ROUTING SIGNALS VIA HINGE ASSEMBLIES FOR MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20150185763A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Andy S. Idsinga, Gregory A. Peek
• Inventors: IDSINGA, Andy S., PEEK, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention describe a hinge assembly to rotatably couple a first housing to a second housing, wherein an interconnect extends through the hinge assembly as an incorporated portion of the hinge assembly, the interconnect to communicatively couple a component located in the first housing to a component located in a second housing.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a hinge assembly to rotatably couple a first housing to a second housing, wherein an interconnect extends through the hinge assembly as an incorporated portion of the hinge assembly, the interconnect to communicatively couple a component located in the first housing to a component located in a second housing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a non-conductive material and the interconnect comprises traces of a conductive material etched into the non-conductive material.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a first conductive material and the interconnect comprises a second conductive material, and wherein the interconnect is affixed to the hinge through lamination, a lamination material providing an insulating layer between the first conductive material and the second conductive material.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a rotating hinge, including a first member, a second member, and bearing to rotate the first member towards and away from the second member, and wherein the interconnect comprises:

a set of conductive grooves disposed on the first member; and

a set of conductive lines extending from the second member and into the conductive grooves of the first member;

wherein the set of conductive grooves and the set of conductive lines are disposed around the bearing.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a rotating hinge, including a first member having a first bearing portion, a second member having a second bearing portion, wherein the first and second bearing portions form a bearing to rotate the first member towards and away from the second member, and wherein the interconnect comprises:

a set of conductive grooves disposed on the first bearing portion of the first member; and

a set of conductive lines extending from the second bearing portion of the second member and into the conductive grooves of the first bearing portion of the first member.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a folding hinge.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect comprises an electrical interconnect comprising at least one of metal or semiconductor material.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first housing includes a power supply, and the interconnect to further transfer power between the first housing and the second housing.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect comprises an optical interconnect comprising an optical fiber having a waveguide core.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect extends through the hinge assembly when the first and second housings are moved towards and away from one another.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the interconnect extends through the hinge assembly when the first and second housings are moved towards one another, and does not extend through the hinge assembly when the first and second housings are moved away from one another.

12. A mobile system comprising:

a first housing including a first computing component;

a second housing including a second computing component; and

a hinge assembly to rotatably couple the first housing to the second housing, wherein an interconnect extends through the hinge assembly as an incorporated portion of the hinge assembly, the interconnect to communicatively couple the first computing component located in the first housing to the second computing component located in a second housing.

13. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a non-conductive material and the interconnect comprises traces of a conductive material etched into the non-conductive material.

14. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a first conductive material and the interconnect comprises a second conductive material, and wherein the interconnect is affixed to the hinge through lamination, a lamination material providing an insulating layer between the first conductive material and the second conductive material.

15. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a rotating hinge, including a first member, a second member, and bearing to rotate the first member towards and away from the second member, and wherein the interconnect comprises:

a set of conductive grooves disposed on the first member; and

a set of conductive lines extending from the second member and into the conductive grooves of the first member;

wherein the set of conductive grooves and the set of conductive lines are disposed around the bearing.

16. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the hinge assembly comprises a rotating hinge, including a first member having a first bearing portion, a second member having a second bearing portion, wherein the first and second bearing portions form a bearing to rotate the first member towards and away from the second member, and wherein the interconnect comprises:

a set of conductive grooves disposed on the first bearing portion of the first member; and

a set of conductive lines extending from the second bearing portion of the second member and into the conductive grooves of the first bearing portion of the first member.

17. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the interconnect comprises an electrical interconnect comprising at least one of metal or semiconductor material, wherein the first housing further includes a power supply, and the interconnect to further transfer power between the first housing and the second housing.

18. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the interconnect comprises an optical interconnect comprising an optical fiber having a waveguide core.

19. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein mobile computing system comprises a wearable computing system, and wherein the first housing and the second housing are included in a wearable band for wearing on a wrist of a user.

20. The mobile system of claim 12, wherein the mobile computing system comprises an optical head mounted display, and the first housing and the second housing are included in an eyeglass frame assembly.