BrightCharger extends patent coverage with EU AC Charging Control grant
The BrightCharger team is happy to announce that our mission to bring sustainable device charge management to the world has taken another giant step forward after receiving confirmation that our EU patent for “AC Charging Control” has been granted. This, combined with our previously granted US AC Charging Control patent, means we can now offer our licensable BrightZero® technology to manufacturers of microchips, outlets, and chargers in two of the world’s largest economic regions under the protection of law.
Our company strategy has shifted – to fulfil our mission, we realised we needed to inject sustainability into the consumer device supply chain at the precise point where it can make the most impact. And, after several years of research, pilots, and technology breakthroughs, we retooled our technology into a licensable portfolio of IP and tools purpose-built to support the sustainability efforts of the key players in this space: microprocessor manufacturers.
They have the opportunity to meet consumer demand by helping their customers to bring smarter device chargers to market. Chargers that can switch off and cut device power feeds at the optimal moment can extend battery lifetimes by up to one year. At scale, they can reduce needless power consumption and minimise e-waste. With a US and EU patent for our technology, we can ensure chip manufacturers offer a competitive range of functionalities for their customers, all under the protection of law.
“The market is currently primed to address consumer demand for fully transparent, sustainable production processes. People want to know that the companies behind the purchases they make are doing all they can to eliminate wasteful, socially immoral elements from their supply chains. From Congolese cobalt mines to wastefully-programmed devices, we no longer have any excuse to make the small changes that lead to big differences” states BrightCharger CEO and Co-founder Jani Rytkönen.
The “AC Charging Control” patent enables BrightCharger to provide a solution for enabling intelligent auto cut-off in 110-240 VAC power outlets and AC adapters (‘AC Smart Plugs’). These smarter outlets and adapters are compatible with any charger they connect to and give them the ability to monitor the charging current. At the optimal moment for device battery health, they will cut off charging power.
“BrightZero is fully scalable. It operates directly at the power source and has no dependencies on the charger, device’s battery management system (BMS), battery type or voltage. As part of our licensing offering, we also provide access to our IP, algorithm source code, and portfolio of product designs. We want to lower the barrier to entry for those brave first adopters in the microprocessor manufacturing space. Their steps will lead to the change demanded by the market,” Rytkönen concludes.
Download our licensing guide for microprocessor manufacturers here