Abstract:
A recharging station for personal electronic devices comprises a plurality of individual recharging lockers each having a plurality of substantially different recharging electrical connectors contained therein. Each recharging locker is provided with a lockable door. An activation system locks the door of a selected locker and supplies recharging electrical power to the connectors therein in response to the receipt of a prescribed fee. A recharging system for personal electronic devices useful in hotel rooms, motel rooms, and similar facilities includes a recharging station having a plurality of recharging electrical connectors secured thereto and a microprocessor for supplying recharging electrical power to the recharging electrical connectors.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority of prior provisional Application Ser. No. 60/352,812 filed Jan. 29, 2002, currently pending. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to the recharging of personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, lap top and palm top computers, personal digital assistants, and the like, and more particularly to a facility for securely receiving and recharging such devices upon the receipt of a prescribed fee. The invention further relates to the recharging of personal electronic devices in hotel rooms, motel rooms, and similar venues.  
         BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Cellular telephones are now used throughout the world, often in preference to conventional fixed base telephone facilities. Other personal electronic devices, such as lap top and palm top computers, personal digital assistants, hand held calculators, etc. are also widely used. Perhaps the only significant difficulty attendant to the use of personal electronic devices involves the fact that in order to provide small size and light weight and thereby facilitate portability, it is necessary to provide personal electronic devices with batteries which are small in size and light in weight. This in turn means that personal electronic devices which are convenient to carry and use necessarily require frequent recharging.  
           [0004]    Recharging of personal electronic devices is straightforward if the owner of the device has access to a conventional electric power outlet. Likewise, most cellular telephones and other personal electronic devices are provided with accessories to facilitate recharging thereof utilizing the cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle. However, when the owner of a personal electronic device is involved in air travel, access to a conventional electric power outlet or to the cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle may be problematic. Similarly, when the owner of a personal electronic device is attending a seminar or convention, recharging of the device may be difficult if not impossible.  
           [0005]    Another problem involved in the use of personal electronic devices is the bulky and cumbersome nature of the recharging apparatus that is typically furnished with such services. This frequently results in the recharging device being left behind which in turn results in the owner of a personal electronic device being left stranded with no means to effect recharging.  
           [0006]    The present invention comprises a recharging station for cellular telephones and other personal electronic devices which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a recharging station comprises a plurality of individual recharging lockers. Each of the recharging lockers is provided with various types and kinds of connectors thereby facilitating the recharging of various types and kinds of personal electronic devices.  
           [0007]    Access is gained to an individual recharging locker by payment of a prescribed fee. The personal electronic device to be recharged is secured within the locker during the recharging process. When the recharging process is complete, the recharging locker is once again opened to facilitate removal and use of the recharged personal electronic device.  
           [0008]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention a recharging station for personal electronic devices is provided in hotel rooms, motel rooms, and similar places of public accommodation. The recharging station is equipped with a wide variety of connectors and is thereby adapted to the recharging of virtually every commercially available personal electronic device. Access to the recharging station is provided either as an amenity or at a modest fee.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recharging station for personal electronic devices incorporating a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating one of the recharging lockers of the recharging station of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of a recharging station for personal electronic devices incorporating a second embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an illustration of a typical utilization of the second embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring now to the Drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a recharging station for personal electronic devices  10  comprising a first embodiment of the invention. The recharging station  10  is illustrated in FIG. 1 as supported on a stand  12 . However, those skilled in the art will know and understand that the mounting or support for the recharging station  10  is not critical to the practice of the invention, and that the recharging station  10  may be mounted or supported utilizing a wide variety of conventional techniques depending upon the requirements of particular applications of the invention.  
         [0015]    The recharging station  10  includes a housing  14  defining a plurality of individual recharging lockers  16 . As is best shown in FIG. 2, each of the recharging lockers  16  is provided with a hingedly supported door  18 . Each door  18  is in turn provided with a lock  20 .  
         [0016]    Referring again to FIG. 1, the recharging station  10  further comprises an actuation apparatus  22  comprising a housing  24  which is either securely mounted on or incorporated as part of the housing  14 . The actuation apparatus  22  includes a slot  26  for receiving credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, and the like, and a slot  28  for receiving currency. A keyboard  30  is provided for entering data into the actuation apparatus  22 . A speaker  32  may be employed for various conventional purposes such as requiring and subsequently acknowledging the entry of personal identification numbers.  
         [0017]    Referring particularly to FIG. 2, each recharging locker  16  comprising the recharging station  10  is provided with a variety of electrical connectors  34 . In this manner the use of the recharging station  10  to recharge a wide variety of personal electronic devices including virtually every brand of lap top and palm top computer, every brand of cellular telephone, every brand of personal digital assistant, every brand of portable calculator, etc. is facilitated. Appropriate operating power is provided to each connector  34  through a cable  36 . The recharging locker  16  may also be provide with an electrical receptacle  38  of the type utilized to actuate cigarette lighters in vehicles, thereby facilitating the recharging of personal electronic devices that do not match any of the connectors  34 .  
         [0018]    In accordance with a first operational scenario for the recharging station  10 , the doors  18  of any currently unused recharging lockers  16  of the recharging station  10  are unlocked. A customer opens a selected door  18 , connects a personal electronic device to be recharged to one of the connectors  34  or to the receptacle  38 , and thereafter closes the door  18  of the recharging locker  16  in which the personal electronic device has been located. Utilizing either the card receiving slot  26  or the currency receiving slot  28 , the customer pays the prescribed fee. The customer then utilizes the keyboard  30  to input the number of the recharging locker  16  in which the personal electronic device to be recharged is located.  
         [0019]    Upon receipt of the prescribed fee and inputting of the number of the recharging locker  16  in which a personal electronic device to be recharged has been located, the activation system  22  turns on the recharging power within the selected recharging locker  16  and locks the door  18  thereof. The activation system  22  also releases a key from the door  18  of the selected recharging locker  16  for removal by the customer. After a predetermined recharging interval, the customer returns and employs the key to open the door  18  of the recharging locker  16  in which the now recharged personal electronic device is situated. Actuation of the key turns off operating power within the selected recharging locker  16  and otherwise returns the recharging station  10  to its original configuration.  
         [0020]    In accordance with a second operational scenario the doors  18  of the recharging locker  16  remain locked until the prescribed fee has been paid utilizing either the card receiving slot  26  or the currency receiving slot  28 . After the prescribed fee has been received, the speaker  32  instructs the customer to utilize the keyboard  30  to enter a personal identification number which is randomly selected by the customer. Upon entry of the personal identification number, the door to an unused recharging locker  16  comprising the recharging station  10  is opened. The customer places the personal electronic device to be recharged within the now open recharging locker  16  and connects the device to be recharged to one of the connectors  34  or the receptacle  38 . The door  18  of the recharging locker in which the cellular telephone other electronic device to be recharged is located is then closed.  
         [0021]    Upon closure the door  18  is automatically locked and the recharging process is initiated. After a predetermined time period the customer returns to the recharging station  10  to recover the now recharged personal electronic device. The customer re-enters the personal identification number utilizing the keyboard  30 . Re-entry of the personal identification number opens the door to the recharging locker  16  having the customer&#39;s personal electronic device located therein. The customer recovers the personal electronic device and closes the door  18  which returns the charging station  10  to its original configuration.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a system  40  for recharging personal electronic devices in hotel rooms, motel rooms, and similar facilities comprising a second embodiment of the invention. As is best shown in FIG. 3, the recharging system  40  receives electrical power through a conventional electrical plug  42  of the type adapted for use with a conventional electrical convenience outlet (not shown). Electrical power received through the electrical plug  42  is directed through a conventional electrical line  44  to a microprocessor  46 . The microprocessor  46  converts the electrical power received through the line  44  to an electrical power level appropriate for recharging a particular personal electronic device and characterized by predetermined voltage and current levels. Recharging electrical power is directed from the microprocessor  46  through a line  48  to a recharging station  50 .  
         [0023]    The recharging station  50  is provided with a plurality of recharging connectors  52  each individual to a particular brand of personal electronic device. The present invention contemplates that the vast majority of personal electronic devices in common use will be rechargeable through one of the recharging connectors  52 . The recharging station  50  is also provided with a universal connector  54  which. is adapted for connection to recharging connectors associated with rarely used personal electronic devices. In this manner virtually every personal electronic device currently in use can be recharged using the recharging station  50 .  
         [0024]    Preferably, the microprocessor  46  is adapted to recognize a particular personal electronic device that is connected to the charging station  50  through one of the recharging connectors  52  or the universal recharging connector  54 . In such instances the microprocessor  46  automatically determines the correct voltage and current levels of the recharging power that will be supplied to the personal electronic device requiring recharging through the line  48 , the recharging station  50 , and the selected recharging connector  52  or  54 . In some instances, however, it may be necessary to input instructions through the microprocessor in order to ensure that recharging power characterized by appropriate voltage and current levels is supplied to the personal electronic device that is connected to the recharging station  50  through one of the recharging connectors  52  or the recharging connector  54 . To this end the microprocessor  46  may be provided with a keyboard or other instruction inputting device  56  and an appropriate display device  58 .  
         [0025]    The recharging system  40  comprising the present invention is adapted for use in hotel rooms, motel rooms, and similar venues to effect recharging of personal electronic devices that are the property of guests utilizing the facility. FIG. 4 illustrates a typical hotel room/motel room  60  which is characterized by a bed  62 , a night stand  64 , a lamp  66 , a telephone  68 , etc. In accordance with the present invention the recharging station  50  of the recharging system  40  may be mounted on the night stand  64  in close proximity to the bed  62  and the other amenities comprising the hotel room/motel room  60 . Larger hotel rooms and/or motel rooms may be provided with desks, tables, credenzas, etc. all of which may be utilized as an appropriate support for the recharging station  50 , if desired.  
         [0026]    As is illustrated in FIG. 4, the recharging station  50  of the recharging system  40  does not require any sort of enclosure, and is preferably deployed in an open, accessible manner so as to facilitate use thereof. In some instances, however, it may be deemed preferable to position the microprocessor  46  and the charging station  50  of the recharging system  40  within a lockable enclosure, such as the enclosure  16  illustrated in FIG. 2 and described hereinabove in connection therewith. In such instances the guest utilizing the recharging station  50  positions the personal electronic device to be recharged within the lockable enclosure, closes the door thereof, and locks the enclosure during the recharging process.  
         [0027]    In the use of the recharging system  40  a guest arrives at a hotel, motel, or similar facility; checks in; and is provided access to a particular hotel/motel room. Upon entering the assigned hotel/motel room, the guest attaches his or her personal electronic device requiring recharging to the recharging station  50  utilizing the recharging connector  52  associated with the particular brand of the personal electronic device requiring recharging. In the case of a personal electronic device which does not match any of the recharging connectors  52  the guest receives an appropriate recharging connector from the management of the hotel, motel, or similar facility and uses the received recharging connector to connect the personal electronic device requiring recharging to the recharging station  50  through the universal connector  54 .  
         [0028]    The recharging system  40  of the present invention is typically made available free of charge to guests utilizing a particular hotel, motel, or similar facility and as such comprises an amenity of the facility. In other instances a modest fee may be charged for the use of the recharging system  40 . In the latter instance the recharging system is electronically connected to the management facilities of the hotel, motel, or similar facility so as to facilitate management control over the operation thereof.  
         [0029]    Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the accompanying Drawing and described in the foregoing Detailed Description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.