RJ-45 jack with RJ-11 detection

• US 6,890,197 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2003
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liebenow, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US10/366,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 439/676, 439/188, 439/489, 439/955, 439/488
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/70 with built-in switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/955 including electronic identifier or coding means

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting plug types capable of being inserted into a socket includes a processor, a housing having a plug receiving cavity for one or more plug types including a proper and improper plug type. Actuators are associated with the housing, and are coupled to switches electrically coupled to the processor. A first actuator is capable of contacting the proper and improper plug type and a second actuator is capable of contacting only the proper plug type. Switches may provide a signal to the processor when the improper and proper plug type has been plugged into the socket.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting one or more plug type capable of being inserted into a socket, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a plug receiving cavity associated with the socket; and

two or more actuators associated with the housing;

wherein the one or more plug type includes a proper plug type and an improper plug type, wherein the proper plug type includes a conventional RJ-45 plug type capable of being inserted in a conventional RJ-45 socket type and the improper plug type includes a conventional RJ-11 plug type capable of being inserted into a conventional RJ-11 socket type, and wherein a first one of the two or more actuators is disposed within the plug receiving cavity and is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type and by the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type when the proper and improper plug types are plugged into the socket, wherein a second one of the two or more actuators is disposed within the plug receiving cavity and is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type when the proper plug type is plugged into the socket and is configured not to be moved by the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type when the improper plug type is plugged into the socket.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two or more actuators include two or more switches.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two or more switches are normally open.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two or more switches are normally closed.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second one of the two or more actuators is configured to indicate when the improper plug type is inserted if the first one of the two or more actuators is contacted and the second one of the two or more actuators is not contacted.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further including a processor, wherein the processor is coupled electrically to the two or more switches and wherein the switch associated with the first one of the actuators generates a signal both when the proper and when the improper plug type is inserted into the socket and the switch associated with the second one of the actuators generates a signal only when the proper plug type is inserted.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further including a processor, wherein the processor is coupled electrically to two or more switches is associated with the first one of the actuators and generates a signal when the proper and improper plug type is inserted into the socket one of the two or more switches is associated with the second one of the actuators and generates a signal only when the proper plug type is inserted into the socket.

8. An apparatus for detecting one or more plug type capable of being inserted into a socket, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a housing having a plug receiving cavity associated with the socket, the one or more plug type including a proper plug type and an improper plug type, wherein the proper plug type includes a conventional RJ-45 plug type capable of being inserted in a conventional RJ-45 socket type and the improper plug type includes a conventional RJ-11 plug type capable of being inserted into a conventional RJ-11 socket type; and

two or more actuators associated with the housing, the two or more actuators coupled to two or more switches, the two or more switches electrically coupled to the processor;

wherein a first of the two or more actuators is disposed within the plug receiving cavity and is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type and by the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type when the proper and improper plug types are plugged into the socket; and

wherein the first actuator is capable of actuating a first one of the two or more switches so as to provide a signal to the processor when the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type has been plugged into the socket and when the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type has been plugged into the socket.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a second of the two or more actuators is disposed within the plug receiving cavity and is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type when the proper plug type is plugged into the socket and wherein the second actuator is capable of actuating a second one of the two or more switches so as to provide a signal to the processor when the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type has been plugged into the socket and is incapable of actuating the second one of the two or more switches so as not to provide a signal to the processor when the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type is plugged into the socket.

10. A method for detecting one or more plug type capable of being inserted into a socket, the method comprising:

configuring a housing having a plug receiving cavity associated with the socket with two or more actuators associated with the housing, wherein the one or more plug type includes a proper plug type and an improper plug type, wherein the proper plug type includes a conventional RJ-45 plug type capable of being inserted in a conventional RJ-45 socket type and the improper plug type includes a conventional RJ-11 plug type capable of being inserted into a conventional RJ-11 socket type;

disposing a first one of the two or more actuators within the plug receiving cavity such that the first one is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type and by the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type when the proper plug type is plugged into the socket and when the improper plug type is plugged into the socket; and

disposing a second one of the two or more actuators within the plug receiving cavity such that the second one is configured to be moved by the proper conventional RJ-45 plug type when the proper plug type is plugged into the socket and is configured not to be moved by the improper conventional RJ-11 plug type when the improper plug type is plugged into the socket.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including the step of:

actuating a first switch with the first one first one of the two or more actuators, the first switch coupled electrically to a processor, and generating a first signal with the first switch both when the proper and when the improper plug type is inserted into the socket.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:

actuating a second switch with the second one of the two or more actuators, the second switch coupled electrically to a processor, and

generating a second signal with the second switch only when the proper plug type is inserted into the socket.