Contactless connector systems
First Claim
1. A data connector system, the system comprising:
- a first connector portion, the first connector portion comprising a UWB transmitter with a data input and a first UWB coupling element driven by the UWB transmitter;
a second connector portion, the second connector portion comprising a second UWB coupling element and a UWB receiver with a data output, the UWB receiver having an input from the second UWB coupling element, and wherein the data connector system has a connected configuration in which the first and second UWB coupling elements are within an operative range of one another, such that the coupling elements are inductively coupled to one another to permit data to be transferred from the data input to the data output, and wherein a disconnected configuration in which the first and second connector portions are separated by greater than the operative range.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method uses near-field or inductively coupled UWB (Ultra Wide Band) systems to implement high speed electrical data connectors without the need for a direct electrical connection. A data connector system has a first connector portion and a second connector portion. The first connector portion comprises a UWB transmitter with a data input and a first UWB coupling element driven by the UWB transmitter. The second connector portion comprises a second UWB coupling element and a UWB receiver with a data output. The UWB receiver has an input from the second UWB coupling element. The data connector system has a connected configuration in which the first and second UWB coupling elements are within an operative range of one another, such that the coupling elements are inductively coupled to one another to permit data to be transferred from the data input to the data output, and a disconnected configuration in which the first and second connector portions are separated by greater than the operative range.
139 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A data connector system, the system comprising:
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a first connector portion, the first connector portion comprising a UWB transmitter with a data input and a first UWB coupling element driven by the UWB transmitter;
a second connector portion, the second connector portion comprising a second UWB coupling element and a UWB receiver with a data output, the UWB receiver having an input from the second UWB coupling element, and wherein the data connector system has a connected configuration in which the first and second UWB coupling elements are within an operative range of one another, such that the coupling elements are inductively coupled to one another to permit data to be transferred from the data input to the data output, and wherein a disconnected configuration in which the first and second connector portions are separated by greater than the operative range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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11. A data connector system as claimed in 10, wherein at least one of the simultaneous data connections comprises a data bus connection.
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23. A UWB data connector system, the connector system comprising:
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first and second connector parts, the connector parts being configured to mechanically interface to one another, each of the connector parts including a UWB coupling element, wherein when the first and second connector parts are interfaced one of the UWB coupling elements is in the near field of the other UWB coupling elements. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method of providing an electrical data connection using UWB coupling elements, the method comprising:
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receiving data for transmission across the connection;
encoding the data as a UWB signal;
transmitting the UWB signal from a first of the coupling elements;
receiving the UWB signal at a second of the UWB coupling elements;
recovering the data from the received UWB signal; and
inductively coupling the first and second UWB coupling elements. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An electrical data connector, comprising:
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UWB coupling elements;
means for receiving data for transmission across the connection;
means for encoding the data as a UWB signal;
means for transmitting the UWB signal from a first of the coupling elements;
means for receiving the UWB signal at a second of the UWB coupling elements; and
means for recovering the data from the received UWB signal; and
wherein the connector is further configured for inductive coupling of the first and second UWB coupling elements.
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31. A docking station for an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:
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a plurality of separate data connections coupled to a near-field UWB interface, wherein the docking station comprises a near-field USB interface coupled to one or both of a multiplexer and de-multiplexer, whereby the docking station is enabled to connect via an inductive wireless UWB connection to the separate data connections of the electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. An environmentally sealed electronic device, comprising:
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one or more external data connections all coupled to a near-field UWB interface, whereby the device is operable using the one or more external data connections without making direct electrical connection to the device. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method of operating an electronic device in a hostile environment, the method comprising:
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providing data communications for the device using a near-field UWB coupling;
providing an electrical power supply for the device using an inductive coupling; and
operating the device using the electrical power supply to communicate data over the near-field UWB coupling.
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37. A method of providing short-range UWB data communications, the method comprising:
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inputting data to be communicated;
encoding the data as pattern of UWB impulses;
transmitting the pattern of impulses from a UWB transmitter to a UWB receiver;
receiving the pattern of impulses at the receiver;
decoding the pattern of impulses to provide decoded data; and
outputting the decoded data. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A short-range UWB data communications transmitter, comprising:
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means for inputting data to be communicated;
means for encoding the data as a pattern of UWB impulses; and
means for transmitting the pattern of impulses from a UWB transmitter to a UWB receiver.
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40. A UWB data communications receiver, comprising:
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a received signal input to receive a pattern of UWB impulses;
means for decoding the pattern of impulses to provide decoded data; and
means for outputting the decoded data.
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41. A method of selecting an operational function to be implemented by an interface unit for an electronic device, the electronic device having a short-range UWB communications interface, the interface unit having a plurality of complementary short-range UWB communications interfaces spaced apart over a region of the unit, each the interface being associated with one of the operational functions, the method comprising:
selecting a the operational function by bringing the UWB communications interface of the electronic device into range of a selected one of the UWB communications interfaces of the interface unit. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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44. An interface unit for implementing a selected one of a plurality of operational functions for an electronic device having a short-range UWB communications interface, the interface unit comprising:
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a plurality of complementary short-range UWB communications interfaces spaced apart over a region of the unit, each the interface being associated with one of the operational functions; and
means for selecting a the operational function for implementing in response to the electronic device being brought into communications range of a corresponding the communications interface.
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45. An electrical backplane system, the system comprising:
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a backplane;
a plurality of mechanical connectors mounted on the backplane, each configured to receive an electronic circuit;
a plurality of UWB coupling devices, at least one associated with each the mechanical connector; and
one or more wired communications links between two or more of the UWB coupling devices. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
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48. A UWB data connector system, the system comprising:
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a first UWB transceiver;
a second UWB transceiver;
a first set of software drivers for the first UWB transceiver; and
a second set of software drivers for the second UWB transceiver, wherein the first set of drivers comprises a first UWB multiplex driver for providing a plurality of first interfaces to the first UWB transceiver, and a plurality of second drivers coupled to the plurality of first interfaces to provide a plurality of software interfaces, and wherein the second set of drivers comprises a second UWB multiplex driver for providing a plurality of second interfaces to the second UWB transceiver, and a plurality of third drivers coupled to the plurality of second interfaces to provide a plurality of hardware interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A UWB data connector system, the system comprising:
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a first UWB transceiver;
a second UWB transceiver;
at least one driver for the first UWB transceiver; and
at least one driver the second UWB transceiver, wherein one or both of the drivers include a service discovery protocol for discovering one or more services provided or requested by the other the UWB transceiver and driver.
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Specification