Universal charging / docking station and cradle with intelligent updating and power configuration and modular physical structure

Abstract

To provide a comprehensive system that can physically support a charging dock and is universal in its ability to accommodate new or different electronic devices of varying sizes, voltages, and the like.SOLUTION: A docking station and charging cradle for holding and charging devices, has a charging feature of being adaptable to practically receive and charge any type of portable electronic devices, and includes a base that can be removed and used by itself as a cradle and charger on a flat surface. The base includes at least one docking cavity that can physically and electrically couple the base to portable electronic devices such that the devices are supported by the dock while the devices are being charged. A modular adapter with firmware auto-update can also be inserted into the docking cavity to reconfigure the cavity to physically support a different type of device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 620,274, filed on January 12, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Attempts have been known in the industry to provide multi-purpose charging docks for electronic devices, such as the "2-Device Universal Charging Unit" available from GPSLockbox® of Las Vegas, Nevada, and other types of charging docks. These products and others lack, among other things, the ability to provide versatility beyond just two charging pins, or the ability to adapt to different electronic devices by varying the voltage according to, for example, intelligent firmware and / or special circuitry, and are essentially just glorified extensions of standard USB adapters. Other attempts have been made to intentionally vary the voltage, such as those seen in Patent Document 1, one exemplary document incorporated by reference herein, but these known approaches also lack both of the aforementioned variable pin provisions and the intelligent circuitry mentioned above for automatically detecting the required voltage of a given inserted device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Such defects mean that different devices cannot be used in a single charging dock because voltage requirements vary across different electronic devices, or because there is a physical incompatibility between the docking cavity and the electronic device, preventing the docking station from physically supporting a different type of device than what it was originally designed to support. Additionally, such charging docks are often required in both stationary environments (such as desks, table tops, etc.) and mobile environments (such as automobiles, forklifts, golf carts, etc.). Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive system that can physically support such docks and is universal in its ability to accommodate new or different electronic devices of various sizes, voltages, etc., for all applications. Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] A universal charging docking station and cradle with an intelligent power configuration having a modular physical structure are disclosed, enabling an automobile or non-automobile vehicle (such as a forklift, golf cart, construction machinery, motorcycle / ATV, etc.) equipped with a charger system that can be used for a long time, even when exchanging or upgrading to different or special phone models, simply by replacing a spacer that fits within the charging cavities of the universal charging docking station and cradle unit. This modular design concept also includes firmware and / or micro-logic embedded in a special circuit that can be used to automatically detect the spacer type and thereby the size / type of the electronic device (typically a phone or possibly a tablet, etc.) inserted into the universal charging docking station and cradle. The charging base has at least one pin, or more generally two to four pins, that detect the module type and provide appropriate power to each module. Each module uses a special logic flow based on an algorithm to provide customized and optimized power to a given electronic device. The electronic device can be held within the cradle for retention as an attachment within a physically movable vehicle when seated or positioned within the universal charging docking station and cradle, and / or removed from the cradle so that the charger can be used as a desktop cradle while functioning as a stabilizing lip for stabilization within the base stand.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] At the broadest level, the present invention relates to a charging dock for charging at least two portable electronic devices, the charging dock comprising at least one charging station having at least one docking cavity adapted to mount and hold the device in a stable position while the charging station is charging the power source of the portable electronic device, at least one spacer dimensioned to be disposed substantially inside the at least one docking cavity, thereby defining the internal dimensions of the docking cavity for receiving a given portable electronic device having a given shape and size when inserted therein, and an intelligent charging module connected to the charging station, the intelligent charging module having a special circuit for detecting the correct voltage level and adjusting the resulting voltage level when charging a given said portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the present invention can further include a firmware update circuit for firmware for updating the charging station and the spacer, a plurality of charging pins, a unified program and debug interface type connection with a single wire, and a cradle for fixing the electronic device when attached to a moving vehicle. In a further alternative embodiment, the present invention can further include a "download spacer" that communicates with the charging station.

[0008] Figure 1 shows a diagram of a universal charging / docking station and cradle 100 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, having optional attachment means (which can be automotive attachment means 105 in one embodiment). As seen in Figure 2, alternative embodiments can be in many different forms, such as one illustrative example shown as non-automotive attachment means 110. Regardless of the type of attachment means used (including cases where no attachment means are used, as in the stand-alone embodiment described later), the universal charging / docking station and cradle 100 includes a substantially vertical body portion 115 with at least one attached charger or charging station 400, and a substantially horizontal attachment arm 116 for holding the charger 400 (and thus any electronic device docked within the charger 400), and has a cradle 117 in which the charger 400 is held by compression (clamping) between the attachment arms 116. Each docking station includes at least one charging pin 125 disposed within a supporting charger cavity 140, at least one spacer 130 (shown as a plurality of spacers nested within each other inside the charging cavity 140), and a connector 135 adapted to physically and electrically connect a portable electronic device to an electronic device seated within the charger cavity 140. The supporting inner cavity 140 is formed, in one embodiment, on the upper surface of the body portion 120 of the charger 400. The body portion 120 receives power through a household plug and cable (or through an optional battery) and includes an internal voltage regulation circuit that converts that power to the voltage and current required by the device for which the connector 135 in the charging station 400 is designed. In the illustrated embodiment, the charging station 400 includes at least one pin connector 125 adapted to couple to an electronic device such as a tablet or mobile phone. However, if desired, alternative types of connectors can be used, such as inductive charger solutions known in the art.

[0009] One alternative embodiment provides a multi-bay cradle solution rather than a single-bay solution, allowing the user to charge any desired number of devices simultaneously. Due to the novel versatility of the present invention, it is possible to charge different devices simply by changing the device spacers on the cradle base. By way of comparison, a given cradle can be configured for multiple charging cavities 140 (each charging cavity 140 accepting its own spacer 130, whether the spacers 130 are the same size and voltage or different), so that a 1-slot cradle can charge up to two devices simultaneously (in one embodiment), while a 5-slot cradle can charge up to ten devices in one embodiment. Charging of the charging station 400 can be accomplished via any means known in the art, for example, using USB-C, USB PD, a Samsung AFC charger, and a charging adapter that can update the firmware of the cradle base and device spacers.

[0010] Thus, the modular adapter or spacer 130 allows the user to customize the charging station 400 to accept a particular type of device to be charged. The adapter is preferably constructed from a single piece of plastic or various sizes and provisions. The adapter 130 can be inserted into the supporting inner cavity 140 of a given charging station 400 to configure the station to accept different types of portable electronic devices. The spacer 130 changes the inner dimensions of the supporting inner cavity 140 (either narrowing or expanding as in the case of a larger tablet, etc.) so that devices of different sizes and shapes can be securely held by the cavity 140. Holes (not shown) in the spacer 130 allow the connector 135 to be coupled to a corresponding connector on the device being charged through the adapter.

[0011] In one embodiment, a base 4-pin implementation is provided. In this exemplary embodiment (each of which is not necessarily shown), what is called VBUS is essentially the pin that connects the VBUS power of the spacer 130, the GND, or ground pin connects the GND of the spacer, while the Status / UPDI pin is used to check the status of the device / battery mounted on the spacer, or for the base / spacer status signal for determining device insertion / removal, and / or the signal for determining the completion of battery charging, download the firmware, update the firmware using UPDI 1-wire communication, and then utilize the spacer ID pin for reading the unique ID value between the spacers.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 7A, an electronic device such as a tablet (not shown) or a mobile phone is supported in an upright (or other stable positions such as flat, reclined, diagonal, etc.) position so that the display and control unit (not shown) of the device is easily accessible. This is particularly important for mobile phones and digital media players that frequently require charging while in use. In addition, the upright mounting posture allows an individual user to more easily identify their specific device when it is mounted near similar types of devices. The adapter allows the chamber to be reconfigured to firmly support the device in an upright position when mounted in the cavity, even if the device has different dimensions.

[0013] As shown through FIGS. 7A - 12, an exemplary portion of the intelligent power control circuit is shown in FIG. 7B, which in a multi - bay embodiment includes a main MCU 710, a power control unit 720, a power delivery unit 730, a regulator 740 (which converts the received DC power to the required charging voltage and supplies this to the spacer 130 regardless of changes in the input voltage), an electronic fuse 750 (which protects the docked device and charger 400 by using under - voltage protection (UVP), over - voltage protection (OVP), over - current protection (OCP), and over - temperature protection (OTP) to stop power supply or reduce current if a fault is detected), and a multiplexer 760, all of which are found in the charger 400 in one embodiment. By providing such, it enables the appropriate output voltage and current for a given electronic device docked to the charger 400 that is adapted to couple to the device for which the spacer 130 is designed. Each docking station has a connector 135 adapted to mate with the particular device to be charged. The charging voltage from an exemplary USB input as seen in FIG. 8 is electrically coupled to appropriate electrical contacts (pins) on the connector and charges the device when the device is docked to the charging station 400. The modular spacer 130 can be snapped or otherwise fitted into the charging station 400 so as to connect to the charging station 400 and configure the docking station to accept alternative types of electronic devices. Using these spacers 130, a wide range of alternative voltages can be provided for different devices by changing the voltage output electrically connected to the charging contacts of the adapter output. In one embodiment, a variable pin provision is provided along with the intelligent circuit mentioned above for automatically detecting the required voltage of the inserted given device. Thus, with an appropriate set of adapters or spacers, the user can configure the charger to accept a particular type of the device being used, for example, by downloading through the UPDI module (as will be described later) into the logic / circuit in which microcode etc. is embedded rather than using, for example, a USB port.

[0014] The present invention provides novel input power detection within charger 400, which executes the steps outlined in FIG. 9 at the levels of main microcontroller unit (MCU) 710, power control section 720, and power delivery section 730. Other novel features provided within charger 400 include an insertion spacer detection process, the steps of which are outlined in FIG. 10. An additional point of novelty relates to a process for device fault detection, which examines temperature irregularities and the presence of faults, the steps of which are outlined in FIG. 11.

[0015] Constantly charging any given battery of a novel device, or any electronic device charged from a battery, will shorten the battery's life cycle and may ultimately cause the battery to catch fire. Therefore, it is desirable to stop charging the battery when it is fully charged and recharge the battery periodically to maintain the battery charge level. Thus, a novel battery recharge monitor is provided that can minimize power consumption and maximize the battery's life cycle all the while. Within charging station 400 and / or spacer 130, in one exemplary embodiment, there is provided microcode that executes the steps in FIG. 12, including monitoring the time since the last charge, the need for charge start and charge completion, and means for setting a flag based on such determinations, as well as a special circuit having the ability to determine the device type (e.g., mobile phone, etc.).

[0016] Continuing with reference to FIGS. 13 - 15, in an alternative embodiment, a unified program and debug interface (UPDI) type connection with a 1 - wire - based module, an essentially wired half - duplex serial bus typically provides low - speed (16.3 kbit / s) data communication and a supply voltage via a single conductor. This connection can be used as a download path for firmware updates for which a spacer and / or base may be required for a given type of smart device that requires recharging. FIG. 13 thus shows an exemplary block diagram of the present invention in one embodiment with a 1 - wire implementation of the physical and data connections between a host, a spacer, and a cradle. FIG. 14 shows an exemplary flow diagram of a charger of the present invention with intelligent logic implementing an innovative firmware update function, while FIG. 15 shows, in more detail, an exemplary flow diagram of a charger of the present invention with intelligent logic implementing an innovative firmware update function, and the process flow between the overall charging device and the associated hardware parts included therein. Guided by the exemplary flow processes in the figures referred to herein, each hardware element can then perform its respective function. Specifically, the base or charging station 400 is supplied with an innovative micro - coded special logic circuit that implements the referenced flow process responsible for determining the type of power supplied from an external power source via 720 and / or 730, and distinguishing whether a spacer 130 is installed, and supplying the corresponding level of power. A regulator 740 can be used to convert the received DC power to the required charging voltage and supply this to the spacer 130. After the spacer ID is assigned using a predetermined pull - down resistance value and the analog - to - digital conversion is used to convert the predetermined pull - down resistance to a digital value, the main MCU 710 recognizes the spacer ID. In essence, the main MCU 710 has a generated list or table with fixed digital values converted from a given predetermined pull - down resistance. Each digital value matches a predetermined pull - down resistance value of the spacer ID.If the new circuit is not recognized as supporting a device with a spacer ID, it will not supply power to the spacer to protect the device and / or any of its accessories. If a download spacer is recognized, the aforementioned circuit switches the status pin to the UPDI pin for one-wire communication. Thereafter, charger 400 supplies an appropriate voltage (e.g., 5V, 9V, etc.) to spacer 130 according to the type and number of installed spacers. In this way, according to one exemplary manner, spacer 130 receives power from charger 400 and charges any installed device and battery.

[0017] Exemplary power supply for charger 400 [Table 1] Types of exemplary spacer 130 [Table 2]

[0018] Components used therefor, such as a detection switch, a charger IC, and a microcontroller, are installed on each spacer 130 (and / or download spacer) in one exemplary embodiment. Spacer 130 notifies charger 400 of its status via the status pin, which includes a resistor of a predetermined value installed and connected to charger 400 via the spacer ID pin so that the download spacer can update the firmware of charger 400 or spacer 130 via the UPDI pin. In one embodiment, firmware is obtained from a host device (such as a mobile phone, a PC, a tablet, etc.) and sent to base main MCU 710 or other MCU (such as those that may also be provided in spacer 130, etc.) via a one-wire path, essentially enabling main MCU 710 to send, and there is firmware update data in the download spacer that enables exemplary one-wire communication between the download spacer and the base (or other spacer 130).

[0019] Figure 13 shows an exemplary block diagram of the present invention in one embodiment with a one - wire implementation of the physical and data connections between a host, a spacer, and a cradle. The multi - bay charging cradle base and device spacer firmware can be updated via Bluetooth® and by using a one - wire protocol. To update the multi - bay cradle base and spacer firmware, the following equipment is required: namely, a host device (not shown) that executes a firmware update program, a connection for downloading to the charging station 400 or spacer 130 using Bluetooth® or other protocol, the ability to select cradle base firmware or device spacer firmware, and means for sending the firmware data to the charging station 400 or spacer 130. Alternatively, a download spacer (not shown) can be a separate module that communicates between the host device and the charger 400 via Bluetooth® or other protocol to achieve the above and receive firmware data from the host device. This can then program the cradle base or device spacer firmware by sending data using a new one - wire protocol module, enabling the charger 400 to detect the download spacer and change to a firmware update mode via a one - wire signal module to the cradle base and / or device spacer.

[0020] As will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 15, the special circuit mentioned above can utilize an exemplary process flow in one embodiment, where the charging station 400 checks for the presence of a "download spacer" and establishes a communication path for base and spacer firmware updates. The selection of the firmware for the update is determined by the user. In view of this, the system and method of the present invention can include providing a host device such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and installing a firmware update program on the host device. The download spacer (not shown) is different from the device spacer 130 in that it is specifically designed to receive a firmware update from the host device and apply that update to the base (charger 400) and spacer 130. When the device of the present invention is powered on (typically via charger 400), this detects the download spacer and the device spacer 130, and if the device spacer 130 is not detected, it sends a one-wire pass to the cradle base, but if the device spacer 130 is detected, it sends a one-wire pass to the device spacer and changes to the firmware update mode. The device spacer 130 can utilize BLE or the like from the host device using its Bluetooth connection by searching for a Bluetooth (R) Low Energy (BLE) device on the host device to find the download spacer and then connecting. Once connected, this will open the applicable firmware update program on the host device, including selecting the firmware of the charger 400 or the device spacer firmware. When the host device sends new firmware data to the download spacer via Bluetooth (R), the firmware update will start, and the download spacer will then determine whether the new firmware is for the cradle base or for the device spacer by checking the header information of the new firmware.Thereafter, the download spacer programs the firmware of the charger 400 or the firmware of the device spacer 130 by using the one-wire protocol mentioned above. Once prepared in this way, the user can start the download on the host device by using a local device that can be connected via Bluetooth® or other protocols, whereby the host device program sends firmware data to the download spacer. The download spacer programs the new firmware in the base (charger 400) main MCU 710 or other spacer MCUs by using one-wire communication.

[0021] While particular embodiments of the invention have been described of a universal charging / docking station and cradle having a novel, useful intelligent power configuration and modular physical structure, such recitations are not intended to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention except as defined in the following claims.

Description of the Reference Numerals

[0022] 100 Universal charging / docking station and cradle 105 Automobile attachment means 110 Non-automobile attachment means 115 Body portion 116 Attachment arm 117 Cradle 120 Body portion 125 Charging pins, pin connectors 130 Spacer 135 Connector 140 Cavity 400 Charger, charging station 710 Main microcontroller unit (MCU) 720 Power control section 730 Power delivery section 740 Regulator 750 Electronic fuse

Claims

1. A charging dock for charging various portable electronic devices, at least one charging station having at least one docking cavity adapted to mount and hold a portable electronic device in a stable position while the charging station is charging the power source of the portable electronic device; at least one spacer dimensioned to be disposed substantially inside the at least one docking cavity, thereby defining an internal dimension of the docking cavity for receiving a given portable electronic device having a given shape and size when inserted into the docking cavity; an intelligent charging module connected to the charging station, the intelligent charging module having a special circuit for detecting a correct voltage level and adjusting the resulting voltage level when charging a given portable electronic device; A charging dock comprising:

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging station further comprises a firmware update circuit for firmware for updating the charging station and the spacer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one charging station includes a plurality of charging pins.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of charging pins includes four charging pins.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a unified program and debug interface type connection with a single wire.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the spacer further comprises a firmware update circuit for updating the cradle and spacer firmware.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a cradle for fixing the portable electronic device when attached to a moving vehicle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cradle for fixing the portable electronic device when attached to a moving vehicle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a download spacer for communicating with the charging station.

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