No more dead battery!

Gidophone offers charging stations to recharge your mobile devices in public places.

Who hasn't found themselves with a mobile device that has run out of battery? Romain Lecarpentier came up with the idea of charging stations to end this problem and founded the Gidophone Company, which has been installing interactive stations around the world since 2009. They operate like a hotel safe box service: you enter a secret code in the centre of the station and then a locker is opened in which devices can be put to recharge.To retrieve your device, you just need to re-enter the same code. ¨We had to offer a high security solution. A mobile phone, for example, may be a person’s most valuable possession, where they store their most important information,¨ explains Romain Lecarpentier, director of Gidophone.

¨We essentially had one technical requirement. The lock condition was to remain unchanged, i.e., remain in closed or opened position, in the event of a power failure. We had to design a model offering a certain programming reliability while offering the best level of security, and we considered several solutions. We tested electromagnets, but they were not appropriate for us in terms of reliability, and we did not have the same sense of security which the mechanical interlocking latch of the Southco R4-EM provides. We used it on the V2 and again on the V3 because it is secure and reliable,¨ adds Romain Lecarpentier.

The stations are compatible with all mobile devices: mobile phone, tablets, MP3 players, game consoles, cameras, etc. Moreover, the company has developed a patented solution for battery inductive charging for all mobile devices (except for computers), and no cable is necessary.

Gidophone targets all markets: airports, train stations, shopping malls, hotels, sports centres, restaurants, concert halls, and exhibitions, to name a few. ¨In 2012, we will deliver between 300 and 400 stations and are expecting to install another 800 by 2013. Our competitors are racing to launch similar charging stations, but we offer real advantages over the competition. First, our charging stations offer many functions: they can be remote controlled; you can fill out satisfaction and marketing surveys and send e-mails. Our customers can thus offer an attractive tool to their users and increase company revenue in services and advertising. Secondly, we are building upon our existing high quality: 90% of the manufacturing process is out-sourced in France and 10% in other European countries. Choosing the Southco access solutions is part of this approach,¨ explains Romain Lecarpentier.

Depending on the circumstances, Gidophone's customers may charge the service to the end-user or not. ¨The selling price of a station is 5,000 euros, and we also have a rental package. Our customers can choose to finance this investment with advertisements that our solutions allow,¨ concludes Romain Lecarpentier.

As seen with the Gidophone company stations, the Southco^® R4-EM electronic rotary latch offers important advantages when implementing a simple and safe access solution.

The microprocessor control offers a real flexibility for operations because you can develop any function: when it opens and closes and what are the exceptions. The control also provides flexibility for the actuation signals since it accepts many different signals: proximity cards, RF remote controls, digital wired keypads, magnetic card stations, smart players, biometric devices, etc.

Compared to an ordinary mechanical latch connected to a separate solenoid actuator, the R4-EM drive gear motor offers more security for the latch actuation, and it is more effective (reduced power consumption and increased charging capacity). Thanks to its compact design (65 X 69 X 19 mm), the R4-EM latch is easy to install; only two screws are needed to assemble the latch. With its proven mechanical design and 100% metal construction, the latch offers excellent resistance to vandalism, long life-cycle durability, and long-term reliability. It can be easily adapted for many other demanding applications, such as storage units for industrial, agricultural, and recreational vehicles, as well as for buses.

The latch is operated with a 12 to 24 V DC power supply, and the inrush current during actuation is lower than 500 mA to 12 V DC.

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