Connectors providing haptic feedback

• US 8,939,773 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEON MUNOZ, EDWIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/451,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20140342579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 176 Days
• Field of Search: 439 38- 40, 439217-218, 439/700
• US Class Current: 439/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet

Abstract

A first connector may include a housing defining a first connector face to be positioned in a first position or a second position proximate to a second connector face of a second connector. A first extremely high frequency (EHF) communication unit may be disposed in the housing for communicating with a second EHF communication unit of the second connector when the first connector face is positioned in first or second position relative to the second connector face. A first magnet may be disposed in the housing. The first magnet may align with and repel a second magnet disposed relative to the second connector face when the first connector face is positioned in the second position. The first magnet may be configured not to align with and not to repel the second magnet when first connector face is positioned in the first position relative to the second connector face.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

a housing defining a first connector face configured to be positioned in at least one of a first position and a second position proximate to a second connector face of an additional connector;

a first communication interface unit disposed within the housing relative to the first connector face of the connector to communicate with a second communication interface unit located in the additional connector using extremely high frequency (EHF) electromagnetic energy when the first connector face is positioned in at least one of the first position and the second position relative to the second connector face;

a first alignment element disposed in the housing relative to the first connector face, the first alignment element configured to align with a second alignment element located in the additional connector; and

an interface control circuit coupled to the first communication interface unit and configured to;

detect whether the connector is aligned with the additional connector; and

establish communication between the first and second communication interface units when the first connector face is positioned in the at least one of the first position and the second position relative to the second connector face.

2. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first magnetic element configured generate a magnetic field to attract a second magnetic element included in the additional connector when the first connector face is positioned in at least one of the first position and the second position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector.

3. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first magnetic element configured to generate a magnetic field to repel a second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in at least one of the first position and the second position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector.

4. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first magnetic element configured to generate a magnetic field to attract a second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in the first position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector and repel the second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in the second position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector.

5. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first magnetic element configured to generate a magnetic field to repel the second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in the first position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector and attract the second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in the second position relative to the second connector face of the additional connector.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the interface control unit is configured detect whether the connector is aligned with the additional connector based on an indication of a distance between the first and second interface control units.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface unit is configured to generate an EHF transmission oriented orthogonally relative to an EHF transmission generated by the second communication interface unit.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic element is at least one of a permanent magnet, a ferromagnetic element, and an electromagnet.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic element is at least one of a permanent magnet, a ferromagnetic element, and an electromagnet.

10. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first magnetic element is comprised of at least two magnetic elements.

11. The connector of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic element is comprised of at least two magnetic elements.