Electronic device

• US 20070019392A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seifried, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09145 Edge details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10212 Programmable component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/168 Wrong mounting prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0026 provided with connectors and printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. automotive electronic control units

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having an aperture and a main circuit board disposed in housing. The main circuit board includes an edge and a plurality of contact surfaces located at the edge proximate to the aperture, whereby a mating connector is connectable to the contact surfaces by inserting the mating connector into the housing from outside of the housing via the aperture. An update connector adapter includes a support structure and a mating connector mounted on the support structure. The mating connector includes a plurality of contact terminals for contacting the contact surfaces. The update connector adapter further includes an update connector mounted to the support structure. A programming unit is connectable to the update connector for programming the main circuit board. The control unit may be programmed by inserting the update connector adapter into the aperture and connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having an aperture; and

a main circuit board disposed in housing, the main circuit board including an edge and a plurality of contact surfaces located at the edge proximate to the aperture, whereby a mating connector is connectable to the contact surfaces by inserting the mating connector into the housing from outside of the housing via the aperture.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling an operating mode of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, where the housing includes a front surface, and the electronic device further comprises an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board and the aperture are located relative to each other in a manner enabling the mating connector to be connected to the contact surfaces in a single orientation.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes a main surface and the contact surfaces located directly on the main surface.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, where the contact surfaces are located directly on opposite surfaces of the main circuit board.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling an operating mode of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector, and where the housing includes a front surface and the electronic device further includes an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, where the electronic device is a built-in electronic device for a vehicle mountable in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment.

9. An update connector adapter, comprising:

a support structure;

an edge connector mounted on the support structure and including a plurality of contact terminals for contacting contact surfaces provided at the edge of a main circuit board; and

an update connector to which a programming unit is connectable for programming the main circuit board, the update connector mounted to the support structure.

10. The update connector adapter of claim 9, further comprising an additional update connector mounted to the support structure.

11. The update connector adapter of claim 9, where the support structure includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is adapted for insertion through an aperture of a housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surface of the main circuit board.

12. A control unit programming system, comprising:

an electronic device including a housing having an aperture and a main circuit board disposed in housing, the main circuit board including an edge and a plurality of contact surfaces located the edge proximate to the aperture, whereby a mating connector is connectable to the contact surfaces by inserting the mating connector into the housing from outside of the housing via the aperture; and

an update connector adapter including a support structure and an edge connector mounted on the support structure and including a plurality of contact terminals for contacting contact surfaces, where the edge connector is connected to the contact surfaces at the edge of the main circuit board, the update connector adapter further including an update connector to which a programming unit is connectable for programming the main circuit board, the update connector mounted to the support structure.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a programming unit connected to the update connector adapter for programming the control unit on the main circuit board.

14. The system of claim 12, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling an operating mode of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector.

15. The system of claim 12, where the housing includes a front surface, and the electronic device further comprises an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

16. The system of claim 12, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling an operating mode of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector, and where the housing includes a front surface and the electronic device further includes an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

17. The system of claim 16, where the support structure includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is adapted for insertion through an aperture of a housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surface of the main circuit board.

18. The system of claim 12, where the support structure includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is adapted for insertion through an aperture of a housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surface of the main circuit board.

19. The system of claim 12, where the electronic device is a built-in electronic device for a vehicle mountable in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment.

20. A method for programming a control unit of an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting an update connector adapter into an aperture of a housing of the electronic device;

connecting an edge connector provided on the update connector adapter to contact surfaces provided on a main circuit board disposed in the housing of the electronic device, the contact surfaces facing the aperture; and

transmitting programming data to the control unit via the update connector adapter.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting a programming unit to the update connector adapter to transmit the programming data to the control unit via the update connector adapter.

22. The method of claim 20, where the electronic device is provided in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment.