Stackable magnetically-retained connector interface

• US 9,300,083 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bosscher, Nathan P., Jol, Eric S., Golko, Albert J., Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Minoo, Jahan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US14/500,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20150093922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 439/38, 439/39, 439/40, 439/701, 439/638, 439/540.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0247 Orientating, locating, transporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6633 with inductive component, e.g. transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7031 Shorting, shunting or bussing of different terminals interrupted or effected on engagement of coupling part, e.g. for ESD protection, line continuity
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/003 the coupling part being secured only to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making

Abstract

A stackable connector interface with magnetic retention for electronic devices and accessories can allow power and data to be transferred between one or more stacked connectors. Each interconnected stackable connector may include one or more magnetic elements, which magnetic elements may have poles arranged to facilitate mating with other stackable connectors. The magnetic elements may also provide a magnetic retention force that holds mated connectors in contact with each other. The connectors can also include connection detection circuitry for determining whether the connectors are mated with other connectors, thereby allowing the connectors to prevent live contacts from being exposed at an unmated surface of the connectors. In addition to connection detection circuitry, routing circuitry may also be included to determine how signals should be transferred between the interconnected stackable connectors and/or corresponding devices.

Claims

1. A connector of a first device suitable for electrically coupling the first device to a second device, comprising:

a body having a first connector, contacts positioned on the first connector, and a first magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the first connector with a second magnet of a corresponding second connector of the second device;

a cable extending from the body, the cable including one or more wires;

connection detection circuitry configured to determine whether the first connector is mated with the second connector and to distinguish between two or more orientations of the first connector with respect to the second connector; and

routing circuitry coupled to the connection detection circuitry and the one or more wires, the routing circuitry configured to route a first signal between the one or more wires and the contacts when a first orientation is detected and a second signal different than the first signal between the one or more wires and the contacts when a second orientation is detected by the connection detection circuitry.

2. The connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the first signal changes an operating state of the second device to a first state and the second signal changes the operating state of the second device to a second state different than the first state.

3. The connector set forth in claim 1 wherein rotating the body from the first orientation to the second orientation sends a third signal between the one or more wires and the contacts in response to the connection detection circuitry detecting the rotation.

4. The connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the connection detection circuitry includes one or more of the following:

a Hall Effect sensor, a resistance sensor and a rotary encoder.

5. The connector set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of the cable that extends away from the body is coupled to the first device.

6. The connector set forth in claim 3 wherein the third signal causes the second device to change the volume of device speakers of the second device.

7. The connector set forth in claim 1 wherein the contacts are first contacts;

wherein the body further includes a third connector, second contacts positioned on the third connector and a third magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the third connector to a corresponding fourth connector;

wherein the connection detection circuitry is further configured to determine whether the third connector is mated with the fourth connector; and

wherein the routing circuitry is further configured to route a third signal between the one or more wires and the second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the third connector is mated with the fourth connector.

8. The connector set forth in claim 7 wherein the routing circuitry is further configured to route fourth signals between the first and second contacts when the connection detection circuitry detects the first and third connectors are mated with the second and fourth connectors, respectively.

9. The connector set forth in claim 8 wherein the fourth signals originate from the second connector or the fourth connector;

and wherein the routing circuitry further includes a microcontroller configured to determine the fourth signals.

10. A stackable connector comprising:

a body comprising first and second connectors, first contacts positioned on the first connector, second contacts positioned on the second connector, a first magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the first connector to a third magnet of a corresponding third connector, and a second magnet having poles arranged to align and mate the second connector to a fourth magnet of a corresponding fourth connector;

a cable extending from the body, the cable including one or more wires;

connection detection circuitry configured to determine whether the first and second connectors are mated with the third and fourth connectors, respectively and determine an orientation of the body with respect to the third and fourth connectors; and

routing circuitry coupled to the connection detection circuitry and the one or more wires of the cable, the routing circuitry configured to route signals between the one or more wires and the first and second contacts in accordance with the determined orientation of the body with respect to the third and fourth connectors.

11. The stackable connector set forth in claim 10 wherein the determined orientation is an angular orientation of the body with respect to the third connector and the fourth connector.

12. The stackable connector set forth in claim 10,

wherein the routing circuitry further includes a microcontroller and wherein when the third and fourth connectors are mated with the first and second connectors the microcontoller determines how to distribute signals between the third and fourth connectors.

13. The stackable connector set forth in claim 10 wherein the connection detection circuitry comprises a magnetic field sensor and wherein the connection detection circuitry determines an orientation of the body with respect to the third and fourth connectors at least in part by measuring magnetic fields emitted by the third and fourth magnets.

14. The stackable connector set forth in claim 13, wherein when the determined orientation is a first orientation the routing circuitry sends a control signal to a first device associated with the third connector and when the determined orientation is a second orientation different than the first orientation the routing circuitry sends the control signal to a second device associated with the fourth connector.