Optical connector
First Claim
1. An electronic device that supports optical communication, the electronic device comprising:
- a connector having a mating region that includes a plurality of openings, the mating region forming a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, the connector comprising;
an active optical component for at least one of transmitting or receiving optical signals, the active optical component positioned adjacent to the plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings is sized such that an amount of light passing through any single opening of the plurality of openings is insufficient for communicating with a corresponding connector using an optical signal; and
a lens positioned between the plurality of openings and the active optical component.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic device having an optical connector that provides and/or receives optical signals through openings or perforations formed at an external surface of the electronic device. These openings can serve as the interface of the optical connector through which the electronic device can engage in one-way or two-way communication with corresponding optical connectors of other electronic devices. These openings can be sized such that they are not visible or not easily visible with the naked human eye. As such, these openings can be too small for communicating with corresponding optical connectors using any single one of these openings. But light that is collectively transmitted through or received through a group of these openings can provide optical signals that can be used to communicate with corresponding optical connectors using optical signals.
34 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electronic device that supports optical communication, the electronic device comprising:
a connector having a mating region that includes a plurality of openings, the mating region forming a portion of an exterior surface of the electronic device, the connector comprising; an active optical component for at least one of transmitting or receiving optical signals, the active optical component positioned adjacent to the plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings is sized such that an amount of light passing through any single opening of the plurality of openings is insufficient for communicating with a corresponding connector using an optical signal; and a lens positioned between the plurality of openings and the active optical component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electronic device that supports optical communication, the electronic device comprising:
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a housing having a mating region that includes an optical channel having a plurality of openings extending between exterior and interior surfaces of the housing; a processor positioned within the housing; and an optical connector positioned adjacent to the mating region, the optical connector including an active optical component operatively coupled to the processor and a lens positioned between the optical channel and the active optical component, wherein the optical component is configured to transmit and receive optical signals between the electronic device and a corresponding optical connector associated with a second device through the optical channel, and wherein each individual opening in the plurality of openings is too small to allow an optical signal to be communicated over the optical channel through the individual opening. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of initiating optical communication between an optical connector of an electronic device and a corresponding connector of another electronic device, the method comprising:
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activating an active optical component of the optical connector when an event is detected by the electronic device; and at least one of transmitting or receiving optical signals using the active optical component, wherein the active optical component is positioned adjacent to a plurality of openings of the optical connector, wherein each of the plurality of openings is sized such that an amount of light passing through any single opening of the plurality of openings is insufficient for communicating with the corresponding connector using an optical signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification