US20150263553A1

US20150263553A1 - Wearable / mountable mobile charging device

Info

Publication number: US20150263553A1
Application number: US14/216,167
Authority: US
Inventors: Samuel Blake Fuller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-15
Filing date: 2014-03-17
Publication date: 2015-09-17
Also published as: US20150264825A1; US20170163062A9; US9450430B2

Abstract

A mobile charging device includes an outer casing, an internal power circuit, an input port, and at least one output port. The outer casing includes substantially square front and rear panels connected by a central portion, and has rounded corners. Inside the outer casing, the internal power circuit includes a power supply and a control circuit. The input and output ports are designed to interface with several different types of connectors. In this manner, the mobile charging device has a compact form factor and a large charge capacity.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 61/802,291, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed generally to a mobile device. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a mobile charging device having a compact form factor and which may be wearable or mountable.
2. Description of Related Art
The rate of technological advancement in mobile electronic devices is extremely fast. With each round of improvements, mobile electronic devices incorporate faster processors, larger screens, and more powerful internal components. Each of these improvements in turn causes the mobile electronic device to require a larger power supply.
Simultaneously, there exists an increased demand for the miniaturization of mobile electronic devices. As a result of the increased power requirements of mobile electronic devices, internal batteries now often account for the majority of a mobile electronic device's form factor and cost. As such, there is a limit, based on the required battery specifications, as to how compact the mobile electronic device may become.
Further still, as the proliferation of mobile electronic devices continue, many consumers own multiple mobile devices for personal and business use. As such, a typical consumer is in constant proximity with mobile electronic devices, and therefore is in constant need for a convenient power supply. These multiple mobile devices may use power at different rates and therefore require recharging at different times.
To solve this problem, there exists a growing field of mobile charging devices which are separate from the mobile electronic devices themselves. However, current mobile charging devices suffer from several disadvantages.
First, in order to provide a sufficient supply of charge, current mobile charging devices suffer from an unacceptably large physical footprint. This large physical footprint limits the utility of the mobile charging devices by limiting their portability.
Second, many current mobile charging devices only offer proprietary charging solutions intended for only a single mobile electronic device or class of devices. This market fracturing causes problems for consumers who own and use multiple devices of different types or of different brands.
As such, there exists a need for a mobile charging device that has a compact form factor and is adaptable to a large class of devices to provide a universal power supply solution. Furthermore, there exists a need for a mobile charging device that may act as an intermediary to provide a greater degree of control over the level of power output to accommodate future devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the above problems, various aspects of the present disclosure include a mobile device having an outer casing with a compact form factor, an internal power circuit adapted to provide a large amount of charge, and a plurality of ports.
Various components of a mobile device are configured to withstand vibration and/or stress in a wide range of mobile environments. Such components may also be configured with a module design such that a user may add and/or exchange additional features, such as Wi-Fi compatibility, wireless charging, a waterproof casing, and the like.
The mobile device is configured to accept or provide rapid charging of greater than 2 A at 5V and/or flash charging of greater than 2 A at up to 20V.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary mobile device according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a side view of the exemplary mobile device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is a top view of the exemplary mobile device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C is a perspective view of the exemplary mobile device of FIG. 1 in a disassembled state.

FIG. 3A-E are exemplary sets of inner components according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary set of inner components according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary wall charger configuration according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary mounting configuration according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of an exemplary casing according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B is a rear perspective view of an exemplary casing according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous details are set forth, such as flowcharts and system configurations, to provide an understanding of one or more embodiments. However, it is and will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not necessarily required to practice various aspects of the present disclosure.
In various aspects of the present disclosure, the exemplary mobile device may be a charging device configured to connect universally with external electronic devices to provide power thereto.
FIGS. 1 and 2A-C illustrate an exemplary mobile device 100 in the form of a charging device. As shown in FIG. 1, the exemplary mobile device 100 includes an outer casing 110, a plurality of connection ports 120, an indicator 130, an actuator 140, and a set of inner components including a battery, which will be described in more detail below.
Outer casing 110 is preferably a convex polyhedron bounded generally by six quadrilateral faces. Each face may be configured to operate as a structural wall providing protection to the inner components from environmental hazards and/or physical damage. The convex polyhedron may further comprise rounded edges in combination with a compact dimension orientation to enable ease of handling by a user (e.g., sliding in and out of a clothing pocket). The convex polyhedron may comprise a plurality of panel faces. As shown in FIGS. 2A-B, the outer casing comprises a front panel 111, a rear panel 112, and a central ring 113.
Exemplary outer casing 110 in its assembled state has a compact form factor; for example, outer casing 110 preferably has outer dimensions of smaller than 90 mm×90 mm×35 mm. Most preferably, outer casing 110 has outer dimensions of smaller than 80 mm×80 mm×25 mm. In this manner, exemplary mobile device 100 may easily and comfortably fit in a user's pocket, an automobile cup holder, a purse, and the like.
The convex polyhedron may be interchangeable such that panels of the outer casing along with the central ring may be replaced by covers and/or other members. For example, front and rear panels 112 may be replaceable with customized color panels. Additionally or alternatively, central ring 113 may be replaceable with an expanded ring to accommodate additional internal components. Additionally or alternatively, any one of front panel 111, rear panel 112, and central ring 113 may be replaceable with a panel configured to provide an electronic device cradling, additional connection ports, control buttons, switches, fasteners, and the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 2A, central ring 113 preferably includes a ridge 113 a at an end portion thereof. Ridge 113 a is a circumferential indentation adapted to provide a plurality of mounting surfaces. In this manner, mobile device 100 may be mounted using any of a plurality of different mounts interchangeably.
Central ring 113 may be equipped to receive a rubber ring cover adaptable to other devices and products such that, when in contact with the outer casing, the ports may be covered for protection. Central ring 113 (and/or the rubber ring) may be configured so that it will rotate around an axis to cover the ports and/or retain external components within the ports. For example, where a port is configured to receive a memory device, central ring 113 may be configured to rotate so as to cover the port, thereby preventing the memory device from accidentally being ejected. The rubber ring may also be configured to selectively uncover and cover one or more individual ports in different orientations. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the rubber ring may be configured to be fixedly attached to the central ring, and further configured to rotate or slide away via an attachment point to selectively uncover and cover a port.
Additionally or alternatively, central ring 113 may comprise a pass-through hole at one or more corners thereof. The pass-through hole may be dimensioned to receive a strap or chain therethrough to provide an alternative means for mobile device 100 to be carried.
Exemplary materials for one or more components of outer casing 110 include molded, rubberized, and/or high temperature plastics and similar materials having a suitable dielectric properties for electrical insulation, chemical inertness, thermal properties to provide protection for internal components and to prevent the casing from becoming hot to the human touch during use of the rapid or flash ports of the device, resistance to external vibrations, shock, and/or accidental dropping. The material may also be selected to dissipate heat form the electrical components while still protecting the user from undesirably hot temperatures. Outer casing 110 is preferably formed from a material having a rubberized surface to provide improved grip for mounting or holding. Most preferably, outer casing 110 is formed of poly(hexane-6-lactam) (“PA6”), a fluoroelastomer such as Viton®, or a combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, outer casing 110 may include a metal underlayer to assist with heat dissipation; for example, an aluminum layer.
Ports 120 are preferably configured to receive a connector. In the exemplary device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, ports 120 a and 120 b (see FIG. 4) are respectively configured to receive a male Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, whereas port 120 c (see FIG. 4) is configured to receive a male power connector. Additional or alternative ports may be configured to receive mini-USB connectors, micro-USB connectors, Secure Digital (SD) cards, mini-SD cards, micro-SD cards, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connectors, proprietary connectors such as Lightning™ connectors of the type manufactured by Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., a subscriber identification module (SIM) card, a micro SIM card, an RJ45 cable, and the like. Although FIG. 4 illustrates two output ports 120 a-b and one input port 120 c, ports 120 may alternatively comprise one output port, three or more output ports, and/or two or more input ports.
Where ports 120 are configured to receive a USB connector, the inner components of mobile device 100 are preferably configured in accordance with the USB 3.0 standard. In such a configuration, the mobile device is configured to accept or provide rapid charging of greater than 2 A at 5V and/or flash charging of greater than 2 A at up to 20V.
In aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of ports 120 may additionally include a locking mechanism such as prongs, spring clips, latches, and the like, in order to prevent a connector from falling out of the port. For example, one or more of ports 120 may employ bending pins to place positive pressure on the connector that enters the port. Spring rollers may additionally or alternatively assist in providing a frictional retainment for connecting devices. One or more of ports 120 may additionally or alternatively include a custom cord style with a sliding portion which is configured to lock a cord in place by means of an incline.
Because mobile device 100 is configured to provide a rapid and/or flash charging, a secure connection between a port 120 and an associated connector is highly desired. In this manner, mobile device 100 may additionally comprise sensors to detect connection integrity. If the sensors detect that the connection is not secure, mobile device 100 may be configured to limit the amount of output current to the sensed port.
Although FIG. 1 illustrates ports 120 in only one face of central ring 113, additional or alternative ports may be configured on any side face of central ring 113 and/or front and rear panels 111, 112. For example, four ports may be placed on a single side of central ring 113, one port may be placed in each side of central ring 113, and the like. Furthermore, one or more of ports 120 may be recessed from central ring 113 to provide additional securement.
Preferably, at least one of ports 120 (e.g., port 120 c) is configured as an input port which is configured to connect to an external power supply for recharging. In this manner, the exemplary mobile device 100 may provide power pass-through for continuous pass-through usage; for example, providing continuous power directly from input port 120 c to output 120 a or 120 b. During this operation, mobile device 100 is preferably configured to prevent data pass-through in order to provide an additional level of data security.
Indicator 130 preferably comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Indicator 130 is configured to provide a visual presentation to the user which is indicative of a battery charge state. For example, indicator 130 may comprise four LEDs of which all four are illuminated when the battery is fully charged, three are illuminated when the battery has 75% charge, two are illuminated when the battery has 50% charge, one is illuminated when the battery has 25% charge, and no LEDs are illuminated when the battery is discharged or nearly discharged. In some aspects of the present disclosure, indicator 130 may indicate an intermediate state of charge by blinking one or more LEDs.
Most preferably, indicator 130 is a green LED to provide indication while consuming a minimal amount of power. Alternatively, indicator 130 may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), an e-ink indicator, a vibration module, and the like.
Actuator 140 is a user input device. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-B, actuator 140 is a push button. Additionally or alternatively, actuator 140 may comprise a toggle, a rocker, a dial, and the like. Actuator 140 may be utilized by a user to query the battery charge state. Additionally or alternatively, if the actuator is actuated for a first period of time (for example, ten seconds), mobile device 100 may provide a warning. Furthermore, if the actuator is actuated for a second period of time (for example, thirty seconds), mobile device 100 may initiate a reset operation.
Preferably, indicator 130 only indicates the battery charge state upon request from a user; for example, by actuator 140. Preferably, upon receipt of an input at actuator 140, indicator 130 provides the indication of the battery charge state for a period of time; for example, thirty seconds. If a second input is received from actuator 140 within this period of time, indicator 130 may stop providing the indication upon receipt of this input. If no additional input is received, indicator 130 may stop providing the indication at the end of the time period.
FIG. 2C shows outer casing 110 in a disassembled or pre-assembled state. As shown in FIG. 2C, central ring bounds an inner space. This inner space contains the inner components of mobile device 100, which will be described in more detail below.
In some aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of front panel 111, rear panel 112, and central ring 113 are configured to be interchanged by a user. For example, a user may switch a front panel of a first color for a front panel of a second color or having a custom graphic design. Additionally or alternatively, a user may switch a central ring of a first height for a central ring of a larger height to accommodate larger inner components.
The inner components are preferably sized and arranged so as to have a physical footprint that is equal to or smaller than the dimensions of a common 18650 Li-ion cell such that the configuration, while retaining a generally square shape when viewed from above, allows for various inner components to be arranged such that a power supply and various control components are modularly disposed.
FIGS. 3A-E are exemplary inner components, respectively. Each of FIGS. 3A-E show at least one power cell 301 and at least one circuit board 302 bounded by central ring 113.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3A, at least two power cells 301 each having a capacity of 2200 mAh, for a total of 4400 mAh, are provided such that a common mobile device (for example, an iPhone 4) may be fully charged up to three times by the mobile charging device. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 3B, at least three power cells 301 each having a capacity of 2200 mAh, for a total of 6600 mAh, are provided such that a common mobile device (for example, an iPhone 4) may be fully charged up to five times by the mobile charging device. Most preferably, as shown in FIG. 3 c, at least three power cells 301 each having a capacity of 3400 mAh, for a total of 10200 mAh, are provided such that a common mobile device (for example, an iPhone 4) may be fully charged up to eight times by the mobile charging device.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3D-E, one or two power cells 301 may be provided with two circuit boards 302 in order to allow for a larger number in ports 120 (for example, four output ports 120) to provide a power hub. In this manner, the mobile device capacity may be easily adapted to different markets, different customer preferences, and the like, based on the same design. By providing a plurality of circuit boards 302, the mobile device may allow for faster charging of cells by multiple inputs and faster charging of secondary devices through multiple output ports 120. In this configuration, two power cells 301 each having a capacity of 2200 mAh, for a total of 4400 mAh, may be provided such that a common mobile device (for example, an iPhone 4) may be fully charged up to three times by the mobile charging device. Most preferably, two power cells 301 each having a capacity of 3400 mAh, for a total of 6800 mAh, are provided such that a common mobile device (for example, an iPhone 4) may be fully charged up to five times by the mobile charging device.
Inner components as described above may also be securely arranged; that is, braced by the one or more circuit boards 302 so as to resist damage from vibration, dropping, or abuse.
Power cells 301 are preferably cylindrical power cells due to the preferred charge rates thereof and due to mechanical designs allowing for full use of the rapid charging state and/or the flash charging states of the above configurations.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary block diagram of inner components 400 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, mobile device 100 includes a power supply 401, a controller 402, converters 403 and 404, and optional communications interfaces 405 and 406.
Power supply 401 is preferably a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. Preferably, power supply 401 is a multi-cell battery comprising a plurality of identical cells, as described above with regard to FIGS. 3A-B. In this manner, power supply 401 may be further configured to selectively connect the cells in series, in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel to provide a configurable current and/or voltage output. Most preferably, power supply 401 is configured to store a charge of at least 4400 mAh. As noted above, in such a configuration, the power supply may be configured to accept or provide rapid charging of greater than 2 A at 5V and/or flash charging of greater than 2 A at up to 20V.
Controller 402 is preferably a microcontroller (MCU) having a processor and a memory. Controller 402 generally includes processor-executable instructions, wherein the instructions may be executable by the MCU. Processor-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java Script, Perl, etc.
A processor may include processes comprised from any hardware, software, or combination of hardware or software that carries out instructions of a computer program by performing logical and arithmetical calculations, such as adding or subtracting two or more numbers, comparing numbers, or jumping to a different part of the instructions. For example, the processor may be any one of, but not limited to single, dual, triple, or quad core processors (on one single chip), graphics processing units, visual processing units, and virtual processors.
Within controller 402, the processor may receive instructions from the memory and execute these instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein (e.g., the operations of indicating a charge, providing power pass-through, etc.). Such instructions and other data may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media, such as the memory.
The memory for controller 402 may be, in general, any computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) that may include any non-transitory (that is, tangible) medium that participates in providing data (that is, instructions) that may be read by a processor (for example, by the processor of controller 402). Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by one or more transmission media, including radio waves, metal wire, fiber optics, and the like, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to a processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a processor can read.
Controller 402 further includes a plurality of input-output (I/O) interfaces to provide communication between controller 402 and other inner components of the type described above. For example, controller 402 may comprise voltage feed-forward and feed-back interfaces, data interfaces, power interfaces, indicator interfaces, actuator interfaces, communications interfaces, and the like.
Controller 402 may additionally or alternatively be configured to provide for additional functionalities, such as an auto-off feature, a selectable on-off feature, a variable charge feature, a monitoring feature, and the like.
Where controller 402 is configured with an auto-off feature, controller 302 may be configured to sense the charge state of an external device connected to an output port 120. In this manner, when controller 402 has detected that a battery of the external device is fully charged, controller 402 may be configured to stop providing power to the output port.
Where controller 402 is configured with a selectable on-off feature, controller 402 may be configured to receive a user input from, for example, actuator 140 as described above. In this manner, a user may control a charging state of the mobile device 100.
Where controller 402 is configured with a variable charge feature, controller 402 may be configured with a control mechanism to allow the output current to be variable. For example, controller 402 may be configured to sense the type of an external device and output a first current if controller 402 has determined that the external device is a first class of device, and a second current if controller 402 has determined that the external device is a second class of device. Current may be regulated in this manner either through software or via a user input.
Where controller 402 is configured with a monitoring feature, controller 402 may be configured with hardware, firmware, or software configured to provide device and usage data to a user, manufacturer, or third party. In such a configuration, controller 402 may include memory storing an application (such as the memory and instructions described above) storing product information and/or life cycle information. Controller 402 may further be configured to adapt power output to the particular product at the particular stage in the product's life cycle. For example, where controller 402 stores instructions determining a degradation rate of the product, controller 402 may be configured to detect a product age, determine a degradation from the degradation rate and the age, and correct a power output based thereon.
Additionally or alternatively, controller 402 may be configured to collect data relating to the use of mobile device 100, the types of secondary devices connected thereto, geographical location, and the like. Controller 402 may be further configured to relay this data to a central server for maintenance, research and development, marketing, or any other purpose.
Converter 403 is preferably a DC-DC buck converter configured to convert an input voltage (for example, mains voltage) to a battery voltage for charging power supply 4301. As illustrated in FIG. 4, converter 403 is connected to input port 120 c, and provides current feedback to controller 402.
Converter 404 is preferably a DC-DC boost converter configured to convert the battery voltage from power supply 401 to an output voltage. As illustrated in FIG. 3, converter 404 is connected to one or more output ports 120 a-b, and also provides current feedback to controller 402.
Optional communications interfaces 405-406 provide a plurality of external communications links. Individual communication links may utilize any antenna technology, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth®, or the like, which is used to exchange data wirelessly using electromagnetic waves. Alternatively or in combination therewith, individual communication links may utilize wired connections, such as metal wires, fiber optics, and the like. As such, controller 402 may further include, without limitation, networking hardware such as gateways, routers, network bridges, switches, hubs, repeaters, multilayer switches, protocol converters, proxy servers, firewalls, network address translators, multiplexers/demultiplexers, network interface controllers, USB controllers, modems, ISDN terminal adaptors, line drivers, networking cables, input/output ports, and the like.
In the particular example illustrated in FIG. 4, communications interface 405 is a wired interface and communications interface 406 is a wireless interface. Specifically, communications interface 405 may comprise an Ethernet interface. In this configuration, an input port 120 of mobile device 100 may additionally include a port for receiving a communication cable such as an RJ45 cable.
Additionally, communications interface 406 may comprise a plurality of sub-interfaces each configured to provide wireless communication. For example, communications interface 406 may comprise a Wi-Fi sub-interface, a Bluetooth® sub-interface, and a 4G cellular sub-interface, each sub-interface including an antenna.
As illustrated in FIG. 4, inner components 400 may be configured to pass power directly from input port 120 c to one or more of output ports 120 a-b. Additionally or alternatively, inner components 400 may be configured to enable a racking system, whereby either a plurality of mobile devices 100 or a plurality of sets of inner components 400 may be chained so that multiple power supplies are arranged either in series or parallel to provide a wider range of voltage and current outputs to the output ports 120 a-b.
Inner components 400 may be disposed on a single circuit board, or may be disposed in a distributed manner across a plurality of circuit boards, such as two circuit boards with an air gap therebetween. In this manner, inner components 400 may exhibit improved heat dissipation.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary wall charger configuration for exemplary mobile device 100. Specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates a mobile device mount 501 attached to mobile device 100 (such as a mobile device as described above). Attached to the mobile device mount 501, a wall charger 511 is provided. Although FIG. 5 illustrates mobile device mount 501 and wall charger 511 as separate components, mobile device mount 501 and wall charger 511 may alternatively have a unitary construction.
Wall charger 511 includes a frame, a device plug 512, and a wall plug 513. Device plug 512 is configured to engage with mobile device 100 to provide power thereto. Specifically, device plug 512 is configured to mate with input port 102 c of mobile device 100. As illustrated in FIG. 5, wall plug 513 is a standard two-prong adaptor; however, other types of wall plugs may be provided to adapt to other countries and/or power sources. Wall plug 513 preferably includes a blade connector for high-current flash charging.
FIG. 6 illustrates a usage example. Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates a first mobile device 100 (such as a mobile charging device as described above) being encompassed by a pair of mobile device mounts 601. Upper mobile device mount 601 is configured to attach the first mobile device 100 to a second mobile device 602 (such as a portable camera). Second mobile device 602 may preferably be attached to upper mobile device mount 601, and mobile device mounts 601 may be attached to mobile device 100, by various mounting features such as clasps, screws, straps, latches, and the like.
FIGS. 7A-B illustrate front and rear perspective views of a casing according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIGS. 7A-B illustrate an exemplary outer casing 700. Outer casing 700 includes a front surface 701, a rear surface 702, and a circumferential surface 703. Preferably, outer casing 700 is a waterproof external casing configured to hold mobile device 100. Alternatively, outer casing 700 may be a replacement casing configured to hold inner components 400 only. Outer casing 700 may be a unitary construction, or may be formed of separate pieces which interlock together to provide a waterproof seal therebetween.
With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.
Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.
All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A mobile charging device, comprising:

an outer casing including a substantially square front panel, a substantially square rear panel, and a central portion having four faces, wherein the outer casing has rounded corners and encloses an interior space;

an internal power circuit disposed in the interior space and including a power supply and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide a variable output current from the power supply;

at least one input port; and

at least one output port.

2. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the internal power circuit comprises a plurality of parallel circuit boards with a gap therebetween.

3. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the internal power circuit is configured to provide power pass-through from the at least one input port to the at least one output port.

4. The mobile charging device of claim 3, wherein the internal power circuit is configured to prevent data pass-through from the at least one input port to the at least one output port.

5. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the at least one input port includes a low-current input port and a high-current input port.

6. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the at least one output port includes a two-amp, five-volt USB port and a two-amp, twenty-volt USB port.

7. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the outer casing includes a notched corner between the central portion and one or more of the front panel and the rear panel.

8. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein more than one face of the central portion includes an output port of the at least one output port.

9. The mobile charging device of claim 1, further comprising a push-button power switch.

10. The mobile charging device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of indicator lights.

11. The mobile charging device of claim 1, further comprising a removable rubber ring configured to surround the central portion and cover the at least one output port.

12. The mobile charging device of claim 11, wherein the removable rubber ring includes at least one opening, and is further configured to be rotated between a first state where at the least one opening is aligned with the at least one output port or the at least one input port, and a second state where the at least one opening is not aligned with the at least one output port or the at least one input port.

13. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the outer casing has outer dimensions of smaller than 90 mm×90 mm×35 mm.

14. The mobile charging device of claim 13, wherein the outer casing has outer dimensions of smaller than 80 mm×80 mm×25 mm.

15. The mobile charging device of claim 1, wherein the power supply is configured to store a charge of at least 4400 mAh.