Patent Grant
9660380
Electronic devices often include hardware interfaces in the form of electronic connectors for exchanging electrical power, a ground reference, and/or communication signals with external systems.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
An electronic connector includes a base and a tapered extension. The tapered extension includes a platform and a plurality of electrical contacts. An alignment tolerant joint couples the tapered extension to the base, such that the tapered extension is movable relative to the base in three orthogonal dimensions responsive to an external force applied to the tapered extension. One or more biasing components bias the tapered extension away from the base.
When two devices are attached using an electronic connector, it is generally important that the two devices be properly aligned, so as to ensure a proper connection. Problems with alignment can result in connectivity issues between connected devices, and can even cause physical damage to one or more of the devices. Accordingly, when connecting two devices, it may in some cases be desirable to utilize an electronic connector which is movable in one or more dimensions, allowing for more alignment-tolerance. As discussed in more detail below, an alignment tolerant electronic connector may include a tapered extension which is removably insertable into a female receptacle. The tapered extension may be coupled to a base via an alignment tolerant joint, such that the tapered extension is movable relative to the base in three orthogonal dimensions when an external force is applied to the tapered extension. For example, a user may attempt to insert the tapered extension into a female receptacle while the tapered extension is slightly offset from the female receptacle. During insertion, the female receptacle may exert a force on the misaligned tapered extension, causing it to move relative to the base until it is properly aligned with the female receptacle. The alignment tolerant joint may include a variety of movement-facilitating components which allow for the alignment-tolerance of the electronic connector. The alignment tolerant joint may further include one or more biasing components which bias the tapered extension away from the base.
The first portion 102 may include a display 110. The display 110 may be a touch sensitive display screen. The second portion 104 may include an input device 111. The input device 111 may include a keyboard, touchpad, one or more buttons, other input devices, or combinations thereof that may be used to provide input to the computing device 100. Although a hybrid computing device is shown, alignment tolerant electronic connectors may be used with other computing devices where two portions are separably connected together. For example, the first portion 102 may be a mobile phone and the second portion 104 may be a cover, a keyboard, or other device. Further, alignment tolerant electronic connectors may be used in recharging cables, docking stations, wall outlets, and/or other power/data connectors.
The first portion 102 and/or the second portion 104 may include a processor 112, memory 113, a battery 114, other computing components, or combinations thereof. For example, as shown, the first portion 102 may include a processor 112A, memory 113, and a battery 114 while the second portion 104 may also include a processor 112B. In some implementations, only one of the first portion 102 or the second portion 104 may include a processor 112. In other implementations, both of the first portion 102 and the second portion 104 include a processor 112. In general, one or more computing components (e.g., processors 112, memory 113, and battery 114) may be included in the first portion 102 and/or the second portion 104 in any combination.
The computing components in the second portion 104 may be in electronic communication with one or more of the computing components in the first portion 102. For example, as shown in
Although
As shown in
In implementations where computing components (e.g., the processor 112, memory 113, or battery 114) are on separate portions (e.g., first portion 102 and second portion 104), maintaining electrical communication between the first portion 102 and the second portion 104 may be important. For example, if a computing component on the second portion 104 were to lose electrical communication with an electrical component on the first portion 102, the computing device 100 may lose power and/or otherwise fail (e.g., an operating system may crash or a computing component may be affected by a power surge when the electrical connection is restored). Some electrical connections may be sensitive (e.g., high speed). The quality of a connection between first portion 102 and second portion 104 may be dependent upon a relative alignment between the one or more tapered extensions and the one or more female receptacles into which they are inserted. Accordingly, it may be desirable to utilize an electronic connector with some degree of alignment-tolerance, as will be described below.
Tapered extension 200 protrudes from a platform 202 along the Y-coordinate axis. Tapered extension 200 includes a nose 204 forming a terminal end of tapered extension 200. A first connection face 206 and a second connection face 207 form respective opposing sides of tapered extension 200 that taper toward each other from platform 202 to nose 204.
Each of first connection face 206 and second connection face 207 are inclined at an angle relative to the XY-coordinate plane. In an example, this angle may have a magnitude of 4 degrees. In another example, this angle may have a magnitude selected from the range of 3 degrees-5 degrees. In yet another example, this angle may have a magnitude selected from the range of 1 degree-10 degrees. In still further examples, this angle may have a magnitude selected from the range of >0 degrees-45 degrees. In still further examples, this angle may have a magnitude of zero to provide parallel opposing faces of a tapered extension or connection fang. In still further examples, first connection face 206 and second connection face 207 may be inclined at angles having different magnitudes relative to the XY-coordinate plane.
In at least some examples, a smaller angle relative to the Y-coordinate axis (i.e., the connection axis in this example) may advantageously provide greater connection depth and/or connector retention by a female receptacle, while a larger angle relative to the Y-coordinate axis may advantageously reduce connector depth and/or assist in connector mating with a female receptacle. A smaller angle may also allow for a relatively smaller opening in the Z-coordinate direction of a corresponding female receptacle, thus increasing options for small device size and/or female receptacle placement.
Tapered extension 200 may be symmetric about an XY-coordinate plane. As depicted in
Further, tapered extension 200 may include a plurality of electrical contacts 210. In some implementations, a first set 210A of the plurality of electrical contacts may be located along first connection face 206, while a second set 210B of the plurality of electrical contacts may be located along second connection face 207. Electrical contacts 210 may be configured to interface with one or more electrical contacts of a female receptacle, such as female receptacle 118, into which tapered extension 200 is inserted. This may allow two connected devices to exchange electrical power, a ground reference, communication signals, etc.
Tapered extension 302 is coupled to a base 306 via an alignment tolerant joint. In this example, the alignment tolerant joint includes two fasteners 308 affixing platform 304 to base 306. Each fastener 308 has a fastener head 309 and a fastener body 310. Each fastener head 309 has a latitudinal cross-sectional area, represented by dashed arrow 311 in
Only one tapered extension 302 is shown in
In some implementations, other fasteners besides fasteners 308 may be used to affix a tapered extension to a base. For example, a base could be constructed which has a recess which is partially occluded by one or more shelves. A tapered extension including a platform could be partially disposed within the recess, though sized such that it cannot pass the shelves occluding the recess. In such an implementation, the shelves may serve as fasteners. Alternatively, an implementation could utilize similar fasteners to fasteners 308, though flipped such that each fastener body is inserted into platform 306, and each fastener head is inserted into a recess in the base defined by a catch. Other implementations may utilize one or more hooks, posts, screws, bolts, etc. In general, virtually any combination of structures, fasteners, mechanisms, and/or other features may be included in an alignment tolerant joint to movably affix a tapered extension to a base.
In
As shown in
As shown, electronic connector 300 includes biasing component 320. Platform 304 may interface with biasing component 320 via a movement-facilitating component 321, which may take the form of a low-friction surface of the biasing component, allowing the platform to move in one or more latitudinal dimensions relative to the movement facilitating component (e.g., along X axis and/or Z axis). The biasing component may be compressible in a longitudinal dimension parallel to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body (e.g., along the Y axis), and generate a biasing force which biases tapered extension 302 away from base 306. The biasing component may be composed of a synthetic foam material with spring-like properties. For example, the biasing component may be composed of a closed-cell urethane or silicone foam, though other materials may instead be utilized. Alternatively, the biasing component may be a magnet, and/or include one or more magnetic components configured to repel one or more magnets located within the tapered extension, thereby generating the biasing force. The biasing component may be composed of a material which naturally has a low coefficient of friction, thus independently functioning as a movement-facilitating component, and/or the biasing component may cooperate with one or more additional substances in order to provide the movement-facilitating component 321 that contacts platform 304. For example, the biasing component may be coated in a plastic film which has a low coefficient of friction.
In other implementations, multiple biasing components may be utilized. For example, an alternate alignment tolerant electronic connector may include one or more springs which serve as biasing components, as will be described in greater detail with respect to
In some implementations, the distance between base 306 and each fastener head 310 may limit an extent to which the tapered extension 302 may be biased away from base 306. For example, when tapered extension 302 is fully biased, each catch 315 may contact each fastener head 309, preventing the tapered extension 302 from moving further away from base 306. In such implementations, the distance between base 306 and each fastener head 309, represented by dashed arrow 317, may be substantially equal to the distance between base 306 and each catch 315, represented by dashed arrow 318, when tapered extension 302 is fully biased. However, when an external force is applied to tapered extension 302, overcoming the biasing force and moving the tapered extension closer to the base, distance 318 may be shorter than distance 317.
In addition or as an alternative to biasing component 320, the alignment tolerant joint shown in
As described above, the one or more biasing components and movement-facilitating components, as well as the relationships between the base, platform, and fasteners, may allow the tapered extension to move relative to the base in three orthogonal dimensions relative to the base. In some implementations, movement of the tapered extension relative to the base may only occur responsive to an external force applied to the tapered extension. In the absence of an external force, the tapered extension may occupy a neutral and/or biased position relative to the base in one or more of the three orthogonal dimensions.
As seen in
In
An external force, such as external force 322, may have a vector component in one or more of the three orthogonal dimensions. Accordingly, tapered extension 302 may be movable relative to base 306 in multiple dimensions simultaneously.
In some implementations, tapered extension 302 may be movable relative to base 306 by at least 0.5 mm in a first latitudinal dimension. Such a latitudinal dimension may be, for example, along the X coordinate axis. The tapered extension may be movable relative to the base by at least 0.2 mm in a second latitudinal dimension which may be, for example, along the Z coordinate axis. Further, the tapered extension may be movable relative to the base by at least 0.3 mm in a longitudinal dimension, which may be along the Y coordinate axis. Further, in some implementations, a tapered extension may be movable in three additional axes (e.g., pitch, roll, and yaw), when an external force is applied to the tapered extension. For example, an external force applied to the tapered extension away from a center of mass of the tapered extension may cause the tapered extension to rotate along one or more rotational axes relative to the base.
As described above, the tapered extension may occupy a neutral and/or biased position relative to the base when no external force is applied to the tapered extension. As a result, the tapered extension may only move relative to the base responsive to application of an external force of sufficient magnitude. In some implementations, an alignment tolerant joint may include one or more movement-facilitating and/or biasing components which are flexible in one or more dimensions, such that when an external force is removed from the tapered extension, the tapered extension automatically returns to the neutral/biased position.
As described above, an alignment tolerant electronic connector such as electronic connector 300 may be used to communicatively couple two electronic devices. Accordingly, tapered extension 302 may be removably insertable into a female receptacle. In some implementations, the opening of the female receptacle may be wider than a nose, such as nose 204, of the tapered extension. Accordingly, it may be relatively easy to begin inserting the tapered extension into the female receptacle even when the tapered extension and female receptacle are not perfectly aligned. As the tapered extension is inserted further into the female receptacle, one or more surfaces of the tapered extension may contact one or more internal surfaces of the female receptacle, thereby applying an external force, such as external force 322, to the tapered extension. Application of such an external force may cause the tapered extension to move in one or more orthogonal dimensions, as described above, such that the tapered extension automatically aligns with the female receptacle as the tapered extension is inserted further into the female receptacle. This may improve the alignment process, making it easier for a user to safely attach two devices using an electronic connector.
Responsive to insertion of the tapered extension into the female receptacle, the female receptacle may exert an external force on the tapered extension which opposes the biasing force provided by the one or more biasing components. As a result, after insertion into the female receptacle, the tapered extension may retract toward the base in a longitudinal dimension. The one or more biasing components may continue to exert a biasing force on the tapered extension, helping to secure the tapered extension within the female receptacle.
In
As with biasing component 320 shown in
In some implementations, an alignment tolerant electronic connector may include one or more magnets and/or other magnetically attractable materials which are configured to secure the tapered extension within a female receptacle via magnetic interaction with one or more magnetically attractable materials coupled to the female receptacle. In
In some implementations, a female receptacle, such as female receptacle 118, female receptacle 400, female receptacle 512, and/or female receptacle 612, may be movable and/or rotatable along a plurality of axes in a substantially similar manner to the tapered extensions described above. For example, female receptacle 118 may in some implementations be movable relative to first portion 102 in a substantially similar manner as tapered extension 116 is movable relative to second portion 104. Any and/or all of the above-described structures, joints, fasteners, techniques, and mechanisms may be applied to a female receptacle in addition to or in lieu of the above-described tapered extensions. Accordingly, in some implementations, a fixed tapered extension may be removably insertable into a movable female receptacle. Alternatively, a movable tapered extension, such as those described above, may be removably insertable into a movable female receptacle.
Female receptacle 702 is coupled to a base 706 via an alignment tolerant joint. In this example, the alignment tolerant joint includes two fasteners 708 affixing platform 704 to base 706. Similar to fasteners 308, fasteners 708 each have a fastener head and a fastener body. The general relationships between fasteners 708, base 706, and platform 704 may be substantially similar to the general relationships between fasteners 308, base 306, and platform 304. As a result, the female receptacle may be movable relative to the base in three orthogonal dimensions, and/or may be rotatable relative to the base about three rotational axes responsive to application of an external force. Such an external force may be applied during insertion of a tapered extension into female receptacle 702. Misalignment between the tapered extension and female receptacle 702 during insertion may result in the application of an external force to the tapered extension when one or more surfaces of the female receptacle contact one or more surfaces of the tapered extension, causing the female receptacle to move relative to the base until the female receptacle achieves proper alignment with the tapered extension.
Only one female receptacle 702 is shown in
In some implementations, other fasteners besides fasteners 708 may be used to affix a female receptacle to a base. For example, a base could be constructed which has a recess which is partially occluded by one or more shelves. A female receptacle including a platform could be partially disposed within the recess, though sized such that it cannot pass the shelves occluding the recess. In such an implementation, the shelves may serve as fasteners. Alternatively, an implementation could utilize similar fasteners to fasteners 708, though flipped such that each fastener body is inserted into platform 706, and each fastener head is inserted into a recess in the base defined by a catch. Other implementations may utilize one or more hooks, posts, screws, bolts, etc. In general, virtually any combination of structures, fasteners, mechanisms, and/or other features may be included in an alignment tolerant joint to movably affix a female receptacle to a base.
As shown, electronic connector 700 includes biasing component(s) 710. Platform 704 may interface with biasing component(s) 710 via a movement-facilitating component(s) 711, which may take the form of a low-friction surface of the biasing component(s), allowing the platform to move in one or more latitudinal dimensions relative to the movement facilitating component(s) (e.g., along X axis and/or Z axis). The biasing component(s) may be compressible in a longitudinal dimension parallel to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body (e.g., along the Y axis), and generate a biasing force which biases female receptacle 702 away from base 706. The biasing component(s) may be composed of a synthetic foam material with spring-like properties. For example, the biasing component(s) may be composed of a closed-cell urethane or silicone foam, though other materials may instead be utilized. Alternatively, the biasing component(s) may be a magnet, and/or include one or more magnetic components configured to repel one or more magnets located within the female receptacle, thereby generating the biasing force. The biasing component(s) may be composed of a material which naturally has a low coefficient of friction, thus independently functioning as a movement-facilitating component(s), and/or the biasing component(s) may cooperate with one or more additional substances in order to provide the movement-facilitating component(s) 711 that contacts platform 704. For example, the biasing component(s) may be coated in a plastic film which has a low coefficient of friction.
In other implementations, an alternate alignment tolerant electronic connector may include one or more springs which serve as biasing components. In some implementations, rollers and/or ball bearings may be used as movement-facilitating components. An alignment tolerant joint may use virtually any components and/or combinations of materials in order to allow a female receptacle to move within a limited range relative to a base.
In an example, an electronic connector comprises: a base; a tapered extension including a platform and a plurality of electrical contacts; an alignment tolerant joint coupling the tapered extension to the base, the tapered extension movable relative to the base in three orthogonal dimensions responsive to an external force applied to the tapered extension; and one or more biasing components biasing the tapered extension away from the base. In this example or any other example, the tapered extension is moveable in one or more dimensions relative to the base responsive to one or more forces applied to the tapered extension by a female receptacle as the tapered extension is inserted into the female receptacle. In this example or any other example, responsive to insertion of the tapered extension into the female receptacle, the tapered extension retracts toward the base in a longitudinal dimension, the tapered extension being secured within the female receptacle by a biasing force provided by the one or more biasing components. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes one or more fasteners affixing the platform to the base, each fastener having a fastener body and a fastener head, each fastener head having a latitudinal cross-sectional area greater than a latitudinal cross-sectional area of each fastener body. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes a movement-facilitating component having a low-friction surface, the movement-facilitating component disposed between the base and the platform. In this example or any other example, one or more of the biasing components is the movement-facilitating component, and is compressible in a longitudinal dimension parallel to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body. In this example or any other example, the movement-facilitating component is composed of a synthetic foam material. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes one or more springs compressible in one or more of the three orthogonal dimensions. In this example or any other example, the electronic connector further comprises one or more magnets configured to secure the tapered extension within a female receptacle via magnetic interaction with magnetically attractable materials coupled to the female receptacle. In this example or any other example, the one or more fasteners are inserted through one or more fastener apertures, each fastener aperture defined by a catch in the platform and having an opening area which is greater than the latitudinal cross-sectional area of each fastener body and smaller than the latitudinal cross-sectional area of each fastener head, allowing the tapered extension to move in one or more latitudinal dimensions perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body. In this example or any other example, a distance between the base and each fastener head is greater than a distance between the base and each catch when the external force is applied to the tapered extension along a longitudinal dimension parallel to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body. In this example or any other example, the tapered extension is movable by at least 0.5 mm relative to the base in a first latitudinal dimension, by at least 0.2 mm relative to the base in a second latitudinal dimension, and 0.3 mm relative to the base in a longitudinal dimension. In this example or any other example, the tapered extension includes: a nose forming a terminal end of the tapered extension; a first connection face; a second connection face, the first connection face and the second connection face tapering toward each other from the platform to the nose symmetrically about a symmetry plane; and where a first set of the plurality of electrical contacts are located along the first connection face and a second set of the plurality of electrical contacts are located along the second connection face.
In an example, an electronic connector comprises: a base; a tapered extension, including: a nose forming a terminal end of the tapered extension; a first connection face; and a second connection face, the first connection face and the second connection face tapering toward each other from the base to the nose symmetrically about a symmetry plane; where a first set of a plurality of electrical contacts are located along the first connection face and a second set of the plurality of electrical contacts are located along the second connection face; and an alignment tolerant joint coupling the tapered extension to the base, the tapered extension movable in three orthogonal dimensions relative to the base responsive to an external force applied to the tapered extension. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes one or more fasteners affixing the platform to the base, each fastener having a fastener body and a fastener head, each fastener head having a latitudinal cross-sectional area greater than a latitudinal-cross sectional area of each fastener body. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes a movement-facilitating component having a low-friction surface, the movement-facilitating component disposed between the base and the platform. In this example or any other example, the movement-facilitating component is compressible in a longitudinal dimension parallel to a longitudinal axis of each fastener body, and biases the tapered extension away from the base.
In an example, a computing device comprises: a first portion that includes a display screen; a second portion that includes an input device and that is separably connected to the first portion; a locking mechanism configured to lock the first portion to the second portion, the locking mechanism including at least one locking receptacle connected to the first portion and at least one locking protrusion connected to the second portion; and an electronic connector configured to allow electronic communication between the first and second portions, the electronic connector comprising: a female receptacle including a plurality of electrical contacts and connected to the first portion; and a tapered extension including a plurality of electrical contacts configured to interface with the electrical contacts of the female receptacle when inserted into the female receptacle, and the tapered extension moveably coupled to the second portion via an alignment tolerant joint such that the tapered extension is movable in three orthogonal dimensions relative to the second portion. In this example or any other example, the electronic connector further comprises one or more biasing components biasing the tapered extension away from the second portion. In this example or any other example, the alignment tolerant joint includes a movement-facilitating component having a low-friction surface, the movement-facilitating component disposed between the second portion and the tapered extension.
It will be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific implementations or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts illustrated and/or described may be performed in the sequence illustrated and/or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Likewise, the order of the above-described processes may be changed.
The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2749526 | Peterson | Jun 1956 | A |
| 3264601 | Hartholz | Aug 1966 | A |
| 3553633 | Ondrejka | Jan 1971 | A |
| 3696319 | Olsson | Oct 1972 | A |
| 3703615 | Vogt | Nov 1972 | A |
| 4131378 | Daws | Dec 1978 | A |
| 4179179 | Lowden | Dec 1979 | A |
| 4421371 | Clark et al. | Dec 1983 | A |
| 4537459 | Brennan et al. | Aug 1985 | A |
| 4640570 | Strate | Feb 1987 | A |
| 4687267 | Header et al. | Aug 1987 | A |
| 4824383 | Lemke | Apr 1989 | A |
| 5176530 | Reylek et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5383790 | Kerek et al. | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5409403 | Falossi et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5431577 | Lincoln | Jul 1995 | A |
| 5510957 | Takagi | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5552959 | Penniman et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
| RE35508 | Lemke et al. | May 1997 | E |
| 5664953 | Reylek | Sep 1997 | A |
| 6042391 | Bodo et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6074225 | Wu et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6280209 | Bassler et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6322372 | Sato | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6565363 | Downing | May 2003 | B2 |
| 6583985 | Nguyen et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6590658 | Case et al. | Jul 2003 | B2 |
| 6771494 | Shimano | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6781819 | Yang et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6786755 | Dambach et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
| 6845005 | Shimano et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6944012 | Doczy et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 7331793 | Hernandez et al. | Feb 2008 | B2 |
| 7541907 | Wang et al. | Jun 2009 | B2 |
| 7573225 | Ebihara | Aug 2009 | B2 |
| 7628628 | Matsuda et al. | Dec 2009 | B2 |
| 7643144 | Okamuro et al. | Jan 2010 | B2 |
| 7758379 | Chen | Jul 2010 | B2 |
| 7815450 | Chen et al. | Oct 2010 | B1 |
| 7837499 | Chen | Nov 2010 | B1 |
| 7841776 | DiFonzo et al. | Nov 2010 | B2 |
| 8092261 | Lord | Jan 2012 | B2 |
| 8147277 | Wang et al. | Apr 2012 | B1 |
| 8342857 | Palli et al. | Jan 2013 | B2 |
| 8506332 | Sommers et al. | Aug 2013 | B2 |
| 8596881 | Umeno | Dec 2013 | B2 |
| 8721356 | Webb et al. | May 2014 | B2 |
| 8780541 | Whitt, III et al. | Jul 2014 | B2 |
| 8821194 | Shih et al. | Sep 2014 | B2 |
| 8827331 | Corcoran et al. | Sep 2014 | B2 |
| 8888688 | Julian et al. | Nov 2014 | B2 |
| 8947861 | Staats et al. | Feb 2015 | B2 |
| 9017092 | McCracken et al. | Apr 2015 | B1 |
| 9069527 | Leong et al. | Jun 2015 | B2 |
| 9075566 | Whitt, III et al. | Jul 2015 | B2 |
| 9178316 | McCracken et al. | Nov 2015 | B1 |
| 9426905 | Bathiche et al. | Aug 2016 | B2 |
| 20010053624 | Medina et al. | Dec 2001 | A1 |
| 20040229502 | Hu et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20070053695 | Margaritis | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20080127684 | Rudduck et al. | Jun 2008 | A1 |
| 20090088024 | Ling et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
| 20090117784 | Wu | May 2009 | A1 |
| 20090318026 | Yi et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20110261509 | Xu et al. | Oct 2011 | A1 |
| 20120015561 | Tsai | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120177324 | Schwandt et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120200173 | Liu et al. | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20120224316 | Shulenberger | Sep 2012 | A1 |
| 20130021738 | Yang et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130040470 | Gao et al. | Feb 2013 | A1 |
| 20130115814 | Briant et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20130171885 | Zhang | Jul 2013 | A1 |
| 20130217260 | Nichol et al. | Aug 2013 | A1 |
| 20130273752 | Rudisill et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
| 20130332642 | Capezza | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20140130316 | Rudduck et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140132550 | McCracken et al. | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140347802 | Lee | Nov 2014 | A1 |
| 20140362509 | Lin | Dec 2014 | A1 |
| 20150116926 | Robinson et al. | Apr 2015 | A1 |
| 20150277491 | Browning et al. | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20150325953 | McCracken et al. | Nov 2015 | A1 |
| 20160044800 | Jarvis et al. | Feb 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 4331280 | Sep 1994 | DE |
| H04317899 | Nov 1992 | JP |
| 2010065569 | Jun 2010 | WO |
| 2011163260 | Dec 2011 | WO |
| 2014164889 | Oct 2014 | WO |
| 2015171441 | Nov 2015 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Ingle, P. et al., “Super Speed Data Traveller USB 3.0,” International Journal of Computer Science and Applications, vol. 6, No. 2, Apr. 2013, 9 pages. |
| Zhou, S. et al., “Signal Integrity Analysis of High-Speed Signal Connector USB3.0,” Advanced Materials Research, vols. 760-762, Sep. 2013, 6 pages. |
| ISA European Patent Office, International Search Report and Written Opinion Issued in Application No. PCT/US2015/028681, Aug. 20, 2015, WIPO, 11 pages. |
| State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China, Notice of Allowance Issued in Chinese Patent Application No. 201210388564.8, Oct. 10, 2015, 4 pages. |
| Kessler, Derek., “Acer debuts the Aspire Switch 10, a convertible, detachable tablet”, Published on: Apr. 29, 2014 Available at: http://www.windowscentral.com/acer-debuts-aspire-switch-10-convertible-tablet. |
| Purcher, Jack., “Finally! Apple Reveals their Hybrid Notebook Tablet Details”, Published on: Apr. 4, 2013 Available at: http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/04/finally-apple-reveals-their-hybrid-notebook-tablet-details.html. |
| Hollister, Sean, “Lenovo ThinkPad Helix Tablet / Laptop Hybrid gets a Power-Up when it Docks”, Published on: Jan. 6, 2013, Available at: http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/6/3844010/lenovo-thinkpad-helix-convertible. |
| Mitchell, J., “What is Optical Alignment?,” Proceedings of the 3rd Turbomachinery Symposium, Available as Early as Jan. 1, 1974, Texas, 6 pages. |
