SCALABLE HIGH-BANDWIDTH CONNECTIVITY

• US 20120290760A1
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Waveconnex Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,614,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/303
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/525 between emitting and receiving antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/25 Ultra-wideband [UWB] systems, e.g. multiple resonance systems; Pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A scalable, high-bandwidth connectivity architecture for portable storage devices and memory modules may utilize EHF communication link chip packages mounted in various two-dimensional and three-dimensional configurations on planar surfaces such as printed circuit boards. Multiple electromagnetic communication links between devices distributed on major faces of card-like devices may be provided with respectively aligned pairs of communication units on each device. Adjacent communication units on a printed circuit board may transmit or receive electromagnetic radiation having different polarization, such as linear or elliptical polarization. Power and communication between communication devices may both be provided wirelessly.

Claims

1. A system for communicating EHF electromagnetic signals between a first and a second communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

a first EHF communication unit disposed on the PCB, the first EHF communication unit including a chip having an integrated circuit (IC), an antenna in communication with the IC, and insulating material holding the IC and antenna in fixed positions on the PCB, the IC operatively coupled to the antenna and containing at least one of a transmitter circuit that transforms a baseband data signal into an EHF electrical signal and conducts the transformed EHF electrical signal to the antenna for transmission as an EHF electromagnetic signal encoded with data, and a receiver circuit that receives from the antenna an EHF electrical signal received by the antenna as an EHF electromagnetic signal encoded with data and transforms the received EHF electrical signal into a baseband data signal;

a data storage unit supported by the PCB for storing data and communicating the baseband data signal with the EHF communication unit; and

an inductive power receiver for converting received inductive energy into power for operating the first EHF communication unit and data storage unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication apparatus comprises:

a power source configured to produce the inductive energy for the inductive power receiver; and

a second EHF communication unit for communicating the EHF electromagnetic signal with the first EHF communication unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first communication apparatus comprises a portable data storage device and the second communication apparatus comprises a docking station for supporting the first communication apparatus with the first EHF communication unit in proximity of the second EHF communication unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first communication apparatus further comprises a power storage device coupled to the inductive power receiver for storing power received from the inductive power receiver and applying the stored power to the first EHF communication unit and the data storage unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first EHF communication unit further includes a lead frame coupling the IC to conductors printed on the PCB, and the IC includes a ground plane operatively connected to a first conductor element in the lead frame.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the insulating material of the first EHF communication unit encapsulates the IC, the lead frame, and the antenna to comprise an IC package.

7. A system for wirelessly transferring data and power for communication comprising

a client communication apparatus including a client data circuit, a client EHF communication unit, and a client inductive power coil;

the client data circuit configured for processing data, the client EHF communication unit being coupled to the client data circuit for communicating data in a first data signal conducted between the client EHF communication unit and the client data circuit, the client inductive power coil converting received inductive energy into power for operating the client EHF communication unit and the client data circuit;

a host communication apparatus including a host data circuit, a host EHF communication unit, and a power source;

the host data circuit configured for processing data, the host EHF communication unit being coupled to the host data circuit for communicating data in a second data signal conducted between the host EHF electromagnetic communication unit and the host data circuit, the host EHF communication unit communicating electromagnetically with the client EHF communication unit and the power source providing inductive energy to the client inductive power coil when the client communication apparatus is positioned in proximity to the host communication apparatus.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the client communication apparatus further includes a power storage device coupled to the power coil for storing power received by the power coil and applying the stored power to the client EHF comm.-link chip assembly and the client data circuit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the host communication apparatus further comprises a host controller in communication with the host EHF communication unit for controlling operation of the host EHF comm-link chip.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the power source includes a host inductive power coil for generating the inductive energy, the host communication apparatus further including a plastic encapsulant holding the host inductive power coil in a fixed position relative to the host EHF communication unit.

11. A method of charging and synchronizing data in a portable device containing data storage, the method comprising:

providing a portable storage device including a data storage unit, a first EHF communication unit in communication with the data storage unit, a power storage device, and an inductive power receiver configured to provide power to the power storage device;

providing a docking station including a housing having a size and shape for supporting the portable storage device, a second EHF communication unit, a digital circuit, and a power source;

placing the portable device on the docking station with the first EHF communication unit in proximity with the second EHF communication unit and the power source in proximity with the inductive power receiver;

powering by the power source the inductive power receiver in the portable device, and thereby charging the power storage device and providing power from the power storage device to the data storage unit and the first EHF communication unit; and

electromagnetically transferring data between the digital circuit and the data storage unit by transferring data between the digital circuit and the first EHF communication unit, transferring electromagnetic signals between the first EHF communication unit and the second EHF communication unit, and transferring data between the second EHF communication unit and the data storage unit.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising outputting an audio or video signal on an output device operatively coupled to the data storage unit.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling operation of the digital circuit by a host controller included in the portable device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the power storage device is a rechargeable battery, the method further comprising charging a rechargeable battery by powering the inductive power receiver using the power source.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the power storage device is an capacitor, the method further comprising charging the capacitor by powering the inductive power receiver using the power source.

16. The method of claim 11, where the portable device further includes a third EHF communication unit and the docking station further includes a fourth EHF communication unit, the method further comprising transmitting electromagnetic radiation from the first EHF communication unit to the second EHF communication unit and concurrently transmitting electromagnetic radiation from the fourth EHF communication unit to the third EHF communication unit.