Smart connectors and associated communications links

• US 10,588,002 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A., Isaac, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Akinyemi, Ajibola A
• Application Number:
  US15/960,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20180255445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0259 Electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

“Smart” connectors with embedded processors, measurement circuits and control circuits are disclosed for establishing a “contactless” radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications link between two electronic devices having host systems. The connectors are capable of monitoring, controlling, and directing (managing) link operation to dynamically adapt to conditions, as well as monitoring and altering (or modifying) data passing through the connector, and selecting a protocol suitable for a communications session. The connectors are capable of identifying the type of content being transferred, providing authentication and security services, and enabling application support for the host systems based on the type of connection or the type of content. The connectors may operate independently of the host systems, and may perform at least one of sensing proximity of a nearby object; detecting a shape of a nearby object; and detecting vibrations.

Claims

1. A method for managing a bookkeeping service, comprising:

establishing a contactless communications link between a first contactless connector associated with a first device and a second contactless connector associated with a second device, wherein the contactless communications link enables EHF signals to be contactlessly transmitted over an anisotropic physical path through a dielectric medium, wherein the anisotropic physical path through the dielectric medium is characterized by a point-to-point contactless communications scheme that has an effective range on the order of one centimeter when the dielectric medium is air;

determining whether to transfer a data set from the first device to the second device via the contactless communications link, wherein the data set is part of the bookkeeping service; and

in response to determining that the data set is to be transferred, modifying, at the first device, a portion of the data set while it is being transferred from the first device to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contactless connector modifies the first data set as it passes through the first contactless connector onto the contactless communications link.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a characteristic of the second device; and

wherein the modifying is based on the determined characteristic of the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying is based on a time of the transfer of the data set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying is based on content of the data set, including at least one of length, type, and source of the data set.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a record of the first data set transmitted over the contactless link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the record comprises an indication of which data was sent as part of the first data set.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the record comprises a timestamp of when the first data set was transmitted.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the record comprises a user identification.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the record comprises transactional coding of the first data set.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging the transfer of the first data set to the second device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises applying an obfuscation algorithm to the first data set.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises encrypting the first data set.

14. A method for managing a bookkeeping service, comprising:

establishing a contactless communications link between a first contactless connector associated with a first device and a second contactless connector associated with a second device, wherein the contactless communications link is a point-to-point communications link that operates at a 60 GHz carrier frequency, wherein the contactless communications link enables EHF signals to be contactlessly transmitted over an anisotropic physical path through a dielectric medium, wherein the anisotropic physical path through the dielectric medium is characterized by a point-to-point contactless communications scheme that has an effective range on the order of one centimeter when the dielectric medium is air;

determining whether to transfer a data set from the first device to the second device via the contactless communications link, wherein the data set is part of the bookkeeping service; and

in response to determining that the data set is to be transferred, modifying, at the first device, a portion of the data set while it is being transferred from the first device to the second device.