IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,413,087
Granted Patent B2
US 9,413,087 · App. 14/292,456 · Granted Aug 9, 2016

Data and power connector

Inventors: Farah Shariff (Kirkland, WA); Vinod L. Hingorani (Sammamish, WA); Stephen John Minarsch (Seattle, WA); Scott Dallmeyer (Seattle, WA); Thomas E. McCue, Jr. (Vancouver, WA)
Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
H01R11/30H01R13/6205H01R24/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,413,087
App. No.
14/292,456
Granted
Aug 9, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments are disclosed for a power and data connector comprising a magnet, a film adhered to a surface of the magnet, and a stage extending away from the film. The power and data connector further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the stage, the plurality of electrical contacts having a mirrored signal pin-out.

Claims (34)

1. A power and data connector having a front side, the power and data connector comprising:

a magnet having a front surface at the front side of the power and data connector;

a body housing the magnet and opening to the front surface of the magnet;

a film adhered to the front surface of the magnet;

a stage at the front side extending out and away from the magnet and the film; and

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the stage in alignment with a longitudinal axis bisecting a widest dimension of the stage, the plurality of electrical contacts symmetrically spaced relative to a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis for a mirrored signal pin-out.

2. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts includes a power contact, two ground contacts, and two or more signal contacts.

3. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein the vertical axis passes through a central electrical contact.

4. The power and data connector of claim 3 , further comprising a power and data cable extending from a housing surface of the power and data connector in a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis, the power and data cable terminating in a universal serial bus (USB) connector at an end opposite of the housing surface, and the housing surface being adjacent and perpendicular to a surface comprising the stage.

5. The power and data connector of claim 3 , wherein the film is curved concavely along a vertical dimension extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis and is planar along a horizontal dimension extending in parallel to the longitudinal axis.

6. The power and data connector of claim 5 , wherein the stage is planar in the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension.

7. The power and data connector of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a first pair of contacts tied together and electrically connected to a single data signal source, a second pair of contacts tied together and electrically connected to a single negative data signal source, a third pair of contacts tied together and electrically connected to ground, and a single contact electrically connected to a voltage source.

8. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises a flexible Mylar adhesive.

9. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical contacts comprises a rectangular strip of electrically conductive material that is deformed to produce a spring-loaded pin.

10. The power and data connector of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the rectangular strip of electrically conductive material is deformed producing a triangular peak that is biased to protrude from the stage and is moveable toward the stage responsive to a force applied to the triangular peak.

11. The power and data connector of claim 10 , wherein the stage comprises a plurality of openings, each opening corresponding to a different electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts, and wherein the triangular peak of each electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts is biased to protrude through a respective opening in the stage.

12. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are configured to transmit data and/or provide power to a wearable device, the power and data connector being adapted to interface with a universal serial bus (USB) port located on the wearable device.

13. The power and data connector of claim 1 , wherein the film is rectangular with rounded corners.

14. A male electronic connector having a front side, the male electronic connector comprising:

a body defining an opening on the front side of the male electronic connector;

one or more magnetically attractable elements housed within the body, each magnetically attractable element having a front surface exposed via the opening on the front side of the male electronic connector;

a film adhered to the front surface of each of the one or more magnetically attractable elements;

a stage at the front side extending out and away from the one or more magnetically attractable elements and the film, the film surrounding the stage, and a geometric area of the film being at least 2.5 times larger than a geometric area of the stage; and

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the stage, the plurality of electrical contacts having a mirrored signal pin-out.

15. The male electronic connector of claim 14 , wherein the stage is centered relative to a longitudinal axis bisecting a widest dimension of the male electronic connector and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

16. The male electronic connector of claim 14 , wherein the one or more magnetically attractable elements include a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, or a material element that is attractable by a magnet.

17. The male electronic connector of claim 14 , wherein the body includes one or more openings and wherein each of the one or more magnetically attractable elements are aligned with a respective opening in the body.

18. A power and data connector having a front side, the power and data connector comprising:

a magnet having a front surface at the front side of the power and data connector, the magnet housed within a body of the power and data connector;

a film contacting the front surface of the magnet;

a stage at the front side extending out and away from the magnet and the film; and

a plurality of electrical contacts disposed on the stage symmetrically along a longitudinal axis bisecting a widest dimension of the power and data connector, the plurality of electrical contacts having a mirrored signal pin-out, and a front surface of the power and data connector being curved concavely along a vertical dimension extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis and planar along a horizontal dimension extending in parallel to the longitudinal axis.

19. The power and data connector of claim 18 , wherein the body of the power and data connector includes an overlapping edge that is in a parallel plane to the front surface of the magnet and extends around a periphery of the front surface of the magnet.

20. The power and data connector of claim 18 , wherein the stage is planar along the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension, and wherein walls of the stage angle outward in a direction extending from an outward surface of the stage and the film such that a base of the stage is larger than the outward surface of the stage.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2015
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 039025/0454 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2014
From: SHARIFF, FARAH; HINGORANI, VINOD L.; MINARSCH, STEPHEN JOHN; DALLMEYER, SCOTT; MCCUE, THOMAS E., JR
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033426/0860 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150349457A1 · Dec 3, 2015