# US 2017/0288456 A1 · Robust and High Current Smart-Plug > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0288456 A1 - Document ID: US20170288456A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/412,841 - Filed: 2017-01-23 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04 - Assignees: Computime, Ltd. - Applicants: Computime, Ltd. - Inventors: Dick Kwai Chan; Kam Wai Lam; JZ Zheng; Wai Yin Shum; Brenton James Judge; Hamza Yilmaz; Patrick Yeung; Wai Ming Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170288456A1 ## CPC - H01R 13/6658: {on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence)} - G01R 21/133: by using digital technique - H01R 24/30: with additional earth or shield contacts - H01R 24/78: with additional earth or shield contacts - H02J 13/1335: {involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi®, ZigBee® or Bluetooth®} - H02J 13/38: the equipment being power outlets - H05K 1/0201: {Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating} - H05K 1/144: {Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards} - G01R 21/06: by measuring current and voltage (G01R21/08 - G01R21/133 take precedence) - H01R 2103/00: Two poles - H05K 1/0263: {High current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed means; Fine and coarse circuit patterns on one circuit board (H05K1/0293 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/11: Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits - H05K 3/284: {for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence)} - H05K 2201/10272: Busbars, i.e. thick metal bars mounted on the printed circuit board [PCB] as high-current conductors - Y02B 70/30: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level - Y02B 90/20: Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) - Y04S 20/00: Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof - Y04S 20/242: Home appliances - Y04S 40/126: using wireless data transmission - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A smart plug that is partitioned into a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) in a three dimensional manner to reduce its size. Aspects consider the effect of the possible increased internal temperature as the size of the smart plug is reduced. For example, thick metal foils connect various components of a smart plug to reduce heat dissipation within the smart plug. Also, a metal foil may transfer heat from contact metal on a PCB to a side wall of a plastic housing of the smart plug. The smart plug may comprise a computing device that obtains information identifying the attached electrical device and accesses device data about the time duration during which the attached electrical device exhibits transient characteristics. The computing device then uses the accessed data to effectively control the attached electrical device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A smart plug providing an alternating current (AC) electrical signal to an external electrical device through an electrical path comprising a live (L) lead and a neutral (N) lead, the smart-plug comprising: a housing; an electrical outlet accommodating an electrical plug of the external electrical device; a main printed circuit board (PCB) comprising: a communication module; and an electrical power measurement module measuring a measured power usage of the external electrical device through the electrical outlet; the communication module sending data about the measured power usage over a communication channel; a relay PCB comprising a relay to control an electrical load provided by the external electrical device; a power PCB providing electrical power to the main PCB and regulating the AC electrical signal to the external electrical device; and the main PCB, the relay PCB, and the power PCB being arranged in three dimensional manner within the housing of the smart plug. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1 comprising a first thick lead metal foil in the electrical path to reduce electrical resistance of the electrical path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The smart plug of claim 2, comprising a current-sense resistor, wherein the current-sense resistor is connected to the neutral (N) lead via a second metal foil. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The smart plug of claim 2, wherein the relay is connected to the live (L) lead through a third metal foil. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The smart plug of claim 2, wherein the main PCB and the relay PCB are connected through a fourth thick metal foil and a first thick solder joint. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The smart plug of claim 2, wherein the power PCB and the relay PCB are connected through a fifth thick metal foil and a second thick solder joint. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The smart plug of claim 2, wherein the first metal foil has a thickness between 0.1 and 1 millimeter (mm). ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The smart plug of claim 3, wherein the second thick foil comprises material having copper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1, comprising a fifth metal foil that transfers heat from a contact metal area of a PCB to a side-wall of the housing, wherein the housing comprises plastic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1, wherein at least one component on the main PCB is electrically isolated by covering the at least one component with a first electrical isolation layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The smart plug of claim 10, wherein the first electrical isolation layer is applied in liquid form and is cured at about room temperature to less than 100 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The smart plug of claim 10, wherein the first electrical isolation layer comprises a tape form having a thickness between 0.1 to 1 millimeter (mm). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The smart plug of claim 10, wherein the first electrical isolation comprises a solid layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1 comprising an earth ground clip and a plastic top plate, wherein the earth ground clip is connected to the plastic top plate with a metal rivet and wherein the metal rivet is covered with a second electrical isolation layer on the backside of the plastic top plate to prevent electrical arcing from one of the neutral (N) and the live (L) leads to the earth ground clip. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The smart plug of claim 14, wherein the second electrical isolation layer is applied in liquid form and is cured at about room temperature to less than 100 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1, wherein the smart plug, after a predetermined time, senses electrical current drawn by the external electrical device and limits the electrical current when a current limit is reached. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The smart plug of claim 16, wherein the smart plug comprises a computing device and a memory device, the computing device accessing computer-executable instructions from the memory device that cause the computing device to limit the electrical current. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The smart plug of claim 9, wherein thermal grease is applied between the fifth metal foil and the plastic housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The smart plug of claim 9, wherein the fifth metal foil is characterized by a rectangular shape and having a metal post connecting to a contact metal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The smart plug of claim 9, wherein the fifth metal foil is characterized by a goal post shape. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1, wherein the smart plug supports a plug style specified in one of the United Kingdom, European Union, China, and the United States. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The smart plug of claim 1, wherein the smart plug supports a socket style specified in one of the United Kingdom, European Union, China, and the United States. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The smart plug of claim 17, wherein the computing device receives a device identification of the external electrical device and determines at least one electrical characteristic of the external electrical device from the device identification.