Mobile charging station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016156207-A1
Application number	US-201414558347-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 2, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mobile charging station includes a plurality of drawers, an off-the-grid power source and a fastening element. Each of the drawers is configured to allow for secure storage of a mobile device and includes a charging lead and a charging circuit configured to connect to the charging lead and to charge the mobile device connected to the charging lead. The power source is coupled to the plurality of drawers and configured to provide electricity to the charging circuit for charging the mobile device connected to the charging lead. The fastening element is coupled to the plurality of the drawers and configured to secure the charging station to a facility to reduce a possibility of unauthorized removal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile charging station comprising:
a plurality of drawers each configured to allow for secure storage of a mobile device, each drawer including a charging lead and a charging circuit configured to connect to the charging lead and to charge the mobile device when connected to the charging lead; an off-the-grid power source coupled to the plurality of drawers and configured to provide electricity to the charging circuit for charging the mobile device connected to the charging lead; and a fastening element coupled to the plurality of the drawers and configured to secure the charging station to a facility to reduce a possibility of unauthorized removal.

2 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , wherein:
the drawers are stacked laterally in a column and each includes a housing member, a door, and a key mechanism, the housing member includes the charging lead and the charging circuit, the key mechanism includes a keyway and a key for locking or unlocking the door, and the key includes an alert mechanism configured to alert a user associated with the mobile device about a charging status of the mobile device.

3 . The mobile charging station of claim 2 , wherein:
the alert mechanism includes a buzzer, and the buzzer is configured to inform the user that the mobile device is fully charged.

4 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , wherein:
the power source comprises a refillable or exchangeable butane gasoline fuel tank or a battery.

5 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , wherein the fastening element includes a belt configured wrap around the facility.

6 . The mobile charging station of claim 5 , wherein the fasting element further includes:
a first real configured to wind up the belt and tighten the belt, a second real configured to keep the belt in position as the belt leaves the mobile charging station and wraps around the facility, and a hook configured to secure the belt to the mobile charging station.

7 . The mobile charging station of claim 6 , wherein the fasting element is connected to a winching mechanism to wind up the belt on the first real.

8 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , wherein the power source comprises a solar panel.

9 . The mobile charging station of claim 8 , wherein the solar panel includes an antenna configured to provide an integrated mobile hotspot (Wi-Fi) connection that allows devices without internet connection to access the internet.

10 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , wherein:
each drawer in the plurality of drawers, when unoccupied by a mobile device, is capable of being opened by typing an electronic keyword into a keypad; and each drawer in the plurality of drawers, when occupied by the mobile device, is capable of being opened using a mechanical key that is stored within the drawer when the drawer is unoccupied by the mobile device.

11 . The mobile charging station of claim 1 , further comprising a geo-locating system that is configured to identify a location of the mobile charging station and to communicate the location of the mobile charging station to a mobile service provider network.

12 . A mobile charging station comprising:
a plurality of drawers each configured to allow for secure storage of a mobile device, each drawer including a charging lead and a charging circuit configured to connect to the charging lead and to charge the mobile device connected to the charging lead; an off-the-grid power source coupled to the plurality of drawers configured to provide electricity to the charging circuit for charging the mobile device connected to the charging lead; and a geo-locating system configured to identify a location of the mobile charging station and to communicate the location of the mobile charging station to a mobile service provider network.

13 . The mobile charging station of claim 12 , wherein the geo-locating system is configured to receive a request from a position determining entity and in response to the request send position information associated with the location of the mobile charging station to the position determining entity.

14 . The mobile charging station of claim 12 , wherein the geo-locating system includes a Global Positioning System.

15 . The mobile charging station of claim 12 , further comprising a fastening element coupled to the plurality of the drawers and configured to secure the charging station to a facility to reduce a possibility of unauthorized removal.

16 . The mobile charging station of claim 15 , wherein the fastening element includes a belt configured wrap around the facility.

17 . The mobile charging station of claim 16 , wherein the fasting element further includes:
a first real configured to wind up the belt and tighten the belt, a second real configured to keep the belt in position as the belt leaves the mobile charging station and wraps around the facility, and a hook configured to secure the belt to the mobile charging station.

18 . The mobile charging station of claim 15 , wherein:
the drawers are stacked laterally in a column and each includes a housing member, a door, and a key mechanism, the housing member includes the charging lead and the charging circuit, and the key mechanism includes a keyway and a key for locking or unlocking the door, and the key includes an alert mechanism configured to alert a user associated with the mobile device about a charging status of the mobile device.

19 . The mobile charging station of claim 18 , wherein:
the alert mechanism includes a buzzer, and the buzzer is configured to inform the user that the mobile device is fully charged.

20 . The mobile charging station of claim 12 , wherein the power source comprises a solar panel, wherein the solar panel includes an antenna configured to provide an integrated mobile hotspot (Wi-Fi) connection that allows devices without internet connection to access the internet.

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Frankenberger Horst

Classifications

• H02J2105/44

  Portable electronic devices · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title