Small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle

• US 20080025008A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kochis, Craig, Ramsthaler, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/760
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a USB contact area, and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die. The PCB includes a first primary surface and a second primary surface. The USB contact area is fabricated on the first primary surface. The RF transceiver die is mounted on the second primary surface, wherein the RF transceiver is in accordance with Bluetooth.

Claims

1. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle comprises:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first primary surface and a second primary surface;

a USB contact area on the first primary surface;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die on the second primary surface, wherein the RF transceiver is in accordance with Bluetooth; and

wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle mounts within a USB connector.

2. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1, wherein the USB contact area is radially aligned with the RF transceiver die.

3. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1 further comprises:

a USB metal shield at least partially encircling the USB contact area and the RF transceiver die.

4. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 3 further comprises:

a plastic filler encasing the RF transceiver die within the USB metal shield.

5. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1 further comprises;

an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted on the first surface adjacent to the USB contact area.

6. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1 further comprises at least one of:

an antenna fabricated on the second primary surface;

an external chip antenna; and

an external metal antenna.

7. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 6 further comprises:

a ground plane on a surface of the PCB that is substantially parallel to the second primary surface, wherein the ground plane is radially aligned with the antenna on the second primary surface.

8. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1 further comprises:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted on the first and second primary surfaces.

9. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 1 further comprises an over mold.

10. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle comprises:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first primary surface and a second primary surface, wherein the first primary surface includes a first surface area and a second surface area, the second primary surface includes a first surface area and a second surface area, wherein the first surface area of the first primary surface is radially aligned with the first surface area of the second primary surface and the second surface area of the first primary surface is radially aligned with the second surface area of the second primary surface area;

a USB contact area in the first surface area of the first primary surface;

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die in the second surface area of the second primary surface, wherein the RF transceiver is in accordance with Bluetooth; and

wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle mounts within a USB connector.

11. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 10 further comprises:

a USB metal shield at least partially encircling the USB contact area.

12. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 11 further comprises:

a plastic filler within the USB metal shield.

13. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 10 further comprises;

an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted in the second surface area of the first primary surface.

14. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 10 further comprises at least one of:

an antenna fabricated on the second surface area of the first primary surface;

an external chip antenna; and

an external metal antenna.

15. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 14 further comprises:

a ground plane on a surface of the PCB that is substantially parallel to the second primary surface, wherein the ground plane is radially aligned with the antenna on the second surface area of the first primary surface.

16. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 10 further comprises:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted in the second surface areas of the first and second primary surfaces.

17. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 10 further comprises an over mold.

18. A method to convert between USB communications and wireless Bluetooth communications comprising:

coupling a small form factor Bluetooth dongle to a USB capable communication device having a USB connector;

transcieving wireless Bluetooth communications with a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die located within the small form factor Bluetooth dongle;

converting between wireless Bluetooth communications and USB communications; and

exchanging USB communications between the small form factor Bluetooth dongle and the USB USB capable communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the small form factor Bluetooth dongle mounts within the USB connector.

20. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle comprises:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a USB contact area on the PCB; and

a radio frequency (RF) Bluetooth transceiver die mounted on the PCB, wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) Bluetooth dongle mounts within a USB connector.

21. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20, wherein the small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle does not extend beyond the USB connector when mounted to the USB Connector.

22. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20, further comprising circuitry operable to convert between USB communications and wireless Bluetooth communications.

23. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20, wherein the USB contact area is radially aligned with the RF transceiver die.

24. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20, further comprises:

a USB metal shield at least partially encircling the USB contact area and the RF transceiver die.

25. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 24, further comprises a plastic filler encasing the RF transceiver die within the USB metal shield.

26. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20 further comprises:

an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted adjacent to the USB contact area.

27. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20 further comprises at least one of:

an antenna fabricated on the second primary surface;

an external chip antenna; and

an external metal antenna.

28. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 27 further comprises:

a ground plane on a surface of the PCB, wherein the ground plane is radially aligned with the antenna.

29. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20 further comprises:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted on the first and second primary surfaces.

30. The small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle of claim 20 further comprises an over mold.