Patent Publication Number: US-8531061-B2

Title: Plug device for controlling connection with power source

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0063507, filed on Jun. 27, 2007 in the KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. Further, this application is the National Phase application of International Application No. PCT/KR2008/003590, filed Jun. 24, 2008, which designates the United States and was published in English. Each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the present application. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a power source control device, and more particularly, to a plug device, which can control the power source of an electrical product using a plug of the electrical product. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In general homes or offices, electrical appliances (for example, computing devices, home appliances, electro-thermic appliances, kitchen appliances, etc.), which require a power source, have plugs inserted in a main power source outlet installed in a wall or a connector outlet extending from the main power source outlet and are supplied with operating power source. 
     In the past, when electrical and electronic goods are not used, the plugs of the goods are frequently pulled out from the power source outlet. It is very burdensome to pull out the plugs one by one from the power source outlet. These days, it is a daily event that the plug of an electrical product is inserted in a main power source outlet, a connector outlet (a multi-outlet) or the like. Accordingly, the electrical product having the plug inserted in the power source outlet consumes current even when they do not operate, thus causing its electronic circuits to be deteriorated. 
     If a user can interrupt the supply of the power source to an electrical product or supply the power source to the electrical product again without directly pulling out the plug of the electrical product, which is inserted in a corresponding power source outlet, or manually turning on/off a power switch of a connector outlet, energy can be saved and warm response will be gained from consumers. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a plug device that can control the power source to an electrical product through a plug of the electrical product inserted in a power source outlet. 
     Technical Solution 
     To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plug device in which a plug control circuit unit is embedded in a plug main body of an electrical product, which is inserted in a power source outlet, wherein the plug control circuit unit senses a current corresponding to a power on/off state of the electrical product and selectively supplies a commercial AC power source to the electrical product or blocks the supply of the AC power source according to a time interval during which the sensed current is sustained and an external power-on request, and internal power source lines coupled to terminals of the plug main body are connected to power source supply lines of the electrical product. The plug control circuit unit includes a switching unit connected to the internal power source lines, a current detection unit for detecting a current flowing from the internal power source lines to the electrical product, a wireless unit for receiving an external plug control wireless signal, and a controller for, when a current value corresponding to a non-operation of the electrical product, which is being operated, is detected by the current detection unit, checking the non-operation state while monitoring the current detection unit during a first time interval and, when the non-operation state continues even after a Stand-by time interval while monitoring the current detection unit during a second time interval for verifying validity of the non-operation, controlling the switching unit to be switched off, wherein the controller controls the switching unit in response to the plug control wireless signal received through the wireless unit. 
     Further, the present invention provides a plug device, including a plug control circuit unit embedded in a plug main body of an electrical product, which is inserted in a power source outlet, wherein the plug control circuit unit senses a current corresponding to a power on/off state of the electrical product, checks a time interval during which the sensed current is sustained, selectively supplies a commercial AC power source to the electrical product or blocks the supply of the AC power source according to the time interval, and selectively supplies or blocks the commercial AC power source to the electrical product according to an external power-on request; and a remote control device including a Jog/shuttle dial and keypads having a power source control key and configured to transmit a plug remote control wireless signal to a plug main body of a corresponding electrical product when the power source control key is pressed after the Jog/shuttle dial is turned through the keypad, wherein marks corresponding to a plurality of electrical appliances to be controlled remotely are formed on a surface of the Jog/shuttle dial. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     As described above, the present invention is advantageous in that it can control fundamentally the power source supplied to an electrical product connected to a power source outlet using a plug of the electrical product. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows the construction of a plug device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a plug control circuit unit built in a plug main body of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of a remote control device in the plug device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a timing diagram illustrating control in the plug device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  shows the configuration of a keypad of the remote control device in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted that the same reference numerals designate the same elements although the elements are shown in different drawings. Further, detailed description on the known functions and constructions will be omitted if they are deemed to make the gist of the present invention unnecessarily vague. 
       FIG. 1  shows the construction of a plug device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a plug control circuit unit  14  built in a plug main body  10  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The plug device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes the plug control circuit unit  14  within a plug main body  10  and selectively includes a remote control device  12  that remotely controls the plug main body  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  together, terminals P of the plug main body  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, which is connected to an electrical product  8  such as television, a computer, and an electric fan, are inserted in a power source outlet  2 . 
     The plug main body  10  has the plug control circuit unit  14  as shown in  FIG. 2  built therein. An electric wire-fastening portion  36  connects and fastens internal power source lines  21 , coupled to the terminals P of the plug main body  10 , to power source supply lines  11  of an electrical product. The electric wire-fastening portion  36  is selectively disposed within the plug main body  10  to thereby constitute the plug device. In the case in which a manufacturer of the electrical product  8  directly fabricates the plug device of the present invention, the power source supply lines  11  of the electrical product and the internal power source lines  21  are integrally coupled to each other. Thereafter, after the plug device of the present invention is fabricated, the power source supply lines  11  of the electrical product integrally connected to the internal power source lines  21  is coupled to the plug main body  10  of the plug device using the electric wire-fastening portion  36 . Accordingly, the electric wire-fastening portion  36  can be used usefully when a user replaces an existing plug of the electrical product  8  with the plug main body  10  of the present invention. 
     The plug control circuit unit  14  of  FIG. 2  determines a power-off state (when an operation of the electrical product  8  is stopped) and the time interval during which the electrical product  8  continues to operate according to an embodiment of the present invention and selectively stops the supply of the power source to the electrical product  8  based on the determination result. Further, the plug control circuit unit  14  of the plug main body  10  stops the supply of the power source to the electrical product  8  or supplies the power source to the electrical product  8  under the remote control of the remote control device  12 . 
     An operating lamp  22 , indicating whether the power source is supplied or not, and a button switch  20  for enabling a user to manually turn on/off the power source are provided on the outside of the plug main body  10 . A buzzer ( 23  of  FIG. 2 ) may also be built in the plug main body  10 , if appropriate. 
     The plug control circuit unit  14  of  FIG. 2  includes a controller  24 , a DC power source supply unit  26 , a wireless transmitting/receiving unit  28 , a switching unit  30 , memory  32 , and a current detection unit  34 . The plug control circuit unit  14  further includes the operating lamp  22 , the button switch  20 , and the buzzer  23  and may selectively include an infrared receiver  29 . 
     The switching unit  30  includes a relay switch RL and a relay driver RD. The relay switch RL is coupled between one of the internal power source lines  21  coupled to the terminals P of the plug main body  10  and one of the power source supply lines  11  of the electrical product  8 . The relay driver RD is driven under the control of the controller  24 . Accordingly, the relay switch RL is switched under the control of the controller  24 , thereby selectively forming a supply path of the commercial AC power source to a connector socket  6 . 
     The wireless transmitting/receiving unit  28  is a block that transmits/receives a RF wireless control signal to/from an external remote control device  12  at a commercial frequency band. Further, the infrared receiver  29  is a wireless unit that receives an infrared signal transmitted from the remote control device  12 . 
     The DC power source supply unit  26  converts the commercial AC power source into DC power source and supplies converted DC power source to the controller  24  and other circuit elements. The operating lamp  22  is disposed on the outside of the plug main body  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , and is turned on or off under the control of the controller  24 . The buzzer  23  selectively generates buzzer sound under the control of the controller  24 . It is to be understood that the buzzer  23  can be substituted with voice guidance means using a voice guidance chip. 
     The memory  32  maps operating programs of the controller  24  and stores various data under the control of the controller  24 . 
     Further, a current transformer (CT) of  FIG. 2  surrounds and couples the internal power source lines  21  and transforms a magnetic field, which is generated when current flows through the internal power source lines  21 , into current and outputs the transformed current to the current detection unit  34 . The current detection unit  34  applies a voltage value, corresponding to the transformed current value, to the controller  24 . 
     The controller  24  determines whether the electrical product  8  is operated based on a voltage value applied through the CT and the current detection unit  34 . If, as a result of the determination, the electrical product  8  does not operate, the controller  24  turns off the switching unit  30  after a specific time interval (for example, several seconds) so that the AC power source is not applied to the electrical product  8 . Further, the controller  24  controls the switching unit  30  in response to a switch remote control signal generated from the remote control device  12  in order to block or stop the supply of the AC power source. Furthermore, the controller  24  controls the switching unit  30  to turn on or off when a user presses the button switch  20 . 
     Further, the controller  24  controls the operating lamp  22  to switch on or off in response to control of the supply of the power source and also selectively drives the buzzer  23 . When the relay switch RL of the switching unit  30  switches on, the controller  24  controls the operating lamp  22  to switch on. When the switching unit  30  turns on or off, the controller  24  can control the buzzer  23  to generate buzzer sound for a short period of time. 
     Meanwhile, the remote control device  12  of  FIG. 1  has a first remote control function of remotely controlling the plug main body  10  and can also have a second remote control function of remotely controlling the electrical product  8 . 
       FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of the remote control device  12  in the plug device of  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the remote control device  12  includes a remote controller  40 , a wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42 , an infrared transmitter  44 , and a keypad  46 . 
     The wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42  is a wireless unit for wirelessly transmitting/receiving signals to/from the plug main body  10  at a commercial frequency band under the control of the remote controller  40 . The infrared transmitter  44  is a wireless unit that transmits an infrared signal, which remotely controls the electrical product  8  or the plug main body  10  under the control of the remote controller  40 . 
     The keypad  46  of the remote control device  12  can be implemented in various ways. For example, the keypad  46  can be implemented to have a number of control keys, numeric keys, and direction keys in a general television or video remote controller, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or can be implemented to have a Jog/shuttle dial  50  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
     The keypad  46  shown in  FIG. 5  is an exemplary construction of a remote keypad which can be used at a hotel room where a number of electrical appliances exist. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the keypad  46  of the remote control device  12  is equipped with the Jog/shuttle dial  50  for selecting various electrical appliances that will be turned on/off. The keypad  46  includes an on/off key  52  and a mode key  54 . Symbols, indicating various electrical appliances to be remotely controlled, are formed on the surface of the Jog/shuttle dial  50 . The mark can be a letter, an icon type or the like and can have a printed mark or a prominence and depression form. 
     Thus, when a user places an electrical product mark at a selection mark line  56  by turning the Jog/shuttle dial  50  and then presses the on/off key  52 , the remote controller  40  recognizes such depression and transmits a corresponding wireless signal to the corresponding electrical product or the plug of the electrical product in a wireless manner. The mode key  54  is a mode key that can select RF wireless transmission and infrared transmission. A user can control the plug main body  10  by selecting one of the infrared transmission mode and the RF transmission mode using the mode key  54 . Further, in the infrared transmission mode, the electrical product  8  can also be controlled. 
     Hereinafter, an operation in which a user operates the plug main body  10  of the electrical product  8  using the remote control device  12  is described in detail. 
     First, in the case in which the remote control device  12  is implemented to have the first remote control function (plug power source remote control) and the second remote control function (electrical product on/off remote control), an example of the operation of the remote control device  12  and the plug main body  10  is described below. 
     When a user powers on the remote control device  12  using the keypad  46 , the remote controller  40  of the remote control device  12  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention first controls the plug main body  10  to be powered on remotely through the wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42  and then controls a corresponding electrical product  8  to be powered on remotely through the infrared transmitter  44 . 
     In the case in which the remote control device  12  is implemented to have the keypad  46  as shown in  FIG. 5  and the mode key  54  is set to the infrared transmission mode, the remote control device  12  transmits a first infrared signal through the infrared transmitter  44  so that the plug main body  10  of a corresponding electrical product  8  is powered on and then transmits a second infrared signal through the infrared transmitter  44  so that the corresponding electrical product  8  is powered on. Further, if the mode key  54  is set to the RF transmission mode, the remote control device  12  first controls a corresponding plug main body  10  to be powered on remotely through the wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42  and then controls the corresponding electrical product  8  to be powered on remotely through the infrared transmitter  44 . 
     In response thereto, the plug main body  10  turns on the switching unit  30  and then determines whether current corresponding to the power-on from the electrical product  8  has been detected through the current detection unit  34 . 
     Next, in the case in which the remote control device  12  is implemented to have only the first remote control function (plug power source remote control), an example of the operation of the remote control device  12  and the plug main body  10  is described below. 
     When a user powers on the remote control device  12  using the keypad  46 , the remote controller  40  of the remote control device  12  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention controls the plug main body  10  to be powered on remotely through the wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42 . In response thereto, the plug main body  10  switches on the switching unit  30  and determines whether current corresponding to the power-on from the electrical product  8  has been detected through the current detection unit  34 . 
     In the case in which the remote control device  12  is implemented to have the keypad  46  as shown in  FIG. 5  and the mode key  54  is set to the infrared transmission mode, when a user powers on the remote control device  12  using the keypad  46 , the remote control device  12  transmits an infrared signal through the infrared transmitter  44  so that the plug main body  10  of a corresponding electrical product  8  is powered on. 
       FIG. 4  is a timing diagram illustrating control in the plug device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a timing diagram illustrating control in the plug control circuit unit  14  of the plug main body  10  when the electrical product  8  being operated is powered off, (b) is a timing diagram illustrating control in the remote control device  12 , and (c) is a timing diagram illustrating control in the plug control circuit unit  14  of the plug main body  10  when only the plug main body  10  is powered on. 
     In (a), (b), and (c) of  FIG. 4 , reference numeral ‘ 100 ’ denotes a waveform showing operation (power-on) and non-operation (power-off) states of the electrical product  8 . 
     The operation in the plug main body  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described below in more detail with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     When the electrical product  8  is not used, if a user inserts the plug main body  10  of the present invention, which is coupled to the power source supply lines  11  of the electrical product  8 , in the power source outlet  2 , the plug main body  10  fundamentally blocks the supply of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8 . 
     More specifically, for example, when the electrical product  8  such as television is turned on, the controller  24  senses a voltage level corresponding to the operation of the electrical product  8  through the CT and the current detection unit  34  within the plug main body  10 . Here, the operating lamp  22  of the plug main body  10  maintains a turn-on state under the control of the controller  24 . 
     Thereafter, if a user turns off the electrical product  8 , the controller  24  of the plug main body  10  senses a voltage level corresponding to the non-operation of the electrical product  8  through the CT and the current detection unit  34  (a time point ‘ta’ of  FIG. 4 ). 
     In response thereto, the controller  24  determines whether the non-operation of the electrical product  8  has been normally detected while monitoring the output of the current detection unit  34  during a time interval t 1  (for about 1 or 2 seconds), as shown in  FIG. 4(   a ). If, as a result of the determination, the non-operation has been normally detected, the controller  24  continues to monitor the output of the current detection unit  34 , while waiting for during a time interval t 2  (for 5 to 9 seconds), in order to determine whether the non-operation is caused by external AC failure (an electricity failure for several seconds, on/off control of the electrical product for fun, etc.) (i.e., in order to verify the validity of the non-operation). 
     If the voltage level corresponding to the non-operation is continuously sensed even after the time interval t 2  has elapsed, the controller  24  controls the switching unit  30  to turn off at a time point ‘tp’, so that the commercial AC power source supplied to the electrical product  8  is fundamentally blocked by the plug main body  10 . 
     When the switching unit  30  is switched off, the controller  24  controls the operating lamp  22  of the plug main body  10  to turn off and also controls the buzzer  23  to generate short buzzer sound. 
     However, if the plug main body  10  senses a voltage level corresponding to an operation of the electrical product  8  during the time interval t 1  or the time interval t 2 , the controller  24  controls the switching unit  30  of the plug main body  10  not to turn off, so the plug main body  10  continues to relay the supply of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8 . 
     As described above, when the electrical product  8  is powered off, the plug main body  10  having the terminals inserted in the power source outlet  2  fundamentally blocks the supply of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8 , thereby saving energy. 
     Meanwhile, in the state where the plug main body  10  fundamentally blocks the supply of the commercial AC power source, if it is sought to supply the commercial AC power source again, a user has only to use the switch button  20  of the plug main body  10  or the remote control device  12 . 
     If a user presses the switch button  20  provided on the outer surface of the plug main body  10  or powers on the plug main body  10  using the remote control device  12  having only the first remote control function, the controller  24  recognizes the pressing of the switch button  20  or the power-on of the plug main body  10 , and controls the switching unit  30  to be switched on, the operating lamp  22  to be turned on, and the buzzer  23  to generate short buzzer sound, for example, ‘beep’, which is different from that when the switching unit  30  is turned off. 
     In the case in which a user uses the remote control device  12 , the controller  24  controls not only the plug main body  10 , but also a corresponding electrical product  8  to turn on according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     More specifically, if a user remotely powers on an electrical product using the keypad  46  of the remote control device  12 , the remote controller  40  detects the power-on at a time point ‘tc’ shown in  FIG. 4(   b ) and controls the plug main body  10  to be powered on remotely at a time point ‘td’ through the wireless transmitting/receiving unit  42 . Thereafter, after a lapse of a time interval t 3  (1 to 2 seconds), the remote controller  40  controls the electrical product  8  to be powered on remotely through the infrared transmitter  44  at a time point ‘te’. 
     Accordingly, the plug main body  10  is powered on and thereafter the electrical product  8  is powered on. Consequently, the commercial AC power source can be supplied to the electrical product  8  through once remote control employing the remote control device  12 . 
     Meanwhile, if a user presses the switch button  20  disposed on the outer surface of the plug main body  10  or powers on the plug main body  10  using the remote control device  12  having only the first remote control function, the plug control circuit unit  14  switches on the switching unit  30  of the plug main body  10 , so that the commercial AC power source is supplied to the electrical product  8 . However, if the electrical product  8  is turned off subsequently, the plug main body  10  senses this turn-off and blocks the supply of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4(   c ), if a user makes a plug power-on request at a time point ‘tf’ using the switch button  20  or the remote control device  12 , the controller  24  of the plug main body  10  turns on the switching unit  30 , so that a supply path of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8  via the plug main body  10  is established. Thereafter, the controller  24  determines whether a current value corresponding to the power-on of the electrical product  8  has been detected while monitoring the current detection unit  34  during a time interval t 4  (for example, several seconds to several minutes). If, as a result of the determination, a current value corresponding to the power-on of the electrical product  8  has not been detected, the controller  24  controls the switching unit  30 , which is in the turn-on state, to be turned off at a time point ‘tg’. Thus, the supply of the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8  through the plug main body  10  is blocked. However, if a voltage value corresponding to the operation of the electrical product  8  is detected while monitoring the current detection unit  34  during the time interval t 4 , the controller  24  of the plug main body  10  controls the switching unit  30  of the plug main body  10  not to turn off, so that the plug main body  10  continues to relay the commercial AC power source to the electrical product  8 . 
     In this case, in the case in which a user powers on the plug main body  10  only, the plug main body  10  is automatically powered off after a lapse of a certain time interval, thereby saving energy. 
     This power-off within the plug main body  10  can obviate the consumption of stand-by power since the powers of remote control receivers embedded in electrical appliances, such as TV, audio devices, VCR, air conditioners, and electric fans, are always on. Further, if electrical appliances are controlled using the remote control device having the first remote control function and the second remote control function of the present invention, the plug main body and a corresponding electrical product can be powered on at the same time. Accordingly, a user does not feel inconvenient. 
     Further, power control within the plug main body of the present invention can be performed using only a simple and cheap multi-outlet without using a multi-outlet having a number of existing power switches.