0014] With this configuration, the power module can supply power to the slave module independently. Compared to a solution without the power module, the interface circuit provided by this solution allows the main power supply of the charging cabinet to be cut off when the slave module is removed. This not only prevents accidents caused by improper disassembly operations by staff when removing the slave module, but also ensures that the charging cabinet can operate normally when the slave module is removed.
[0015] According to one embodiment of this application, the identification interface is used to send the signal to the processor after receiving a signal from the first slave module requesting the allocation of a communication address, and to send the communication address issued by the processor and converted by the bus conversion chip to the first slave module.
[0016] With this configuration, the identification interface can serve as a relay point for signals and communication data, receiving and sending signals and communication data between the slave controller and the processor, thereby establishing communication between the processor and the slave module, expanding the interface of the charging cabinet, and enabling the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances.
[0017] According to one embodiment of this application, the data type received or transmitted by the processor is a TTL signal.
[0018] According to one embodiment of this application, the data type received or transmitted from the module is a differential signal.
[0019] With this configuration, the type of communication data between the processor and the slave module can be converted through the bus conversion chip. Without the bus conversion chip, the processor and the slave module would be unable to establish communication because they cannot recognize the communication data. The bus conversion chip effectively prevents the above problem from occurring.
[0020] According to one embodiment of this application, the communication protocol of the interface circuit is RS-485.
[0021] According to one embodiment of this application, when n > 1, the nth slave module receives a signal from the (n+1)th slave module requesting the allocation of a communication address, and then sends the signal to the (n-1)th slave module, and so on, until the first slave module. The first slave module receives the signal and sends it to the identification interface, and receives the communication address fed back by the identification interface, which is sent by the processor and converted by the bus conversion chip, and sends it to the second slave module, and so on, until the nth slave module feeds back the communication address to the (n+1)th slave module.
[0022] With this configuration, when n>1, each slave module that has already established communication with the processor is also used as a relay station to receive and send signals and communication data between other slave modules that have not been assigned communication addresses and the processor, thereby expanding the interface of the charging cabinet and enabling the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances.
[0023] According to another aspect of this application, this application further provides a charging cabinet, the charging cabinet comprising:
[0024] The interface circuit described above;
[0025] The cabinet includes a charging circuit and houses the interface circuit.
[0026] According to one embodiment of this application, the charging cabinet further includes a power supply unit disposed inside the cabinet. The power supply unit is used to supply power to the components in the charging cabinet, and the electrical energy provided by the power supply unit is supplied to the slave module of the interface circuit through the power module of the interface circuit.
[0027] With this configuration, the power supply unit does not directly supply power to the slave module, so that when the slave module is disassembled, it is not necessary to cut off the power supply to the power supply unit. This not only prevents accidents caused by improper disassembly operations by staff when disassembling the slave module, but also allows the charging cabinet to operate normally when the slave module is disassembled.
[0028] According to one embodiment of this application, the processor of the interface circuit is further configured to control the charging circuit to charge external electrical appliances.
[0029] Beneficial effects: When the first slave module is connected to the identification interface, the first slave module will send a signal requesting the allocation of a communication address to the identification interface because it does not have a communication address. The identification interface sends the signal to the processor, and the processor sends the communication address to the bus conversion chip in the form of communication data. The bus conversion chip converts the data type of the communication address and then sends it to the identification interface. The identification interface sends the communication address with the converted data type to the first slave module to establish communication between the first slave module and the processor. The first slave module has one or more expansion interfaces on its first slave controller. The expansion interfaces are used to connect to external electrical appliances. Communication is established between the processor and the first slave module to expand the interface of the charging cabinet, thereby enabling the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances. Attached Figure Description
[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an interface circuit provided for one embodiment of this application;
[0032] Figure 2 A circuit diagram of a bus conversion chip in an interface circuit according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.
[0033] Figure 3 A circuit diagram of the power module in the interface circuit according to the above embodiments of this application is shown.
[0034] Reference numerals: 10, Interface circuit; 11, Processor; 12, Bus conversion chip; 13, Identification interface; 14, Slave module; 141, Slave interface; 142, Slave controller; 143, Expansion interface; 15, Power module. Detailed Implementation
[0035] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0036] Considering that existing shared power bank cabinets have limited external interfaces and cannot power a large number of electrical appliances simultaneously, this application provides an interface circuit and a charging cabinet that not only meets the charging needs of people when their electrical appliances are low on power while they are out, but also can power a large number of electrical appliances at the same time.
[0037] For details, please refer to the appendix. Figures 1 to 3 One embodiment of this application provides an interface circuit, the interface circuit comprising:
[0038] The system includes a processor, a bus conversion chip, an identification interface, and n slave modules 14, where n ≥ 1. When n > 1, the first slave module 14 to the nth slave module 14 are connected sequentially. Taking n = 4 as an example, the two ends of the first slave module 14 are connected to the identification interface 13 and the second slave module 14, the other end of the second slave module 14 is connected to one end of the third slave module 14, and the other end of the third slave module 14 is connected to one end of the fourth slave module 14. That is, the first slave module 14 to the nth slave module 14 are connected sequentially.
[0039] More specifically, the slave module 14 includes a slave interface 141 and a slave controller 142. The slave controller 142 is provided with one or more expansion interfaces 143 for connecting to external electrical appliances. One end of the slave interface 141 of the first slave module 14 is connected to the identification interface 13, and the other end of the slave interface 141 of the first slave module 14 is connected to the slave controller 142 of the first slave module 14. The slave interface 141 of the first slave module 14 is used to establish communication between the first slave module 14 and the processor 11.
[0040] The identification interface 13 serves as a relay point, receiving and sending signals and communication data between the slave controller 142 and the processor 11;
[0041] One end of the bus conversion chip 12 is connected to the processor 11, and the other end of the bus conversion chip 12 is connected to the identification interface 13, for converting the type of communication data between the slave controller 142 and the processor 11.
[0042] The first end of the processor 11 is connected to the identification interface 13 for communicating with the slave module 14. When the slave module 14 does not have a communication address, the processor 11 assigns a communication address to the slave module 14.
[0043] It should be noted that the interface circuit 10, with the help of the processor 11, assigns communication addresses to the n slave modules 14 respectively to establish communication with the n slave modules 14, thereby expanding the interface of the charging cabinet and enabling the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances.
[0044] It is worth noting that the interface circuit 10 also includes a power module 15, one end of which is connected to the processor 11 and the other end of which is connected to the identification interface 13, for supplying power to the slave module 14.
[0045] It should be noted that the power module 15 can be used to supply power to the slave module 14 separately. Compared with the solution without the power module 15, the interface circuit 10 provided by this solution can eliminate the need to cut off the main power supply of the charging cabinet when disassembling the slave module 14. This not only prevents accidents caused by improper disassembly operations by staff when disassembling the slave module 14, but also enables the charging cabinet to operate normally when the slave module 14 is disassembled.
[0046] It is worth noting that the communication protocol of the interface circuit 10 is RS-485. RS-485 is a communication protocol that uses differential signaling for transmission, effectively resisting interference in complex electromagnetic environments. It can support multi-point communication between up to 32 devices on the same bus, facilitating system expansion and management. Furthermore, RS-485 has a communication distance of up to 1200 meters, suitable for long-distance data transmission needs. In addition, RS-485 can simultaneously support high-speed data transmission up to 10 Mbps. These characteristics make RS-485 widely used in industrial automated production lines, precision instruments, intelligent building control systems, and power monitoring networks. RS-485's efficient data processing capabilities and stable, reliable communication performance make it the preferred solution for achieving reliable data transmission in complex industrial environments.
[0047] It is worth noting that the data type received or transmitted by the processor 11 is a TTL signal, i.e., a level signal, while the data type received or transmitted by the slave module 14 is a differential signal. Therefore, the type of communication data between the processor 11 and the slave module 14 can be converted by the bus conversion chip 12. Without the bus conversion chip 12, the processor 11 and the slave module 14 would be unable to establish communication because they cannot recognize the communication data. The inclusion of the bus conversion chip 12 effectively prevents the above problem from occurring.
[0048] Specifically, TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic) signals are a widely used signal standard in digital electronic devices, operating at 5V. TTL signals are characterized by their logic high level typically ranging from 2.4V to 5V, while their logic low level ranges from 0V to 0.8V. This signal standard is renowned for its fast response and high reliability, making it particularly suitable for applications requiring rapid data processing and response. Due to its low cost and ease of design, TTL circuits were widely used in early computer systems, various digital circuit designs, and embedded systems. Microcontrollers and other embedded devices typically use TTL interfaces for data communication, ensuring efficient system operation. Furthermore, TTL signals are also used in peripheral devices such as printers and scanners, enabling control and communication through their simple single-ended signal transmission.
[0049] Specifically, differential signaling is a method of transmitting data through two signal lines, where the signals on each line are inverses of each other. The working principle of differential signaling is to recover the original data at the receiving end by comparing the voltage difference between the two signal lines. This technology has significant anti-interference capabilities because common-mode noise (noise acting on both signal lines simultaneously) is canceled out by differential processing at the receiving end. Therefore, differential signaling performs particularly well in high-noise environments, effectively resisting electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI), thus maintaining signal integrity and accuracy. Furthermore, the low voltage swing characteristic of differential signaling gives it advantages in terms of power consumption and crosstalk between signal lines, making it suitable for applications requiring high-speed data transmission and long-distance communication to ensure reliable communication in complex environments and over long distances. Similarly, high-speed interfaces in consumer electronics such as USB, HDMI, and DisplayPort also widely use differential signaling to achieve efficient data exchange and high-quality media transmission. In short, differential signaling technology, with its superior anti-interference capabilities, signal integrity, and long-distance transmission performance, has become an ideal choice for high-speed, reliable communication and is widely used in various communication systems.
[0050] It is worth noting that the connection between the identification interface 13 and the first slave module 14 includes a power line, a signal transmission line, a first communication data transmission line 485a, and a second communication data transmission line 485b. When n > 1, the connection between each slave module 14 also includes a power line, a signal transmission line, a first communication data transmission line 485a, and a second communication data transmission line 485b. The power line is used to power each slave module 14. The signal transmission line is used to transmit signals sent by each slave module 14 to the processor 11 requesting the allocation of a communication address, signals from the processor 11 to each slave module 14 indicating the start of communication address transmission, and signals from the processor 11 to each slave module 14 indicating the end of communication address transmission. The signals sent by each slave module 14 to the processor 11 requesting the allocation of a communication address, signals from the processor 11 to each slave module 14 indicating the start of communication address transmission, and signals from the processor 11 to each slave module 14 indicating the end of communication address transmission are all TTL signal types.
[0051] It is worth noting that the identification interface 13, upon receiving a signal from the first slave module 14 requesting the allocation of a communication address, sends the signal to the processor 11 and sends the communication address, converted by the bus conversion chip 12 and sent by the processor 11, to the first slave module 14. That is, the identification interface 13 acts as a relay point for signals and communication data, receiving and sending signals and communication data between the slave controller 142 and the processor 11, thereby establishing communication between the processor 11 and the slave module 14, expanding the interface of the charging cabinet, and enabling the charging cabinet to supply power to more electrical appliances.
[0052] It should be noted that when n=1, and the first slave module 14 has not received a communication address, the operation of the interface circuit 10 is as follows: the first slave module 14 sends a signal requesting the allocation of a communication address to the identification interface 13 through a signal transmission line; the identification interface 13 sends the signal requesting the allocation of a communication address to the processor 11; the processor 11 sends a communication address start transmission signal to the identification interface 13; the identification interface 13 sends the communication address start transmission signal to the first slave module 14 through a signal transmission line; the first slave module 14 begins to wait to receive the communication address; the processor 11 sends the TTL format communication address to the bus conversion chip 12; the bus conversion chip 12 converts the data type of the communication address into a differential signal, and then sends it to the identification interface 13. Interface 13, the identification interface 13, sends the communication address after data conversion to the first slave module 14 through the first communication data transmission line 485a and the second communication data transmission line 485b. Then, the processor 11 sends a communication address end transmission signal to the identification interface 13. The identification interface 13 sends the communication address end transmission signal to the first slave module 14 through the signal transmission line. The first slave module 14 ends the waiting to receive the communication address, thereby establishing communication between the first slave module 14 and the processor 11. After the communication between the first slave module 14 and the processor 11 is established, the charging cabinet enters the normal working mode. The processor 11 interacts with the first slave module 14 through the first communication data transmission line 485a and the second communication data transmission line 485b.
[0053] It is worth noting that when n > 1, the nth slave module 14 receives the signal from the (n+1)th slave module 14 requesting the allocation of a communication address, and then sends the signal to the (n-1)th slave module 14, and so on, until the first slave module 14. The first slave module 14 receives the signal and sends it to the identification interface 13, and receives the communication address fed back by the identification interface 13, which is sent by the processor 11 and converted by the bus conversion chip 12, and sends it to the second slave module 14, and so on, until the nth slave module 14 feeds back the communication address to the (n+1)th slave module 14.
[0054] In another embodiment of this application, a charging cabinet is provided, the charging cabinet comprising:
[0055] The aforementioned interface circuit 10;
[0056] The cabinet includes a charging circuit and houses the interface circuit 10.
[0057] It is worth noting that the charging cabinet also includes a power supply unit, which is disposed inside the cabinet. The power supply unit is used to supply power to the components in the charging cabinet, and the power provided by the power supply unit is supplied to the slave module 14 of the interface circuit 10 through the power module 15 of the interface circuit 10.
[0058] It should be noted that the power supply unit does not directly supply power to the slave module 14, but supplies power to the slave module 14 of the interface circuit 10 via the power module 15 of the interface circuit 10. This is so that when the slave module 14 is disassembled, it is not necessary to cut off the power supply of the power supply unit. This not only prevents accidents caused by improper disassembly operations by the staff when disassembling the slave module 14, but also allows the charging cabinet to operate normally when the slave module 14 is disassembled.
[0059] It is worth noting that the processor 11 of the interface circuit 10 is also used to control the charging circuit to charge external electrical appliances. That is, the processor 11 is the MCU of the charging cabinet, which is used to control and manage the various parts of the charging cabinet so that the charging cabinet can operate normally.
[0060] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0061] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, apparatus, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.
[0062] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0063] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0064] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined without changing the basic principles of this application. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0065] The above embodiments merely illustrate several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An interface circuit, characterized in that, The interface circuit includes: The system consists of a processor, a bus conversion chip, an identification interface, and n slave modules, where n ≥ 1. When n > 1, the first slave module to the nth slave module are connected sequentially. The slave module includes a slave interface and a slave controller. The slave controller is provided with one or more expansion interfaces for connecting to external electrical appliances. One end of the slave interface of the first slave module is connected to the identification interface, and the other end of the slave interface of the first slave module is connected to the slave controller of the first slave module. The slave interface of the first slave module is used to establish communication between the first slave module and the processor. The identification interface acts as a relay point, receiving and sending signals and communication data between the slave module and the processor; One end of the bus conversion chip is connected to the processor, and the other end of the bus conversion chip is connected to the identification interface, used to convert the type of communication data between the slave controller and the processor; The first end of the processor is connected to the identification interface for communicating with the slave module, and when the slave module does not have a communication address, the processor assigns a communication address to the slave module.
2. The interface circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interface circuit also includes a power module, one end of which is connected to the processor and the other end of which is connected to the identification interface, for supplying power to the slave module.
3. The interface circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The identification interface is used to send the signal to the processor after receiving the signal from the first slave module requesting the allocation of a communication address, and to send the communication address issued by the processor and converted by the bus conversion chip to the first slave module.
4. The interface circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data type received or sent by the processor is TTL signal.
5. The interface circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The data type received or sent from the module is a differential signal.
6. The interface circuit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The communication protocol of the interface circuit is RS-485.
7. The interface circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, When n > 1, the nth slave module receives the signal from the (n+1)th slave module requesting the allocation of a communication address, and then sends the signal to the (n-1)th slave module, and so on, until the first slave module. The first slave module receives the signal and sends it to the identification interface, and receives the communication address sent by the processor and converted by the bus conversion chip, which is fed back by the identification interface, and sends it to the second slave module, and so on, until the nth slave module feeds back the communication address to the (n+1)th slave module.
8. A charging cabinet, characterized in that, The charging cabinet includes: The interface circuit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The cabinet includes a charging circuit and houses the interface circuit.
9. The charging cabinet according to claim 8, characterized in that, The charging cabinet also includes a power supply unit, which is disposed inside the cabinet. The power supply unit is used to supply power to the components in the charging cabinet, and the power supplied by the power supply unit supplies power to the slave module of the interface circuit through the power module of the interface circuit.
10. The charging cabinet according to claim 8, characterized in that, The processor of the interface circuit is also used to control the charging circuit to charge external electrical appliances.