System of stacked devices

• US 8,798,675 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: i-Blades Inc
• Original Assignee: iBlaidZ, Inc.
• Inventors: Salmon, Peter C., Fernandes, Jorge, Meissner, Paul, Panagrossi, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US14/017,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/90.3, 455418-420, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00206 the keyless data carrier being hand operated
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48106 the connector being orthogonal to a side surface of the semiconductor or solid-state body, e.g. parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49513 having bonding material between chip and die pad
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49541 Geometry of the lead-frame
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/86 Parallel contacts arranged about a common axis
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 : wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 : User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 : Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A method of implementing use cases includes associating a use case with each of a plurality of devices capable of being used or accessed by a user. The method also includes providing a plurality of stackable blades, each providing a standard physical interface and being configured to implement a solution to the use case associated with each of the plurality of devices. The method further includes stacking the plurality of stackable blades to form an interconnected stack. Each of the plurality of stackable blades are coupled using the standard physical interface. The method also includes executing a first purpose corresponding to a first use case and executing a second purpose corresponding to a second use case. Embodiments provide an electronic ecosystem featuring ubiquitous connectivity in which a standard contact array in each component of the ecosystem assures interoperability between heterogeneous devices.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising:

an electronic device operable to provide a first functionality, wherein a periphery of the electronic device defines a device area and the electronic device comprises;

a processor;

one or more coupling force elements disposed on a coupling face of the electronic device; and

a plurality of terminals disposed on the coupling face, wherein a periphery of the one or more coupling force elements and the plurality of terminals defines a coupling area; and

one or more blades, at least one of the one or more blades being coupled to the electronic device at a blade device face having a blade area, wherein each of the one or more blades comprises;

a microcontroller;

one or more blade coupling force elements matched to the one or more coupling force elements of the electronic device; and

a plurality of blade terminals matched to the plurality of terminals of the electronic device, a periphery of the one or more blade coupling force elements and the plurality of blade terminals defining the coupling area, wherein the device area and the blade area are independent of the coupling area.

2. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein the device area and the blade area are different areas.

3. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the blades provides a second functionality different from the first functionality.

4. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein the coupling force element comprises at least one of a magnet or a region of electric charge.

5. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein the one of the one or more blades is operable to perform protocol conversion.

6. The electronic system of claim 1 further comprising a docking station operable to support the electronic device, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

one or more additional coupling force elements disposed on a second face of the electronic device opposing the coupling face; and

a plurality of terminals disposed on the second face; and

wherein the docking station comprises;

a processor;

one or more docking station coupling force elements matched to the one or more additional coupling force elements disposed on the second face of the electronic device; and

a plurality of docking station terminals matched to the plurality of terminals disposed on the second face of the electronic device.

7. The electronic system of claim 6 wherein the docking station is attachable to a band that is attachable to a user'"'"'s wrist.

8. The electronic system of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more blades is dynamically reconfigurable as a master or slave device.