Data communication connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12489524-B2
Application number	US-202217957008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2022
Priority date	Sep 30, 2022
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

A first data connector for communicating data with a second data connector includes a data communication interface including adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements, wherein a plurality of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements forms a radiofrequency data antenna array and another radiofrequency antenna element of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements forms a radiofrequency control channel antenna element, each radiofrequency antenna element of the radiofrequency data antenna array being configured to communicate a subchannel signal of the data to a corresponding radiofrequency data antenna element of a data communication interface of the second data connector bidirectionally. The radiofrequency control channel antenna element is configured to manage data communications through the radiofrequency data antenna array. An attachment interface is positioned on the first data connector and configured to removably attach the first data connector to the second data connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A first data connector for communicating a data signal with a second data connector, the first data connector comprising:
a data communication interface including adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements, wherein a plurality of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements forms a radiofrequency data antenna array and another radiofrequency antenna element of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements forms a radiofrequency control channel antenna element, the data signal being split at the first data connector into subchannel signals, each radiofrequency antenna element of the radiofrequency data antenna array being configured to communicate bidirectionally a subchannel signal of the subchannel signals to a corresponding radiofrequency data antenna element of a data communication interface of the second data connector, each subchannel signal of the subchannel signals including a different portion of the data signal, wherein the subchannel signals are mergeable into the data signal at the second data connector, the radiofrequency control channel antenna element being configured to manage data communications through the radiofrequency data antenna array; and an attachment interface positioned on the first data connector and configured to removably attach the first data connector to the second data connector from a physically unattached configuration to a physically attached configuration, wherein, in the physically attached configuration, each radiofrequency data antenna element of the data communication interface of the first data connector is configured to physically align with a corresponding radio data antenna element of the data communication interface of the second data connector to which the radiofrequency data antenna element communicates its subchannel signal bidirectionally.

2 . The first data connector of claim 1 , wherein the first data connector is electrically connected as a port within a computing device and the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements of the first data connector radiate radiofrequency signals that are within a radiofrequency bandwidth substantially outside of radiofrequency bandwidths of other radiofrequency antenna elements in the computing device.

3 . The first data connector of claim 1 , wherein the first data connector is configured to be removably attachable to the second data connector, wherein the second data connector is electrically connected as a port within a computing device.

4 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cable including data lines configured to communicate the data signal to and from the first data connector.

5 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply interface configured to electrically connect to a power supply interface of the second data connector.

6 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply interface configured to inductively couple to a power supply interface of the second data connector.

7 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cable including power lines configured to supply power to the first data connector.

8 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
transceivers, each transceiver being coupled to one of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements.

9 . The first data connector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a subchannel signal aggregator configured to merge the subchannel signals of the data signal into an aggregated channel.

10 . The first data connector of claim 1 , wherein radiation emitted from one of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements is polarized differently compared to radiation emitted from an adjacent one of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements.

11 . The first data connector of claim 1 , wherein the first data connector and the second data connector connect via a magnetic connection.

12 . The first data connector of claim 1 , wherein the subchannel signals are multiplexed from the data signal and wherein the data signal is demultiplexable from the subchannel signals at the second data connector.

13 . The first data connector of claim 1 , the radiofrequency control channel antenna element being configured to communicate bidirectionally over a control channel with a corresponding radiofrequency control channel antenna of the data communication interface of the second data connector.

14 . The first data connector of claim 1 , the radiofrequency control channel antenna element being configured to manage data communications through the radiofrequency data antenna array and being configured to communicate bidirectionally over a control channel with a corresponding radiofrequency control channel antenna of the data communication interface of the second data connector.

15 . A method of communicating a data signal between a first data connector and a second data connector, the method comprising:
removably attaching an attachment interface positioned at the first data connector to the second data connector from a physically unattached configuration to a physically attached configuration, and aligning a data communication interface of the first data connector to face a data communication interface of the second data connector; and communicating the data signal between the data communication interface of the first data connector and the data communication interface of the second data connector, wherein the data communication interface of the first data connector includes adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements, wherein a plurality of the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements forms a radiofrequency data antenna array, the data signal being split at the first data connector into subchannel signals, each radiofrequency antenna element of the radiofrequency data antenna array being configured to communicate bidirectionally a subchannel signal of the subchannel signals to a corresponding radiofrequency data antenna element of the data communication interface of the second data connector, each subchannel signal of the subchannel signals including a different portion of the data signal, wherein the subchannel signals are mergeable into the data signal at the second data connector, wherein, in the physically attached configuration, each radiofrequency data antenna element of the data communication interface of the first data connector is configured to physically align with a corresponding radio data antenna element of the data communication interface of the second data connector to which the radiofrequency data antenna element communicates its subchannel signal bidirectionally.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data connector is electrically connected as a port within a computing device and the adjacent radiofrequency antenna elements of the first data connector radiate radiofrequency signals that are within a radiofrequency bandwidth substantially outside of radiofrequency bandwidths of second radiofrequency antenna elements in the computing device.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first data connector is configured to be attachable to the second data connector, wherein the second data connector is electrically connected as a port within a computing device.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein data lines are connected by a cable and configured to communicate the data signal to and from the first data connector.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a power supply interface is configured to electrically connect to a power supply interface of the

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Harper Marc
• Sharma Apoorva
• Dhondt Daniel

Classifications

• H04B1/38

  Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving · CPC title

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title

• H01R13/6691

  with built-in signalling means (H01R13/717 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/6205

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

• H01Q21/08 Primary

  the units being spaced along or adjacent to a rectilinear path {(waveguide fed H01Q21/0037)} · CPC title