Small form factor USB bluetooth dongle

• US 8,228,676 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kochis, Craig Alan, Ramsthaler, Thomas Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getachew, Abiy
• Application Number:
  US11/715,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20080025008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 361/737, 710/1, 439/620, 439/660, 439/22
• US Class Current: 361/737
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A small form factor USB Bluetooth dongle includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a USB contact area, and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die. The PCB includes a first primary surface and a second primary surface. The USB contact area is fabricated on the first primary surface. The RF transceiver die is mounted on the second primary surface, wherein the RF transceiver is in accordance with Bluetooth.

Claims

1. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) dongle comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first surface and an opposing second surface;

a USB contact area on the first surface of the PCB; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die mounted on the opposing second surface of the PCB, wherein at least a substantial portion of the RF transceiver die resides directly opposite the USB contact area.

2. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) dongle mounts within a USB connector.

3. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, further comprising circuitry operable to convert between USB communications and wireless communications.

4. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, further comprising a USB metal shield at least partially encircling the USB contact area and the RF transceiver die.

5. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 4, further comprising a plastic filler encasing the RF transceiver die within the USB metal shield.

6. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, further comprising an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted on the first side of the PCB, substantially adjacent to the USB contact area.

7. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

an antenna formed on the PCB;

a chip antenna mounted on the PCB; and

an external antenna.

8. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted on one of the first side of the PCB and the opposing second side of the PCB.

9. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) wireless communication dongle comprising:

a circuit board having a first primary surface lying in a first plane, and a second primary surface lying in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane;

a USB contact area on the first primary surface; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die on the second primary surface, wherein at least a portion of the RF transceiver die resides directly opposite the USB contact area.

10. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) dongle mounts within a USB connector.

11. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, further comprising circuitry operable to convert between USB communications and a wireless communications protocol.

12. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, further comprising a USB metal shield at least partially surrounding the USB contact area and the RF transceiver die.

13. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 12, further comprising a filler encasing the RF transceiver die within the USB metal shield.

14. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, further comprising an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted substantially adjacent to the USB contact area.

15. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

an antenna formed on the circuit board;

a chip antenna mounted on the circuit board; and

an external antenna.

16. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted on at least one of the first and second primary surfaces.

17. A small form factor universal serial bus (USB) dongle comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first primary surface and a second primary surface on different faces of the PCB;

a USB contact area on the first primary surface and a secondary area on the first primary surface, the second area being separate from and adjacent to the USB contact area; and

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver die positioned on the second primary surface, such that at least a portion of the RF transceiver die and the USB contact area are directly opposite one another.

18. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, wherein the small form factor universal serial bus (USB) is specially adapted to mount within a USB connector.

19. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, further comprising circuitry operable to convert between USB communications and wireless communications.

20. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) shield at least partially encircling the USB contact area and the RF transceiver die.

21. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 20, further comprising a filler encasing the RF transceiver die within a USB metal shield.

22. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, further comprising an electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) mounted on the secondary area.

23. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

an antenna formed on the PCB;

a chip antenna mounted on the PCB; and

an external antenna.

24. The small form factor USB dongle of claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of capacitors,

at least one inductor;

at least one resistor; and

at least one crystal, wherein the plurality of capacitors, the at least one inductor, the at least one resistor, and the at least one crystal are mounted on the first and second primary surfaces.