1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to electrical charging systems and more particularly, electrical charging systems for charging embedded components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several companies are currently embedding various types of electronics in articles of clothing. For example, some manufacturers have placed electronic devices such as mobile phones, global positioning system (GPS) trackers and video cameras within jackets or other outerwear. As many of these elements contain their own power sources, e.g., rechargeable batteries, the portion of these devices that contains the power source must be removed from the article of clothing so that the power source can be replenished. Once this portion of the embedded electronic device is removed from the garment, it is typically mounted on an electronic charger until the power source is sufficiently charged.
This process of replenishing power sources, however, suffers from several significant disadvantages. Namely, once a component of the embedded electronic device is removed from the garment for charging, it may be easily lost or misplaced. Moreover, a consumer may find it cumbersome to constantly remove and reinsert such components, which may lead to the electronic device being insufficiently charged for operation. Finally, the frequency with which the component housing the power source must be accessed for charging can lead to increased wear of the fabric that comprises the article of clothing. Thus, what is needed is a charging system that overcomes the drawbacks of the current art but does not lead to a substantial increase in costs or complexity.