Electronic device

• US 8,208,263 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seifried, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVI, DAMEON E
• Application Number:
  US11/433,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09145 Edge details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10212 Programmable component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/168 Wrong mounting prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0026 provided with connectors and printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. automotive electronic control units

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing having an aperture and a main circuit board disposed in housing. The main circuit board includes an edge and a plurality of contact surfaces located at the edge proximate to the aperture, whereby a mating connector is connectable to the contact surfaces by inserting the mating connector into the housing from outside of the housing via the aperture. An update connector adapter includes a support structure and a mating connector mounted on the support structure. The mating connector includes a plurality of contact terminals for contacting the contact surfaces. The update connector adapter further includes an update connector mounted to the support structure. A programming unit is connectable to the update connector for programming the main circuit board. The control unit may be programmed by inserting the update connector adapter into the aperture and connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces.

Claims

1. An electronic device that functions according to one or more operating modes comprising:

a housing configured to permit the electronic device to be mounted in a support structure in a vehicle passenger compartment;

a main circuit board disposed in the housing, the main circuit board including a cantilevered portion at an edge of the main circuit board and a plurality of contact surfaces located at the cantilevered portion at the edge of the main circuit board;

an aperture in the housing, the aperture being positioned to permit access to the main circuit board from the vehicle passenger compartment when the electronic device is mounted therein; and

wherein programming data received via the contact surfaces updates functionality of at least one of the operating modes.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling at least one of the operating modes of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit is programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting a mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting the programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, where the housing includes a front surface, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board and the aperture are located relative to each other in a manner enabling the mating connector to be connected to the contact surfaces in a single orientation.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes a main surface and the contact surfaces are located directly on the main surface.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, where the contact surfaces are located directly on opposite surfaces of the main circuit board.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling at least one of the operating modes of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting a mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting the programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector, and where the housing includes a front surface and the electronic device further includes an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, where the electronic device is a built-in electronic device for a vehicle mountable in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment, and where the housing includes a removable plate for covering the aperture.

9. An update connector adapter for updating a main circuit board in an electronic device mounted in a vehicle passenger compartment that functions according to one more operating modes, comprising:

a support board;

an edge connector mounted on the support board to which a cantilevered portion at an edge of the main circuit board is engageable from the vehicle passenger compartment via an aperture in a housing on the electronic device, the edge connector including a plurality of contact terminals for contacting contact surfaces provided at the cantilevered portion at the edge of the main circuit board;

an update connector to which a programming unit is connectable for programming the main circuit board, the update connector mounted to the support board; and

wherein programming data uploaded to the main circuit board via the contact terminals updates functionality of at least one of the operating modes.

10. The update connector, adapter of claim 9, further comprising an additional update connector mounted to the support board.

11. The update connector adapter of claim 9, where the support board includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is insertable through an aperture of a housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surface of the main circuit board.

12. A control unit programming system, comprising:

an electronic device that functions according to one or more operating modes, the electronic device including a housing and a main circuit board disposed in the housing, the housing permits the electronic device to be mounted in a support structure in a vehicle passenger compartment, the main circuit board including a cantilevered portion at an edge of the main circuit board and a plurality of contact surfaces located at the cantilevered portion at the edge of the main circuit board, an aperture in the housing, the aperture being positioned to permit access to the main circuit board from the vehicle passenger compartment when the electronic device is mounted therein;

an update connector adapter including a support board and an edge connector mounted on the support board, the update connector adapter is engageable to the cantilevered portion at the edge of the main circuit board from the vehicle passenger compartment via the aperture in the housing on the electronic device, the edge connector including a plurality of contact terminals for contacting the contact surfaces, where the edge connector is connected to the contact surfaces at the cantilevered portion at the edge of the main circuit board, the update connector adapter further including an update connector to which a programming unit is connectable for programming the main circuit board, the update connector mounted to the support board; and

wherein programming data unloaded from the update connector adapter to the electronic device updates functionality of at least one of the operating modes.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a programming unit connected to the update connector adapter for programming the control unit on the main circuit board.

14. The system of claim 12, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling at least one of the operating modes of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting the programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector.

15. The system of claim 12, where the housing includes a front surface, and the electronic device further comprises an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

16. The system of claim 12, where the main circuit board includes at least one control unit for controlling at least one of the operating modes of the electronic device, the control unit including at least one contact area through which the control unit can be programmed, where the at least one contact area is one of the contact surfaces, whereby the control unit is programmable by connecting the mating connector to the contact surfaces and transmitting the programming data to the control unit from outside of the housing via the mating connector, and where the housing includes a front surface and the electronic device further includes an operating module for operating the electronic device, and the aperture is formed through the front surface.

17. The system of claim 16, where the support board includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is insertable through an aperture of the housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surface of the main circuit board.

18. The system of claim 12, where the support board includes a latch and the edge connector is mounted on the latch, and the latch is insertable through an aperture of the housing in which the main circuit board is disposed, whereby the edge connector is connectable to the contact surfaces of the main circuit board.

19. The system of claim 12, where the electronic device is a built-in electronic device for a vehicle mountable in a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment.

20. A method for programming a control unit of an electronic device from within a vehicle passenger compartment wherein the electronic device functions according to one or more operation modes, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting an update connector adapter into an aperture of a housing of the electronic device while the electronic device is mounted in a support structure in the vehicle passenger compartment;

connecting an edge connector provided on the update connector adapter to contact surfaces provided on a cantilevered portion at an edge of a main circuit board disposed in the housing of the electronic device, the contact surfaces facing the aperture;

transmitting programming data to the control unit via the update connector adapter; and

updating functionality of at least one of the operating modes based on the programming data received at the control unit.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting a programming unit to the update connector adapter to transmit the programming data to the control unit via the update connector adapter.

22. The method of claim 20, where the electronic device is provided in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, and the aperture of the housing faces the passenger compartment.