USB for vehicle application

1. A power data connection for a vehicle and one or more electronic devices, the connection comprising:

a data communication connector having a case ground and configured to enable data communication to and from the vehicle;

a terminal supported on the case ground and operable to supply electrical power from the vehicle to the electronic devices simultaneously with the data communication connector enabling data communication to and from the vehicle; and

a socket having power and ground terminals disposed in the vehicle interior and the power terminal is adapted to slideably engage the terminal and the ground terminal is adapted to slideably engage the case ground, said ground terminal including a curved portion that is flexed inward in such a manner to allow contact to be made between the ground terminal and the case ground first before contact is made between the terminal and the power terminal when the ground terminal engages the case ground and the power terminal engages the terminal.

2. The power data connection of claim 1 , wherein the case ground includes interior and exterior portions and the terminal is supported on the external portion of the case ground.

3. The power data connection of claim 2 , wherein the interior portion of the case ground surrounds baseline circuitry to provide baseline power associated with the data communication and to enable data communication between the electrical devices and the vehicle.

4. The power data connection of claim 2 further comprising a spacer positioned on the exterior portion of the case ground and configured to receive the terminal and to prevent the terminal from contacting the case ground.

5. The power data connection of claim 4 , further comprising a locking arrangement positioned on the spacer to couple the terminal to the spacer.

6. The power data connection of claim 1 , wherein the terminal is flexible and a portion of the terminal is flexed outward in such a manner to allow the terminal to apply a locking force against the power terminal while mating the data communication connector with the socket.

7. The power data connection of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit breaker disposed about the terminal and operable to disconnect electrical power from the terminal to the electrical devices while continuing to allow the data communication connector to enable data communication to and from the vehicle.

8. The power data connection of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit breaker disposed about the socket and operable to disconnect electrical power from the terminal to the electrical devices while continuing to allow the data communication connector to enable data communication to and from the vehicle.

9. The power data connection of claim 1 , wherein the data communication connector includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

10. The power data connection for a vehicle and one or more electrical devices of claim 1 , the data communication connector comprising:

a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector having a case ground and adapted configured to enable data communication to and from the vehicle and the case ground having interior and exterior portions; and

a terminal physically supported on the exterior portion of the case ground and operable to supply electrical power from the vehicle for powering the electronic devices simultaneously with the USB connector enabling data communication to and from the vehicle.

11. The power data connection of claim 10 further comprising a spacer positioned on the exterior portion of the case ground and configured to retain the terminal and to prevent the terminal from contacting the case ground.

12. A power data connection for allowing the transfer of electrical power from a power supply and data between one or more electronic devices, the power data connection comprising:

a data communication connector having a case ground and adapted configured to enable data communication to and from the electrical devices;

a terminal supported on the case ground and operable to supply electrical power from the power supply for powering the electronic devices simultaneously with the data communication connector enabling data communication between the electronic devices;

a circuit breaker operable to disconnect the electrical power from the terminal to the electrical devices while continuing to allow the data communication connector to enable data communication between the electrical devices and

a socket having power and ground terminals disposed in the interior of the vehicle and the power terminal is adapted to slideably engage the terminal and the ground terminal is adapted to slideably engage the case ground, said ground terminal includes a curved portion that is flexed inward in such a manner to allow contact to be made between the ground terminal and the case ground prior to contact being made between the terminal and the power terminal.

13. The power data connection of claim 12 , wherein the case ground includes interior and exterior portions and the terminal is supported on the external portion of the case ground.

14. The power data connection of claim 13 , wherein the interior portion of the case ground surrounds baseline circuitry to provide baseline power associated with the data communication and to enable data communication between the electrical devices.

15. The power data connection of claim 13 further comprising a spacer positioned on the exterior portion of the case ground and configured to receive the terminal and to prevent the terminal from contacting the case ground.

16. The power data connection of claim 12 , wherein the terminal is flexible and a portion of the terminal is flexed outward in such a manner to allow the terminal to apply a locking force against the power terminal while mating the data communication connector and the socket.