Apparatus, system, and method for optically transforming ac electrical inputs into stepped-down dc outputs

1 . An optical transformer comprising:

an alternating current (AC) component that incorporates:

an array of light-emitting devices that:

are electrically coupled between a ground node and an electrical node configured to carry electric current from an AC power source; and

are connected in series with one another;

at least one additional array of light-emitting devices that:

are electrically coupled between the ground node and the electrical node;

are connected in series with one another and in parallel with the array of light-emitting devices; and

are arranged along a vertical plane within the AC component; and

an optical transmitter that transmits a modulated light signal carrying information; and

a direct current (DC) component that is optically coupled to the AC component and incorporates:

an array of photovoltaic cells that:

are optically coupled to the array of light-emitting devices via beams of light energy;

each produce a constituent DC electrical signal;

are arranged to accumulate the constituent DC electrical signals into a DC electrical output;

are arranged along a vertical plane within the DC component; and

include a certain number of photovoltaic cells designed to produce the DC electrical output at a specific voltage level sufficient to power or charge a consumer device; and

an optical receiver that receives the modulated light signal carrying the information from the optical transmitter via a transmission beam that is external to the beams of light energy; and

wherein the optical transformer comprises a form factor that fits in tight spaces, the form factor being dimensioned such that the vertical planes within the AC and DC components are at least twice as long as a horizontal plane that is orthogonal to the vertical planes and spans across the AC and DC components.

2 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein:

the array of light-emitting devices are arranged to conduct electric current from the AC power source in one polarity; and

the at least one additional array of light-emitting devices are arranged to conduct electric current from the AC power source in another polarity that is opposite of the one polarity.

3 . The optical transformer of claim 2 , wherein:

the array of light-emitting devices are arranged to rectify the AC power source by blocking electric current from the AC power source in the another polarity; and

the at least one additional array of light-emitting devices are arranged to rectify the AC power source by blocking electric current from the AC power source in the one polarity.

4 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein the array of photovoltaic cells are connected in series with one another; and

further comprising at least one additional array of photovoltaic cells that:

are connected in series with one another; and

are connected in parallel with the array of photovoltaic cells.

5 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , further comprising an AC power plug that:

is dimensioned for insertion into an AC power socket; and

facilitates electrically coupling the array of light-emitting devices to the AC power source via the AC power socket.

6 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein:

the array of light-emitting devices receives an AC electrical input from the AC power source; and

the DC electrical output produced by the array of photovoltaic cells is stepped down from the AC electrical input received by the array of light-emitting devices.

7 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , further comprising a charging port that:

is dimensioned to receive a charging plug of a portable computing device; and

facilitates electrically charging the portable computing device via the charging plug.

8 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , further comprising a DC power port that:

is dimensioned to receive a DC power plug of a computing device; and

facilitates powering the computing device via the DC power plug.

9 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein:

the array of light-emitting devices exhibit a plurality of voltage drops that collectively amount to a total voltage drop across the array of light-emitting devices; and

the array of light-emitting devices receives an AC electrical input from the AC power source, wherein the AC electrical input has a peak value equivalent to the total voltage drop across the array of light-emitting devices.

10 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein the information carried by the modulated light signal comprises at least one of:

information indicating a power delivery capability of the AC power source;

information used by a computing device plugged into the optical transformer to authenticate the optical transformer;

information about advertisements to be displayed on a computing device plugged into the optical transformer during a charging operation; or

information pertinent to an Internet connection involving a computing device plugged into the optical transformer.

11 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein:

the DC component includes an additional optical transmitter that transmits an additional modulated light signal carrying additional information; and

the AC component includes an additional optical receiver that receives the additional modulated light signal carrying the additional information from the additional optical transmitter.

12 . The optical transformer of claim 11 , wherein the additional information carried by the additional modulated light signal comprises at least one of:

information pertinent to a bidirectional data connection involving the consumer device; or

a device key indicative of the consumer device.

13 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein the DC component is incorporated into the consumer device.

14 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein the array of light-emitting devices comprise at least one of:

a plurality of light-emitting diodes;

a plurality of laser diodes; or

a plurality of surface-emitting lasers.

15 . The optical transformer of claim 1 , wherein:

the array of light-emitting devices produce a specific wavelength of light energy; and

the array of photovoltaic cells have an energy bandgap whose corresponding wavelength is within a certain range of the specific wavelength of light energy produced by the array of light-emitting devices.

16 . A pluggable optical transformer comprising:

an alternating current (AC) component that:

includes an AC power plug dimensioned for insertion into an AC power socket; and

includes an array of light-emitting devices that:

are electrically coupled between a ground node and an electrical node configured to carry electric current from an AC power source; and

are connected in series with one another; includes at least one additional array of light-emitting devices that:

are electrically coupled between the ground node and the electrical node;

are connected in series with one another and in parallel with the array of light-emitting devices; and

are arranged along a vertical plane within the AC component; and

includes an optical transmitter that transmits a modulated light signal carrying information; and

a direct current (DC) component that:

is dimensioned for optically coupling to the AC component;

includes an array of photovoltaic cells that:

are dimensioned for optically coupling to the array of light-emitting devices included on the AC component via beams of light energy;

each produce a constituent direct current (DC) electrical signal;

are arranged to accumulate the constituent DC electrical signals into a DC electrical output;

are arranged along a vertical plane within the DC component; and

include a certain number of photovoltaic cells designed to produce the DC electrical output at a specific voltage level sufficient to power or charge a consumer device; and

includes an optical receiver that receives the modulated light signal carrying the information from the optical transmitter via a transmission beam that is external to the beams of light energy; and

wherein the optical transformer comprises a form factor that fits in tight spaces, the form factor being dimensioned such that the vertical planes within the AC and DC components are at least twice as long as a horizontal plane that is orthogonal to the vertical planes and spans across the AC and DC components.

17 . A method comprising:

manufacturing an alternating current (AC) component of an optical transformer for insertion into an AC power socket by:

electrically coupling, across the AC component, an array of light-emitting devices between a ground node and an electrical node configured to carry electric current from an AC power source;

connecting the array of light-emitting devices in series with one another;

electrically coupling, across the AC component, an additional array of light-emitting devices between the ground node and the electrical node;

connecting the additional array of light-emitting devices in series with one another and in parallel with the array of light-emitting devices;

arranging the array of light-emitting devices and the additional array of light-emitting devices along a vertical plane within the AC component; and

incorporating an optical transmitter configured to transmit a modulated light signal carrying information; and

manufacturing a direct current (DC) component of the optical transformer by:

disposing an array of photovoltaic cells across the DC component, wherein the array of photovoltaic cells:

each produce a constituent direct current (DC) electrical signal;

are arranged to accumulate the constituent DC electrical signals into a DC electrical output;

are arranged along a vertical plane within the DC component; and

include a certain number of photovoltaic cells designed to produce the DC electrical output at a specific voltage level sufficient to power or charge a consumer device;

fitting the DC component to facilitate optically coupling the array of photovoltaic cells to the array of light-emitting devices via beams of light energy; and

incorporating an optical receiver configured to receive the modulated light signal carrying the information from the optical transmitter via a transmission beam that is external to the beams of light energy; and

wherein the optical transformer comprises a form factor that fits in tight spaces, the form factor being dimensioned such that the vertical planes within the AC and DC components are at least twice as long as a horizontal plane that is orthogonal to the vertical planes and spans across the AC and DC components.