# US 2021/0344207 A1 · Charge cable deadzone mitigation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0344207 A1 - Document ID: US20210344207A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/377,113 - Filed: 2021-07-15 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-27 - Assignees: Snap Inc. - Applicants: Snap Inc. - Inventors: Shaheen Moubedi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344207A1 ## CPC - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - H02J 7/751: {concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries} - H02J 7/685: {using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence)} - H02J 7/947: {in response to integrated charge or discharge current} - H02J 2207/30: Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract A charging cable is configured to rotate freely while attached to a cable plug on a chargeable device. The plug has contact pads separated by an insulator, and the matching cable head has pins for contacting the pads of the plug. There may be a ‘deadzone’ position where one or more pins of the cable head rest of the separator and do not make contact with the charge pads on the cable plug. The examples include pins in the cable head for redundant charging paths that are complimentary such that only one of the power paths will be on at any given time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a chargeable device including: a battery; a battery charger circuit coupled to the battery; and a cylindrical post having a curved surface including first and second charging contact pads coupled to supply power to the battery charger circuit of the chargeable device, and an insulator electrically separating the first and second charging contact pads; and a charging cable including: a power bus and a ground bus; a cable head having a cylindrical recess configured to accept the cylindrical post when the cable head is rotatably coupled to the cylindrical post of the chargeable device; power pins and ground pins protruding into the cylindrical recess of the cable head; and one or more power path switches coupled between the pins and the buses to selectively connect a different one of the power pins to the power bus and a different one of the ground pins to the ground bus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power pins include a first power pin and a second power pin and the ground pins include a first ground pin and a second ground pin, the first power pin protrudes into the cylindrical recess at a position opposite the first ground pin, and the second power pin protrudes into the cylindrical recess at a position opposite the first ground pin. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the first power pin, the second power pin, the first ground pin, and the second ground pin are located at four equidistant locations around a cylindrical inner wall of the cylindrical recess. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical post includes a plastic post forming the insulator, a first metallic pad positioned in or on the plastic post forming the first charging contact pad, and a second metallic pad positioned in or on the plastic post forming the second charging contact pad. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the first metallic pad is mounted in or on a first side of a cylindrical lateral surface of the plastic post and the second metallic pad is mounted in or on a second side of the cylindrical lateral surface of the plastic post opposite the first side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the insulator creates a first gap and a second gap between the first metallic pad and the second metallic on the cylindrical lateral surface and wherein the width of the first and the second gap are greater than a contact area of a power or ground pin on the cylindrical lateral surface when the cable head having the cylindrical recess receives the cylindrical post. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical post includes a first metal piece forming the first charging contact pad, a second metal piece forming the second charging contact pad, and an electrically insulating separator positioned between the first and second metal pieces forming the insulator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the cable head has a cylindrical outer perimeter and wherein the chargeable device further comprises: a cylindrical device recess larger than the cylindrical outer perimeter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a current sensor coupled to at least one of the busses to detect current via selected pairs of the pins of the cable head when connected to the buses by the one or more power path switches. ### Claim 10 A charging cable including: a power bus and a ground bus; a cable head having a cylindrical recess configured to accept a cylindrical post of a chargeable device when the cable head is rotatably coupled to the cylindrical post of the chargeable device; power pins and ground pins protruding into the cylindrical recess of the cable head; and one or more power path switches coupled between the pins and the buses to selectively connect a different one of the power pins to the power bus and a different one of the ground pins to the ground bus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The charging cable of claim 10, wherein the power pins include a first power pin and a second power pin and the ground pins include a first ground pin and a second ground pin, the first power pin protrudes into the cylindrical recess at a position opposite the first ground pin, and the second power pin protrudes into the cylindrical recess at a position opposite the first ground pin. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The charging cable of claim 11, wherein the first power pin, the second power pin, the first ground pin, and the second ground pin are located at four equidistant locations around a cylindrical inner wall of the cylindrical recess. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The charging cable of claim 10, wherein the cable head has a cylindrical outer perimeter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The charging cable of claim 10, further comprising: a current sensor coupled to at least one of the busses to detect current via selected pairs of the pins of the cable head when connected to the buses by the one or more power path switches. ### Claim 15 A chargeable device including: a battery; a battery charger circuit coupled to the battery; and a cylindrical post having a curved surface including first and second charging contact pads coupled to supply power to the battery charger circuit of the chargeable device, and an insulator electrically separating the first and second charging contact pads. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The chargeable device of claim 15, wherein the cylindrical post includes a plastic post forming the insulator, a first metallic pad positioned in or on the plastic post forming the first charging contact pad, and a second metallic pad positioned in or on the plastic post forming the second charging contact pad. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The chargeable device of claim 16, wherein the first metallic pad is mounted in or on a first side of a cylindrical lateral surface of the plastic post and the second metallic pad is mounted in or on a second side of the cylindrical lateral surface of the plastic post opposite the first side. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The chargeable device of claim 17, wherein the insulator creates a first gap and a second gap between the first metallic pad and the second metallic on the cylindrical lateral surface and wherein the width of the first and the second gap are greater than a contact area of a power or ground pin of a cable head having a cylindrical recess on the cylindrical lateral surface when the cable head having the cylindrical recess receives the cylindrical post. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The chargeable device of claim 15, wherein the cylindrical post includes a first metal piece forming the first charging contact pad, a second metal piece forming the second charging contact pad, and an electrically insulating separator positioned between the first and second metal pieces forming the insulator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The chargeable device of claim 15, wherein a cable head of a charging cable has a cylindrical outer perimeter and wherein the chargeable device further comprises: a cylindrical device recess larger than the cylindrical outer perimeter configured to receive the cable head of the charging cable.