DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE CONNECTION OF A POWER SUPPLY UNIT TO A POWER SYSTEM - Patent application

Abstract

Disclosed is a power supply assembly comprising a power supply unit adapted to provide power to a user's device in accordance with the power requirements of the user's device, a power connection control unit, and an AC controllable switch configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source to the power supply unit in response to respective controls provided by the power connection control unit, the power connection control unit and the AC controllable switch being configured to maintain one of two states without consuming power, the two states of the power connection control unit being a set state adapted to switch the AC controllable switch on and a non-set state adapted to switch the AC controllable switch off, and when the power supply assembly is in the non-set state it is completely disconnected from the AC power source.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Many electrical devices, computers, appliances, etc. are powered or charged / recharged by an external power supply unit, which usually comprises an alternating current (AC) voltage adapter, such as a transformer, an AC-DC conversion unit adapted to convert the AC voltage at the output of the voltage adapter unit into a desired direct current (DC) of a certain voltage level and into a certain maximum consumable DC current. Usually, the input power system or AC power source to the AC voltage adapter remains connected permanently (or at least for a long period of time), thereby maintaining the input stage of the power supply unit under AC power, so that a residual current (also known as idle current or standby current) flows through the input stage. This can result not only in unwanted power consumption (which can be significant when many power supply units remain connected to AC power in this way), but also in a potential risk of fire, especially when the user of the device is outside the premises.

[0002] Many of the prior art circuits in the art designed to address this shortcoming use mechanical switches near the device to switch AC, high voltage, power directly near the device. Other prior art devices in the art use multiple electronic circuits that may completely cut off the idle / standby current from the primary side of the transformer, but consume power for their proper operation, thereby such solutions reduce the efficiency of the power supply unit by consuming more energy to drive different electronic components.

[0003] What is needed is a device and method that allows the input of a power supply unit to be completely disconnected from the AC power source when the power supply unit is not in use and remains plugged into a power socket, and allows the power supply unit to be connected to the AC power source when a user's device is required to be powered or charged, and that allows this function with negligible power consumption, preferably substantially zero power compared to the power required by known electronic or electrical solutions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Disclosed is a power supply assembly comprising a power supply unit adapted to provide power to a user's device in accordance with the power requirements of the user's device, a power connection control unit, and an AC controllable switch configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source to the power supply unit in response to respective controls provided by the power connection control unit, wherein the power connection control unit and the AC controllable switch are configured to maintain one of two states without consuming power, the two states of the power connection control unit being a set state adapted to switch the AC controllable switch on and a non-set state adapted to switch the AC controllable switch off, and wherein when the power supply assembly is in the non-set state, it is completely disconnected from the AC power source.

[0005] In some embodiments, the power supply assembly further comprises a manually operable switch unit adapted to enable a user to set the operational state of the power supply assembly to a configured state or a non-configured state.

[0006] In some embodiments, the power connection control unit comprises a latching relay controllable to a set state in response to a control signal provided to its set input terminal, or to a non-set state in response to a control signal provided to its non-set input terminal.

[0007] In some embodiments, the duration of the SET or NON-SET control signal need not be longer than 5 mS to change the state of a latching relay from not SET to SET or from SET to not SET.

[0008] In some embodiments, the energy that needs to be provided to the set or unset control terminal to change the state of a latching relay from unset to set or from set to unset need not exceed 250 μAh.

[0009] In some embodiments, the power supplies for the configuration and non-configuration control signals are independent from the AC power supply and from the output power of the power supply unit.

[0010] In some embodiments, power for at least the configuration control signals is received from a user's device, hi some further embodiments, power for at least the configuration control signals is received from a battery located in the user's device.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, power for the non-configuration control signals is received from a power supply unit of a power supply assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, the power connection unit is operable with a low voltage and the AC controllable switch is configured to connect and disconnect a high voltage AC power source, hi some further embodiments, the power connection unit is operable with a 3V DC power source and the AC controllable switch is configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source of 220V AC.

[0013] A method for controlling the connection and disconnection of a power supply assembly to an AC power source is disclosed, the power supply assembly comprising a power supply unit adapted to provide power to a user's device in accordance with power requirements of the user's device, a power connection control unit, and an AC controllable switch configured to connect and disconnect the AC power source to the power supply unit in response to respective controls provided by the power connection control unit, the method including receiving a set control signal at the power connection control unit and enabling connection of the AC power source to the power supply unit by setting the AC controllable switch to its set state, and receiving a non-set control signal at the power connection control unit and disabling connection of the AC power source to the power supply unit by setting the AC controllable switch to its non-set state.

[0014] In some embodiments, the configuration control signal is received from at least one of a manual control command or a physical connection of the power supply assembly to a user's device. In some further embodiments, the non-configuration control signal is received from at least one of a manual control command or a physical disconnection of the power supply assembly from the user's device.

[0015] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification, however, the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with its objects, features, and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a power supply assembly comprising a device for controlling connection and disconnection of a power supply (PS) unit to / from an AC power source according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2A-2B] 2A-2C are schematic block diagrams of a bistable memory device and a timing diagram of the operation of a bistable memory device, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present invention; [Figure 2C] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a bistable memory device embodied by a latching relay. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a power supply assembly constructed and operative in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of another power supply assembly constructed and operative in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5A-5F] 1 is a schematic diagram of a connector and a state selection switch according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5G] 1 is a schematic 3D view of a connector adapted to provide power from a user's device, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5H] 1 is a partial schematic diagram of a connector according to some embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6A-6B]1A-1C are schematic block diagrams of two exemplary embodiments for controlling the connection of a user's device to a power source using light energy, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements.

[0018] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

[0019] Please refer to Fig. 1, which is a schematic block diagram of a main unit of a power supply assembly 100 comprising a connection control unit 130 for controlling the connection and disconnection of the power supply (PS) unit to / from an AC power source, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The assembly 100 may comprise a power supply unit 110 having a controlled AC connection and a PS unit 120 adapted to receive the controlled connection AC power from an AC power socket and provide DC power at a predetermined voltage level and a predetermined maximum available DC current. The assembly 100 further comprises a power connection control unit 130 adapted to control the connection and disconnection of the AC power to / from the PS unit 120. The PS unit 120 may be any known power supply device configured to convert an AC input voltage to a supply AC or DC voltage.

[0020] The line of the AC input voltage to the PS unit 120 is provided with an AC switch 132 adapted to connect or disconnect the PS unit 120 to or from the input AC line. A power connection control (PCC) unit 130 may be configured to control the closing or opening of the AC switch 132, thereby connecting or disconnecting the PS unit 120 to or from the AC power source. Control of the operation of the PCC unit 130 may, in some embodiments, be performed using a manually operable switch unit 130A configured to allow the state of the PCC unit 130 to be changed between a "set" and a "not set" state. In some other or additional embodiments, control of the operation of the PCC unit 130 may be performed by a switch assembly that may be operated in response to the connection or disconnection of the power supply assembly 110 to / from a user's electrical equipment 140. In some embodiments, a "set" signal and / or a "not set" signal may be provided by a connected / disconnected user device, as indicated by dashed arrow 142 and described in more detail below.

[0021] In some embodiments of the invention, the PCC unit 130 may comprise a bistable memory device configured to be controlled to transition from a first position (or state) to a second position (or state) in response to a corresponding control signal(s). According to some embodiments of the invention, the bistable memory device may not require electrical energy to maintain either of its two stable positions (or states). According to some embodiments of the invention, the amount of current required to cause the bistable memory device to change its state may be as low as 50-100 mA. The type of signal required to change the state of the bistable memory device from one state to another may be an instantaneous signal, lasting for only a few milliseconds or less, and in some embodiments, the signal need not last longer than 1 millisecond. The voltage levels of the control signals of the bistable memory device may be selected to best fit the voltage range used in the power supply assembly 100. For example, a typical non-rechargeable coin cell battery of 3V DC with a capacity of 175mAh can provide at least several thousand pulses to change a bi-stable memory device, allowing a battery life of more than two years before replacement, assuming an associated charging device is plugged in for charging twice each day.

[0022] Reference is now made to Figures 2A and 2B, which are schematic block diagrams of a bistable memory device 210 and a time diagram of the operation of the bistable memory device 210, respectively, according to some embodiments of the invention. The bistable memory device 210 may have at least two control inputs, namely input set 1 (210A) and input set 2 (210B), and at least one output (210C). The output 210C may be in only one of its two states "a" and "b" and is configured to change state from "a" to "b" and back depending on a control signal provided to either the input 210A or the input 210B. The bistable memory device 210 is configured to maintain its state without consuming any electrical energy unless an inverting control signal is provided. The bistable memory device 210 is further configured to respond to very short control signals (effectively control pulses) that consume an insignificant amount of energy to invert the state of the device 210. The time graph of Figure 2B illustrates the operation of the device 210. At time t0, output 210C of device 210 is in state "b". At time t1, a control pulse is provided to input 210A, causing device 210 to change its output state to state "a". At time t2, a control pulse is provided to input 210B, causing device 210 to change its output state to state "b", and so on. It should be noted that the "truth table" of device 210 does not allow for the simultaneous provision of control signals to both inputs 210A and 210B, although in fact many commercially available bistable memory devices are provided with circuitry / mechanisms that address that situation.

[0023] Reference is now made to FIG. 2C, which is a schematic block diagram of a bistable memory and switch device 250 embodied by a latching relay. The bistable memory and switch device 250 may comprise two logically distinct functions, namely a state maintenance function 250A and an AC switching function 250B, which are separated by a dashed line in FIG. 2C. Although the latching relay embodies the two functions in a single device, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that these functions may be embodied in different units in other readily available configurations. As is known in the art, the latching relay may be controlled to cause its relay connecting the output common terminal to either terminal 250Ca or to terminal 250Cb, depending on an instantaneous control signal that may be provided between the CTRL common terminal and either one of the control terminals 250A or 250B. The bistable memory device 250 is configured to operate according to the operation scheme illustrated in FIG. 2B. Although the examples described herein below describe some embodiments of the invention that use latching relays as bistable memory devices, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other bistable memory devices that operate according to the scheme of Figures 2A and 2B can be used, such as bistable memory devices based on semiconductor technology. It will further be apparent to one skilled in the art that for the specific requirements of a power supply assembly, such as power supply assembly 100 of Figure 1, a suitable bistable memory device can be selected whose output terminal switching capabilities meet the operating requirements of the assembly and whose control input terminal characteristics meet the operating voltage of the assembly.

[0024] It will further be apparent to one skilled in the art that latching relays having any number of different control schemes may be utilized, such as a latching relay that requires the polarity of its single control input terminal to be reversed in order to reverse its state, as is known in the art. Although the examples described herein below are given using latching relays similar to latching relay 250, many of these examples may, mutatis mutandis, be implemented using latching relays with reversible input control schemes, semiconductor-based latching relays, and the like.

[0025] Reference is now made to Figure 3, which is a schematic block diagram of a power supply assembly 300 constructed and operative in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The assembly 300 comprises a power supply (PS) unit 310 adapted to convert an AC power input voltage, such as the AC voltage available at a household AC wall socket, into a DC voltage (or possibly an AC voltage) required to power (and / or charge and / or recharge) a user's device 350. The assembly 300 further comprises a latching relay 320 configured to control the connection or disconnection of AC current to the PS 310 in response to a control signal provided to its SET input 320A or to its non-set input 320B. The latching relay 320 is wired such that when a control signal is provided to its SET input 320A, an electrical connection is made between the relay's selectable terminal 320oA and its common output terminal 320oC, thereby closing an electrical circuit and providing power to the PS unit 310. When a control signal is provided to the non-set input terminal 320B, the latching relay 320 sets its output to its B state, thereby disconnecting the AC voltage from the AC power source and completely disconnecting the assembly 300 from AC power.

[0026] The very low power required to control the state of the latching relay 320 may be received from an internal battery, a rechargeable battery, a rechargeable supercapacitor, a small power supply circuit such as a 3V 0.5W AC-DC power supply circuit, etc., as known in the art. As seen in FIG. 3, a battery 330 may provide power for the set and non-set control signals. Selection of the operating mode (connecting or disconnecting the assembly 300 to / from an AC power source) may be performed using a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch 340 configured to allow momentary connection of the center pole to either the first or second output poles, each of which is in contact with a return spring, with the center rest position being unconnected to either of the output poles. If the latching relay is of the type having a single reversible input control scheme, the necessary modifications may be made to the circuit connecting the battery 330 to the latching relay 320 via an appropriate switch, as known in the art.

[0027] It should be noted that the energy for setting and disabling the state of the latching relay 320 is stored in and provided by a local and independent power source, the battery 330. This allows the operation of the assembly 330 to be completely independent of connection to an external AC mains power source. With proper selection of the operating parameters of the latching relay 320 and of the battery 330, the assembly 300 can be controlled through thousands or tens of thousands of switching cycles on and off. With the addition of a recharging unit (not shown) and powered by power from the PS unit 310, the life of the battery 330 can be virtually unlimited.

[0028] According to some embodiments, a small power supply circuit such as an AC-DC converter (e.g., a 3V 0.5W AC-DC converter) may be used as the PS for setting and unsetting the state of the latching relay 320. In such a configuration, operation of the device with improved control may be supported while reducing power consumption during idle states.

[0029] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is a schematic block diagram of a power supply assembly 400 constructed and operable in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The assembly 400 is similar to the assembly 300 described with respect to FIG. 3, with the modification that the battery providing power for the control signals is located within (or attached to) the user's device 450, rather than the assembly 400. All other units and elements of the assembly 400 may be constructed, connected, and operated similarly to the respective units and elements of the assembly 300. The assembly 400 may be connected to the user's device 450 through at least four wires (or at least three wires, where a common line can be used to both provide power and enable the battery connection). Two of the wires provide the supply voltage and two of the wires provide DC power to the assembly 400 from the battery 452 of the user's device 450. In some embodiments, the assembly 400 may be connected to the user's device 450 through a dedicated connector 402. Operation of the assembly 400 may be initiated by manually connecting the assembly 400 to a user's device 450, optionally by means of the connector 402. At this stage, the latching relay is in a non-set state and the assembly 400 is not connected to an AC power source. When the assembly 400 is manually connected to the user's device 450, a battery 452 (external to the assembly 400) of the user's device 450 provides power to the center pole of the switch 440, allowing it to provide a set signal to the latching relay 420. When the assembly 400 is set to an operational state, it may provide power to the user's device 450. Setting the assembly 400 to a non-set state may be done by power provided by the battery 452 when the assembly 400 is still connected to the user's device 450. Setting the assembly 400 to the non-set state can also be done when the assembly 400 is already disconnected from the user's device 450, relying on power provided by the PS unit 410 via line 410c3, which is powered as long as the latching relay 420 is in the "set" state.

[0030] In some embodiments, control of the operating state of the assembly 400 (set or not set) may be done directly from the user's device 450 if the user's device 450 is configured to provide "set" and "not set" control signals adapted to operate the latching relay 420. In such an embodiment, lines 452A and 452B are not required and lines 454A and 454B may be used to allow the "set" and "not set" signals to be provided directly from the user's device, respectively. The mechanism in the user's device 450 that controls the "set" and "not set" control signals should comply with the operation scheme of the latching relay 420. In this embodiment, switching the assembly 400 to either the "set" or "not set" state must be done when the assembly 400 is connected to the user's device 450.

[0031] It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that certain other combinations of control switches and / or batteries and / or wiring of an external battery (e.g., associated with a user's device) may be used in accordance with the scope of embodiments of the invention to provide certain different operating schemes, for example, operated either manually or automatically.

[0032] In some embodiments, the connection of a power assembly such as assembly 300 or 400 to a user's device such as user's device 350 or 450 may be made using a dedicated connector assembly, which may, for example, comprise a male portion of the connector and a mating female portion. The two parts of the connector may be designed to provide wiring to connect the power supply from the power assembly (e.g., power assembly 300 or 400) to the user's device and, optionally, to enable connection of a battery associated with the user's device. The two parts of the connector may also be designed, according to some embodiments of the invention, to initiate a momentary "set" control signal upon complete insertion of the outer part of the connector into its mating connector part of the user's device and a momentary "unset" control signal when the connector parts are pulled apart, thus performing a toggle-like operation or operating according to a "hysteresis" profile, i.e., an operating profile in which the state of the system depends on its history. Reference is now made to FIGS. 5A-5F, which are schematic illustrations of a connector 500 and a state selection switch 510 according to some embodiments of the invention. The connector 500 may comprise two main parts, as shown in Fig. 5A, a power connector section 502 adapted to be electrically and mechanically connected to a compatible socket (not shown) that may be incorporated into or part of a user's device, and a state selection switch section 510 that may be connected to or mechanically part of the power connector section 502 so as to move together. The state selection switch (SSS) section 510 is configured to make a momentary electrical connection between several internal connection pads to provide a momentary "set" or "not set" control signal, as described hereinbelow with respect to Figs. 5B-5F. The SSS 510 comprises three main parts, an external housing 510A, a set of internal moving conductive pads 510B, and a set of internal stationary conductive pads 510C.

[0033] The internal moving set 510B is adapted to move relative to the internal stationary set 510C in response to a mechanical force pressing against the tip 510B1, which is configured to begin to move when the connector 500 begins to be inserted into a matching socket made in a user's device. The internal moving set 510B comprises a return spring (not shown) adapted to press against the internal set 510B when the external force on the tip 510B1 is removed. The operation of the SSS 510 is explained in Figs. 5C-5F. Fig. 5C shows the relative position of the moving set 510B with respect to the stationary set 510C in an unpressed position. In Figs. 5D-5F, the moving set 510B and the stationary set 510C are shown in schematic form for greater clarity. The moving set 510B comprises pads 510B2, 510B3, and 510B4 that are mechanically connected to the tip 510B1 so that they move together but are electrically isolated from each other. The static set 510C comprises a conductive pad 510C1 to which a "set" output terminal is connected, pads 510C2 and 510C4 electrically connected to each other, a pad 510C3 to which a "non-set" output terminal is connected, and a pad 510C5 to which a "supply" input terminal adapted to provide a control voltage is connected. The reference numerals used in Fig. 5D are repeated in Figs. 5E and 5F as used in Fig. 5D, but they are not presented in order not to obscure the drawings.

[0034] The SSS 510 is shown in the unpressed position in FIG. 5D, with the tip 510B1 already touching the side case of the user's device. FIG. 5E shows the SSS 510 being moved towards the user's device as the connector 502 is inserted into a matching socket made in the user's device, with the tip 510B1 being pressed against the case of the user's device, moving the moving set 510B to the left side of the page. As the connector 502 nears the end of its insertion, the moving set 510B reaches an instantaneous position close to its final position relative to the stationary set 510C. In this instantaneous position, as shown by the dashed line 510E1 in FIG. 5E, a series of connection bridges are formed to allow the flow of control voltage from the supply terminal pad 510C5, through pads 510B2, 510C4, 510B4, 510C2, and 510C1 towards the "set" output terminal. When the moving set 510B reaches its final position, the associated connector 500 is fully inserted into the socket of the user's device, the series of connection bridges described above are discarded, and no power is provided to either the "set" output terminal 510C1 or the "unset" terminal 510C3.

[0035] 5F shows the instantaneous position of moving set 510B relative to stationary set 510C during the operation of removing connector 502 from its socket. With the mechanical force on tip 510B1 removed, moving set 510B is pushed (e.g., by a return spring) to the right side of the page, and at a certain position, as shown by dashed line 510F1, a continuous electrical path is formed between supply terminal 510C5 and "not set" terminal 510C3 through pads 510B3, 510C4, 510C2, and 510B4, thereby providing an instantaneous "not set" signal.

[0036] In some embodiments, the connector 500 can be modified to allow for wireless charging by replacing the connector portion 502 with a wireless charging unit that, when a user device is placed on top of or attached to it, depresses a state selection switch, thereby energizing the charging unit.

[0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the connector 500 may be modified to allow for the provision of controlled power from a permanent controlled voltage source in the user's device, such as an internal battery of the user's device, by adding at least one connection to the connector 502, as shown in connector 502' of FIG. 5G, which is referred to herein. The connector 502' comprises a central pit 502'PWR, which provides power to the user's device, a first peripheral ring 502'BAT, which provides battery power from the user's device to a power supply assembly, such as the power supply assembly 300 or 400. The connector 502' further comprises a second peripheral ring 502'GR, which provides a common lead of the power supply assembly to the user's device.

[0038] Reference is now made to FIG. 5H, which is a partial schematic diagram of a connector 5000 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The connector 5000 illustrates another embodiment that embodies a "set" and "unset" switch in a connector adapted to connect the output of a power assembly, such as the power assembly 300 or 400, to a user's device and transition the power assembly to a "set" state when the connector is inserted into its mating socket and transition the power assembly back to a "unset" state when the connector is removed from its socket. The connector assembly 5000 comprises a connector male portion 5100 and a connector female (or socket) portion 5200. The connector male portion 5100 comprises at least two power pins 5102 and 5104, a first switch arrangement 5110, and a second switch assembly 5120. The first switch assembly may comprise spring-loaded leave contacts 5114 and 5116 that are positioned in close proximity to one another with a thin air gap between them. The first switch assembly may further include a first actuation pin 5112 arranged to protrude from an outer envelope of the male part 5100 and configured to be pressed against an inner surface of the female part 5200 when the male part 5100 is inserted into the female part 5200. When the first actuation pin is pressed, it closes the gap between the contacts 5114 and 5116.

[0039] The second switch assembly 5120 may include spring reed contacts 5124, 5126, and 5128 arranged in close proximity to one another such that an electrical connection exists between contacts 5124 and 5126 and a thin air gap exists between contacts 5126 and 5128. The second switch assembly may further include a second actuation pin 5122 arranged to protrude from the outer envelope of the male part 5100 and configured to be pressed against an inner surface of the female part 5200 when the male part 5100 is inserted into the female part 5200.

[0040] The female part 5200 is made with at least one hole 5202 made through its outer tubular envelope 5201 and one elongated slot 5204 made through its outer tubular envelope 5201 and extending from the inlet to the female part 5200. The through slot 5204 is made such that the second actuation pin 5122 protrudes therethrough during the beginning of insertion of the male part 5100 and until the male part 5100 is located in the first insertion position 5100', and the through hole 5202 is made such that the first actuation pin 5112 protrudes therethrough when the male part 5100 is located in the second insertion position 5100''. As can be seen from positions 5100' and 5100'' of the male part 5100, in the first insertion position 5100' the first pin 5112 is depressed, whereby contact pins 5114 and 5116 make contact, and the second pin remains undepressed as it moves through the slot 5204, whereby the state of contacts 5124, 5126, and 5128 remains the same as in the fully removed position. During the transition to the second insertion position 5100'', initially the first pin 5112 remains depressed and the second pin 5122 is depressed, whereby the state of their respective contacts is reversed, then the first pin 5112 is released through the hole 5202 and the second pin 5122 remains depressed. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the alternating states of the first switch assembly 5100 and the second switch assembly 5120 may be used to change the state of each power supply assembly to a "set" state when the male portion 5100 of the connector 5000 is fully inserted into the female portion 5200, and that a simple change in the state of each of the switch assemblies 5110 and 5120 may change the state of the power supply assembly back to an "unset" state. It will further be apparent to one skilled in the art that other switch assemblies may be used that comply with the general operational requirement of causing the connecting action of the connectors of the power supply assemblies to change the state of the power supply assembly to a "set" state and to an "unset" state when the male portion of the connector is pulled away from the female portion.

[0041] In some embodiments, initiation of operation of the power connection control unit may be controlled from an external remote controller and receiving circuitry external to the power supply assembly.

[0042] In some embodiments, the source of energy for initially operating the user's device may be provided from a remote controller that is configured to emit light energy to a solar panel that may convert the light energy into electrical power that initiates the process of connecting the user's device to a power source.

[0043] Reference is now made to Figures 6A and 6B, which are schematic block diagrams of two exemplary embodiments 600, 600', respectively, for controlling the connection of a user's device to a power source, for example with light energy or any other form of energy, such as a battery or any other small power source, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The assembly 600, 600' comprises a power supply (PS) unit 610 adapted to convert an AC power input voltage, such as the AC voltage available at a home AC wall socket, into a DC voltage (or possibly an AC voltage) required to power (and / or charge and / or recharge) the user's device 650. The assembly 600, 600' further comprises a power connection control device 620 configured to control the connection or disconnection of AC current to the PS 610 in response to a control signal provided to its SET input or to its non-set input, for example similar to the operation of the device 320 of Figure 3. To completely disconnect the user's device 650 and its power connection circuitry 610, 620 from any power source while the system is in a disconnected state, the initial source of energy to change the state of the assembly 600 from "disconnected" to "connected" may be received from an external remote control unit 680 via an IR controller 660 that controls the switch 640. For example, the remote control unit 680 is configured to send a signal to the power connection control device 620 via the IR controller 660 using any known wireless communication method, thereby controlling the switch 640 to connect or disconnect power from the PS 610 to the user's device 650. In some embodiments, the IR controller 660, or other receiver type and / or switch 640, may be provided with a small power supply circuit, such as a 3V 0.5W AC-DC power supply circuit or a battery.

[0044] In a non-limiting example, the remote control unit 680 is configured to perform at least two functions, preferably simultaneously. First, the remote control unit 680 may be adapted to emit light energy to the solar panel 670, and second, the remote control unit 680 may be adapted to emit light energy to the IR controller 660 and to the controller 660. The emission of light to the panel 670 may provide sufficient electrical energy to set the power control unit 620 to its "set" state, and the emission of a coded light signal to the controller 660 (which may be powered by electricity generated by the panel 670) may trigger the provision of power to provide the "set" control signal to the device 620, for example via a very low energy switch 640 (e.g., a MOSFET transistor). According to this embodiment, the entire assembly 600 does not store electrical energy while in its "disconnected" state.

[0045] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, the light energy of the remote control unit 680 may be used only to activate the IR controller 660' to enable it to provide a "set" signal to the switch 640', while the energy to change the state of the device 620 to the "set" state may be received from the internal battery 642.

[0046] Both the embodiments of Figures 6a and 6b are examples of how even the very low power consumption associated with the "standby" state of a device such as a TV set that is intended to remain permanently connected to a power source can be saved, which, when properly calculated, can amount to a non-trivial amount when environmental considerations are taken into account.

[0047] In other embodiments, a similar configuration can be designed to power only the IR receiving circuitry of a user's device that is permanently connected to power and also transmit a signal to the device's RC controller receiver. This can be done by connecting the output at the IR controller to the device's circuitry with only the remote control unit 680, the photovoltaic panel 670, and the IR controller 660. With this embodiment, devices that need to be continuously connected to a battery-operated power source or devices can still at least save energy wasted "standing by" for an IR signal.

[0048] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art, and it will therefore be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A power supply assembly comprising: a power supply unit adapted to provide power to a user device according to a power requirement of said user device; A local power source; and a power connection control unit, the power connection control unit comprising: a first switch configured to connect a second switch and the local power source; a second switch configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source to and from the power supply unit in response to respective controls provided by the power connection control unit; the second switch is configured to maintain both (i) a set state in which the power supply unit is connected to the AC power source and (ii) a non-set state in which the power supply unit is disconnected from the AC power source, and maintains both the set state and the non-set state without consuming power; the first switch is configured to maintain two states without consuming power from either one of the local power source and the AC power source, the two states being a set state adapted to switch an AC controllable switch on and a non-set state adapted to switch the AC controllable switch off; The power supply assembly, when the power supply unit is in its non-configured state, is completely disconnected from the AC power source.

2. 10. The power supply assembly of claim 1, further comprising a manually operable switch unit adapted to enable a user to set an operational state of the power supply assembly to a configured state or a non-configured state.

3. 2. The power assembly of claim 1, wherein the power connection control unit comprises a latching relay controllable to be in a set state in response to a control signal provided to a set input terminal thereof or to be in a non-set state in response to a control signal provided to the set input terminal thereof.

4. 4. The power supply assembly of claim 3, wherein the duration of a SET or NON-SET control signal does not need to be longer than 5 mS to change the state of the latching relay from not SET to SET or from SET to not SET.

5. 4. The power supply assembly of claim 3, wherein the energy required to be provided to the set or unset control terminal to change the state of the latching relay from unset to set or from set to unset does not need to exceed 250 μAh.

6. 2. The power supply assembly of claim 1, wherein power sources for configuration and non-configuration control signals are independent from the AC power source and from the output power of the power supply unit.

7. 7. The power assembly of claim 6, wherein said power source for at least said configuration control signals is received from a device of said user.

8. 8. The power assembly of claim 7, wherein the power source for at least the configuration control signal is received from a battery located in the user's device.

9. 8. The power supply assembly of claim 7, wherein the power supply for the non-configuration control signals is received from the power supply unit of the power supply assembly.

10. 1. A method for controlling the connection and disconnection of a power supply assembly to an AC power source, the power supply assembly comprising a power supply unit adapted to provide power to a user's device in accordance with a power requirement of the user's device, a power connection control unit, and an AC controllable switch configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source to and from the power supply unit in response to respective controls provided by the power connection control unit, the method comprising: receiving a first momentary electrical connection associated with a set control signal at a second switch of the power connection control unit; enabling connection of AC power to the power supply unit by setting the second switch to its set state; receiving a non-configuration control signal at the power connection control unit; receiving a second momentary electrical connection associated with a non-set control signal at the second switch; and disabling connection of AC power to the power supply unit by setting the second switch to its non-set state; The method, wherein the second switch is configured to maintain the set or unset state without consuming power.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the configuration control signal is received from at least one of a manual control command or a physical connection of the power supply assembly to a device of the user.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the non-configuration control signal is received from at least one of a manual control command or a physical disconnection of the power supply assembly from the user's device.

13. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the power connection unit is operable with a low voltage and the AC controllable switch is configured to connect and disconnect a high voltage AC power source.

14. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the power connection unit is operable with a 3V DC power source and the AC controllable switch is configured to connect and disconnect an AC power source of 220V AC.

15. 10. The power supply assembly of claim 1, wherein the power connection control unit is configured to maintain one of two states without consuming power.

16. 10. The power supply assembly of claim 1, further comprising an external remote control configured to send a signal to a power connection control device via a receiving circuit to connect or disconnect the AC power source.

17. 13. The power supply assembly of claim 1, further comprising an external remote control, a receiver, and a controllable switch connected to the receiver, the external remote control configured to send a signal to the receiver in a power connection control device that controls the switch to connect or disconnect the AC power source.

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