Expansion socket for digital video devices

• US 20060143354A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Chia-Hsien, Tsai, Chu-Chia, Teng, Chun-I
• Granted Patent: US 7,312,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/022 Cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/12 Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

This invention provides an expansion socket for a digital video device, which is located under a side of a housing of the digital video device in a laptop. By configuring the expansion socket and the digital video device, it may form a box-like shape. The expansion socket for the digital video device of this invention comprises a socket main body for an expansion module to be inserted into in order to increase the functionality of the laptop.

Claims

1. An expansion socket for a digital video device having a housing, wherein the expansion socket is adapted to accept insertion of an expansion module, the housing of the digital video device comprising a disk tray area and a disk area above the disk tray area, wherein a plane of the disk area is larger than the disk tray area so as to form an expansion space defined by the larger portion of the plane of the disk area and a side of the disk tray area, the expansion socket comprising:

a socket main body located in the expansion space, wherein the socket main body comprises a connector for connecting the expansion module and the socket main body; and

a frame adjoining to a side of the socket main body, wherein the disk tray area of the housing may be placed in the frame.

2. The expansion socket of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises an antenna interface.

3. The expansion socket of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a PCI interface, or a PCI Express interface.

4. The expansion socket of claim 1, wherein the expansion module is selected from a set consisting of:

a digital TV tuner module;

a general packet radio service module;

a global positioning system module;

a wireless local area network module; and

a Bluetooth module.

5. The expansion socket of claim 1, wherein the socket main body comprises at least a first fixing member, and the expansion module comprises at least a second fixing member corresponding to at least the first fixing member, and when the expansion module is inserted into the expansion socket, the expansion module is fixed in the socket main body by the first fixing member engaging with the at least second fixing member.

6. An expansion socket for a digital video device having a housing, wherein the expansion socket is adapted to accept insertion of an expansion module, the housing of the digital video device comprising a disk tray area and a disk area above the disk tray area, wherein a plane of the disk area is larger than the disk tray area so as to form an expansion space defined by the larger portion of the plane of the disk area and a side of the disk tray area, the expansion socket comprising:

a socket main body having a socket housing located in the expansion space, wherein the socket main body comprises a connector for connecting the expansion module and the socket main body; and

at least a fixing member for connecting the socket case of the socket main body and the case of the digital video device and thereby fixing the socket main body in the expansion space.

7. The expansion socket of claim 6, wherein the at least fixing member is selected from a set consisting of:

at least a screw;

a track;

a wedge and fillister;

solder; and

an adhesive.

8. The expansion socket of claim 6, wherein the connector comprises an antenna interface.

9. The expansion socket of claim 6, wherein the connector comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a PCI interface, or a PCI Express interface.

10. The expansion socket of claim 6, wherein the expansion module is selected from a set consisting of:

a digital TV tuner module;

a general packet radio service module;

a global positioning system module;

a wireless local area network module; and

a Bluetooth module.

11. The expansion socket of claim 6, wherein the socket housing of the socket main body comprises at least a first fixing member, and the expansion module comprises at least a second fixing member corresponding to the at least first fixing member, and when the expansion module is inserted into the expansion socket, the expansion module is fixed in the socket main body by the at least first fixing member engaging with the at least second fixing member.

12. An expansion socket for a digital video device having a housing, wherein the expansion socket is adapted to accept insertion of an expansion module, the housing of the digital video device comprising a disk tray area and a disk area above the disk tray area, wherein a plane of the disk area is larger than the disk tray area so as to form an expansion space defined by the larger portion of the plane of the disk area and a side of the disk tray area, the expansion socket comprising:

a socket main body located in the expansion space, the socket main body and the housing of the digital video device monolithically formed, wherein the socket main body comprises a connector for connecting the expansion module and the socket main body.

13. The expansion socket of claim 12, wherein the connector comprises an antenna interface.

14. The expansion socket of claim 12, wherein the connector comprises a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a PCI interface, or a PCI Express interface.

15. The expansion socket of claim 12, wherein the expansion module is selected from a set consisting of:

a digital TV tuner module;

a general packet radio service module;

a global positioning system module;

a wireless local area network module; and

a Bluetooth module.

16. The expansion socket of claim 12, wherein the socket main body comprises at least a first fixing member, and the expansion module comprises at least a second fixing member corresponding to the at least first fixing member, and when the expansion module is inserted into the expansion socket, the expansion module is fixed in the socket main body by the at least first fixing member engaging with the at least second fixing member.