Patent Publication Number: US-2012039051-A1

Title: Wireless network adapter

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The invention relates to network adapters, particularly to wireless network adapters. 
     2. Related Art 
     In recent years, internet has become extremely popular all over the world. Almost all of portable electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), multimedia players, TV games and even digital cameras are capable of networking via wired or wireless paths. The networking capacity may extend functions or obtain on-line information. 
     For example, a computer is usually provided with a built-in network adapter or card. The network adapter or card must be connected by a cable. The cable limits mobility of the computer. As a result, wireless connection appears to replace wired connection. 
     Initially, wireless network adapters are made in a form of add-on card with PCI interface. With compactness of size of the wireless adapter and popularity of the universal serial bus (USB), USB adapters have become a primary product in the market. 
     However, almost all of external devices use USB to make a connection with a computer. Thus the number of USB ports may be insufficient when a user currently uses plural external devices. On the other hand, some of new interfaces are provided with network connection function, such as the HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) version 1.4. Accordingly, a device which uses an interface other than USB will satisfy users&#39; current requirement for sharing increasingly heavy load of USB. Also, the data transfer speed of network can be enhanced. 
     Modern LCD TV sets or displays are equipped with HDMI ports for accessing video with high definition. Usually, those TV sets or displays cannot be connected to the internet. It will be attractive to customers that TV sets or displays can be connected to the internet via their HDMI ports. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a wireless network adapter which can make a network connection through the HDMI. 
     To accomplish the above object, the invention includes a circuit board, a wireless network module, a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector, and a housing. The wireless network module is electrically connected to the circuit board. The HDMI connector is electrically connected to the circuit board. The housing has a room for accommodating the circuit board, the wireless network module and a part of the HDMI connector and an opening for being protruded by the HDMI connector. The adapter can be connected to a host by the HDMI connector. 
     In comparison with prior art, a computer can use the present invention to connect internet through HDMI without USB. This can save a USB port of a computer for other devices. Furthermore, a TV set without a USB port or RJ45 port can connect to internet through HDMI. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  and a notebook computer; 
         FIG. 4   1  is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  and a notebook computer; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of still another embodiment of the invention and a notebook computer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 . The wireless network adapter of the invention includes a housing  11 , a circuit board  12 , a wireless network module  13  and a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector  14 . The wireless network module  13  further includes a wireless network processor  131  and an antenna  132 . 
     The invention replaces the Universal Serial Bus (USB), which is commonly used by conventional wireless network adapters, with HDMI. This can save a USB port of a computer for other devices. Furthermore, a TV set without a USB port or RJ45 port can connect to internet through HDMI. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 . The wireless network module  13  is electrically connected to the circuit board  12 . There are a plurality of pins  141  in the HDMI connector  14 . The housing  11  has a room  110  for accommodating the circuit board  12 , wireless network module  13  and a part of the HDMI connector  14 . An end of the housing  11  is provided with a first opening  111  through which the HDMI connector  14  protrudes from the housing  11 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 . The wireless network adapter  1  may be connected to a computer  2  by inserting the HDMI connector  14  into an HDMI socket  21  of the computer  2 . As a result, the computer  2  can access internet through HDMI. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , which show another embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the wireless network adapter  1 ′ further includes an RJ45 connector  15 . The RJ45 connector  15  is electrically connected to the circuit board  12 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the other end of the housing  11  is provided with a second opening  112  for accommodating the RJ45 connector  15 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 . The wireless network adapter  1 ′ with an RJ45 connector  15  may be connected to the computer  2  through the HDMI connector  14  and the RJ45 connector  15  may be connected by a plug  31  of a cable  3 . Thus, the wireless network adapter  1 ′ may be electrically coupled to an external device (not shown) connected with the cable  3 . For example, if the external device is a second computer, then the second computer can electrically connect to the wireless network adapter  1 ′ via the cable  3 . As a result, the second computer may access internet through the wireless network adapter  1 ′. That is to say, the second computer can share networking function of the wireless network adapter  1 ′ with the computer  2 . Further, if the cable  3  is connected to a modem (not shown), the computer  2  can connect to the modem through the wireless network adapter  1 ′ and the cable  3 . This is a wired connection. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 7 , which shows still another embodiment of the invention. The HDMI connector  14  of the wireless network adapter  1 ′ may be connected to an HDMI socket  41  of a playing device  4  such as an LCD TV set, such that the playing device  4  may be provided with a networking function to access internet even if it has no USB port or RJ45 port. 
     Further, the RJ45 connector  15  also can be inserted by the cable  3  to connect a modem. As a result, the playing device  4  can connect network through a wired way. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiments have been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and not in any limitative sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.