ALIGNMENT AND CONNECTION FOR DEVICES

• US 20120028480A1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bilbrey, Brett, Pance, Aleksandar, Arnold, Peter, Simon, David I., Lee, Jean, Hillman, Michael D., Tice, Gregory L., Iyer, Vijay, Spare, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement

Abstract

A plug or connector including a coded magnet and an electrical contact. As the plug approaches a corresponding port, the coded magnet interacts with a magnet within the port. The interaction between the plug coded magnet and the port coded magnet provides a force to connect and/or align the plug with the port. Once the plug is received within the port, if a process is completed, the coded magnets polarities are altered to eject the plug from the port.

Claims

1. A plug for connecting a first device to a second device comprising:

a first electrical contact;

a first coded magnet configured to interact with a first device coded magnet of the second device according to a dynamically programmable force curve.

2. The plug of claim 1, wherein the first coded magnet exerts a force to pull the plug towards the first device coded magnet.

3. The plug of claim 1, further comprising:

a second electrical contact; and

a second coded magnet configured to interact with a second device coded magnet of the second device according to a dynamically programmable force curve.

4. A method for receiving the plug of claim 1 within a port comprising:

analyzing a magnetic force of a first coded magnet of the plug;

determining if the first device coded magnet has a force curve complementary to a device force curve of a first device coded magnet of the port; and

if the first coded magnet and the first device coded magnet have complementary force curves, exerting a force on the first coded magnet to pull the first coded magnet towards the first device coded magnet.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing the magnetic force of the first coded magnet of the plug to determine if the plug is aligned with the port; and

if the plug is not aligned with the port selectively alternating the force curve of the first device coded magnet or the first coded magnet.

6. A method for ejecting a plug from a port of an electronic device, the port having a first port coded magnet comprising:

receiving a plug with a first plug coded magnet and a first contact into the port;

activating by the electronic device a first process and electronically communicating with the first contact of the plug;

determining whether the first process is complete; and

if the first process if complete altering a force curve of the first port coded magnet to repel the first plug coded magnet and at least partially eject the plug from the port.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first process is one of a data synchronization or a battery charging process.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

activating by the electronic device a second process and electronically communicating with a second contact of the plug;

wherein

if the first process is complete and the second process is not complete, partially ejecting the plug so that the second contact remains in communication with the port.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the second process is complete; and

if the second process is complete altering the force curve of a second port coded magnet to repel a second plug coded magnet of the plug and ejecting the plug from the port.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether a select threshold of the device has been reached; and

if the threshold has been reached altering the force curve of the first port coded magnet to repel the first plug coded magnet and ejecting the plug from the port.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the threshold is a temperature threshold.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a port configured to receive a cable and including a first programmable magnet having a port maxel pattern;

wherein

if the cable has a complementary cable maxel pattern to the port maxel pattern, the port is configured to accept the cable; and

if the cable has a non-complementary cable maxel pattern to the port maxel pattern, the port is configured to reject the cable.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the port maxel pattern has a dynamically programmable force curve.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is a computer.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the port further comprises at least one electrical contact configured to communicate between the cable and the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein

if the cable has a complementary cable maxel pattern the port is further configured to activate a first process and electronically communicate with the at least one electrical contact of the plug;

and

when the first process is complete, alerting the port maxel pattern to be non-complementary to the cable maxel pattern to at least partially eject the cable from the port.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein if the cable maxel pattern is complementary to the port maxel pattern the port maxel pattern exerts a force on the cable maxel pattern to pull the cable towards the port.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein if the cable maxel pattern is non-complementary to the port maxel pattern the port maxel pattern exerts a force on the cable maxel pattern to repulse the cable away from the port.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the port is further configured to alter the port maxel pattern to selectively repulse the cable from the port.

20. A cable for communicating between a first electronic device and a second electronic device comprising:

a first electrical contact; and

a first programmable magnet with a dynamically programmable force curve.