Highly portable media devices

• US 9,063,697 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zorkendorfer, Rico, Lynch, Stephen Brian, Mathew, Dinesh, Ive, Jonathan P., Zadesky, Stephen Paul, Hankey, Evans, Prest, Christopher David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US13/179,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 381/77, 381/79, 381332-336, 361/679.4, 361/679.41, 361784-791, 439/577, 439/668, 439/669, 439/628, 439/675
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1391 Article held by clip with spring [e.g., leaf, coil] member

Abstract

An improved portable media device and methods for operating a media device are disclosed.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for coupling a portable media player to a host computer, the connector comprising:

an axial plug having a plurality of axially oriented and spatially separated contacts including first and second data contacts, a power contact and a ground contact;

a plug and play connector having a plurality of contacts corresponding to and electrically coupled to the axial plug contacts, the plug and play connector being configured to connect to the host computer so that when the axial plug is connected to the media player, the host computer is coupled with the media player; and

a base having an opening partially recessed within a top surface of the base, the opening having an inner peripheral surface sized and dimensioned to receive an end of the portable media player, wherein the axial plug extends outward from a bottom surface of the opening and is positioned so that when the portable media player is placed in the opening the axial plug engages an integrated connector port on the portable media player.

2. The electrical connector set forth in claim 1 further comprising a guide post disposed within and extending out from a bottom surface of the opening, wherein the guide post includes alignment surfaces that correspond to surfaces of a void in the portable media player which allows the guide post to facilitate insertion of the portable media player within the opening.

3. The electrical connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second data contacts on the axial plug act as D+ and D−

data lines.

4. The electrical connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the plug and play connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

5. The electrical connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the plug and play connector is a Firewire connector.

6. The electrical connector set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cable connected between the axial plug connector and the plug and play connector.

7. The electrical connector set forth in claim 6 wherein the first and second data contacts on the axial plug act as D+ and D−

data lines.

8. The electrical connector set forth in claim 6 wherein the plug and play connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

9. The electrical connector set forth in claim 6 wherein the plug and play connector is a Firewire connector.

10. A method of enabling data transfer between a host computer and a portable media player having a connector jack with an axial opening adapted to receive a male audio plug, the method comprising:

providing a connector with an axial plug at one end and a plug and play connector at another end, the axial plug having a plurality of axially oriented and spatially separated contacts including first and second data contacts, a power contact and a ground contact, the plug and play connector having a plurality of contacts corresponding to and electrically coupled to the axial plug contacts; and

connecting the axial plug to the connector jack on the portable media player and connecting the plug and play connector to the host computer to enable the portable media player to communicate with the host computer.

11. The method set forth in claim 10 wherein the plug and play connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

12. The method set forth in claim 10 wherein the plug and play connector is a Firewire connector.

13. An electrical connector for coupling a portable media player to a host computer, the connector comprising:

an axial plug having a plurality of axially oriented and spatially separated contacts including first and second data contacts, a power contact and a ground contact;

a plug and play connector having a plurality of contacts corresponding to and electrically coupled to the axial plug contacts, the plug and play connector being configured to connect to the host computer so that when the axial plug is connected to the media player, the host computer can communicate with the media player; and

a base having an opening to receive a portion of the portable media player, wherein the axial plug extends outwardly from base so that when the portable media player is placed in the opening the axial plug engages the portable media player.

14. The electrical connector set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

a guide post disposed within and extending out from a bottom surface of the opening, wherein the guide post includes alignment surfaces that correspond to surfaces of a void in the portable media player, the guide post facilitating insertion of the portable media player within the opening.

15. The electrical connector set forth in claim 14 wherein the guide post includes rounded sides.

16. The electrical connector set forth in claim 13 wherein the first and second data contacts on the axial plug act as D+ and D−

data lines.

17. The electrical connector set forth in claim 13 wherein the plug and play connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

18. The electrical connector set forth in claim 13 wherein the plug and play connector is a Firewire connector.