Modules and connections for modules to couple to a computing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9823703-B2
Application number	US-201514626723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

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;
multiple capacitive pads, wherein each capacitive pad includes data contacts to enable data transfer;
a power contact pad to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact pad to couple to ground, wherein the ground contact pad is larger in size than the power contact pad such that when the module is inserted into a slot of a computing device, the ground contact pad couples to the ground prior to the power contact pad providing or receiving power;
wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad are provided on and co-planar with an exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing such that the module can be slid into the slot of the computing device.

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

3. The module of claim 1 , wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad are configured in rows, and wherein the power contact pad is positioned at a corner.

4. The module of claim 1 , wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad are configured in rows, and wherein the power contact pad is in a corner and the ground contact pad is in another corner diagonal and across from the power contact pad.

5. The module of claim 1 , further comprising an interface block on which the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad are provided.

6. The module of claim 5 , wherein the housing has perimeter structure with an opening, and wherein the interface block is provided adjacent the opening.

7. The module of claim 5 , wherein the interface block is a first interface block, and the module further comprises:
a second interface block including multiple capacitive pads, a power contact pad, and a ground contact pad.

8. The module of claim 7 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a side-by-side configuration such that respective capacitive pads, power contact pads, and ground contact pads are in rows and columns, and the power contact pads of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same row.

9. The module of claim 7 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a stacked configuration such that respective capacitive pads, power contact pads, and ground contact pads are in rows and columns, and the power contact pads of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same column.

10. 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;
multiple capacitive pads, wherein each capacitive pad includes data contacts to enable data transfer;
a power contact pad to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact pad to couple to ground, wherein the ground contact pad is larger in size than the power contact pad, wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad are configured in rows, and wherein the power contact pad is in a corner and the ground contact pad is in another corner diagonal and across from the power contact pad;
wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad of the first interface block are provided on and co-planar with an exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing such that the module can be slid into the slot of the computing device; and

a second interface block comprising;
multiple capacitive pads, wherein each capacitive pad includes data contacts to enable data transfer;
a power contact pad to provide or receive power; and
a ground contact pad to couple to ground;
wherein the multiple capacitive pads, the power contact pad, and the ground contact pad of the second interface block are provided on and co-planar with the exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing such that the module can be slid into the slot of the computing device.

11. The module of claim 10 , wherein the first interface block and the second interface block are configured in a side-by-side configuration such that respective capacitive pads, power contact pads, and ground contact pads are in rows and columns, and the power contact pads of the first interface block and the second interface block are in the same row.

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

13. A computing device comprising;
a plurality of slots to receive modules;
an interface block within slots of the plurality of slots, wherein the interface block includes a power contact to provide power to a respective module and a ground contact to couple ground to the respective module; and
a plurality of removable modules to be positioned into the plurality of slots, wherein a 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 power contact pad and a ground contact pad, and wherein the power contact pad and the ground contact pad are positioned such that insertion of the respective removable module into the respective slot causes the ground contact pad to contact to the ground contact first and then the power contact pad to contact to the power contact;
wherein the power contact pad and the ground contact pad are provided on and co-planar with an exterior surface of the bottom side of the housing such that the respective removable module can be slid into the respective slot of the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein removal of the respective removable module from the respective slot causes the power contact pad to disconnect from the power contact first and then the around contact pad disconnects from the ground contact.

15. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the ground contact pad of the module interface block is larger in size than the power contact pad.

16. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the module interface block of the respective removable module further includes multiple capacitive pads, wherein each capacitive pad includes data contacts to enable data transfer.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the interface block also includes multiple capacitive pads positioned such that the power contact pad of the module interface block avoids contact with the multiple capacitive pads of the interface block during insertion and removal of the respective removable module.

18. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein the removable modules slide horizontally into the plurality of slots, such that pads on the module interface block slide over corresponding pads on the interface block.

19. The computing device of claim 13 , further comprising a front side having at least one slot to receive a module and a backside having the pluralit

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H05K2201/044

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

• H05K2201/042

  Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other · CPC title

• H04M1/0274

  for an electrical connector module · CPC title

• H05K2201/041

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

• H04M1/0254

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