Connector device with antenna connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12308515-B2
Application number	US-202418424328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2024
Priority date	Mar 10, 2017
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure described devices, components, connectors, and cables that connect an audio-visual device to an external antenna. Some embodiments describe a device connector for connecting the audio-visual device to an external cable. The device connector may include a supply port that is configured to receive power, data signals, and/or some combination of power and data from a source external to the audio-visual device. The device connector may also include an antenna port that is configured to connect the audio-visual device to an external antenna that is, for example, part of the same. Additionally, the device connector may include a detection mechanism that detects the presence of an antenna connection in the antenna port. When an antenna connection is detected, the audio-visual device may be configured to use one or more external antennas connected via the antenna connection to send and receive, e.g., WiFi signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable for use with a streaming media device, the cable comprising:
a supply line configured to carry at least one of power and data;
a first antenna;
a second antenna, wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are linearly offset from each other; and
a connection portion coupled to the supply line, the first antenna, and the second antenna, wherein the connection portion comprises an antenna connector that is electrically coupled to the first antenna and to the second antenna and a supply connector that is electrically coupled to the supply line, and wherein the connection portion is configured to detachably connect the antenna connector and the supply connector to the streaming media device.

2. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the connection portion further comprises a second antenna connector that is electrically coupled to the second antenna, and wherein the connection portion is further configured to detachably connect the second antenna to the streaming media device.

3. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the antenna connector is a male connector.

4. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the antenna connector is a coaxial connector.

5. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply connector is a male Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply connector is a male High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector.

7. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply connector is a micro-Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

8. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the connection portion is implemented as a single modified standard Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, and wherein the single modified standard USB connector comprises the antenna connector.

9. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are linearly offset from each other within the cable by a predetermined distance.

10. The cable of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined distance is equal to a fraction of a wavelength of a carrier signal frequency of the cable.

11. The cable of claim 10 , wherein the carrier signal frequency is 2.4 GHz and the wavelength is 12.5 centimeters.

12. The cable of claim 11 , wherein the fraction is ¼ and the predetermined distance is 31.25 millimeters.

13. The cable of claim 10 , wherein the carrier signal frequency is 5 GHz and the wavelength is 5.08 centimeters.

14. The cable of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined distance is equal to a multiple of a wavelength of a carrier signal frequency of the cable.

15. The cable of claim 14 , wherein the carrier signal frequency is 2.4 GHz and the wavelength is 12.5 centimeters.

16. The cable of claim 14 , wherein the carrier signal frequency is 5 GHz and the wavelength is 6 centimeters.

17. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply line is configured to supply power via the supply connector to the streaming media device.

18. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply line is configured to supply a data signal via the supply connector to the streaming media device.

19. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the supply line is configured to supply a combination of power and a data signal via the supply connector to the streaming media device.

Assignees

• Roku Inc

Inventors

• Garner Gregory
• Thomas Tito

Classifications

• H01R27/02

  for simultaneous co-operation with two or more {dissimilar} counterparts · CPC title

• H01Q1/22

  by structural association with other equipment or articles · CPC title

• H01Q21/28

  Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems {(multiple beam H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• H01Q1/084

  Pivotable antennas · CPC title

• H01R2201/02

  for antennas · CPC title