Contactless signal splicing using an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication link

• US 9,647,715 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US15/204,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

A first electronic device includes a first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit. The first electronic device may include an internal communication link providing a signal path for conducting communication signals between the first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit. An interface circuit may be operatively coupled to the internal communication link. The interface circuit may include an extremely high frequency (EHF) communications circuit configured to receive an EHF electromagnetic signal from another EHF communications circuit of a second electronic device. This EHF electromagnetic signal may enable the second electronic device to control or monitor the first electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first electronic circuit having an output coupled to a first input of a multiplexer using an internal communication link included in an interface circuit;

a second electronic circuit having an input coupled to an output of the multiplexer;

the interface circuit including a first extremely high frequency (EHF) communications circuit comprising;

an input coupled to receive an EHF electromagnetic signal from an external device, and

a first output coupled to send a data payload included in the EHF signal received from the external device to a second input of the multiplexer; and

a controller configured to;

interpret the EHF signal received from the external device, and

responsive to the interpretation, cause the multiplexer to select whether to send to the input of the second electronic circuit;

the data payload included in the EHF signal received from the external device, or

the output of the first electronic device from the internal communication link.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a second EHF communications circuit having a first input coupled to receive an internal communication signal from the internal communication link, and having an output configured to transmit an EHF electromagnetic signal generated from the internal communication signal to the external device.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the second EHF communications circuit includes a transmitter configured to transmit a modulated EHF signal representing communication signals between the first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the second EHF communications circuit includes a transmitter configured to transmit a modulated EHF signal representing an output of the first electronic circuit.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to output a control signal based on the interpretation of the EHF signal received from the external device to enable or disable a transmitter included in the second EHF communications circuit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to substitute on the internal communication link the internal communication signal based on the interpretation of the EHF signal received from the external device, the internal communication signal generated by one of the first or second electronic circuits.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to direct an internal communication signal generated by the first electronic circuit to the external device and to direct a communication signal received from the external device to the second electronic circuit based on the interpretation of the EHF signal received from the external device.

8. An electronic system comprising a first device and a second device external to the first device, the first device comprising:

a first electronic circuit;

an operational component; and

an internal communication link providing a signal path conducting communication signals between the first electronic circuit and the operational component, the first electronic circuit being coupled to the internal communication link and configured to be in communication with the operational component via the internal communication link;

an interface circuit operatively coupled to the internal communication link and including a first extremely high frequency (EHF) communications circuit configured to receive an EHF electromagnetic signal from the second device and generate from the received EHF electromagnetic signal a receive communication signal, the interface circuit comprising;

a controller configured to interpret the EHF electromagnetic signal received from the second device and generate a transmit communication signal for controlling an operation of the operational component of the first device based on the interpretation, the transmit communication signal including a data payload,

a multiplexer having a first input coupled to the internal communication link and a second input coupled to an output of the first EHF communications circuit, the multiplexer configured to select whether to send data output by the first electronic circuit using the internal communication link or the data payload output by the first EHF communications circuit, to the operational component based on the interpretation of the EHF electromagnetic signal received from the second device; and

the second device comprising;

a second extremely high frequency (EHF) communications circuit operatively configured to convert the transmit communication signal into a transmit EHF electromagnetic signal, and transmit the transmit EHF electromagnetic signal to the first device, the first and second EHF communication circuits providing an EHF electromagnetic communication link when the first device and the second device are positioned with the first EHF communication circuit and the second EHF communication circuit in proximity.

9. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to generate the transmit communication signal for selectively bypassing signal communication between the first electronic circuit and the operational component of the first device, and enabling control of the operational component of the first device by the second device.

10. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein the first EHF communication circuit and the second EHF communication circuit are configured to selectively monitor signal communication between the first electronic circuit and the operational component of the first device.

11. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein the first device and the second device further comprise a first data storage component and a second storage component, respectively, wherein the controller is configured to read contents of the second data storage component and the interface circuit is configured to write the contents to the first data storage component.

12. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein each of the first and second EHF communication circuits comprises an EHF communication unit, each EHF communication unit comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC);

an antenna operatively connected to the IC;

a lead frame;

a ground plane operatively connected to the IC; and

an insulating material encapsulating the IC, the lead frame, the ground plane, and the antenna to comprise an IC package.