Magnetic connector for data and power transfer
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPing Liu, Livius Chebeleu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mobile computing device is disclosed. The mobile computing device comprises a connector with a plurality of contacts and a processing resource. The connector is structured mate with different types of connectors. The mobile computing device also includes a data switching component that is configured to detect a type of connector that is mated to the connector. Based on the detected mated connector, the data switching component selects a signal path from the connector to the processing resource along either a first data path or a second data path.
Claims15
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a housing;
- a connector provided on the housing, wherein the connector includes a body with an exterior surface, a plurality of contacts that are provided on the exterior surface, and a magnetic component positioned adjacent to the body;
- a processing resource comprising a data component and an audio component;
- and
- a data switching component comprising:
- a first switch having a first input coupled to a first contact of the plurality of contacts, a first output coupled to the data component, and a second output coupled to the audio component;
- a second switch having a second input coupled to a second contact of the plurality of contacts, a third output coupled to the data component, and a fourth output coupled to the audio component;
- a control logic to detect a voltage signal provided on a third contact of the plurality of contacts when a corresponding connector is mated to the connector, and based on the detected signal, control the first switch and the second switch to route a signal provided on the first contact and a signal provided on the second contact to either the data component or the audio component;
- wherein when the control logic routes the signal provided on the first contact and the signal provided on the second contact to the data component, the processing resource determines whether the first output coupled to the data component and the third output coupled to the data component are shorted.
A mobile computing device comprising:
- a housing;
- a connector provided on the housing, wherein the connector includes a body with an exterior surface, and a plurality of contacts that are provided on the exterior surface, the connector being structured to enable the corresponding connector to mate with the connector in only one orientation;
- a processing resource comprising a data component and an audio component;
- and
- a data switching component comprising:
- a first switch having a first input coupled to a first contact of the plurality of contacts, a first output coupled to the data component, and a second output coupled to the audio component;
- a second switch having a second input coupled to a second contact of the plurality of contacts, a third output coupled to the data component, and a fourth output coupled to the audio component;
- a control logic to detect a voltage signal provided on a third contact of the plurality of contacts when a corresponding connector is mated to the connector, and based on the detected signal, control the first switch and the second switch to route a signal provided on the first contact and a signal provided on the second contact to either the data component or the audio component;
- wherein when the control logic routes the signal provided on the first contact and the signal provided on the second contact to the data component, the processing resource determines whether the first output coupled to the data component and the third output coupled to the data component are shorted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.