CONTACTLESS REPLACEMENT FOR CABLED STANDARDS-BASED INTERFACES

• US 20160043776A1
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Keyssa, Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,525,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A contactless, electromagnetic (EM) replacement (substitute, alternative) for cabled (electric) Standards-based interfaces (such as, but not limited to USB) which effectively handles the data transfer requirements (such as bandwidth, speed, latency) associated with the Standard, and which is also capable of measuring and replicating relevant physical conditions (such as voltage levels) on data lines so as to function compatibly and transparently with the Standard. A contactless link may be provided between devices having transceivers. A non-conducting housing may enclose the devices. Some applications for the contactless (EM) interface are disclosed. A dielectric coupler facilitating communication between communications chips which are several meters apart. Conductive paths may provide power and ground for bus-powered devices.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method comprising:

establishing an emulated communications link between first and second devices, the establishing comprising;

receiving a sequence of electrical signaling conditions from first circuitry associated with the first device, wherein the first circuitry is designed to communicate with second circuitry associated with the second device over a physical interface coupling the first and second devices, wherein the first and second circuitry operate within fixed timing constraints that govern a negotiation of the sequence of electrical signaling conditions between the first and second circuitry to establish a physical communications link;

converting the received sequence of electrical signals into electromagnetic signals; and

contactlessly transmitting the electromagnetic signals to the second device to enable the second circuitry to receive a replication of the received sequence of electrical signaling conditions and establish the emulated communications link even though the physical communications link does not exist between the first and second devices,

wherein establishment of the emulated communications link enables the first and second circuitry to operate as if they established the physical communications link.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

contactlessly transmitting data from the first device to the second device after the emulated communications link is established, wherein the data being contactlessly transmitted is received by the first circuitry.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the sequence of electrical signals comprises data transfer requirements.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data transfer requirements comprise at least one of bandwidth, speed, and latency.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second devices are contactlessly connected.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the establishing further comprises:

receiving contactlessly transmitted electromagnetic signals from the second device, wherein the received contactlessly transmitted electromagnetic signals are converted electrical signals representing a sequence of electrical signaling conditions provided by the second circuitry, wherein the converted electrical signals provided by the second circuitry are part of the negotiation of the sequence of electrical signaling conditions between the first and second circuitry to establish the physical communications link;

replicating the electrical signaling conditions provided by the second circuitry based on the received contractlessly transmitted electromagnetic signals; and

providing the replicated electrical signaling conditions to the first circuitry to establish the emulated communications link.

26. A contactless communication unit (CCU), comprising:

a plurality of contacts;

a transducer; and

circuitry coupled to the contacts and the transducer and operative to;

determine an electrical condition existing on at least one of the contacts; and

contactlessly transmit a contactless signal indicative of the determined electrical condition via the transducer to a recipient CCU, wherein the contactless signal indicative of the determined electrical condition enables the recipient CCU to replicate the same electrical condition on at least one of its contacts.

27. The CCU of claim 26, wherein the determined electrical condition is part of a negotiation sequence between first circuitry coupled to the CCU and second circuitry coupled to the recipient CCU for establishing a physical communications link, and wherein the contactlessly transmitted contactless signal indicative of the determined electrical condition is transmitted within fixed timing constraints that govern the negotiation sequence for establishing the physical communications link between the first and second circuitry.

28. The CCU of claim 26, wherein the electrical condition comprises enumeration conditions required for establishing a link pursuant to a Standards protocol, wherein the link is part of a contactless connection between two devices, wherein each device comprises a CCU and a controller for managing communications according the Standards protocol.

29. The CCU of claim 26, wherein the electrical condition comprises power state information required for establishing a link pursuant to a Standards protocol, wherein the link is part of a contactless connection between two devices, wherein each device comprises a CCU and a controller for managing communications according the Standards protocol.

30. The CCU of claim 26, wherein the electrical condition comprises at least one of termination resistance, drive strength, status, configuration, and drive type.

31. A contactless communication unit (CCU) for use in establishing a contactless communications link between first and second circuitry, wherein the first and second circuitry are designed to establish a physical communications link by communicating a sequence of electrical signal conditions within fixed timing constraints that govern the establishment of the physical communications link, the CCU comprising:

a plurality of contacts;

a transducer; and

circuitry coupled to the contacts and the transducer and operative to;

receive a contactless signal indicative of electrical signaling conditions provided by the second circuitry for establishing the physical communications link;

replicating the electrical signaling conditions based on the received contactless signal indicative of electrical signaling conditions provided by the second circuitry; and

providing the replicated signaling conditions on at least one of the contacts so that the first circuitry is provided with the electrical signaling conditions provided by the second circuitry such the requirements for establishing the physical communications link between the first and second circuitry are satisfied even though they are not connected by a physical interface.

32. The CCU of claim 31, wherein the electrical signaling conditions comprises data transfer requirements.

33. The CCU of claim 31, wherein the electrical signaling conditions comprises enumeration conditions required for establishing a link pursuant to a Standards protocol.

34. A method for emulating a physical connection between first and second devices that communicate data via a contactless communications coupling, the method implemented in the first device comprising a transceiver and a controller, the method comprising:

determining an electrical condition of at least one signal line, wherein data carried on the at least one signal line is data that will be contactlessly transmitted, and wherein the at least one signal line is coupled to the controller, which expects the electrical condition of at least one signal line to comply with parameters specified for a Standards-based protocol designed for communicating data over a physical link; and

contactlessly transmitting an electromagnetic (EM) signal indicative of the determined electrical condition, wherein the EM signal indicative of the determined electrical condition enables the second device to modify at least one of its signal lines to comply with parameters specified for the Standards-based protocol.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the parameters specified for a Standards-based protocol comprise speed characteristics and termination characteristics.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the determined electrical condition is an electrical characteristic imparted on the at least one signal line by the controller that must be replicated by a transceiver associated with the second device so that a controller coupled to the transceiver of the second device receives the replicated electrical characteristic.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a sequence of electrical characteristics from the controller on the at least one signal line;

wherein the determining comprises determining the electrical condition of each received electrical characteristic; and

wherein the contactlessly transmitting comprises contactlessly transmitting an electromagnetic (EM) signal indicative of each received electrical characteristic.