Systems and methods for providing electric power to mobile and arbitrarily positioned devices

A method for providing electric power to an electromechanical device that is moveable to, and positionable at, divers locations on a support surface, comprising:

• providing the support surface with a plurality of pads at one voltage level interspersed with a plurality of pads at another voltage level;
• providing the electromechanical device with a plurality of electric contacts, at least two of which are spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to accommodate positioning of one of said contacts to be in electric contract with one of said pads at said one voltage level simultaneously with positioning another of said contacts to be in electric contact with another of said pads at said another voltage level;
• rectifying electric current flowing between said contacts to provide electric power for operating said electromechanical device, regardless of which one of said contacts is positioned in electric contact with the pad at said one voltage level and which another of said contacts is positioned in electric contact with the pad at said another voltage level.

A method for providing electric power to an electrically-powered device that is positionable at divers locations on a support surface, comprising:

• providing the support surface with a plurality of pads at one voltage level interspersed with a plurality of pads at another voltage level;
• providing the electrically-powered device with a plurality of electric contacts, at least two of which are spaced apart from each other a sufficient distance to accommodate positioning of one of said contacts to be in electric contract with one of said pads at said one voltage level simultaneously with positioning another of said contacts to be in electric contact with another of said pads at said another voltage level;
• rectifying electric current flowing between said contacts to provide electric power for operating said electrically-powered device, regardless of which one of said contacts is positioned in electric contact with the pad at said one voltage level and which another of said contacts is positioned in electric contact with the pad at said another voltage level.

A device which is powered by electricity and is positionable on a support surface, said device having a plurality of electric contacts that are spaced apart in relation to each other in positions to make electric contact with the support surface, said electric contacts of said device being electrically connected to a rectifier circuit in the device that is capable of rectifying electric power from said electric contacts of said device to a specific polarity whenever at least one of said electric contacts of said device is at a first voltage level and at least another one of said electric contacts of said device is at a second voltage level.

Electrical apparatus, comprising:

• a device, which is powered by electricity and that can be positioned at divers locations on a support surface, said device having a plurality of electric contacts that are spaced apart in relation to each other in positions to make electric contact with the support surface, said electric contacts being electrically connected to a rectifier circuit that is capable of rectifying electric power from said electric contacts whenever at least one of said electric contacts is at a first voltage level and at least another one of said electric contacts is at a second voltage level;
• and
• a contact system having a plurality of pads that comprise at least part of said support surface, wherein some of said pads are at the first voltage level and others of said pads are at the second voltage level, and further wherein the pads at the first voltage level are interspersed with the pads at the second voltage level in such a manner that movement of the electromechanical device in any direction on the support surface can result in a condition in which at least one of the contacts touches at least one pad at the first voltage level while at least one other of the contacts touches at least one pad at the second voltage level.

Electrical apparatus, comprising:

• a device, which is powered by electricity, includes a plurality of electrical contacts for receiving electric power, said device and the electric contacts being configured in a manner that enables the device to be positioned on a support surface with the electrical contacts in electric contact with the support surface, and said device having electric circuitry connected to the electric contacts that enables the device to receive electric power when at least one of said electric contacts is in electrical connection with a power source at a different voltage level than at least another of said electric contacts;
• and
• a contact system having a plurality of pads that are comprised in said support surface and that are electrically connected to the power source in such a manner that there is a voltage difference between at least some of said pads that are interspersed with each other in a manner that provides a voltage difference between at least two of the electric contacts of the device when the device is positioned on a part of the support surface which comprises the pads that are electrically connected to the power source.

Electrical apparatus, comprising:

• a component that utilizes electric power;
• and
• at least five electric contacts for receiving electric power for said component from a support surface which comprises at least two electrically distinct pads that have specific shapes, sizes, and distributions on the support surface separated by gaps and are connected to a power supply in a manner that creates opposite voltage potential polarity between said electrically distinct pads, wherein said at least five electric contacts on the device are distributed in a manner relative to the shapes, sizes, and distributions of the pads such that no more than three of the at least five contacts can be positioned in the gaps between said pads regardless of how the apparatus is positioned on the support surface.