Patent Publication Number: US-2011070747-A1

Title: Communications/Audio Interface with Self-Orienting Magnet Attachment System

Description:
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional patent application 61/244,598, filed Sep. 22, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to communications systems, specifically, to a useful wiring connector for such systems. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     It has been said that we now live in a wired world. One ubiquitous device is the MP3 player where a small electronic device generates a user audio signal and resides in a convenient pocket of the user. The audio signal from the MP3 player is delivered by wires to ear buds in the ear canal of the user for hearing. These wires loosely flop around about the user&#39;s body and are subject to frequent undesirable snagging on the user&#39;s own body and that of structures in the near vicinity. Snagged wires can cause various undesired effects such as roughly snatching the ear buds out of the ear canal, ripping the MP 3  player out of place to fall on the ground, knocking off glasses of the user, etc. And the wires and their connectors can also be broken by such snags. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an electronic connection device. A magnetic connector interface has at least two adjacent magnetic interface elements. One is a north wiring interface element having an outer surface with a north magnetic field orientation and at least one wiring contact for providing electrical connection to at least one north electrical wire. The other interface element is a south wiring interface element having an outer surface with a south magnetic field orientation and at least one wiring contact for providing electrical connection to at least one south electrical wire. 
     In further specific embodiments, the magnetic interface elements may be asymmetrically arranged with respect to a central radial axis of the magnetic connector. Some embodiments may also include one or more non-wired magnetic interface elements adjacent to the wiring interface elements without a wiring contact. The wiring interface elements may be coaxially arranged such that one of the wiring interface elements forms a radial ring around the other wiring interface element. And the electrical wires may include audio signal wires (e.g., in a stereo audio arrangement) and/or digital data signal wires. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of one specific application of a magnetic connector interface according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows various structural details of a magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows various structural details of a mono audio magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows various structural details of a stereo audio magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an electronic connection device.  FIG. 1  shows an example of one specific application of a magnetic connector interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention where a magnetic connector interface  100  connects the wires delivering a user audio signal from an audio device  101  such as an MP3 player to user ear buds  102  that reproduce the audio signal in the ear canal of the user for hearing. The wires may include audio signal wires (e.g., in a stereo audio arrangement) and/or digital data signal wires. 
       FIG. 2  shows various structural details of a magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. An output magnetic connector interface  201  is associated with an output device  207  (e.g., ear buds) and has an output center wiring interface element  204  having an outer surface with a north magnetic field orientation which also acts as a wiring contact to provide an electrical connection to an output center electrical wire  206 . Surrounding the output center wiring interface element  204  is an output radial ring wiring interface element  203  having an outer surface with a south magnetic field orientation which also acts as a wiring contact to provide an electrical connection to an output outer electrical wire  205 . There is also a corresponding input magnetic connector interface  202  that is associated with an input device  208  (e.g., MP3 player) which has an input center wiring interface element  209  having an outer surface with a south magnetic field orientation which also acts as a wiring contact to provide an electrical connection to an input center electrical wire  212 . Radially surrounding the input center wiring interface element  209  is a complementary input outer wiring interface element  210  having an outer surface with a north magnetic field orientation which also acts as a wiring contact to provide an electrical connection to an input outer electrical wire  211 . 
     When the input magnetic connector  202  and the output magnetic connector  201  are brought close together, they magnetically self-orient to magnetically connect the center wiring interface elements  204  and  209  together and the outer ring interface elements  203  and  210 . This electrically connects the center wires  206  and  212  and the outer wires  205  and  211 . The interface between the center wiring elements  204 / 209  and the outer ring interface elements  203 / 210  may include an electrical insulator film to keep electrical separation between the corresponding center and outer wires  205 / 206  and  211 / 212 . Ideally, the magnetic attraction forces are controlled to be just strong enough to maintain a secure mechanical connection between the two connectors  201  and  202 , while being weak enough to allow the connectors to easily separate under sudden stress such as from a snagging of the wires. 
       FIG. 3  shows various structural details of a mono audio magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  shows various structural details of a stereo audio magnetic connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Instead of a coaxial arrangement of wiring interface elements, the magnetic interface elements in these embodiments are asymmetrically arranged with respect to a central radial axis. In addition, there also are non-wired magnetic interface elements adjacent to the wiring interface elements without a wiring contact. This radially asymmetric arrangement aids in ensuring an electrically correct self-orienting of the magnetic connectors when they are brought together. 
     Although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made which will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the true scope of the invention.