Method and system for configuring electrical contacts in electrical device

An electrical system comprising a primary device and a secondary device,

• the primary device comprising:
• at least three electrical contacts,
• a voltage source, and
• a controller;
• and
• the secondary device comprising a plurality of electrical contacts associated with different functions and being configured to engage the electrical contacts of the primary device in a plurality of orientations,
• wherein each electrical contact of said at least three electrical contacts has an associated high switch connected between the electrical contact and the voltage source and an associated low switch disposed between the electrical contact and electrical ground, and
• wherein the low switches and the high switches are configured to sequentially close a plurality of pairs of switches to connect the voltage source to the secondary device during an orientation operation, each pair of switches comprising a high switch associated with one of the electrical contacts and a low switch associated with another of the electrical contacts, and is further configured to record a voltage difference between the electrical contacts associated with each of the plurality of pairs of switches, and to determine an orientation of the secondary device relative to the primary device based on the recorded voltage differences.

A method of determining an orientation of a secondary device relative to a primary device to which the secondary device is connected, the primary device comprising at least three electrical contacts, a voltage source, and a controller, the secondary device having a plurality of electrical contacts associated with different functions of the secondary device and wherein the electrical contacts on the secondary device are configured to engage the electrical contacts of the primary device in a plurality of orientations, wherein each electrical contact of said at least three electrical contacts has an associated high switch connected between the electrical contact and the voltage source and an associated low switch disposed between the electrical contact and electrical ground, the method comprising:

• sequentially closing a plurality of pairs of the switches to connect the voltage source to the secondary device, each pair of the switches comprising a high switch associated with one of the electrical contacts and a low switch associated with another of the electrical contacts;
• recording a voltage difference between the electrical contacts associated with each of the plurality of pairs of switches;
• and
• determining the orientation of the secondary device relative to the primary device based on the recorded voltage differences.

A method of charging a secondary device connected to a primary device, the primary device comprising at least three electrical contacts, a voltage source, and a controller, the secondary device having a plurality of electrical contacts associated with different functions of the secondary device and wherein the electrical contacts on the secondary device are configured to engage the electrical contacts of the primary device in a plurality of orientations, wherein each electrical contact in the primary device has an associated high switch connected between the electrical contact and the voltage source and an associated low switch disposed between the electrical contact and electrical ground, the method comprising:

• determining an orientation of the secondary device relative to the primary device by:
• sequentially closing a plurality of pairs of switches to connect the voltage source to the secondary device, each pair of the switches comprising a high switch associated with one of the electrical contacts and a low switch associated with another of the electrical contacts,
• recording a voltage difference between the electrical contacts associated with each of the plurality of pairs of switches, and
• determining the orientation of the secondary device relative to the primary device based on the recorded voltage differences;
• closing at least one low switch and at least one high switch in response to the determined orientation of the secondary device;
• and
• providing a charging current from the primary device to the secondary device through at least one of the closed switches.