US 2023/0119332 A1Published application

Usb connector for fiber optic cable and related usb extender

AssigneeCelerity Technologies Inc.

InventorXiaolin TONG

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Abstract

A USB-C connector for a fiber optic cable has a two-section dongle form. The small plug section has a USB-C plug head and an optical transceiver and control circuitry, but no other signal processing functions. The second section includes a fiber connector and a signal processing chipset, but no optical transceiver. The two sections are connected together by a short hybrid cable containing both optical fibers and electrical wires. The optical fibers connect the optical transceiver to the fiber connector. A subset of electrical wires connect the control circuitry to the chipset, and another subset of electrical wires connect the chipset to a second subset of pins of the plug head. A first subset of pins of the plug head are connected directly to the control circuitry for optical-electrical signal conversion. Two such USB-C connectors connected to the ends of a long all-fiber cable form a USB-C extender.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A signal connector, comprising:

a plug section, which includes a plug head having a first plurality of pins and a second plurality of pins, an optical transceiver configured to convert signals between electrical signals and optical signals, and control circuitry configured to control the optical transceiver, the control circuitry being electrically coupled to the first plurality of pins of the plug head;
a dongle assembly, which includes an optical fiber connector and at least one signal processing chip;
and
a connection cable assembly connecting the plug section to the dongle assembly, including a first plurality and a second plurality of optical fibers connecting the optical transceiver of the plug section to the optical fiber connector of the dongle assembly, a first plurality of electrical conductor wires connecting the control circuitry of the plug section to the signal processing chip of the dongle assembly, and a second plurality of electrical conductor wires connecting the second plurality of pins of the plug head of the plug section to the signal processing chip of the dongle assembly, and
wherein the at least one signal processing chip is configured to process electrical signals transmitted between the second plurality of pins of the plug head and the control circuitry.

2 more elements

A signal transmitter and receiver device, comprising:

an enclosure;
a first printed circuit board disposed within the enclosure;
an electrical signal connector, an optical transceiver, and control circuitry mounted on the first printed circuit board, wherein the electrical signal connector has a first plurality of pins and a second plurality of pins, the optical transceiver is configured to converts between electrical signals and optical signals, the control circuitry is configured to control the optical transceiver, and the control circuitry is electrically coupled to the first plurality of pins of the electrical signal connector;
a second printed circuit board disposed within the enclosure;
at least one signal processing chip mounted on the second printed circuit board;
a bus electrically connecting the first and second printed circuit boards, including a first plurality of electrical conductors connecting the control circuitry on the first printed circuit board to the signal processing chip on the second printed circuit board, and a second plurality of electrical conductors connecting the second plurality of pins of the electrical signal connector on the first printed circuit board to the signal processing chip on the second printed circuit board;
an optical fiber connector mounted within the enclosure;
and
a plurality of optical fibers disposed within the enclosure and connecting the optical transceiver on the first printed circuit board to the optical fiber connector,
wherein the at least one signal processing chip is configured to process electrical signals transmitted between the second plurality of pins of the electrical signal connector and the control circuitry on the first printed circuit board.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/503,501Filed 18 Oct 2021
Published: 20 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H01B 11/22
Communication cables or conductors: cables including at least one electrical conductor together with optical fibres
G02B 6/3817
Of the ferrule type, e.g. fibre ends embedded in ferrules, connecting a pair of fibres: containing optical and electrical conductors
G02B 6/4246
Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details: bidirectionally operating package structures
G02B 6/428
Electrical aspects: containing printed circuit boards [PCB]

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

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