Programmable cable adaptor for connecting different automobile computers to diagnostic equipment
First Claim
1. A programmable cable adaptor comprising:
- an input connector means having a plurality of input pins/sockets;
an output connector means having a plurality of output pins/sockets;
key receptacle means having a key-receiving aperture and a first plurality of coupling means disposed along at least one side of said aperture and electrically connected to at least some of said input pins/sockets, and a second plurality of coupling means disposed along at least one side of said aperture and connected to at least some of said output pins/sockets; and
key means having a plurality of discrete communicating elements configured to link selected ones of said first coupling means to selected ones of said second coupling means such that selected output pins/sockets are communicatively connected to selected input pins/sockets when said key means is disposed within said aperture.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A programmable cable adaptor in accordance with the present invention includes a housing containing an internal circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces, an input connector with multiple pins or pin-receiving sockets, and an output connector with multiple pins or pin-receiving sockets. On the circuit board, there is a card edge receptacle with key-contacting pins electrically connected to the conductive traces which in turn electrically couple the receptacle pins to the input connector and/or the output connector. The key-contacting pins of the card edge receptacle are arrayed along at least one side of an elongated aperture adapted to receive an adaptor programming key generally referred to as a card edge key The "key" is typically a small printed circuit board with conductive tabs on at least one side thereof with each tab being electrically connected to at least one other tab on the key with conductive traces. When the key is inserted in the receptacle aperture, electrical connections are made between the pins/sockets of the input connector and the pins/sockets of the output connector via the tabs and circuit traces on the key. Some of the pins/sockets of the input connector may be directly connected to the pins of the output connector without going through the card edge receptacle.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A programmable cable adaptor comprising:
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an input connector means having a plurality of input pins/sockets; an output connector means having a plurality of output pins/sockets; key receptacle means having a key-receiving aperture and a first plurality of coupling means disposed along at least one side of said aperture and electrically connected to at least some of said input pins/sockets, and a second plurality of coupling means disposed along at least one side of said aperture and connected to at least some of said output pins/sockets; and key means having a plurality of discrete communicating elements configured to link selected ones of said first coupling means to selected ones of said second coupling means such that selected output pins/sockets are communicatively connected to selected input pins/sockets when said key means is disposed within said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A programmable cable adaptor comprising:
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means forming a housing; circuit board means disposed within said housing and including a plurality of electrically conductive traces; an input connector means having a plurality of input pins/sockets electrically coupled to a first set of said traces; an output connector means having a plurality of output pins/sockets electrically coupled to a second set of said traces; key receptacle means having a key-receiving aperture and a first plurality of coupling means disposed along at least one side of said aperture and connected by said first set of traces to said input pins/sockets and a second plurality of coupling means disposed alongside said aperture and connected by said second set of traces to said output pins/sockets; and key means having a plurality of discrete communicating elements configured to link selected ones of said first coupling means to selected ones of said second coupling means such that selected output pins/sockets are communicatively connected to selected input pins/sockets when said key means is disposed within said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification