Abstract:
A first and second plurality of audio input/output connectors are arranged and encased in a multi-stack manner to form a compact space saving audio connector, suitable for use e.g. on a motherboard designed for a compact desktop form factor personal computer, to facilitate provision of multi-channel audio. In one embodiment, each the first and second plurality of audio input/output connectors consist of 3 audio input/output connectors, whereas in another embodiment, the first plurality of audio input/output connectors consist of 3 audio input/output connectors, while the second plurality of audio input/output connectors consist of 2 audio input/output connectors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of connectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to desktop computer/set-top box audio connectors.  
           [0003]    2. Background Information  
           [0004]    Advances in integrated circuit and microprocessor technologies have led to wide spread deployment and adoption of computing devices. Examples of computing devices include servers, personal computers and “special” purpose computing devices. Personal computers may have form factors, such as desktop, laptop, tablet, and so forth. “Special” purpose computing devices may include set-top boxes, personal digital assistants (PDA), wireless mobile phones and so forth.  
           [0005]    Concurrently, advances in content related technologies, such as audio and video related technologies, have led to increase in volume as well as richness in the nature of content available and consumed on computing devices. In the area of audio, recent advances have made possible the offering of multi-channel audio on desktop computers, set-top boxes and other devices of the like.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 6 illustrates an example prior art solution to facilitating the offering of multi-channel audio on a desktop computer, set-top box or a device of the like. More specifically, the solution is illustrated from the perspective of a “rear view”, looking from the back of an exposed chassis of a desktop computer or set-top box.  
           [0007]    As illustrated, the example prior art solution involves the employment of multiple discrete connectors  604 - 606 . These discrete connectors may include e.g. what is commonly referred to as a triple stack connector  604  to facilitate audio line-in, audio line-out and microphone-in, and a number of single port connectors  606  to facilitate surround sound and center/low frequency effect (LFE) outputs.  
           [0008]    The solution is inefficient in that to facilitate mounting as well as reduction in the risk electrical interference, typically a small spatial gap is provided between any two discrete connectors. Resultantly, the base circuit board, and therefore the form factor of the desktop computer or set-top box may not be as compact as possible, had a more space efficient solution is available.  
           [0009]    Thus, a more efficient approach to facilitate provision of multi-channel audio in desktop computers, set-top boxes, and other devices of the like, is desired.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 1 a - 1   b  illustrate a perspective view of the multi-stack audio connection of the present invention, in accordance with two embodiments;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 2 a - 2   b  illustrate an exposed side view of the multi-stack audio connection of the present invention, in accordance with two embodiments;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 3 a - 3   b  illustrate a top view of the multi-stack audio connection of the present invention, in accordance with two embodiments;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 4 a - 4   b  illustrate a schematic view of the wiring of the 3-port stack and the 2-port stack, in accordance with two embodiments;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 illustrates a computing device incorporated with the teachings of the present invention, in accordance with one example application; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 illustrates a “front” view of a prior art solution to facilitate the offering of multi-channel audio on a desktop computer or set-top box.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    The present invention includes a multi-stack audio connector, having particular application to facilitate provision of multi-channel audio on a desktop computer, set-top box or other apparatuses of the like.  
         [0018]    In the following description, various configurations will be described, to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be practiced without some of the specific details or with alternate storage elements and/or combinatorial logics. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present invention.  
         [0019]    The description to follow repeatedly uses the phrase “in one embodiment”, which ordinarily does not refer to the same embodiment, although it may. The terms “comprising”, “having”, “including” and the like, as used in the present application, including in the claims, are synonymous.  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIGS. 1 a - 1   b,  wherein two perspective views of the multi-stack audio connector of the present invention, in accordance with two embodiments, are illustrated. As shown, each of the two embodiments includes at least two stacks  102   a / 102   b  of audio ports  104 . In each case, the two stacks  102   a / 102   b  of audio ports  104  are advantageously encased by a single casing  106 . Casing  106  includes mounting features  108 / 110  for facilitating mounting multi-stack audio connector  100   a / 100   b  to a circuit board, e.g. a motherboard of a desktop computer, a set-top box or other apparatuses of the like.  
         [0021]    Resultantly, the plurality of audio ports  104  may be provided in an efficient space saving manner.  
         [0022]    For the embodiment of FIG. 1 a,  each of the two stacks  102   a  includes  3  audio ports  104 . Whereas for the embodiment of FIG. 1 b,  one stack  102   a  includes  3  audio ports  104 , and the other stack  102   b  includes  2  audio ports.  
         [0023]    In alternate embodiments, the present invention may be practiced with the integrated multi-stack connector having more than two multi-port stacks, and each port stack having more or less ports.  
         [0024]    For the embodiment of FIG. 1 a,  audio ports  104  of the two stacks  102   a  may be considered as being disposed along, as well as orthogonal to two spatially separated vertical axes Y 1  and Y 2  (see also FIG. 2 a,  where an exposed side view of connector  100   a  is shown).  
         [0025]    Alternatively, audio ports  104  of the two stacks  102   a  may also be considered as being disposed along, as well as orthogonal to three spatially separated horizontal axes X 1 , X 2  and X 3  (see also FIG. 3 a,  where a top view of connector  100   a  is shown).  
         [0026]    For the embodiment of FIG. 1 b,  audio ports  104  of the two stacks  102   a  and  102   b  may be considered as being disposed along, as well as orthogonal to two spatially separated vertical axes Y 1  and Y 2  (see also FIG. 2 b,  where an exposed side view of connector  100   b  is shown).  
         [0027]    Alternatively, audio ports  104  of the two stacks  102   a / 102   b  may be considered as having the middle port of stack  102   a  disposed at an intersection of the X and Y 2  axes, and the top ports of stacks  102   a - 102   b  being disposed along, as well as orthogonal to two inclined/angled linear axes P 1  and P 2 , relative to axes X and Y (see also FIG. 3 b,  where a top view of connector  100   b  is shown).  
         [0028]    For the embodiment of FIG. 1 a,  in one implementation, the left 3 port stack  102   a  of connector  100   a  comprises an audio line-in port, an audio line-out port, and a microphone-in port, whereas the two lower ports of the right 3 port stack  102   a  comprises a surround sound port, and a center/LFE port. The top port of the right 3 port stack  102   a  comprises a digital audio output port, e.g. a Sony/Philip Digital Interface (S/PDIF) port.  
         [0029]    In an alternate embodiment, the top port of the right 3 port stack  102   a  may be a digital audio input port instead.  
         [0030]    For the embodiment of FIG. 1 b,  in one implementation, the right 3 port stack  102   a  of connector  100   b  comprises an audio line-in port, an audio line-out port, and a microphone-in port, whereas the left 2 port stack  102   b  of connector  100   b  comprises a surround sound output port and a center/LFE port.  
         [0031]    In alternate embodiments, different audio functions or types of audio may be associated with one or more of the foregoing described audio ports.  
         [0032]    Referring briefly back to FIGS. 1 a - 1   b,  for the illustrated embodiments, mounting features  108 - 110  may comprise mounting poles  108  and deflectable hooks  110 .  
         [0033]    In one embodiment, mounting poles  108  and deflectable hooks  100  may be designed for a mounting force in the range of 0.4 to 3.0 kgf.  
         [0034]    Referring now to FIGS. 4 a - 4   b,  wherein one embodiment each of the wiring for the 3 port and 2 port stack are illustrated. Wiring  402   a  for a 3 port stack  102   a  comprises 3 pairs of contacts  404  and 3 corresponding grounds  406 , whereas wiring  402   b  for a 2 port stack  102   b  comprises 2 pairs of contacts  404 , and 2 corresponding grounds  406 .  
         [0035]    In one embodiment, each pair of contacts may be designed for a current rating of 1 amp, and dielectric withstanding voltage of 500vac. Further, the insulation resistance may be greater than 100megohm, and the contact resistance may be smaller than 50 milliohm.  
         [0036]    In various embodiments, the contacts and wiring may be constituted with any number of materials known in the art. In one embodiment, the contacts are constituted with copper alloy, whereas the traces are constituted with copper wires. In various embodiments, the contacts may also be constituted with nickel, gold, tin and/or lead plating.  
         [0037]    In alternate embodiments, the contacts and wiring may be designed with other electrical and/or physical characteristics, employing different materials.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 5 illustrates a computing device incorporated with the teachings of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment. As illustrated, computing device  500  includes in particular, A/V interface  508  and multi-stack connector of the present invention  100   a / 100   b,  coupled to each other as shown. One or more audio devices  516  are in turn coupled to multi-stack connector  100   a / 100   b.    
         [0039]    Additionally, computing device  500  includes processor  502 , DSP  504 , non-volatile memory  506 , and communication interface  512 , coupled to each other and audio/video (A/V) interface  508 , via bus  514 . Non-volatile memory  506  includes operating logic  540  having media player  542  and A/ device driver  544 . The elements are disposed on circuit board  520 .  
         [0040]    Except for novel employment of multi-stack connector of the present invention  100   a / 100   b,  the enumerated elements otherwise perform their conventional functions. For examples, processor  502  and/or DSP  504  execute media player  542  and/or A/V device driver  544  to facilitate audio input/output, and A/V interface  508 , among other functions, perform analog-to-digital and/or digital-to-analog signal conversion. The elements are known in the art. Accordingly, computing device  500  represents a broad range of computing devices known in the art, including but are not limited to desktop computers, set-top boxes, multi-media control center, and so forth.  
         [0041]    Thus, it can be seen from the above descriptions, a more efficient multi-stack audio connector, suitable for use to facilitate provision of multi-channel audio on desktop computer, set-top boxes or other apparatuses of the like, have been described. While the present invention has been described in terms of the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention may be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.