Systems for enabling chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621229-B2
Application number	US-201514679343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A system for enabling a chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic device includes a chassis, a set of module couplers (coupled to the chassis) that removably and mechanically couple modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the chassis, a module communication network configured to enable data transfer between the modules through the module communication network when the modules are coupled to the chassis, and a module power network configured to enable power transfer between the modules when the modules are coupled to the chassis.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for enabling a chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic device, the system comprising:
a chassis comprising a front module coupler backplane and a rear module coupler backplane;
the front module coupler backplane comprising a first set of module couplers, each of the first set of module couplers sized and shaped to removably receive one of a plurality of different modules of the modular mobile electronic device;
the rear module coupler backplane comprising a second set of module couplers, each of the second set of module couplers sized and shaped to removably receive one of the plurality of different electronic modules; and

a modular electronic device enablement system comprising a module communication network, a module power network, and a set of module interfaces, the modular electronic device enablement system positioned between the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane;
each of the set of module interfaces positioned within a module coupler of the chassis;
wherein the set of module interfaces communicatively couples the modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the module communication network and electrically couples modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the module power network; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of different electronic modules connects to the module communication network using non-contact inductive data transfer and to the module power network using conductive contacts.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second set of module couplers is physically reconfigurable from a first grid pattern to a second grid pattern; wherein the first and second grid patterns are non-identical.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modular electronic device enablement system is enclosed between the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane except for the set of module interfaces which are respectively accessible through a set of openings defined through the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane, the set of openings respectively aligned with the set of module interfaces.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of module interfaces are identical, such that the plurality of different modules can be interchangeably connected to the modular electronic device enablement system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first set or the second set of module couplers has two or more module interfaces positioned therein.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane respectively define a front exterior surface and a rear exterior surface of the chassis, the front exterior surface and the rear exterior surface of the chassis covered by the plurality of different modules when such modules are respectively received at the first and the second sets of module couplers, and wherein the first set of module couplers comprise at least a majority of an area of the front exterior surface and the second set of module couplers comprise at least a majority of an area of the rear exterior surface.

7. A system for enabling a chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic device, the system comprising:
a chassis comprising:
a first module coupler backplane;
a second module coupler backplane that opposes the first module coupler backplane;
a set of module couplers, each of the set of module couplers configured to removably and mechanically couple one of a plurality of modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the chassis; and

a module communication network configured to enable data transfer between the modules through the module communication network when the modules are coupled to the chassis, the module communication network positioned between the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane of the chassis;
a module power network configured to enable power transfer between the modules when the modules are coupled to the chassis, the module power network positioned between the first module coupler backplane and the second module coupler backplane of the chassis; and
a set of module interfaces that communicatively couple modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the module communication network and electrically couple modules of the modular mobile electronic device to the module power network, wherein at least one of the plurality of modules connects to the module communication network using non-contact inductive data transfer and to the module power network using conductive contacts;
wherein each of the set of module interfaces is positioned within a respective module coupler of the set of module couplers; and
wherein the set of module couplers assists alignment of the set of module interfaces with respective modules coupled to the set of module couplers.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the set of module couplers contact inserted soft-trapezoidally-shaped modules on only a bottom surface and three side surfaces.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the set of module couplers comprises an electropermanent magnet.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the module couplers are arranged in the first module coupler backplane in a first square grid pattern.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first module coupler backplane enables rotationally symmetric module coupling.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second module coupler backplane comprises module couplers arranged in a second grid pattern; wherein the second grid pattern is distinct from the first square grid pattern.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first module coupler backplane is physically reconfigurable from the first square grid pattern to a second square grid pattern; wherein the second square grid pattern is different from the first.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first module coupler backplane is integrated into the chassis; wherein the chassis comprises a rigid metal structure; wherein the chassis further comprises mechanical guides that comprise a spine extending along the length of the chassis and a set of ribs positioned perpendicular to the spine and extending from the spine to a perimeter of the first module coupler backplane.

15. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the set of module couplers comprises a latch that prevents the correspondingly received module from being removed, and wherein the latch is movable to enable removal of the correspondingly received module.

16. The system of claim 7 , wherein the module communication network and the module power network are each enclosed between the first module coupler backplane and the second module coupler backplane, and wherein the set of module interfaces are respectively positioned in a set of openings defined through the first module coupler backplane and the second module coupler backplane, the set of openings respectively aligned with the set of module interfaces.

17. A system for enabling a chassis-coupled modular mobile electronic device, the system comprising:
a chassis comprising a front module coupler backplane and a rear module coupler backplane;
a module power network configured to enable power transfer between modules of the modular mobile electronic device when the modules are coupled to the chassis, the module power network positioned between the front module coupler backplane and the rear module coupler backplane;
a module communication network configured to enable data transfer between the modules through the module communication network; and
a set of module cou

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04B5/0012

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• H04M1/0254

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

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04B5/0037 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic