Dock connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10050398-B2
Application number	US-201415306684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A dock connector support structure is to mate with a corresponding structure of a mating connector. A magnet magnetically attaches the dock connector support structure to the corresponding structure of the mating connector. A signal contact and a further contact are supported by the dock connector support structure. The signal contact is to communicatively connect with a contact of the mating connector. The further contact is selected from among a high-power contact to supply power in excess of five watts, and a wireless element contact to connect to a wireless communication element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An accessory device comprising:
an antenna;
a first functional feature;
a second functional feature of a type different from the first functional feature; and
a dock connector comprising:
a dock connector support structure to mate with a corresponding structure of a mating connector of an electronic device;
a magnet to magnetically attach the dock connector support structure to the corresponding structure of the mating connector; and
a first signal contact, a second signal contact, a ground contact, a first power contact, a second power contact, and a wireless element contact that are supported by the dock connector support structure, the first signal contact to communicatively connect with a first contact of the mating connector, the first signal contact for signal communications and connected to the first functional feature, the second signal contact to communicatively connect with a second contact of the mating connector, the second signal contact for signal communications and connected to the second functional feature, the first power contact to supply a first voltage that is greater than a voltage of the ground contact, wherein the first power contact is to supply power to the first functional feature, the second power contact to supply a second voltage greater than the first voltage, wherein the second power contact is to supply power to the second functional feature, and the wireless element contact connected to the antenna.

2. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the dock connector further comprises an alignment element to align the dock connector support structure with the corresponding structure of the mating connector.

3. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal contact, the second signal contact, the ground contact, the first power contact, the second power contact, and the wireless element contact are arranged as part of a line of contacts along the dock connector support structure.

4. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the first signal contact is part of a first pair of signal contacts to communicate a first differential signal.

5. The accessory device of claim 4 , wherein the second signal contact is part of a second pair of signal contacts supported by the dock connector support structure to communicate a second differential signal.

6. The accessory device of claim 5 , wherein the first pair of signal contacts is part of a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and the second pair of signal contacts is part of a second USB interface.

7. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless element contact is connected to the antenna over an antenna cable.

8. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the dock connector further comprises a dock sense contact supported by the dock connector support structure to electrically connect to a mating sense contact of the mating connector, wherein connection of the dock sense contact and the mating sense contact is to provide an indication of connection of the dock connector and the mating connector.

9. The dock accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the dock connector further comprises an auxiliary contact supported by the dock connector support structure to communicatively connect with a corresponding contact of the mating connector, the auxiliary contact to provide an auxiliary function.

10. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the dock connector support structure comprises a connector housing that supports the first signal contact, the second signal contact, the ground contact, the wireless element contact, the first power contact, and the second power contact.

11. The accessory device of claim 1 , wherein the first functional feature comprises a first user interface component, and the second functional feature comprises a second user interface component.

12. An accessory device comprising:
an antenna;
a first user interface component;
a second user interface component of a type different from the first user interface component;
a dock connector to mate with a mating connector of an electronic device, wherein the dock connector comprises:
a dock connector support structure to mate with a corresponding structure of the mating connector of the electronic device;
a magnet to magnetically attach the dock connector support structure to the corresponding structure of the mating connector;
contacts to connect with contacts of the mating connector, the contacts of the dock connector arranged as a line of contacts along the dock connector support structure and comprising:
a first signal contact to communicatively connect with a first contact of the mating connector, the first signal contact for signal communications and connected to the first user interface component;
a second signal contact to communicatively connect with a second contact of the mating connector, the second signal contact for signal communications and connected to the second user interface component;
a wireless element contact connected to the antenna;
a ground contact;
a first power contact to supply a first voltage that is greater than a voltage of the ground contact, wherein the first power contact is to supply power to the first user interface component; and
a second power contact to supply a second voltage greater than the first voltage, wherein the second power contact is to supply power to the second user interface component.

13. The accessory device of claim 12 , further comprising an outer housing containing the antenna, the first user interface component, and the second user interface component, wherein the docking connector support structure is supported by the outer housing.

14. The accessory device of claim 12 , wherein the first user input component includes a user-activatable button, and the second user input component includes a touch-sensitive surface.

15. An electronic device comprising:
a controller; and
a dock connector coupled to the controller, the docking connector comprising:
a dock connector support structure to mate with a corresponding structure of a mating connector of an accessory device that includes a user input component;
a magnet to magnetically attach the dock connector support structure to the corresponding structure of the mating connector;
contacts to connect with contacts of the mating connector, the contacts arranged on the dock connector support structure and comprising:
a first group of signal contacts to communicatively connect with respective contacts of the mating connector, the first group of signal contacts for signal communications with the user input component of the accessory device;
a second group of signal contacts to communicatively connect with respective contacts of the mating connector, the second group of signal contacts for signal communications with another component of the accessory device;
a ground contact;
a first power contact to supply a first voltage that is greater than a voltage of the ground contact, the first power contact to supply power to the user input component;
a second power contact to supply a second voltage greater than the first voltage, the second power contact to supply power to the another component; and
a wireless element contact to connect to a wireless communication element.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless element contact is to electrically connect to a wireless element contact in the mating connector of the accessory device, the wireless element contact in the mating connector of the accessory device connected to an antenna in the accessory device.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Chousal Ivan Dejesus
• Wynne Ben
• Chau Samiel H

Classifications

• H01R33/74 Primary

  Devices having four or more poles {, e.g. holders for compact fluorescent lamps} · CPC title

• H01R13/6205 Primary

  Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet · CPC title