US 6,531,873 B1 · Methods for discriminating between types of electric appliances connectable to a supplementary device

Abstract

A supplementary device, such as a charging, cleaning and/or diagnosis device, for a small electric device, such as an electric hair cutting or hair removal apparatus or an electric toothbrush, but particularly for an electric shaving apparatus, includes an arrangement to detect whether it is connected electrically and/or magnetically to the small electric device, and an arrangement to discriminate between different types of small electric device. This arrangement monitors an electric and/or magnetic quantity prevailing at the connection of the supplementary device. A method for detecting the presence of an electric and/or magnetic connection between said devices includes monitoring an electric and/or magnetic quantity prevailing at the connection of the supplementary device.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of discriminating between individual types of electric appliances connectable to a supplementary device, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one of an electric and a magnetic quantity prevailing at a location where the supplementary device and the electric appliance are connected;
determining from said monitored quantity whether the electric appliance has a battery;
and then
performing a function on the electric appliance with the supplemental device, the function based at least in part on whether the appliance has been determined to have a battery.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for discriminating between types of electric appliances connectable to a supplementary device

Life of this patent

Methods for discriminating between types of electric appliances connectable to a supplementary device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13