1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to connectors for use with computing devices and, in particular, to portable electronic devices having a connector that may be connected to a port of a computing device.
2. Related Art
Improvements in miniaturization technology continue to make it possible to design and manufacture increasingly small and portable computing devices. Handheld computers weighing a few ounces provide computing power comparable to that provided by desktop computers available just a few years ago.
Users of portable computing devices are demanding that such devices provide connectivity features comparable to conventional desktop computers, including the ability to connect such devices to the Internet and to peripheral devices such as printers, monitors, speakers, microphones, scanners, and digital cameras. Although in some cases it may be possible to make such connections wirelessly, in many cases such connections must be established using physical cables. To ensure that a portable computing device is capable of establishing a cable connection, it is necessary to provide the portable computing device with ports capable of mating with various kinds of cable connectors.
Although the size of a cable connector is negligible compared to the size of a conventional desktop computer, the size of ports and connectors is beginning to dominate the size of portable computing devices as such devices continue to decrease in size. The size of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, for example, may be a significant fraction of the size of an entire portable computing device itself.
Consider, for example, the category of devices referred to as a “dongle.” A dongle is a small device, typically less than a few inches long and less than an inch wide and thick, that has a connector on one end that may be connected to a conventional computer port, such as a serial port, parallel port, or USB port. A dongle may, for example, be used to ensure that a particular computer or software application is not used by unauthorized users or in unauthorized ways. Each copy of a particular software application may, for example, be distributed with a corresponding dongle that includes an electronic memory in which is stored a (typically encrypted) unique key associated with the copy of the software. To use the software; the user must connect the dongle to a port on the computer. When the user attempts to execute the software, the software determines whether a dongle having the correct key is connected to the computer and only executes if such a dongle is so connected. The dongle therefore provides a relatively effective means for enforcing software copy protection.
Some dongles are used instead as persistent storage devices. Such dongles include a persistent storage medium and, when connected to a port on a computer, may be used to read and write data in a manner similar to a hard disk drive or floppy disk drive. The small size of such a dongle enables it to be easily transported and connected to other computers, thereby enabling it to perform functions similar to that of a conventional floppy diskette, without requiring that computers to which it is connected be equipped with a corresponding disk drive.
Examples of commercially-available dongles include the Key-Lok II line of dongles available from Microcomputer Applications, Inc. of Denver, Colo.; the CRYPTO-BOX line of dongles available from Marx International, Inc., of Atlanta, Ga.; and the Dinkey Dongles line of dongles, available from Microcosm Limited of Bristol, UK. Although such dongles are relatively small, they still extend outward from the ports to which they are coupled, thereby increasing the effective size of the computing device.
This result may be undesirable for any of several reasons. For example, the appearance of the relatively large dongle extending from a relatively small computing device may be aesthetically unpleasing. Furthermore, the extending dongle may be susceptible to breakage when the portable computing device is transported. In addition, it may not be possible to store the computer device in a form-fitting carrying case when the dongle is connected to it, making it necessary to remove the dongle prior to transporting the computing device. It may be inconvenient and time-consuming to disconnect and reconnect the dongle each time the portable computing device is transported, and the dongle may be more likely to be lost if it needs to be disconnected and stored separately each time the portable computing device is. transported.
What is needed, therefore, are techniques for reducing the size of connectors for use with computing devices.
A electronic device is disclosed in which substantially all of the electronic components of the device reside within a connector suitable for coupling to a port on a computing device. The device, referred to as a “dongle,” may therefore have an overall volume that is less than that of other devices for performing the same function. The dongle may, for example, perform the function of an encryption key to protect the computing device against unauthorized use. The dongle may be mated with the computing device port, thereby enveloping substantially all of the dongle within the port. In this case, the dongle would not extend appreciably from the port to which it is mated, thereby not adding appreciably to the volume of the computing device, and thereby making it easier to transport the computing device while the dongle is coupled to it. The dongle may include means, such as a thin tongue or tab, which may extend from the port and be grasped to de-couple the dongle from the port. Alternatively, a separate removal device may be engaged with interior features of the dongle to de-couple and remove the dongle from the port.
Other features and advantages of various aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and from the claims.
A electronic device is disclosed in which substantially all of the electronic components of the device reside within a connector suitable for coupling to a port on a computing device. The device, referred to as a “dongle,” may therefore have an overall volume that is less than that of other devices for performing the same function. The dongle may, for example, perform the function of an encryption key to protect the computing device against unauthorized use. The, dongle may be mated with the computing device port, thereby enveloping substantially all of the dongle within the port. The dongle does not extend appreciably from the port to which it is mated, thereby not adding appreciably to the volume of the computing device, and thereby making it easier to transport the computing device while the dongle is coupled to it. The dongle may include means, such as a thin tongue or tab, which may extend from the port and be grasped to de-couple the dongle from the port. Alternatively, a separate removal device may be engaged with interior features of the dongle to de-couple and remove the dongle from the port.
Referring to
In the embodiment of the dongle 100 illustrated in
Electronics 104 include a printed circuit (PC) board 110 and gold-plated connector terminals 112a-d printed on the PC board 110. Referring to
The electronics 104 include: a USB peripheral controller with processor core 202-(referred to hereinafter as the “USB processor”); a voltage regulator integrated circuit (IC) 206; miscellaneous passive components, such as a resistor 208a and capacitors 208b-c; and a ceramic resonator 214. All of the components 202, 204, 206, 208a-c, 214 are soldered to the PC board 110 by solder connections 204a-r and are encapsulated within molded encapsulant 210. Housing 102 additionally includes locking tabs 212a-b to lock the housing 102 with a corresponding USB port (
Examples of components that may be used to implement the electronics 104 include the following. The controller 202 may be implemented using the CY7C68013-56LFC EZ-USB® FX™ USB Microcontroller High-Speed USB Peripheral Controller from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation of San Jose, Calif. The CY7C68013-56LFC has dimensions of 8 mm×8 mm×1 mm. The voltage regulator 206 may be implemented using the MAX1819EBL33 voltage regulator, available from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. The MAX1819EBL33 has dimensions of 1.52 mm×1.52 mm×0.60 mm. The ceramic resonator 214 may be implemented using the 24 MHz CSTCG_V-24.0 ceramic resonator, available from Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan. The CSTCG_V-24.0 has dimensions of 2.00 m×1.30 mm×0.85 mm. The capacitors 208b-c may be implemented using the 0.1 μF GRP155R61A104KA01K capacitor, available from Murata Manufacturing Co. The GRP155R61A104KA01K capacitor has dimensions of 1.00 m×0.50 mm×0.50 mm.
The combined area of the example components just mentioned is equal to 69.9 square millimeters, which allows these components to fit comfortably within the cross-sectional area of the device 100 as illustrated in
Referring to
The dongle 100 (
The pigtail 106, however, is optional. Alternatively, for example, a separate device (not shown) may be provided that may be engaged with the dongle 100 to remove the dongle 100 from the port 400. Elimination of the pigtail 106 may further reduce the volume of the dongle 100 and, in particular, may enable the entire dongle 100 to fit within the port 400. Such a dongle may advantageously be coupled to the port 400 without increasing the volume of the computing device containing the port 400.
Referring to
The dongle 600 may be mated with the port 400 (
Conventional device and connector housings typically perform the function of protecting the components they enclose from damage caused by exterior forces. Such a housing may be conveniently and advantageously omitted from the dongle 600 because the electronics 604 of the dongle 600 are fully enveloped by the housing of the port 400 when the dongle 600 is mated with the port 400, and are protected by encapsulant 210 when outside the port 400. The housing of the port 400 thereby performs the protective function that would normally be provided, at least in part, by a connector housing. Omitting the dongle housing reduces the overall size and weight of the dongle 600 and reduces the cost and complexity of manufacturing the dongle 600 in comparison to dongles having exterior housings.
Referring to
Data exchanged between a host computer and the USE processor 202 (as described below with respect to
Referring to
The USB processor 202 may include firmware (not shown) for performing certain steps of the method 900. The USB processor may also be programmed with a unique, secret numerical key 1002 which cannot be read out from the processor 202. The host computer 1004 may include a USB port such as the port 400 (
To authenticate the user of the dongle 100, the host computer 1004 uses a pseudo-random number generator 1018 to generate a pseudo-random seed 1006. The host computer 1004 transmits the seed 1006 to the USB processor 202 over the USB connection 1016 (step 902). The USB processor 202 uses a calculator 1008 to perform a calculation using the secret key 1002 and seed 1006 as inputs (step 904), thereby generating a computed result 1010. The USB processor 202 transmits the computed result 1010 to the host computer 1004 (step 906). The host computer 1004 uses a comparator 1012 to compare the computed result 1010 to an expected result 1014 based on the seed 1006 (step 908). The host computer 1004 provides access to the user if the comparator 1012 determines that the computed result 1010 is equal to the expected result 1014 (step 910). Otherwise, the host computer 1004 denies access to the user (step 912).
The operations performed by the calculator 1008 and comparator 1012 are described above in general terms because those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate how to implement the calculator 1008 and the comparator 1012 using various conventional techniques to perform the functions described herein. Similarly, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate how to generate the expected result 1014 so that it can be used to verify that the computed result 1010 could only have been generated using a secret key (such as secret key 1002) stored in a legitimate dongle.
Among the advantages of various embodiments of the invention are one or more of the following. The dongles 100 and 600 shown and described above comply with the USB connector standard and are no larger than a USB connector. As a result, both of the dongles 100 and 600 may be entirely or substantially enveloped within the port 400 when coupled to the port 400. The dongles 100 and 600, therefore, do not extend appreciably from the port 400. One advantage of this feature is that the dongles 100 and 600 may be less susceptible to damage when coupled to the port 400 than conventional dongles. Furthermore, a computing device to which the dongles 100 and 600 are coupled may be easier to transport than a computing device having a conventional dongle coupled to it, because the computing device may be more easily kept in a user's pocket and/or stored and transported in a carrying case having an interior that matches the size of the computing device. In addition, coupling the dongles 100 and 600 to the port 400 may not affect the aesthetic appeal of the computing device containing the port 400 because the largely hidden dongles 100 and 600 may not appreciably affect the outward appearance of the device.
Another advantage of the dongles 100 and 600 is that their compact size may reduce the cost and complexity of manufacturing them in comparison to conventional dongles. In particular, the dongle 600 may be particularly easy and inexpensive to manufacture due to its lack of an exterior housing.
It is to be understood that although the invention has been described above in terms of particular embodiments, the foregoing embodiments are provided as illustrative only, and do not limit or define the scope of the invention. Various other embodiments, including but not limited to the following, are also within the scope of the claims.
Elements and components described herein may be further. divided into additional components or joined together to form fewer components for performing the, same functions. The particular electronics 104 illustrated in the drawings are provided merely as examples of electronic circuitry that may fit substantially within a USB connector and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.
Furthermore, although the particular dongles 100 and 600 illustrated in
Although the dongles 100 and 600 described above are implemented to conform to the USB connector specification, this is not a limitation of the present invention. Rather, the techniques disclosed herein may be used to implement devices contained within other kinds of connectors, such as mini-USB connectors, IEEE-1394 connectors (also known as FireWire® connectors), and any other connectors which possess sufficient interior volume and supply usable power.
The techniques disclosed herein may be used to implement dongles for use with any kind of device, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, telephones, printers, monitors, and scanners.
The method 900 shown in
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110003511 A1 | Jan 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60534351 | Jan 2004 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11029559 | Jan 2005 | US |
Child | 12409890 | US |