Granted Patent B2

US 7,285,021 · App. 11/049,767 · Granted Oct 23, 2007

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A cable comprising:

a first connector of a first type, the first connector comprising a female output connector, a male output connector disposed orthogonally to the female connector, and a housing including the female connector and the male connector;

a second connector of a second type that differs from the first type;

a primary flexible cable segment coupled to the first connector at a first location on the primary flexible cable segment and to the second connector at a second location on the primary flexible cable segment; and

a third connector coupled to the primary flexible cable segment at a third location between the first and second locations on the primary flexible cable segment.

2. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first location is a proximate end of the primary flexible cable segment, wherein the second location is a distal end of the primary flexible cable segment, and wherein the third location is a location between the proximate and distal ends of the primary flexible cable segment.

3. The cable of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second types is one of a Universal Serial Bus, IEEE 1394, video, audio, and power connector type.

4. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first secondary flexible cable segment coupled between the third connector and the third location on the primary flexible cable segment.

5. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the second connector is affixed to the primary flexible cable segment at the second location on the primary flexible cable segment, and wherein the third connector is affixed to the primary flexible cable segment at the third location on the primary flexible cable segment.

6. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the first type is a video connector type and wherein the second type is a power connector type.

7. The cable of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one additional connector coupled to the primary flexible cable segment at at least one additional location between the second location and the third location on the primary flexible cable segment.

8. The cable of claim 7 , further comprising:

a first secondary flexible cable segment coupled between the third connector and the third location on the primary flexible cable segment; and

a second secondary flexible cable segment coupled between the at least one additional connector and the at least one additional location on the primary flexible cable segment.

9. The cable of claim 7 , wherein the at least one additional connector is affixed to the primary flexible cable segment at the at least one additional location.

10. The cable of claim 1 , wherein the primary flexible cable segment comprises:

first signal transmission means for transmitting a first signal from the first connector to the second connector; and

second signal transmission means for transmitting a second signal from the first connector to the third connector.

11. The cable of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second signals is one of a Universal Serial Bus, IEEE 1394, video, audio, and power signal.

12. The cable of claim 10 , wherein the first and second signals are of different types.

13. The cable of claim 10 , wherein the second signal transmission means does not include means for transmitting the second signal to the second connector.

14. The cable of claim 13 , wherein the first signal transmission means does not include means for transmitting the first signal to the third connector.

15. The cable of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the second and third connectors includes means for converting a signal received at the at least one of the second and third connectors from a first protocol to a second protocol.

16. The cable of claim 15 , wherein the means for converting comprises means for converting the signal from a Universal Serial Bus signal to an Ethernet signal.

Assignments (12)