Modules and connections for modules to couple to a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10162388-B2
Application number	US-201715794221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2017
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Examples herein include modules and connections for modules to couple to a computing device. An example module includes a housing comprising an end to couple to a computing device, multiple capacitive pads that each include data contacts to enable data transfer, a power contact pad to provide or receive power, and a ground contact pad to couple to ground. The ground contact pad is larger in size than the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad is positioned closer than the power contact pad to the end of the housing configured to couple to the computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A module comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises an enclosed structure with a top side and a bottom side;
one or more data contacts to enable data transfer;
a power contact to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact to couple to ground, wherein the ground contact is at least one of larger in size than the power contact and positioned relative to the power contact such that when the module is inserted into a computing device, the ground contact couples to the ground prior to the power contact providing or receiving power;
wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact are provided on an exterior surface of the housing.

2. The module of claim 1 , wherein the ground contact is positioned closer than the power contact to an edge of the housing that is configured to be first inserted into a slot of the computing device.

3. The module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact are provided on the exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing.

4. The module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact are configured in two or more rows, and wherein the power contact is in a first corner and the ground contact is in a second corner that is diagonal and across the two or more rows from the first corner.

5. The module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact are co-planar with the exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing such that the bottom side of the housing can be slid into a slot of the computing device.

6. The module of claim 1 , further comprising an interface block on which the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact are provided.

7. The module of claim 6 , wherein the housing has perimeter structure with an opening, and wherein the interface block is provided adjacent the opening.

8. The module of claim 6 , wherein the interface block is a first interface block, and the module further comprises:
a second interface block including one or more second data contacts, a second power contact, and a second ground contact.

9. The module of claim 8 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a side-by-side configuration such that respective data contacts, power contacts, and ground contacts are in rows and columns, and the power contacts of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same row.

10. The module of claim 8 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a stacked configuration such that respective data contacts, power contacts, and ground contacts are in rows and columns, and the power contacts of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same column.

11. A module comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises an enclosed structure with a top side and a bottom side;
a first interface block comprising;
one or more data contacts that enable data transfer;
a power contact to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact to couple to ground;
wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad of the first interface block are provided on an exterior surface of the housing such that the module can be slid into a slot of the computing device; and

a second interface block comprising;
one or more data contacts that enable data transfer;
a power contact to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact to couple to ground;
wherein the one or more data contacts, the power contact, and the ground contact of the second interface block are provided on the exterior surface of the housing such that the module can be slid into the slot of the computing device.

12. The module of claim 11 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a side-by-side configuration such that respective data contacts, power contacts, and ground contacts are in rows and columns, and the power contacts of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same row.

13. The module of claim 11 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a stacked configuration such that respective data contacts, power contacts, and ground contacts are in rows and columns, and the power contacts of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same column.

14. A computing device comprising;
a plurality of slots to receive modules;
one or more interface blocks within respective slots of the plurality of slots, wherein each interface block includes a device power contact to provide power to a respective module and a device ground contact to couple ground to the respective module; and
a plurality of removable modules to be positioned into the plurality of slots, wherein each respective removable module comprises:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises an enclosed structure with a top side and a bottom side; and
a module interface block to couple to the interface block within a respective slot, wherein the module interface block includes a module power contact and a module ground contact, and wherein the module ground contact is at least one of larger in size than the module power contact and positioned relative to the module power contact such that insertion of the respective removable module into the respective slot causes the respective module ground contact to contact to the device ground contact first and then the module power contact pad to contact to the device power contact;
wherein the module power contact and the module ground contact are provided on an exterior surface of the housing such that the respective removable module can be inserted into the respective slot of the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein removal of the respective removable module from the respective slot causes the module power contact to disconnect from the device power contact first and then the module ground contact to disconnect from the device ground contact.

16. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the module ground contact of the module interface block is larger in size than the module power contact.

17. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the module ground contact of the module interface block is closer to an edge of the housing that is intended to be first inserted into the respective slot than is the module power contact.

18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein the interface block also includes one or more data contacts positioned such that the module power contact of the module interface block avoids contact with the one or more data contacts of the respective interface block during insertion and removal of the respective removable module.

19. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the module power contact and the module ground contact are co-planar with the exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing, and wherein the removable modules slide horizontally into the plurality of slots.

20. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the computing device has a front side that has at least one additional slot to receive at least one additional removable module and a backside that has the plurality of slots to receive the plurality of removable modules.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Eremenko Paul
• Knaian Ara
• Newburg Seth
• Fishman David

Classifications

• H04M1/0274

  for an electrical connector module · CPC title

• G06F1/1658 Primary

  related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module · CPC title

• H04M1/0254

  comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules · CPC title

• H05K2201/041

  Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between · CPC title

• H05K2201/044

  Details of backplane or midplane for mounting orthogonal PCBs · CPC title