Connector scheme to allow physical orientation of a computer peripheral

• US 6,908,324 B1
• Filed: 09/08/2000
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Christensen, Scott M., Morley, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gushi, Ross
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHI T
• Application Number:
  US09/658,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 439/218, 439/851, 439/850, 439/842, 439/845, 439/849, 439/217, 439/222, 439/638, 439/11, 439/171, 439/120, 439/675, 439/578
• US Class Current: 439/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

An adapter mechanism for facilitating re-orientation of a plug having an original orientation that is unsuitable for a peripheral device is presented. Re-orientation of a peripheral device is possible in an embodiment by advancing a symmetrical interface to another mating position exhibiting a hospitable orientation. An adaptor maintains USB functionality while providing the ability to reorient a fixedly attached peripheral. The adaptor mechanism also allows a USB wireless peripheral device with an antenna to plug directly into the USB receptacle connector on a digital device while orienting the antenna upwards to improve the quality of the transmitted and received signals.

Claims

1. An adaptor that enables re-orientation of a peripheral adaptor comprising:

an Universal Serial Bus (USB) series “

A”

plug with four contacts;

a peripheral interface enabled to allow tho attachment of the peripheral in different physical orientations, the peripheral interface being fixably coupled and electrically connected to the USB plug such that the four contacts are electrically extended to the peripheral interface for access by the peripheral.

2. The adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the different orientations are one of four possible orientations and wherein the peripheral interface further comprises a four by four matrix of contacts arranged so that the peripheral may use the same four contact connector configuration in all four of the possible orientations, thereby enabling the same peripheral connector to be used regardless of the desired orientation.

3. The adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the peripheral interface further comprises a circular contact joint arranged so that the peripheral may use the extended four contacts in all possible orientations, thereby enabling the peripheral connector to remain electrically engaged with the extended contacts regardless of the actual orientation.

4. The adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the peripheral is configurable as a wireless device enabling short-range wireless communication, the peripheral further comprising an antenna oriented in an upward direction.

5. The adaptor as recited in claim 1, the peripheral further comprises:

a wireless transceiver module electrically connected to the peripheral interface that transceives signals to the USB plug; and

a wireless antenna electrically connected to the wireless transceiver module for transceiving signals generated by the wireless transceiver module.

6. The adaptor as recited in claim 1, wherein the peripheral interface has an extraction force in excess of the extraction force associated with the USB plug so that the adaptor stays attached to the peripheral when the USB plug is extracted from a USB series “

A”

rcceptacle.

7. The adaptor as recited in claim 6, wherein the peripheral interface has an extraction force greater than 10 Newtons at an extraction rate of 12.5 mm per minute.

8. The adaptor as recited in claim 6, wherein the peripheral interface has an extraction force greater than 40 Newtons steady state axial load for one minute.

9. An adaptor system for rotationally re-orienting a peripheral device fixably connected to a digital device, the adaptor system comprising;

a Universal Serial Bus (USB) series “

A”

plug with four signal wires;

a custom adaptor interface for electrically extending the signal wires from the plug to the peripheral device;

a peripheral with desired orientation specific parameters; and

a custom peripheral interface for electrically coupling with the adaptor interface such that the extraction force exceeds the extraction force of a USB series “

A”

plug and receptacle.

10. The adaptor system as recited in claim 9, wherein the custom adaptor interface and the custom peripheral interface have a rotatable fixable coupling via continuous circular slide connectors, wherein tho coupling allows for continuous reorienting of the peripheral.

11. A coupling system for orienting an attached peripheral device, the system comprising:

a digital device having an interface with a specified orientation;

a peripheral device having an operable orientation;

a connector for electrically and mechanically coupling to the interface to receive communication signals for the peripheral device; and

an orienting coupling interface rigidly attached to the connector, the orienting coupling interface having at least one contact for each signal received by the connector and operably orienting to connect with the attached peripheral device in the desired orientation.

13. The coupling system as recited in claim 11, wherein the orienting coupling interface replicates each signal of the interface for each orientation, such that the orienting coupling interface provides a replicated signal to the peripheral through all ranges of orientation.

14. The coupling system as recited in claim 11, wherein the orienting coupling interface is a circular contact joint that facilitate re-orientation of the peripheral device and the connector.

12. The coupling system as recited in clain 11, wherein the selectively attachable peripheral device is configurable as a bluetooth compatible module enabling short-range wireless communication, the peripheral device further comprising:

a wireless transceiver module electrically connected to the orienting interface; and

a wireless antenna electrically connected to the wireless transceiver module for transceiving the signals generated by the wireless transceiver module.

15. An adaptor for electrically coupling a peripheral device with a computer, said peripheral device having a peripheral interface with an operable orientation and said computer having a computer interface in a fixed orientation, said adaptor comprising:

a. a computer interface plug for electrically and mechanically coupling with said computer interface in said fixed orientation;

b. a peripheral interface plug for electrically and mechanically coupling with said peripheral interface in said operable orientation; and

c. a contact coupling electrically and mechanically coupled between said computer interface plug and said peripheral interface plug, said contact coupling rotating one of said computer interface plug and said peripheral interface plug to mechanically and electrically retain said computer interface in said fixed orientation and facilitate said peripheral device in said operable orientation.