Apparatus, system and method of docking a mobile device with wireless connector

• US 9,538,313 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sudak, Eran
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US13/693,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 710300-313, 710 62- 64, 710 72- 74, 710104-110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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: H02G 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and method of transferring data between a mobile device and one or more peripheral devices via a docking device including a wireless connector. For example, a docking device to transfer data between a mobile device and one or more peripheral devices may include a power plug to be connected to a power supply, one or more peripheral connectors to be connected to the one or more peripheral devices for communicating data with the peripheral devices, and a docking connector to connect the docking device to the mobile device. The docking connector may include, for example, a power connector to receive electrical power from the power supply via the power plug and to transfer the electrical power to the mobile device, and a wireless communication unit to communicate the data between the docking device and the mobile device over a wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a docking connector to connect said mobile device to a docking device, the docking connector comprising;

a power connector to electrically connect said mobile device to a power source of said docking device; and

a wireless communication unit housed within the docking connector, the wireless communication unit to communicate data between said mobile device and said docking device over a wireless communication link, the wireless communication link comprises a short-range wireless communication link at a multi-gigabit-per second (MGbs) rate.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said docking connector comprises a magnetic element to couple said docking connector to said docking device by magnetic force.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication link comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said short-range wireless communication link has a range of no more than five centimeters.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication unit to communicate said data with another wireless communication unit included in said docking device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said docking connector comprises a zero-force connector.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 comprising a device selected from the group consisting of a Smartphone and a mobile computer.

9. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein said wireless communication unit is to communicate said data over a link selected from the group consisting of a WiGig Serial Extension (WSE) link, a WiGig Display Extension (WDE) link, a WiGig Bus Extension (WBE) link, and a WiGig Secure Digital extension (WSD) link.

8. A docking connector to connect a mobile device to a docking device, the docking connector comprising:

a power connector to electrically connect said mobile device to a power source of said docking device; and

a wireless communication unit housed within the docking connector, the wireless communication unit to communicate data between said mobile device and said docking device over a wireless communication link, the wireless communication link comprises a short-range wireless communication link at a multi-gigabit-per second (MGbs) rate.

10. The docking connector of claim 8, wherein said wireless communication unit to communicate said data with another wireless communication unit included in said docking device.

20. The docking connector of claim 8, wherein said short-range wireless communication link has a range of no more than five centimeters.

11. A docking device to transfer data between a mobile device and one or more peripheral devices, the docking device comprising:

a power plug to be connected to a power supply;

one or more peripheral connectors to be connected to the one or more peripheral devices for communicating data with said peripheral devices;

a docking connector to connect said docking device to said mobile device, the docking connector comprising;

a power connector to receive electrical power from said power supply via said power plug, and to transfer said electrical power to said mobile device; and

a wireless communication unit to communicate said data between said docking device and said mobile device over a wireless communication link; and

a cable connecting between said one or more peripheral connectors and said docking connector, the cable to transfer said data between said one or more peripheral connectors and said wireless communication unit, and to transfer said electrical power from said power plug to said power connector.

12. The docking device of claim 11 comprising a power storage to provide electric power to said wireless communication unit and to at least one of said peripheral connectors.

13. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said wireless communication link comprises a Wireless-Gigabit (WiGig) link.

14. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said docking connector is to be physically coupled to said mobile device.

15. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said docking connector comprises a magnetic element to couple said docking connector to said mobile device by magnetic force.

16. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said docking connector comprises a plug-less connector.

17. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said docking connector comprises a zero-force connector.

18. The docking device of claim 11, wherein said wireless communication link comprises a short-range wireless communication link at a multi-gigabit-per second (MGbs) rate.

19. The docking device of claim 18, wherein said short-range wireless communication link has a range of no more than five centimeters.