Integrated connecting port module and electronic device equipped with the same

An integrated connecting port module is suitable for an adapter having one terminal which is a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) adapting port and the other terminal which is a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) adapting port. The integrated connecting port module includes a case, an HDMI port and at least one expansion port. The case has a width not smaller than that of the DVI adapting port. The HDMI port and the expansion port are installed on the case and are stacked. An electronic device including the integrated connecting port module is also disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 096143616 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Nov. 16, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention is related to a connecting port module and, more specifically, to an integrated module with a plurality of connecting ports and an electronic device equipped with the integrated module.

2. Related Art

The electronic device such as the main board, computer, or LCD TV usually has various types of connecting ports for matching connectors with different standards for establishing the desired connection.

As shown inFIG. 1, a plurality of 3.5 mm stereo jacks12, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port13, and a plurality of universal serial bus (USB) ports14are installed on a circuit board11. Because the mechanical standard (e.g. the interface width) of the HDMI port13is smaller, the adjacent 3.5 mm stereo jacks12or USB ports14are not blocked or interfered when a standard HDMI adapter is inserted.

Since the signal transmissions of the digital visual interface (DVI) and the HDMI both follow the transition minimized differential signaling (TMDS) transmission protocol, the signals from the DVI and from the HDMI can be adapted through an interface converter2. When a user inserts the interface converter2, in which one terminal is an HDMI adapting port21and the other terminal is a DVI adapting port22, to the HDMI port13on the circuit board11, because the width W1of the DVI port is larger than the width W2of the HDMI port and the interface converter2is used to connect a smaller interface to a larger one, the interface converter2will partially block the adjacent 3.5 mm stereo jacks12or USB ports14. Thus, the blocked or interfered ports12and14cannot be used conveniently. Moreover, other connectors may not even be inserted into the ports12and14, so that these ports12and14cannot be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an integrated connecting port module that is able to prevent the interference between the connecting ports, and an electronic device equipped with the integrated connecting port module.

An integrated connecting port module of the invention is suitable to an interface converter having a terminal being a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) adapting port and the other terminal being a digital visual interface (DVI) adapting port. The integrated connecting port module includes a case, an HDMI port, and at least one expansion port. The case has a width not smaller than that of the DVI adapting port. The HDMI port and the expansion port are installed on the case and stacked.

An electronic device of the invention is suitable to an interface converter having a terminal being an HDMI adapting port and the other terminal being a DVI adapting port. The electronic device includes a circuit board and an integrated connecting port module, which includes a case, an HDMI port, and an expansion port. The case has a width larger than or equal to that of the DVI adapting port. The HDMI port and the expansion port are stacked and installed on the case, and the integrated connecting module is installed on the circuit board.

As described above, the case width of the integrated connecting port module of the invention is larger than or equal to the width of the DVI adapting port. Accordingly, besides the HDMI port, the integrated connecting port module has a sufficient space for connecting with an interface converter so as to convert the HDMI to the DVI. In addition, the interface converter connecting to the HDMI port will not spatially block or interfere with other expansion port, expander, or connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of 3.5 mm stereo jacks41, an integrated connecting port module3, and a plurality of universal serial bus (USB) ports42are installed on a circuit board4. The circuit board4has signal lines (not shown) to electrically connect with the 3.5 mm stereo jacks41, integrated connecting port module3, and USB ports42.

In addition, the integrated circuits (IC) or chips such as the microprocessor, micro controller, RAM, power management chip, graphic processing unit, communication control chip (e.g. USB, IEEE 1394, ATA, IEEE 802.x), or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (not shown) may also be installed on the circuit board4. These ICs or chips are connected to each other, as well as to the 3.5 mm stereo jacks41, the integrated connecting port module3, and the USB ports42, through the signal lines on the circuit board4so as to output the processed results or receive data from the outside. In this embodiment, the circuit board4may be a main board of an arithmetic device (e.g. electronic devices such as a computer, projector, portable communication device, or video game station).

The integrated connecting port module3that is installed on the circuit board4includes a case31, an HDMI port32, and an expansion port33. The case31has a bottom311, through which the case31may be fixed to the circuit board4. In the embodiment, the HDMI port32and expansion port33are parallel with each other and stacked over the case31, and the HDMI port32is located between the bottom311and the expansion port33.

An interface converter5converts the signal outputted from the HDMI port32to another video standard. In the embodiment the video standard is a DVI standard, so that one terminal of the interface converter5is an HDMI adapting port51and the other is a DVI adapting port52.

Additionally, in order to make sure that the interface converter5connected to the HDMI port32will not block or interfere with the adjacent ports, the width W3of the case31of the integrated connecting port module3is larger than or equal to the width W4of the DVI adapting port52. As the interface converter5is connected to the HDMI port32of the integrated connecting port module3, since the width W4of the interface converter5is smaller than or equal to the width W3of the integrated connecting port module3, the stereo jacks41and the USB ports42adjacent to the integrated connecting port module3will not be blocked or interfered.

In addition, the frequency is a factor to be considered when it comes to the disposition of the HDMI port32and expansion port33. Practically, in order to prevent the attenuation of the high frequency signal, the port for transmitting such has to be closer to the circuit board4. The port for transmitting the low frequency signal can be farther to the circuit board4. Since the HDMI port32needs to transmit a large amount of video data, the signal transmission frequency thereof is usually high. In addition to the demand for better image quality, the amount of data transfer for each video standard has gone up in recent years, which leads to a higher signal transmission frequency of the HDMI port32. Therefore, compared to the expansion port33, the HDMI port32may be disposed to a position closer to the circuit board4, i.e. under the integrated connecting port module3, and the expansion port33with a lower transmission frequency is disposed to a position over the HDMI port32.

In the embodiment, because the transmission frequency of the HDMI is in GHz, the HDMI port32is disposed to a position closer to the circuit board4. The expansion port33with a lower transmission frequency may be disposed over the HDMI port32. For example, the expansion port33can be a conventional VGA port as shown inFIG. 2. The expansion port33disposed over the HDMI port32can also be any of other standards such as D-sub terminal, IEEE 1394, IEEE 802.x, SATA, PS2, and 3.5 mm stereo jack. Besides, the 3.5 mm stereo jack41and USB port42are not the limited standards, and other standards such as D-sub terminal, IEEE 1394, IEEE 802.x. SATA, and PS2 shall be included in the scope of the invention.

As shown inFIG. 3, the pins321and331of the HDMI port32and expansion port33, respectively, may be directly extended to the circuit board4so as to electrically connect to the circuits on the circuit board4(not shown). Accordingly, the signals on the circuit board4will be transmitted to the connector and/or interface converter5through the expansion port33.

Additionally, as shown inFIG. 4A, to further save more space on the circuit board4that may be needed for the integrated connecting port module3, in the embodiment, two groups of pins331′ and332′ are extended from two side surfaces of the expansion port33′ in the direction parallel with the bottom311and then bended downward to electrically connect with the circuit board4.

Moreover, another aspect of the extended direction of the pins is shown inFIG. 4B. Two groups of pins331′ and332′ are extended from the bottom of the expansion port33′, then bended and extended along the direction parallel with the top of the HDMI port32. After that, the extended part that exceeds the top of the HDMI port32is bended downward to electrically connect with the circuit board4.

In addition, another aspect of the extended direction of the pins331′ and332′ is that the pins may be directly extended from the bottom of the expansion port33′ along the HDMI port32and case31to connect with the circuit board4(not shown). Similarly, the two groups of the pins331′ and332′ go around the HDMI port32, respectively.

The above-mentioned three aspects of the pins are able to reduce the thickness D of the expansion port33′ and integrated connecting port module3′, and the space that is contiguous with the sides of HDMI port32may be effectively used so as to reduce the area needed on the circuit board4for the expansion port33′ and the integrated connecting port module3′. Hence the layout of the circuit board4may be efficiently deployed. The number of the pins331′ and332′ may be disposed depending on the width d of the side of the HDMI port32. The rows of the pins331′ and332′ may be increased if necessary so that the thickness D of the integrated connecting port module3′ will be effectively decreased.

FIG. 5is a schematic diagram of an electronic device8with the integrated connecting port module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown inFIG. 5, the electronic device8includes an integrated connecting port module6and a circuit board7. The circuit board7has the same function and technical characteristics as the circuit board4of the previous embodiment, so the detailed description thereof will be omitted. The electronic device8of the embodiment may be a portable electronic device, a projector, a computer, or a video game station.

The integrated connecting port module6that is installed on the circuit board7includes a case61, an HDMI port62, and an expansion port63. The case61may have a bottom611, through which the case61is fixed to the circuit board7. In the integrated connecting port module6, a plurality of the expansion ports63and64, such as the USB port, PS2, IEEE 1394, IEEE 802.x, 3.5 mm stereo output, or D-sub terminal, may be installed over the HDMI port62. InFIG. 5, the expansion ports63and64are, for example, USB ports.

In the direction perpendicular to the bottom611of the case61, the HDMI port62and expansion ports63and64are disposed interlaced. In other words, the HDMI port62is located corresponding to the interval between the expansion ports63and64.

When one terminal of the interface converter5is matching the HDMI adapting port51and the other is matching the DVI adapting port52, after the HDMI adapting port51and HDMI port62are linked, the entire width of the interface converter5is exactly the width of the case61. Thus the later use of the adjacent parts such as the 3.5 mm stereo jack71will not be affected.

FIG. 6is a schematic back view of the integrated connecting port module6inFIG. 5. The expansion ports63and64have multiple pins631and641, respectively. The pins631and641may be directly extended from the lower surface of the expansion ports63and64along the case61and connected to the circuit board4. They go around the HDMI port62, respectively. Therefore, not only the space over the HDMI port62may be used to install more expansion ports63and64, and the space around the HDMI port62may also be used to contain the pins631and641of the expansion ports63and64. Thus, the thickness D of the integrated connecting port module6may be reduced so as to effectively deploy the layout of the circuit board7. Furthermore, the pins631and641and the pin621of the HDMI port62can be any of various aspects illustrated in the previous embodiments ofFIGS. 3,4A, and4B, so the detailed description thereof will be omitted.