Plug-in module for portable computing device

• US 7,050,306 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2000
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Raichle, Kurt, Ribeiro, Durval S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Thanh S.
• Application Number:
  US09/702,750
• Time in Patent Office: 2,029 Days
• Field of Search: 361724-728, 361/730, 361/782, 361/736, 361/737, 361/801, 361/803, 439/638, 439/752, 439/358, 439/352, 439/218, 439/660, 174/59, 174/60
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A plug-in module adds functionality to a portable electronic device. The module includes a housing that is accepted by a housing port of the portable electronic device. The module includes at least one latch to secure the module to the electronic device. Each latch includes a first member, a second member, and a third member. The housing includes at least one receptacle corresponding to each latch. The receptacles are sized and positioned to accept a member of the latch and direct the latch to a groove located on the portable electronic device. Optionally, the latch includes a slip-resistant surface sized to accept a human finger or thumb. The module also preferably includes a hardware interface connector sized and positioned within the housing to engage a 120-pin hardware interface port on the portable electronic device when the module housing is positioned on the housing port of the portable electronic device. Receptacles of the electric connector have certain functionality corresponding to the pins on the port.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adding functionality to a portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an interior portion, said housing sized to be received by a housing port of a portable electronic device, said housing port disposed within an interior portion of the portable electronic device; and

a hardware interface connector disposed within the interior portion of the housing and in connection with a hardware interface port disposed within the housing port of the portable electronic device, wherein at least a portion of the housing is disposed within the interior portion of the portable electronic device when the hardware interface connector is in connection with the hardware interface port,

the hardware interface connector having between 1 and 120 receptacles, the hardware interface port having 120 pins, said receptacles configured to correspond to a pin in the hardware interface port, said receptacles further forming two rows in parallel such that each receptacle is positioned to be numbered corresponding to its position in one of the rows, wherein one of the two rows includes receptacle positions 1 through 60, the other of the two rows includes receptacle positions 61 through 120, receptacle positions 1 and 61 being located at corresponding ends of each row, receptacle positions 60 and 120 being located at opposite ends of each row, receptacle positions 1 and 120 being located at opposite ends of each row, and receptacle positions 60 and 61 being located at opposite ends of each row; and

securing means for securing said portable electronic device to said housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receptacles corresponding to at least one of positions 50, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 105, 106, 108, and 110 corresponds to a bus located within the portable electronic device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receptacles corresponding to at least one of positions 111, 112, 113, 114, 116, 118, and 120 corresponds to power.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receptacles corresponding to at least one of positions 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39, 47, 51, 55, 59, 63, 67, 71, 75, 79, 83, 87, 91, 95, 99, 103, 107, 109, 115, 117 and 119 corresponds to an electrical ground.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receptacles corresponding to at least one of positions 90, 92, 93, 96, 97, 100, 101, 102, 104, and 105 corresponds to discrete input to or output from a microprocessor within the portable electronic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receptacles corresponding to at least one of positions 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12–

14, 16–

18, 20–

22, 24–

26, 28–

30, 32–

34, 36–

38 and 40, corresponds to discrete input to or output from a field programmable gate array within the portable electronic device.

7. A method of adding functionality to a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:

sizing a housing to be accepted by a housing port of a portable electronic device, the housing having an interior portion;

providing a hardware interface connector disposed within the interior portion of the housing, said hardware interface connector having between 1 and 120 receptacles, wherein said receptacles are arranged in two parallel rows such that each receptacle is positioned to be numbered corresponding to its position in one of the rows, wherein one of the two rows includes receptacle positions 1 through 60, the other of the two rows includes receptacle positions 61 and 120, receptacle positions 1 and 61 being located at corresponding ends or each row, receptacle positions 60 and 120 being located at corresponding ends of each row, receptacle positions 1 and 120 being located at opposite ends of each row, and receptacle positions 60 and 61 being located at opposite ends of each row;

providing a hardware interface port disposed within the housing port, the hardware interface port having 120 pins;

connecting the hardware interface port to the hardware interface connector within the interior portion of the housing;

configuring said receptacles to correspond to a pin in the hardware interface port; and

securing the portable electronic device to said housing.

8. An apparatus for adding functionality to a portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having an interior portion, said housing sized to be received by a housing port of a portable electronic device, said housing port disposed within an interior portion of the portable electronic device;

a hardware interface connector disposed within the interior portion of the housing and connected to a hardware interface port disposed within the housing port of the portable electronic device, the hardware interface connector having a plurality of receptacles, the hardware interface port having a plurality of pins wherein said receptacles are configured to correspond to a pin in the hardware interface port, wherein at least a portion of the housing is disposed within the interior portion of the portable electronic device when the hardware interface connector is in connection with the hardware interface port; and

securing means for securing said portable electronic device to said housing;

wherein the hardware interface connector has between 1 and 120 receptacles and the hardware interface port has 120 pins,

wherein said receptacles are arranged in two parallel rows such that each receptacle is positioned to be numbered corresponding to its position in one of the rows, wherein on of the two rows includes receptacle positions 1 through 60, the other of the two rows includes receptacle positions 61 and 120, receptacle positions 1 and 61 being located at corresponding ends of each row, receptacle positions 60 and 120 being located at corresponding ends of each row, receptacle positions 1 and 120 being located at opposite ends of each row, and receptacle positions 60 and 61 being located at opposite ends of each row.