Patent Publication Number: US-6663420-B1

Title: Adapter for exchanging data and transmitting power between PC and portable device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an adapter, and more particularly to an adapter for connecting a Personal Computer (PC) and a portable device (such as a mobile phone). 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With recent technological improvements, portable devices, such as mobile phones, have gained more functions, and can now exchange data with a PC by using an adapter. The portable device has a port for connecting to the adapter, and the port has a plurality of contacts disposed therein. The contacts include power contacts and data contacts. Adapters currently on the market include power adapters and data adapters which each have a plug for connecting to a portable device, but the plugs differ in the location and number of the contacts used in the plug. Power adapters are used to charge the portable device; data adapters are used to exchange the data with a PC. However, if a portable device which is low in power is exchanging data with a PC using a data adapter, data exchange may stop and the portable device may first need to be recharged using a power adapter. Switching between the power adapter and data adapter is inconvenient. 
     Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces are widely used on PCs today, so many data adapters have a standard USB plug for connecting to a standard USB port on the PC. Standard USB ports also include power terminals. An improved adapter providing power and data through a USB interface between a portable device and a PC is desired so that the PC can transmit power to the portable device while the portable device and the PC exchange data. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for exchanging data and transmitting power between a portable device and a PC at the same time. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an adapter having a simple configuration which is easy to use. 
     To fulfill the above-mentioned objects, an adapter according to the present invention comprises a first connector electrically connecting to a PC, a second connector electrically connecting to a portable device, and a cable electrically connecting the two connectors. A power converting circuit and a data transmitting circuit are disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) housed in the second connector. The power from the PC passes through the first connector, then through the power converting circuit of the second connector to the portable device. The data is exchanged between the PC and the portable device via the adapter at the same time that the PC is recharging the portable device. 
     Since the adapter has both a power converting circuit and a data transmitting circuit, it enables the portable device to exchange data with the PC while being charged by the PC. The adapter both has a simple configuration and is easy to use. 
    
    
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a second connector of the adapter in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the adapter in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an adapter  100  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first connector  10 , a second connector  20 , and a cable  30  electrically connecting the two connectors. The first connector  10  is for electrically connecting to a PC (not shown) and the second connector  20  is for electrically connecting to a portable device (such as a mobile phone, not shown). In the present embodiment, the first connector  10  is a standard USB plug, for electrically connecting to the PC via a standard USB port on the PC. The first connector  10  may also electrically connect to any other device having a standard USB port. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the second connector  20  of the adapter  100  comprises an insulative housing  201  securing a plurality of contacts  200  therewithin, a printed circuit board (PCB)  202  soldered to the contacts  200 , an upper and a lower shields  203 ,  204  inclosing the housing  201  and the PCB  202 , an upper and a lower covers  205 ,  206 , and a pair of latches  207  held in two sides of the lower cover  206 . The upper cover  205  has a press portion  208  for actuating the latches  207  to release the second connector  20  from engagement with the portable device. A power converting circuit  40  and a data transmitting circuit  50  (shown in FIG. 3) are disposed on the PCB  202 . The second connector  20  may electrically connect to many kinds of portable devices, for example, to mobile phones, to Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), etc. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a circuit diagram of the adapter  100  shows that the first connector  10  has four pins, including a power pin USB_VDD for electrically connecting to a USB voltage at the USB port, a ground pin USB_GND for electrically connecting to a ground, a D+ pin for transmitting or receiving a data signal D+, and a D− pin for transmitting or receiving a data signal D−. The second connector  20  has seventeen contacts, six of which are used in the present embodiment. The remaining contacts are provided for other applications. 
     The PCB  202  is assembled in the second connector  20 . A plurality of wires (not shown) of the cable  30  electrically connect the four pins of the first connector  10  to corresponding contact pads (not shown) on the PCB  202 . The contacts  200  in the second connector  20  electrically connect with corresponding contact pads (not shown) on the PCB  202 . 
     The power converting circuit  40  (see FIG. 3) mainly comprises a voltage regulator IC (SP6650, not labeled). The pin  2  of the voltage regulator IC is input and electrically connects to the power pin USB_VDD of the first connector  10  through the cable  30 . The pin  7  of the voltage regulator IC is output and electrically connects to the contact  3  (one of the contacts  200  in FIG. 2) of the second connector  20 . The ground pin USB_GND of the first connector  10  is electrically connected to ground on the PCB  202  via the cable  30 . The contact  2  (one of the contacts  200 ) of the second connector  20  is electrically connected to ground on the PCB  202 . In addition, the contact  1  (one of the contacts  200 ) of the second connector  20  is electrically connected to ground on the PCB  202  for detecting whether the second connector  20  is correctly mated with the portable device. 
     The D+ pin and the D− pin of the first connector  10  respectively electrically connect to the contacts  5  and  4  (two of the contacts  200 ) of the second connector  20  via corresponding wires in the cable  30  and conductive traces (not shown) disposed on PCB  202 . Said conductive traces form the data transmitting circuit  50 . The contact  6  (one of the contacts  200 ) of the second connector  20  electrically connects to the power pin USB_VDD of the first connector  10  via conductive traces (not shown) on the PCB  200  to provide a pulse signal for controlling the data transmission. 
     Therefore, the power pin USB_VDD, the ground pin USB_GND, the D+ pin, and the D− pin of the first connector  10  electrically connect to corresponding contact pads on the PCB  202  via a plurality of wires in the cable  30 . The contacts  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6  of the second connector  20  are electrically connected to corresponding contact pads on the PCB  202 . 
     The first connector  10  receives power from the PC, then the power passes through the cable  30  and the power converting circuit  40  to the portable device via contacts  200  in the second connector  20 . Data is exchanged between the PC and the portable device via the first connector  10 , the second connector  20  (including conductive traces of the data transmitting circuit  50 ), and the cable  30 . So the adapter  100  enables the portable device not only to exchange data with the PC, but also to be charged from the PC simultaneously. 
     Indeed, the adapter  100  can be connected to any other device having a standard USB port, getting power from the device via the standard USB port, then providing power to the portable device after power conversion. 
     In addition, the first connector  10  can also use a standard IEEE 1394 (IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) plug instead of the standard USB plug, and can connect to the PC or any other device having a standard IEEE 1394 port via a standard IEEE 1394 port thereon. Therefore, power can be provided to the portable device via a standard IEEE 1394 port. 
     Compared to the prior art, the adapter  100  according to the present invention has a power converting circuit  40  and a data transmitting circuit  50  in the second connector  20 , which enables the portable device not only to exchange data with the PC, but also to be charged from the PC at the same time. Thus the portable device is more convenient to use. It is noted that because the second connector  20  is equipped with the internal built-in printed circuit board with both the data transmitting circuits  50  and power converting circuits  40  including components thereof, the length of the second connector may be little bit longer than the regular one which only transmits the data while without the charging function. On the other hand, because of the built-in power circuits of the second connector  20 , there is no. need to provide an additional control unit between the first and second connectors. Thus, only a simplex bendable/flexible cable is connected between the first and second connector, and it results in easiness/flexibility of using and/or storing the whole adaptor set. Furthermore, the adapter  100  can be connected to any other device having a port compatible with the first connector  10  of the adapter  100 , so can supply power from the device to the portable device for charging. In addition, the adapter  100  has a simple configuration and is easy to use. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the ivention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.