Apparatus for adapting an electrical communications port to an optical communications port

• US 5,343,319 A
• Filed: 06/14/1993
• Issued: 08/30/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moore, Morris A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/076,054
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 359/145-146, 359/118, 359/152, 359/164, 359/172, 359/174, 359/176, 455/38.3, 455/343
• US Class Current: 398/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/00 Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing corpuscular radiation, e.g. quantum communication

Abstract

An apparatus (100) couples first and second electronic devices (206, 202), the first electronic device (206) having an optical communications port (208) and the second electronic device (202) having an electrical communications port (204). The apparatus (100) includes an electrical interface (102) functionally compatible with the electrical communications port (204), and an optical interface (107) functionally compatible with the optical communications port (208) and electrically coupled to the electrical interface (102) for communicating with the electrical interface (102). The electrical interface (102) and the optical interface (107) provide communications between the electrical communications port (204) and the optical communications port (208) when the electrical interface (102) is electrically coupled to the electrical communications port (204), and the optical interface (107) is optically coupled to the optical communications port (208).

Claims

1. An apparatus for coupling first and second electronic devices, the first electronic device having an optical communications port and the second electronic device having an electrical communications port, the apparatus comprising:

an electrical interface functionally compatible with the electrical communications port;

an optical interface functionally compatible with the optical communications port and electrically coupled to said electrical interface for communicating with said electrical interface; and

a power control element coupled to said electrical interface and to said optical interface,

wherein said electrical interface and said optical interface provide communications between the electrical communications port and the optical communications port when said electrical interface is electrically coupled to the electrical communications port, and said optical interface is optically coupled to the optical communications port, and

Wherein said power control element reduces power consumption by the apparatus in response to an absence of communications activity in said electrical interface and in said optical interface, and

wherein said power control element restores full functional power to the apparatus in response to communications activity in at least one of said electrical interface and said optical interface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrical interface is a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) interface.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical interface comprises an infrared receiver.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical interface comprises an infrared transmitter.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to said electrical interface and to said optical interface for performing communication translation therebetween.

6. An apparatus for coupling first and second electronic devices, the first electronic device having an optical communications port and the second electronic device having a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) port, the apparatus comprising:

a PCMCIA interface functionally compatible with the PCMCIA port;

an optical interface functionally compatible with the optical communications port and electrically coupled to said PCMCIA interface for communicating with said PCMCIA interface; and

a power control element coupled to said PCMCIA interface and to said optical interface,

wherein said PCMCIA interface and said optical interface provide communications between the PCMCIA port and the optical communications port when said PCMCIA interface is electrically coupled to the PCMCIA port, and said optical interface is optically coupled to the optical communications port, and

wherein said power control element reduces power consumption by the apparatus in response to an absence of communications activity in said PCMCIA interface and in said optical interface, and

wherein said power control element restores full functional power to the apparatus in response to communications activity in at least one of said PCMCIA interface and said optical interface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said optical interface comprises an infrared receiver.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said optical interface comprises an infrared transmitter.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a processor coupled to said PCMCIA interface and to said optical interface for performing communication translation therebetween.

10. An adapter for coupling a radio communication device and a computer, the radio communication device having an optical communications port and the computer having a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) port, the adapter comprising:

a PCMCIA interface functionally compatible with the PCMCIA port;

an optical transceiver functionally compatible with the optical communications port and electrically coupled to said PCMCIA interface for communicating with said PCMCIA interface; and

a power control element coupled to said PCMCIA interface and to said optical transceiver,

wherein said PCMCIA interface and said optical transceiver provide communications between the PCMCIA port and the optical communications port when said PCMCIA interface is electrically coupled to the PCMCIA port, and said optical transceiver is optically coupled to the optical communications port, and

wherein said power control element reduces power consumption by the adapter in response to an absence of communications activity in said PCMCIA interface and in said optical transceiver, and

wherein said power control element restores full functional power to the adapter in response to communications activity in at least one of said PCMCIA interface and said optical transceiver.

11. The adapter according to claim 10, wherein said optical transceiver comprises an infrared device.

12. The adapter according to claim 10, further comprising a processor coupled to said PCMCIA interface and to said optical transceiver for performing communication translation therebetween.

13. A communication system, comprising:

a first electronic device having an optical communications port;

a second electronic device having an electrical communications port; and

an apparatus for coupling said first and second electronic devices, said apparatus comprising;

an electrical interface functionally compatible with the electrical communications port;

an optical interface functionally compatible with the optical communications port and electrically coupled to said electrical interface for communicating with said electrical interface; and

a power control element coupled to said electrical interface and to said optical interface,

wherein said electrical interface and said optical interface provide communications between the electrical communications port and the optical communications port when said electrical interface is electrically coupled to the electrical communications port, and said optical interface is optically coupled to the optical communications port, and

wherein said power control element reduces power consumption by said apparatus in response to an absence of communications activity in said electrical interface and in said optical interface, and

wherein said power control element restores full functional power to said apparatus in response to communications activity in at least one of said electrical interface and said optical interface.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said first electronic device is a radio communication receiver for receiving data communications.

15. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said second electronic device is a computer.

16. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said electrical interface is a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) interface.

17. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein said optical interface comprises an infrared transceiver.

18. The communication system according to claim 13, further comprising a processor coupled to said electrical interface and to said optical interface for performing communication translation therebetween.