USB expansion module method and design

• US 7,706,136 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SITO Processing LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Figie, John R., Cloran, Shawn D., Lang, Daniel V., Dotson, Gary D., Kaufman, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US11/421,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 361679-686
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1465 Modular PLC assemblies with separable functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1478 including a segmented bus
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1484 Electrical diagrams relating to constructional features, e.g. signal routing within PLC; Provisions for disaster recovery, e.g. redundant systems

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates expanding upon an existing universal serial bus (USB). A base component can include a USB host to provide connectivity to at least one device. An expansion module can physically connect in a vertical position to a backside of the base component to provide a replication of the USB host which can allow a device to connect therewith.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates expanding upon an existing universal serial bus (USB), comprising:

a base component that includes a USB host to provide connectivity to at least one device;

an expansion module that physically connects in a vertical position to a backside of the base component without an intervening USB cable, the expansion module provides a replication of the USB host and allows an additional device to connect to the replicated USB host, wherein the expansion module is stackable with one or more additional expansion modules via at least one snap-foot without intervening USB cables; and

a key mechanism that is adjustable to physically prevents stacking an additional expansion module to a last expansion module in the stack when power draw from the stack is within a threshold range, wherein the keying mechanism is a connector that is turned to an orientation that prevents stacking the additional expansion module.

2. The system of claim 1, the base component is a base product, a base product employing at least one USB port, a base human machine interface (HMI) terminal, a panel, or a panel view.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional expansion modules each provide additional replication of the USB host and allow an additional device to connect to the additional replicated USB host.

4. The system of claim 3, the device is at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, an input device, a hard drive, a pen drive, a speaker, a device cable, a battery backup, a media player, a tablet, or a device employing a USB connection.

5. The system of claim 1, the USB host is at least one of a standard USB type A, a USBOTG port, a USB 1.1, a USB 2.0, a low speed USB, a full speed USB, or a high speed USB.

6. The system of claim 1, the expansion module leverages standard USB technology associated with the base component.

7. The system of claim 1, the expansion module is at least one of an input, an output, or a communication module.

8. The system of claim 1, the expansion module is stackable from a single root hub.

9. The system of claim 1, the base component includes at least one of a male fitting or a female fitting.

10. The system of claim 9, the expansion module includes at least one of a male fitting or a female fitting that couples with the at least one of the male fitting or the female fitting of the base component.

11. The system of claim 1, the expansion module physically attaches to the backside of the base component by employing at least one snap-foot.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power management component that regulates power consumption of the base component and the expansion module.

13. The system of claim 12, the power management component utilizes at least one of a USB protocol or a USB driver to ascertain power draw from the stack and maintain such power draw within a specified threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, the specified threshold is at least one of user specified, application usage based or environment based.

15. The system of claim 12, the power management component maintains such draw within a specified threshold by denying a request for additional power from an additional expansion module in the stack where the additional power causes the power draw from the stack to exceed the specified threshold.

16. A system that facilitates connecting devices, comprising:

a base unit with a USB port to provide connectivity to at least one device;

an expansion module that attaches to a backside of the base unit via at least one snap-foot without an intervening cable, wherein the expansion module replicates the USB port for expansion to an additional device, wherein the expansion module has one or more connectors for one or more additional expansion modules to attach to the expansion module in a vertical stack without intervening cables between the expansion module and the one or more additional expansion modules, each additional expansion module provides an additional replication of the USB port, wherein the USB port, replicated USB port and additional replicated USB host are daisy-chained; and

a key mechanism that adjustable to physically prevents stacking an additional expansion module to a last expansion module in the stack when power draw from the stack is within a threshold range, wherein the keying mechanism is a connector that is turned to an orientation that prevents stacking the additional expansion module.

17. The system of claim 16, the base component is a base product, a base product employing at least one USB port, a base human machine interface (HMI) terminal, a panel, or a panel view.

18. The system of claim 16, each replicated USB port provides connectivity to at least one device.

19. The system of claim 18, the device is at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, an input device, a hard drive, a pen drive, a speaker, a device cable, a battery backup, a media player, a tablet, or a device employing a USB connection.

20. The system of claim 16, the USB port is at least one of a standard USB type A, a USBOTG port, a USB 1.1, a USB 2.0, a low speed USB, a full speed USB, and a high speed USB.

21. The system of claim 16, the expansion module leverages standard USB technology associated with the base component.

22. The system of claim 16, the expansion module is at least one of an input, an output, or a communication module.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising a power management component that maintains total power draw from the stack within a specified threshold by denying a request for additional power from an additional expansion module in the stack where the additional power causes the total power draw to exceed the specified threshold.

24. A method that facilitates expanding upon an existing universal serial bus (USB), comprising:

vertically stacking at least two expansion modules onto a backside of a base component via at least one snap-foot without having an intervening cable between the base component and an expansion module, and without having an intervening cable between the at least two expansion modules, wherein the base component has a USB port;

replicating the USB port on each of the at least two expansion modules, wherein the USB port and replicated USB ports are daisy-chained; and

preventing stacking an additional expansion module to a last expansion module in the stack when power draw from the stack is within a threshold range by employing an key mechanism, wherein the keying mechanism is a connector that is turned to an orientation that prevents stacking the additional expansion module.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

monitoring a total power draw from the stack;

denying power to one or more expansion modules added to the stack that result in the total power draw exceeding a power limit.

26. The method of claim 24, the base component is a base product, a base product employing at least one USB port, a base human machine interface (HMI) terminal, a panel, a panel view.

27. The method of claim 24, the device connectivity is related to at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, an input device, a hard drive, a pen drive, a speaker, a device cable, a battery backup, a media player, a tablet, or a device employing a USB connection.

28. A computer-implemented system that facilitates expanding upon an existing universal serial bus (USB), comprising:

means for including a USB host that provides connectivity to at least one device on a base terminal human machine interface (HMI);

means for physically connecting a plurality of expansion modules in a vertical stack to a backside of the base terminal HM! without having an intervening cable between the base component and an expansion module, and without having an intervening cable between the plurality of expansion modules, wherein each expansion module replicates the USB host, wherein the USB host and replicated USB hosts are daisy-chained; and

means for managing power draw of the stack by employing a keying mechanism that is adjustable to physically prevents adding additional expansion modules to the stack that would result in a total power draw of the stack exceeding the power threshold, wherein the keying mechanism is a connector that is turned to an orientation that prevents stacking the additional expansion module.