Modular electronics

• US 9,531,425 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Isaac, Roger, Kyles, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): AYOTUNDE, AYODEJI O
• Application Number:
  US14/109,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/73, 455/81, 455/572
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/00 Aspects of power supply; Aspects of display protection and defect management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0252 PM holding devices H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A computing device includes an integrated unit having a plurality of functional components, and an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication unit operatively coupled to the integrated unit. The EHF communication unit includes a transducer configured to transmit and receive EHF electromagnetic signals, and convert between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals. The computing device includes a transceiver operatively coupled to the transducer. The EHF communication unit may enable at least one of the functional components of the computing device to be supplemented by a functional component of an external computing device.

Claims

1. A method of configuring an electronic device comprising first and second electronics modules, the first electronics module including a first communication unit, the first communication unit including a transducer configured to transmit and/or receive an extremely high frequency (EHF) electromagnetic signal, and to convert between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals, and an integrated circuit including at least one of a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit that is operatively coupled to the transducer, a first operative component that is electrically connected to the first communication unit, and a first enclosure enclosing the first operative component and the first communication unit, the first enclosure including a major face, the second electronics module including a second communication unit, the second communication unit including a transducer configured to transmit and/or receive an EHF electromagnetic signal, and to convert between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals, and a second integrated circuit including at least one of a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit that is operatively coupled to the transducer, a second operative component electrically connected to the second communication unit and a second enclosure enclosing the second operative component and the second communication unit, the second enclosure including a major face, the method comprising:

orienting the major face of the first enclosure of the first electronics module to be in contact with the major face of the second enclosure of the second electronics modules;

releasably attaching the major face of the first enclosure of the first electronics module to the major face of the second enclosure of the second electronics module through a manually releasable attachment system; and

establishing an EHF communication link between the first and second communication units when the major face of the first enclosure of the first electronics module is attached to the major face of the second enclosure of the second electronics module through the manually releasable attachment system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronics module includes a first power supply configured to power the first electronics module independent from the EHF communication link between the first and second electronics modules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second electronics module includes a second power supply configured to power the second electronics module independent from the EHF communication link between the first and second electronics modules.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising powering the second electronics module by the first power supply through the EHF communication link between the first and second electronic modules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein powering the second electronics module involves inductively transmitting power from the first electronics module to the second electronics module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching a third module to at least one of the first and second electronics modules, wherein the third module includes a third operative component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third module is a power module, and the third operative component is a power supply configured to supply power for the first and second electronics modules when coupled either directly or indirectly to the first and second electronics modules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operative component includes a user interface component, such that attaching the first electronics module directly or indirectly to the second electronics module forms an operative connection between the user interface component and the second operative component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronics module comprises a magnet, and the second electronics module comprises a magnetically responsive element, and releasably attaching the major face of the first enclosure of the first electronics module to the major face of the second enclosure of the second electronics module through the manually releasable attachment system comprises:

positioning the modules so that the magnet is attractively coupled to the magnetically responsive element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the magnetically responsive element is a second magnet.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the electronics modules is a flanged module that further comprises a flange extending from at least one edge of the flanged module, the manually releasable attachment system comprising the flange, and attaching the flanged module to another of the modules includes creating a frictional fit between an edge of the another module and an internal surface of the flange of the flanged module.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein configuring the electronic device comprises attaching the first electronics module to the second electronics module, and then attaching the power module to one of the first and second electronics modules.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first electronics module and the second electronics module are configured to receive power from the power module via inductive power transmission.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein in the configured electronic device at least one major face of each of the first electronics module, the second electronics module, and the power module contacts a major face of another of the first electronics module, the second electronics module, and the power module.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronics module further comprises:

a first dielectric waveguide extending between the transducer of the first communication unit and a first exterior surface of the first electronics module for conducting the EHF electromagnetic signal between the transducer of the first communication unit and the first exterior surface;

wherein the second electronics module further comprises a second dielectric waveguide extending between the transducer of the second communication unit and a second exterior surface of the second electronics module for conducting the EHF electromagnetic signal between the transducer of the second communication unit and the second exterior surface; and

when the first electronics module is attached to the second electronics module, the first dielectric waveguide aligns with the second dielectric waveguide for conducting the EHF electromagnetic signal between the transducer of the first communication unit and the transducer of the second communication unit.

16. A modular electronics system, comprising:

a first electronics module having a first communication unit including;

a transducer configured to transmit and/or receive an extremely high frequency (EHF) electromagnetic signal, and to convert between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals;

an integrated circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit operatively coupled to the transducer;

a first operative component electrically connected to the first communication unit; and

a first enclosure enclosing the first operative component and the first communication unit, the first enclosure including a major face; and

a second electronics module having a second communication unit including;

a transducer configured to transmit and/or receive an EHF electromagnetic signal, and to convert between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals;

a second integrated circuit comprising at least one of a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit operatively coupled to the transducer;

a second operative component electrically connected to the second communication unit; and

a second enclosure enclosing the second operative component and the second communication unit, the second enclosure including a major face;

wherein the first electronics module is releasable attached to the second electronics module through a manually releasable attachment system, and wherein the major face of the first electronics module is configured to contact the major face of the second electronics module and thereby form an EHF communication link between the first communication unit and the second communication unit when the first electronics module is attached to the second electronics module through the manually releasable attachment system.

17. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein each of the major face of the first enclosure and the major face of the second enclosure includes a coupling surface configured to enable transmission and/or reception of EHF electromagnetic signals.

18. The modular electronics system of claim 17, wherein each coupling surface includes a port component configured to facilitate formation of the EHF communication link between the first communication unit and the second communication unit by propagating an EHF electromagnetic signal.

19. The modular electronics system of claim 18, wherein each port component includes a waveguide configured to propagate the EHF electromagnetic signal.

20. The modular electronics system of claim 18, wherein each port component includes a conductive material and a dielectric waveguide, wherein the dielectric waveguide is configured to propagate the EHF electromagnetic signal.

21. The modular electronics system of claim 18, further comprising a power module having a power supply that is configured to supply power to the first and second electronics modules when coupled either directly or indirectly to the first and second electronics modules.

22. The modular electronics system of claim 21, wherein the first electronics module and the second electronics module are configured to receive power from the power module via inductive power transmission.

23. The modular electronics system of claim 21, further comprising a power module enclosure enclosing the power module, the power module enclosure having a major face, wherein at least one of the first electronics module and the second electronics module are configured to receive power from the power module via inductive power transmission when their major face comes into contact with the major face of the power module enclosure.

24. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein the manually releasable attachment system includes a first magnet incorporated in the first enclosure and a second magnet incorporated in the second enclosure such that a magnetic interaction between the first magnet and the second magnet releasably attaches the first electronics module to the second electronics module.

25. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein the manually releasable attachment system includes a flange extending from at least one edge of the first enclosure in a direction normal to the plane of the second enclosure, such that a frictional interaction releasably attaches the first electronics module to the second electronics module.

26. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein when the first enclosure and the second enclosure are releasably attached by the manually releasable attachment system, the port components of their respective coupling surfaces are disposed so as to facilitate formation of the EHF communication link between the first communication unit and the second communication unit.

27. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein each of the first enclosure and the second enclosure is substantially planar and shares substantially the same outline, and is configured to form a stack in combination with the other enclosures of the modular electronics system.

28. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein each of the first enclosure and the second enclosure is substantially planar, and is configured to form a stack in combination with the other electronics modules of the modular electronics.

29. The modular electronics system of claim 16, wherein each of the communication units provides at least one of unidirectional communication relative to a major face of the associated one of the first and second electronics modules, bidirectional communication relative to a major face of the associated one of the first and second electronics modules, and an edge-launch communication relative to a major face of the associated one of the first and second electronics modules.

30. The modular electronics system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first and second electronics modules includes one or more further communication units for communication with another modular electronics system, wherein the one or more further communication units provides one or more of unidirectional, bidirectional, and edge-launch communication.