Expansion unit and electronic-apparatus system

• US 20040057199A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Azuchi, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/607,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20040057199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

An electronic-apparatus system according to the present invention includes a main device, an expansion unit which expands the function of the main device and a cradle in which the main device is held when the main device transmits/receives data to/from a personal computer. A connector for connecting a data-synchronizing signal line and a function-expanding signal line is provided on the bottom of the main device. A connector and a connector,.which are fitted into the connector, are provided in the expansion unit and cradle, respectively. The expansion unit has a connector having the same shape as that of the connector. Thus, the cradle can be used with the expansion unit connected to the main device.

Claims

1. An expansion unit that is detachably capable to be connected to electronic apparatus having a first connector, comprising:

a second connector electrically connected to the first connector;

a third connector whose shape is equal to that of the first connector and which is connected to other electronic apparatus being different from the electronic apparatus; and

a signal line which electrically connects the second connector and the third connector together.

2. The expansion unit according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth connector which is electrically connected to the second connector and whose shape is different from that of the first connector.

3. The expansion unit according to claim 1, further comprising storage unit, which is electrically connected to the second connector, for storing data to be processed by the electronic apparatus.

4. The expansion unit according to claim 2, which has a function of transferring display data to an external display device that is connected to the expansion unit through the fourth connector.

5. The expansion unit according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus has a first surface on which the first connector is provided and the expansion unit has a second surface on which the second connector is provided, the second surface having substantially a same area as that of the first surface.

6. The expansion unit according to claim 1, which has substantially a same thickness measurement as that of the electronic apparatus.

7. The expansion unit according to claim 1, which has substantially a same width measurement as that of the electronic apparatus.

8. An electronic-apparatus system having an electronic apparatus and a first expansion unit detachably connected to the electronic apparatus,

the electronic apparatus comprising a first connector used for both data communications with other electronic apparatus and function expansion of the electronic apparatus, and

the first expansion unit comprising:

a second connector electrically connected to the first connector;

a third connector having a same shape as that of the first connector and being connectable to the other electronic apparatus; and

a first signal line which electrically connects the first connector and the second connector together.

9. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, further comprising a second expansion unit having

a fourth connector electrically connected to one of the first connector and the third connector;

a fifth connector having a same shape as that of the first connector and connectable to the electronic apparatus; and

a second signal line which electrically connects the fourth connector and the fifth connector together, and

the second expansion unit is selectively connectable to the first expansion unit and the electronic apparatus.

10. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, further comprising a data synchronizing unit connected to other electronic apparatus and capable of synchronizing data, the data synchronizing unit being selectively connectable to the first connector and the third connector which connects the electronic apparatus and the first expansion unit.

11. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 9, further comprising a data synchronizing unit connected to other electronic apparatus and capable of synchronizing data, the data synchronizing unit being selectively connectable to the first connector, the third connector which connects the electronic apparatus and the first expansion unit, and the fifth connector which connects the electronic apparatus, the first expansion unit and the second expansion unit.

12. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, wherein the first expansion unit further comprises a sixth connector whose shape differs from that of the first connector.

13. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, wherein the first expansion unit further comprises storage unit which stores information of the electronic apparatus.

14. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 12, wherein the first expansion unit transfers display data to an external display device through the sixth connector.

15. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic apparatus has a first surface on which the first connector is provided and the first expansion unit has a second surface on which the second connector is provided, the first surface and the second surface having substantially a same area.

16. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic apparatus and the first expansion unit have substantially a same thickness measurement.

17. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic apparatus and the first expansion unit have substantially a same width measurement.

18. The electronic-apparatus system according to claim 9, wherein the electronic apparatus has a first surface on which the first connector is provided and the first expansion unit has a second surface on which the second connector is provided and a fourth surface on which the fourth connector is provided, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface and the fourth surface having substantially a same area.