Patent ID: 7575380
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A communications cable for providing a short range, high speed data communications link between information system units comprising: a first integral housing, said integral housing including a first electrical connector plug extending from the first housing, said first connector plug having a plurality of terminals with a set of at least some terminals assigned to each of a plurality of communication channels where the sets of terminals of the communication channels are noncoincident and the first electrical connector plug is adapted to detachably mate with a corresponding electrical receptacle on an external information system unit for transferring an information signal on each of the plurality of channels between the cable and the external unit and to allow the cable to be connected or disconnected from the external system unit; a first circuit board disposed within the first integral housing; a first multi-channel signal converter disposed on the first circuit board, the first signal converter having a plurality of channels that transmit or receive an information signal through each of at least some of the plurality of channels and wherein each channel of the plurality of channels of the first signal converter is connected to a respective channel of the first electrical connector plug for processing and converting the information signal on each of the plurality of channels between an electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal; a second integral housing, said integral housing including a second electrical connector plug extending from the second housing, said second connector plug having a plurality of terminals with a set of at least some terminals assigned to each of a plurality of communication channels where the sets of terminals of the communication channels are noncoincident and the second electrical connector plug is adapted to detachably mate with a corresponding electrical receptacle on a first remote information system unit for transferring an information signal on each of the plurality of channels between the cable and the remote unit and to allow the cable to be connected or disconnected from the remote unit; a second circuit board disposed within the second integral housing; a second multi-channel signal converter disposed on the second circuit board, the second signal converter having a plurality of channels that transmit or receive an information signal through each of at least some of the plurality of channels and wherein each channel of the plurality of channels of the second signal converter is connected to a respective channel of the second electrical connector plug for processing and converting the information signal on each of the plurality of channels between an electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal; and a short range optical fiber cable having a length of less than 100 meters coupled to said first and second signal converters and extending between the first and second housings for transmitting an optical signal over a distance between the external unit and the first remote information system unit.