Patent Publication Number: US-7724204-B2

Title: Connector antenna apparatus and methods

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/849,432 filed Oct. 2, 2006 entitled “SHIELD AND ANTENNA CONNECTOR APPARATUS AND METHODS”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an electronic connector assembly with integral wireless antenna, and specifically in one embodiment to antenna and circuitry configurations used for transmitting and/or receiving data via the integrated wireless antenna. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY 
     Existing telecommunications standards such as the now ubiquitous IEEE 802.x, et seq. provide the capability to deliver data over e.g. standard telecommunications cabling such as Ethernet cable. Further, existing wireless standards such as 802.11a/b/g permit data delivery over wireless networks. Various connectors and antenna structures exist in the prior art to facilitate the interconnection of both wired and wireless electronic components in systems employing both non-standard and standard telecommunications protocols such as Ethernet. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,177 to Sakurai, et al. issued on Mar. 8, 1994 and entitled “Antenna Connector” discloses an antenna connector that comprises a first housing for housing an end of a coaxial cable, first and second contact to be connected to a core wire and a shield wire, respectively, of the coaxial cable housed in the first housing, a second housing for housing the first housing, and a pair of conductive feeding metal plates. The feeding metal plates are arranged on and secured to a conductive antenna pattern formed on an insulative substrate and each of them has a first holder for receiving and holding the second housing and a second holder for receiving and holding the first and second contacts. When the first housing is housed in the second housing, the first and second contacts are engaged with and held by the second holder to plugably connect the coaxial cable to the antenna without disturbing an impedance matching and with a sufficient mechanical strength. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,962 to Chen-Shiang issued Aug. 29, 2000 and entitled “Electrical connector” discloses an electrical connector for connecting an antenna to a printed circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a terminal-receiving cavity and is mountable on a surface of the printed circuit board. A terminal is received in the cavity and includes a contact portion and a terminating portion. The contact portion is disposed within the cavity and is structured for engaging a complementary contact portion of the antenna. The terminating portion projects from the cavity through the housing for termination to an appropriate circuit trace on the printed circuit board. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,123 to Chang issued Jan. 9, 2001 and entitled “Electrical connector” discloses an electrical connector in a portable telecommunication device with a built-in antenna to enable the device to connect with an external antenna, and further comprises a dielectric housing having a base portion defining first and second chambers communicating with each other via a passage, and a cylindrical portion defining a hole therethrough in communication with the first chamber, a first contact fixedly received in the first chamber and electrically connecting with speaker/receiver circuitry of the device and a second contact fixedly received in the second chamber and electrically connecting with the built-in antenna. When the connector does not connect with a mating connector in electrical connection with an external antenna, the first contact electrically engages with the second contact by a spring force generated from the first contact. When the connector is connected with a mating connector in connection with an external antenna by extending a conductive pin of the mating connector through the hole in the cylindrical portion into the first chamber, the pin engages with the first contact and prevents it from engagement with the second contact. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,513 to Gaucher, et al. issued on Oct. 23, 2001 and entitled “Microwave connector” discloses a connector for a portable device that includes a jack portion integral to the portable device, and a plug portion attached to an input/output device for being inserted into the jack portion. The connector is preferably a low cost microwave connector for transmitting multiple signal types and provides dual functionality. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,812 to Tsai issued Jul. 9, 2002 and entitled “Electrical connector incorporating antenna” discloses an RJ-45 receptacle connector that supports an antenna assembly therein. The antenna assembly comprises a coaxial cable portion, an antenna portion electrically connected to the cable portion and a carrier received in the receptacle connector and supporting the antenna portion. The antenna portion is a helical monopole and works in a bandwidth range of 2.357 to 2.570 GHz, wherein transmission with a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) in the range of 1-2 is achieved. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,103 to Schmidt, et al. issued Jul. 29, 2003 and entitled “Housing for an electronic device in microwave technology” discloses a housing for an electronic device in microwave technology, which is comprised of three tightly connected parts. A middle part is comprised of a metal plate to which at least one circuit board can be attached and recesses are provided which, together with the at least one circuit board can produce chambers into which the components of the one electronic circuit protrude. Furthermore, a plastic bottom part with a connector device and a plastic top part are provided which likewise produce chambers for electronic and/or microwave components. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,649 to Mathews, et al. issued on Feb. 3, 2004 and entitled “Multi-chip semiconductor package with integral shield and antenna” discloses a transceiver package that includes a substrate having an upper surface. An electronic component is mounted to the upper surface of the substrate. A shield encloses the electronic component and shields the electronic component from radiation. The transceiver package further includes an antenna and a dielectric cap. The dielectric cap is interposed between the shield and the antenna, the shield being a ground plane for the antenna. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,769 to Lai issued Sep. 7, 2004 and entitled “Metal shielding mask structure for a connector having an antenna” discloses a metal shielding mask for a connector having an antenna, comprising a hollow metal shielding mask formed of an upper sheet portion and a lateral sheet portion, wherein an antenna is formed by extending a predefined length of a metal plate in a vertical or horizontal direction from a predetermined position at a lower end of a side of the upper sheet portion, a signal feeding terminal for the antenna of the metal shielding masks formed of an I shaped extension portion which is externally extended from a top end of a side of the upper sheet portion along one end of the antenna, and a ground terminal for the metal shielding is formed of a plurality of I shaped extension portions which are respectively extended externally from both sides of the lateral sheet portion as the metal shielding mask is bent. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,788,266 to St. Hillaire, et al. issued Sep. 7, 2004 and entitled “Diversity slot antenna” discloses a high performance, low cost antenna for wireless communication applications which benefit from a dual feed diversity antenna. The antenna device can be fabricated from a single layer of conductive material, thus allowing easy, low cost manufacture of a high gain antenna. Antenna embodiments may provide both spatial and polarization diversity. The antenna need not be planar, but rather may be bent or formed, such as to provide an antenna which is conformal with the shape of a wireless communication device. Furthermore, other embodiments of the present invention may be made of thin film, conductive foil, vapor deposition, or could be made of a flexible conductive material, such as metallized MYLAR. Each of the slot elements may be linear or may be formed in a meander shape or other shape to reduce size. The slot elements may be provided within an antenna array useful for beam scanning applications. 
     United States Patent Publication No. 20010054985 to Jones et al. published Dec. 27, 2001 and entitled “Removable Antenna for Connection to Miniature Modular Jacks” discloses an antenna which is configured to plug into a retractable connector on an electronic apparatus. Some embodiments of the present invention may be configured to plug into common RJ-11 or RJ-45 jacks allowing devices equipped with these jack to utilize external antennas to increase range and functionality. Further, some embodiments of the present invention comprise at least a partial ground plane located in the antenna plug which connects to a jack. The present invention also comprises connectors such as RJ jacks which comprise ground plane elements which may be used to improve antenna range and efficiency. 
     United States Patent Publication No. 20040048515 to Lai, published Mar. 11, 2004 and entitled “Metal shielding mask structure for a connector having an antenna” discloses a metal shielding mask for a connector having an antenna, comprising a hollow metal shielding mask formed of an upper sheet portion and a lateral sheet portion, wherein an antenna is formed by extending a predefined length of a metal plate in a vertical or horizontal direction from a predetermined position at a lower end of a side of the upper sheet portion, a signal feeding terminal for the antenna of the metal shielding masks formed of an I shaped extension portion which is externally extended from a top end of a side of the upper sheet portion along one end of the antenna, and a ground terminal for the metal shielding is formed of a plurality of I shaped extension portions which are respectively extended externally from both sides of the lateral sheet portion as the metal shielding mask is bent. 
     However, despite the foregoing broad variety of solutions, there remains a salient need in data networking and the electronic arts in general for standard low cost components and manufacturing methodologies that integrate both wired and wireless solutions into a single component or platform. Ideally, such a wired and wireless data networking device and methodologies would: (1) minimize component cost by integrating wired and wireless networking components; (2) simplify manufacturing and performance validation for OED suppliers of networked equipment; (3) provide increased design flexibility for designers of networked equipment, while at the same time ( 4 ) shielding electronic components (both internally and externally) from adverse electromagnetic noise, and (5) conserving physical space and board real estate, as well as electrical power, within space- and power-critical applications such as mobile or embedded devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In a first aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the electrical connector assembly comprises: a connector housing; a plurality of first terminals disposed substantially within the connector housing for mating with corresponding terminals of a plug received at least partly within the housing; and an antenna, the antenna being adapted to transmit and/or receive a plurality of data wirelessly; and a plurality of second terminals adapted for electrically mating the connector assembly to a parent device. 
     In one variant, the antenna comprises a feed point, a ground termination, and a capacitor. 
     In another variant, the electrical connector assembly further comprises an integrated circuit whereby signal information received at the connector assembly via at least one of the first or second terminals is processed. 
     In still another variant, the electrical connector assembly further comprises a noise shield, the shield substantially enclosing the electrical connector assembly. The antenna is disposed on or formed within at least one face of the shield. The antenna may comprise e.g., an inverted F-type antenna, and may be disposed substantially around the periphery of a plug port formed in a face of the housing. 
     In still a further variant, the antenna measures approximately 0.4 mm in width, and measuring approximately 30-35 mm in length, and is disposed substantially on a front face of the connector assembly proximate a plug-receiving opening. 
     In another variant, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of antennas, the plurality of antennas forming an antenna array. The array may comprise e.g., a phased array or a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) array. 
     In still another variant, the connector housing comprises a multi-port connector housing formed as a row-and-column array, and the antenna comprises a plurality of antennas disposed on at least one face of the connector assembly. 
     In yet a further variant, the connector assembly comprises an RJ-45 compliant modular jack, and further comprises a wireless transceiver circuit disposed at least partly within the housing, the wireless transceiver circuit and the antenna adapted to cooperate to at least transmit or receive signals at approximately 2.4 GHz. 
     In still a further variant, the connector assembly comprises: an RJ-type port; at least one USB port; and a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceiver and the antenna adapted to cooperate to at least transmit or receive signals at approximately 2.4 GHz. 
     In another variant, the electrical connector assembly further comprises a substrate, and the wireless antenna is formed on the substrate. The substrate comprises e.g., a standard PCB or alternatively substantially flexible printed circuit board. 
     In yet another variant, the antenna is at least partly formed on the housing a selective plating or deposition process. 
     In a second aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing an electrical connector assembly is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: forming an antenna; providing a connector having circuitry; and electrically coupling the antenna to the circuitry. 
     In one variant, the forming of the antenna comprises forming a shaped aperture within at least one face of a noise shield; and the method further comprises disposing the shield on the connector. 
     In another variant, the forming comprises forming the antenna on a surface using a selective metallization or deposition process. 
     In yet another variant, the forming comprises forming the antenna on a separate substrate, and the connector assembly further comprises a noise shield, and the method comprises disposing the substrate substantially between the connector and the noise shield. 
     In a third aspect of the invention, a shield antenna for use on an electrical connector is disclosed. In one embodiment, the shield antenna comprises: a noise shield having a plurality of substantially planar faces; an antenna feed point; and an aperture formed substantially within the shield an substantially within one of the substantially planar faces. In one variant, the feed point is disposed partway along the length of the aperture. 
     In another variant, the antenna comprises an inverted F-type antenna, and the aperture measures approximately 0.4 mm in width, and approximately 30-35 mm in length of its longest dimension. The aperture may be disposed e.g., substantially around a plug-receiving port formed in the one face. 
     In a fourth aspect of the invention, an electronic device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the device comprises: at least one electrical connector assembly, the electrical connector assembly comprising a connector housing; a plurality of first terminals adapted to interface with a printed circuit board; a plurality of second terminals adapted to interface with a connector plug; a noise shield, the shield substantially enclosing at least portions of the connector; an antenna, the antenna being formed substantially within the shield and adapted to at least transmit or receive a plurality of data wirelessly; and a transceiver circuit in signal communication with the antenna and at least one terminal of the plurality of first or second terminals. The device further comprises a printed circuit board, the electrical connector assembly being disposed on the board an electrically interconnected therewith. 
     In a fifth aspect of the invention, a method for transmitting data from an electronic device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the device comprises an electronic connector assembly having an antenna, and a radio transmitter circuit, and the method comprises: receiving signals at the transmitter circuit; processing the signals for transmission to produce processed signals; providing the processed signals to the antenna of the connector assembly via a feed point of the antenna; and radiating at least portions of the processed signals as electromagnetic energy from the antenna. 
     In one variant, the connector assembly comprises a noise shield, the antenna being formed at least partly within the shield, and the act of providing comprises providing the processed signals to the feed point via an electrical connection to the noise shield. 
     In a sixth aspect of the invention, a method of transmitting or receiving signals using an electrical connector is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises using an indigenous component of the connector as an antenna for use in transmitting or receiving electromagnetic radiation of a given frequency or frequency range. 
     In a seventh aspect of the invention, a method of economizing on the space requirements associated with an electrical connector is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing an antenna as part of a component that has other utility within the connector. In one variant, the component comprises the external noise shield. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features, objectives, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an integrated Faraday shield antenna (“FSA”) connector assembly according to the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1   a  is a graphical illustration of typical return loss performance of the antenna shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1   b  is a graphical illustration of impedance as a function of frequency for the antenna shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1   c  is a sectional view of one exemplary embodiment of the FSA connector assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1   d  shows an exemplary schematic of one embodiment of the antenna of the invention. 
         FIG. 2   a  is a front perspective exploded view of an integrated FSA connector assembly incorporating both RJ and USB type wired ports according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2   b  is a detailed perspective view of the antenna shown in  FIG. 2   a.    
         FIG. 2   c  is a front perspective exploded view of an integrated FSA connector incorporating an antenna substrate structure according to the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2   d  is a sectional view of the integrated FSA connector shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   c.    
         FIG. 2   e  is a reverse perspective view of an integrated FSA connector incorporating an LDS antenna on the front face of the connector according to the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3   a  is a block diagram of a first exemplary application for the integrated FSA connector shown in  FIG. 2   a.    
         FIG. 3   b  is a block diagram of a second exemplary application of an integrated FSA connector such as that shown in  FIG. 2   a.    
         FIG. 3   c  is a block diagram of a third exemplary application of an integrated FSA connector according to the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3   d  is a block diagram of a fourth exemplary application of an intergrated FSA connector according to the principles of the present invention featuring a MIMO antenna configuration. 
         FIG. 4  is a first logical flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for utilizing an FSA connector in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a logical flow diagram illustrating a first exemplary method for manufacturing an FSA connector in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a logical flow diagram illustrating a second exemplary method for manufacturing an FSA connector in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference is now made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
     It is noted that while portions of the following description are cast primarily in terms of wireless applications operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM band (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, etc.), the present invention is not in any way limited to such applications or frequencies. 
     Furthermore, while certain embodiments are cast in terms of an RJ-type connector and associated modular plugs of the type well known in the art, the present invention may be used in conjunction with any number of different connector or jack types, as described more fully subsequently herein. Accordingly, the following discussion is merely exemplary of the broader concepts. 
     As used herein, the terms “electrical component” and “electronic component” are used interchangeably and refer to components adapted to provide some electrical function, including without limitation inductive reactors (“choke coils”), transformers, filters, gapped core toroids, inductors, capacitors, resistors, operational amplifiers, and diodes, whether discrete components or integrated circuits, whether alone or in combination. For example, the improved toroidal device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,827 to McWilliams, et al. issued Nov. 4, 2003 entitled “Advanced Electronic Microminiature Coil and Method of Manufacturing” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be used in conjunction with the invention disclosed herein. 
     As used herein, the term “signal conditioning” or “conditioning” shall be understood to include, but not be limited to, signal voltage transformation, filtering, current limiting, sampling, processing, conversion, and time delay. 
     As used herein, the term “integrated circuit (IC)” refers to any type of device having any level of integration (including without limitation ULSI, VLSI, and LSI) and irrespective of process or base materials (including, without limitation Si, SiGe, CMOS and GaAs). ICs may include, for example, memory devices (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DDRAM, EEPROM/Flash, ROM), digital processors, SoC devices, FPGAs, ASICs, ADCs, DACs, radio transceivers/chipsets, and other devices, as well as any combinations thereof. 
     As used herein, the term “digital processor” is meant generally to include all types of digital processing devices including, without limitation, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computers (RISC), general-purpose (CISC) processors, microprocessors, gate arrays (e.g., FPGAs), Reconfigurable Compute Fabrics (RCFs), and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Such digital processors may be contained on a single unitary IC die, or distributed across multiple components. 
     As used herein, the term “port pair” refers to an upper and lower modular connector (port) which are in a substantially over-under arrangement; i.e., one port disposed substantially atop the other port, whether directly or offset in a given direction. 
     As used herein, the term “modular plug” is meant to include any type of electrical connector designed for mating with a corresponding component or receptacle for transmitting electrical and/or light energy. For example, the well known “RJ” type plugs (e.g., RJ11 or RJ45) comprise modular plugs; however, it will be recognized that the present invention is in no way limited to such devices. 
     As used herein, the terms “jack” and “connector” refer generally to any interconnection apparatus adapted to transfer signals or data across an interface including for example and without limitation (i) modular jacks, as well as (ii) multi-pin-connectors, (e.g., D-type), (iii) coaxial connectors, (iv) BNC connectors, (v) ribbon-type connectors, and (v) other connectors not specifically identified above. 
     As used herein, the terms “client device”, “peripheral device” and “end user device” include, but are not limited to, personal computers (PCs) and minicomputers, whether desktop, laptop, or otherwise, set-top boxes such as the Motorola DCT2XXX/5XXX and Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2XXX/3XXX/4XXX/8XXX series digital devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the “Palm®” or Blackberry families of devices, handheld computers, personal communicators, J2ME equipped devices, cellular telephones, or literally any other device capable of interchanging data with a network. 
     As used herein, the term “network” refers generally to any system having two or more nodes that is capable of carrying data or other signals and/or power. Examples of networks include, without limitation, LANs (e.g., Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, etc.), WANs, PANs, MANs, internets (e.g., the Internet), intranets, HFC networks, etc. Such networks may comprise literally any topology (e.g., ring, bar, star, distributed, etc.) and protocols (e.g., ATM, X.25, IEEE 802.3, IP, etc.), whether wired or wireless for all or a portion of their topology. 
     As used herein, the term “Wi-Fi” refers to, without limitation, any of the variants of IEEE-Std. 802.11 or related standards including 802.11a/b/f/g/n. 
     As used herein, the term “wireless” means any wireless signal, data, communication, or other interface including without limitation Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G (3GPP/3GPPS), HSDPA/HSUPA, TDMA, CDMA (e.g., IS-95A, WCDMA, etc.), FHSS, DSSS, GSM, UMTS, PAN/802.15, WiMAX (802.16), 802.20, narrowband/FDMA, OFDM, PCS/DCS, analog cellular, CDPD, satellite systems, millimeter wave or microwave systems, acoustic, and infrared (i.e., IrDA). 
     Integrated Shield/Antenna 
     Numerous approaches to electrical connectors, including so-called “modular jacks”, exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,302 entitled “Advanced microelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,298 entitled “Connector assembly with light source sub-assemblies and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,936 entitled “Connector with insert assembly and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,540 entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector assembly and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,551 entitled “Connector assembly with side-by-side terminal arrays”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,548 entitled “Microelectronic connector with open-cavity insert”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,664 entitled “Shielded microelectronic connector with indicators and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,425 entitled “Simplified microelectronic connector and method of manufacturing”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,560 entitled “Connector assembly with side-by-side terminal arrays”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,741 entitled “Modular Microelectronic connector and method for manufacturing same”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,050 entitled “Modular jack with filter insert”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,963 entitled “Two-piece microelectronic connector and method”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,908 entitled “High density connector modules having integral filtering components within repairable, replaceable sub-modules”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,884 entitled “Electrical connector jack with encapsulated signal conditioning components”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,910 entitled “Modular jack connector with a flexible laminate capacitor mounted on a circuit board”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,805 entitled “Modular jack with filter insert”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641 entitled “Modular jack”, each of the foregoing patents incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, disclose various approaches to including electronic and/or integrated circuit components within such connectors. United States Patent Application Publication No. 20030194908 to Brown, et al. published Oct. 16, 2003 entitled “Compact Serial-To Ethernet Conversion Port”, also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an Ethernet-enabled connector having LAN functionality. These and other connector configurations advantageously may be used with the improved antenna shield apparatus of the invention, the latter which is largely agnostic to the underlying connector or jack architecture. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the front face of a first embodiment of an integrated noise (so-called “Faraday”) Shield Antenna (“FSA”) connector assembly  100  according to the invention is shown. In the present embodiment, the FSA connector assembly  100  incorporates a standard telecommunications or networking connector  112  (e.g., RJ-11 or RJ-45) common throughout the electronics industry. Telecommunications connectors  112  often incorporate an external shield  102  which prevents radiation noise from interfering with electronic signal paths present within the connector  112  from signal paths immediately adjacent and external to the connector  112 . Conversely, the shield  102  also acts to prevent signal noise originating from inside the connector from radiating onto adjacent signal paths or components external to the connector  112 . This is particularly important in applications having high signal path densities (e.g. telecommunications routers), where multiple data signal paths lie in close proximity to one another. The shield  102  may also act as a heat dissipation path, such as where comparatively high power components within the connector require conductive, radiating, or convective heat dissipation in order to maintain internal temperatures within specification. 
     In the present embodiment, the antenna  114  is disposed substantially on or formed within the front face  118  of the connector  112 . In many applications, such as when the connector  112  is disposed in a laptop computer or a router, the front face  118  is the only portion of the connector  112  that is exposed freely to the outside environment, thereby allowing the antenna  114  to radiate largely without obstruction. 
     However, it will be recognized that where other surfaces of the connector are exposed (or otherwise disposed similarly to the front face with respect to radio frequency transmission/receipt), these may be used as the basis of the antenna. For example, it may be desirable to incorporate the antenna  114  into other face(s) of the connector (alone or in conjunction with the front face) where the connector is completely exposed, or merely shrouded in an RF-transparent material, or alternatively to orient the main radiation lobe(s) in a desired direction with respect to other components or devices. 
     In the foregoing regard, the present invention also contemplates an array of antenna elements, such as for example where: (i) a multi-port (e.g., 2×N) connector array is used, with multiple antennas on the front (and/or other) face of the device; or (ii) first and second antennas are used on the front and a side face of the connector. It is also contemplated that multiple shield antennas formed into an array may comprise a phased or MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) antenna array for purposes of enhanced signal recovery (thereby also ostensibly allowing for lower radiated power from the transmitter). MIMO and phased antenna configurations are well known in the wireless signal processing arts, and accordingly not described further herein, although it will be noted that such processing (e.g., via integrated circuits, SoC, or digital processor devices contained within the connector or proximate thereto) are also contemplated by the present invention. 
     The antenna  114  shown in the present embodiment of  FIG. 1  is an inverted F type antenna. The inverted F type antenna  114  of  FIG. 1  is characterized by a narrow slot  104  that wraps around the periphery of the plug receptacle of the connector  112 . The slot  104  in the present embodiment measures about 0.4 mm in width and has a length of roughly 30-35 mm, although it will be readily appreciated that other dimensions may be used consistent with the invention. Because the front face of a typical RJ-type connector only measures about 16 mm by 13 mm, to obtain the length of roughly 30-35 mm needed in the exemplary 2.4 GHz antenna application, the slot needs to be wrapped around at least part of the periphery of the connector face. In other embodiments where the connector face is larger, the slot may not necessarily need to be shaped as shown in  FIG. 1  as the slot may be able to be accommodated in one bend or less. Alternatively, in designs that are smaller than the aforementioned 16 mm×13 mm size common with RJ-type ports, the number of bends to accommodate the slot may be greater than the amount shown in  FIG. 1 . In any event, it is contemplated that the antenna  114  may need to accommodate a variety of geometric shapes in order to be accommodated in the wide variety of connector formats presently used. The antenna  114  will also comprise a feed point  110 . The feed point  110 , as is well understood in the wireless signal arts, is where the radio frequency power is fed to the antenna via internal circuitry resident within the connector  100 . The antenna  114  also comprises a ground termination  106  and a matching 0.5 pF capacitor  108 . The capacitor utilized may be any available capacitor type including, a Mylar film capacitor, a Kapton capacitor, a polystyrene capacitor, a polycarbonate plastic film capacitor, a polypropylene plastic film capacitor, or the like. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1   a , the antenna  114  in the present embodiment emits at a center frequency of 2.4 GHz, which can be used in applications operating in this unlicensed ISM frequency band such as Bluetooth, WiFi, etc. The Bluetooth topology, for instance, supports both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections. Multiple ‘slave’ devices can be set to communicate with a ‘master’ device. The devices are authenticated (optionally) using a RAND-based bonding or pairing process of the type well known in the art (e.g., in Mode 3 link layer security, or Mode 2 “L2CAP” or service-based security). In this fashion, the connector  100  of the present invention, when outfitted with a Bluetooth wireless integrated circuit, may communicate directly with other Bluetooth compliant mobile or fixed devices including other connectors within the same or a different device, a subject&#39;s cellular telephone, PDA, notebook computer, desktop computer, or other devices. Alternatively, a number of different RF-enabled connectors may be monitored and interfaced in real time at a centralized location, such as e.g., a “master” Bluetooth node located on the same motherboard as a Bluetooth equipped connector. 
     Bluetooth-compliant devices, as previously discussed, operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. The ISM band is dedicated to unlicensed users, thereby advantageously allowing for unrestricted spectral access. The exemplary Bluetooth modulator uses one or more variants of frequency shift keying, such as Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) or Gaussian Minimum Shift keying (GMSK) of the type well known in the art to modulate data onto the carrier(s), although other types of modulation (such as phase modulation or amplitude modulation) may be used. 
     Spectral access of the device is accomplished via frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), although other approaches such as frequency divided multiple access (FDMA), direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS, including code division multiple access) using a pseudo-noise spreading code, OFDM, or even time division multiple access may be used depending on the needs of the user. For example, devices complying with IEEE Std. 802.11a/b//g/n may be substituted for the Bluetooth arrangement previously described if desired. Literally any wireless integrated circuit coupled with a connector design capable of accommodating an antenna capable of operating in the wireless protocol operating band may be used with proper adaptation. 
       FIG. 1   b  illustrates the impedance of the exemplary antenna of  FIG. 1  as a function of frequency. 
     While the embodiment of  FIG. 1  demonstrates an inverted F type antenna  114  implementation of other types of antennas could be integrated onto a face (e.g. front face) or multiple faces of the connector as well. For example, one could implement the antenna  114  as a loop antenna, patch antenna, meander line antenna, slot antenna, monopole antenna, each of the aforementioned variants being chosen based on the desired operating characteristics of the particular wireless protocol that is enabled. 
     Furthermore, Isolated Magnetic Dipole (IMD) embedded antenna technology such as that offered by Ethertronics Inc. of San Diego, Calif. may also be utilized in the present invention to form the antenna  114  onto or adjacent to the face of the connector, the Faraday Shield, or other substrate. IMD technology may be used in conjunction with the present invention to contribute inter alia high isolation and selectivity while reducing power consumption and providing a small form factor. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1   c , one exemplary construction of a FSA connector assembly  100  of  FIG. 1  is shown and described in detail. The FSA connector assembly  100  of  FIG. 1   c  is shown cross-sectioned along a longitudinal axis with the connector housing removed from view for purposes of constructional clarity. The connector assembly  100  comprises three main components: (1) a Faraday shield  102  surrounding the entire connector  162 ; and (2) an insert assembly  168  adapted to interface with (3) a connector housing (deleted for purposes of clarity). The Faraday shield  102  of the present embodiment is similar in construction with those embodiments previously discussed. The antenna features (as best shown in  FIG. 1 ) are incorporated onto the front face  118  of the connector assembly  100 . 
     The exemplary insert assembly  168  comprises a non-conductive polymer base  172  with a plurality of conductive terminals  160 ,  170  inserted within the polymer base. These terminals  160 ,  170  are advantageously insert-molded into the polymer base  172  for purposes of facilitating later assembly of the connector assembly  100 . The conductive terminals  160  comprise a printed circuit board engaging end  160   a  and a plug-engaging end  160   b  adapted to receive a standard modular plug (e.g., RJ-45, RJ-11, etc.) ubiquitous in the telecommunications industry. External device terminals  170  also comprise a printed circuit board engaging end  170   a . The printed circuit board ends of both terminals  160   a ,  170   a  are electrically coupled with the printed circuit board  173  via standard soldering processes or other bonding techniques. 
     The printed substrate  173  comprises a standard copper clad circuit board (e.g. FR-4 and the like) with a plurality of plated through hole terminations to accommodate the terminals  160   a ,  170   a  and conductive traces that route circuit elements to their respective terminals. It will be appreciated that the printed substrate may also be comprised of a flexible material such as plastic, flex-board (i.e., flexible PCB), metal foil, or the like. Filter magnetics  166  are routed between the signal pins to filter incoming and outgoing signals between the modular plug and the external device. An integrated circuit  164  (e.g., Bluetooth of WiFi-enabled radio suite or chipset) is adapted to transmit RF power via the feed path  158  to the antenna located on the front face  118  of the Faraday shield  102 . The feed path  158  is connected to the Faraday shield  102  via a feed feature  106  by standard operating processes such as soldering etc.; although other approaches such as spot or laser welding, conductive pastes, etc. may be used as well. The feed path  158  may be created by utilization of conductive ink, inset molding, etching, laser cutting, or other methods which are well known in the field. The particular dimensional and routing configuration used within the connector  162 , however are largely dependent on the radiating characteristics needed for the antenna, and hence the present invention contemplates that other dimensions, component placements, routing, and materials may be used to accomplish the desired deign objectives. 
       FIG. 1   d  shows an exemplary schematic of one embodiment of the antenna of the invention. Note that the capacitor  199  shown is optional, and can be replaced or complemented with other components well known in the antenna arts. The capacitor itself may be of any type including for example, a chip capacitor, Mylar capacitor, a Kapton capacitor, a polystyrene capacitor, a polycarbonate plastic film capacitor, or a polypropylene plastic film capacitor. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2   a , yet another embodiment of an FSA connector  200  is described in detail. The FSA connector  200  of  FIG. 2   a  incorporates an eight (8) conductor (not shown) RJ—type port  202  (e.g. RJ-45), a port adapted to accommodate two (2) USB ports  204 , an antenna  212 , and a Faraday shield  206  encasing the FSA connector housing  210 . The connector itself (i.e. without the antenna  212 ), comprises a standard USB/RJ45 connector ubiquitous in the telecommunications industry. One exemplary “modular over USB” configuration useful with the present invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,089 to Costello, et al. issued Dec. 19, 2000 and entitled “Stacked LAN connector”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, although it will be recognized that myriad other designs and approaches can be used consistent with the invention, including homogenous configurations (e.g., RJ-45/RJ-45, USB/USB, etc.), other types of heterogeneous configurations (e.g., RJ-45/RJ-11, RJ-11/USB, etc.), and stacked “N×M” rows or port pairs. 
     The connector housing  210  is in the illustrated embodiment formed in plastic such as via an injection molding or transfer molding process, although other approaches may be used. 
     The exemplary FSA connector  200  of  FIG. 2   a  further comprises a plurality of ground pin terminations  201  adapted to interface with the printed circuit board of an external peripheral device. Optional Electromagnetic interference (“EMr”) ground tabs (not shown) may also be readily incorporated into the external shield  206  and would be adapted to interface with a ground plane on an external device to further enhance EMI performance of the system. 
     As can be seen, the external shield  206  may also readily incorporate other features such as ports  203  that allow for the emission of LED light, etc. Also, while the antenna  212 , of the present embodiment is shown as being positioned around the periphery of the USB port opening  204 , it is envisioned that in alternative embodiments that the antenna  212  may alternatively run around the periphery of the RJ port  202  or a combination of both ports. 
     Also illustrated in  FIG. 2   a  is the optional connector assembly alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is comprised of an alignment tab  214  and an alignment slot  216 . The alignment tab  214  comprises a protruding element which is disposed on the face of the connector housing  210 . The alignment slot  216  is an aperture disposed on the external shield  206  which is designed to receive the alignment tab  214  upon proper alignment of the connector housing  210  and the external shield  206 , thereby providing proper shield (and hence antenna) registration during assembly. 
     It will also be appreciated that the antenna portion of the exemplary connector and shield of  FIG. 2   a  (and for that matter other embodiments described herein) can be made separable from the rest of the shield. For example, a front face antenna portion of the shield can comprise a separate component (not shown) from the remainder of the shield, so as to facilitate reconfiguration of the connector with a different antenna if desired. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2   b , a close up view showing an embodiment of the antenna  212  shown in  FIG. 2   a  is described in detail. Similar to the embodiment of the antenna described with respect to  FIG. 1 , the antenna  212  of  FIG. 2   b  comprises an inverted F type antenna. The inverted F type antenna  212  of  FIG. 2   b  is characterized by a narrow slot  213  having a slot width “SW” that wraps around the periphery of the plug receptacle of the connector  200 . Similar to the antenna shown in  FIG. 1 , the slot  213  in the present embodiment measures about 0.4 mm in width and has a length of roughly 30-35 mm. The antenna  212  also comprises a feed point. The feed point, as previously discussed, is where the radio frequency power is fed to the antenna  212  via internal circuitry resident within the connector  200 , although an external feed (e.g., from another proximate board-mounted or other component) may be used if desired. The antenna  212  also comprises a ground terminations  208  and feed point  218 . The feed point  218  is adapted for surface mounting or other electrical mating to an external device circuit board. 
     Also, while the aforementioned embodiments primarily envision incorporating the antenna into the external connector shield, other configurations are contemplated that do not necessarily require the use of a Faraday shield fully surrounding the connector housing. While incorporating the antenna into the connector shield (such as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   a - 2   b ) has the advantage of reduced component count and cost (as many of the features including the slot could readily be manufactured simultaneously with the connector shield itself e.g., via standard progressive stamping procedures), increased flexibility may be achieved where the antenna is not incorporated into the shield design. For instance, in one embodiment, the antenna design may be placed onto a flexible radiator such as a flexible printed circuit board and attached directly to the front face of the connector. This has the advantage that a single manufactured connector  102  can readily incorporate antennas having differing characteristics (i.e. different resonant frequencies, etc.) without the need to retool the connector shield design. 
     In yet another embodiment shown in  FIG. 2   c , the antenna  222  is incorporated onto a substrate  220  disposed adjacent the external shield  206  and the front of the connector housing  210 . Similar to the flexible radiator embodiments described previously herein, the embodiment of  FIG. 2   c  has the advantage that multiple antenna designs may readily be incorporated into a single mechanical connector design. In other words, it is often much simpler and cost effective to modify the substrate  220  to incorporate one or more types of antennas than it is to modify the connector  200  itself. The exemplary substrate  220  comprises a substantially non-conductive substrate such as e.g. a copper clad FR-4 material, ceramic, etc., well understood in the electronic arts. The antenna  222  advantageously comprises conductive plating shaped in the desired antenna configuration to accommodate various desired electrical characteristics. The specific configurations and techniques for the plating of non-conductive substrates are well understood in the electronic arts and as such will not be discussed further herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2   d , a cross sectional view of the connector  200  embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  is shown. It should be noted that the cross sectional view of  FIG. 2   d  does not show the Faraday shield or any antenna structure for purposes of clarity. Rather the view of  FIG. 2   d  is best able to show the internal mounting of the printed substrate  282  and its associated data paths between various I/O ports. As can be seen in  FIG. 2   d , the housing  210  of connector  200  generally comprises three (3) main cavities. The first cavity  202  comprises an RJ style port such as an RJ-45 ubiquitous throughout the networking arts. The first cavity  202 , as is well understood, comprises a plurality of contact terminals  280  which are adapted to electrically couple a corresponding RJ style plug (not shown) with the internal substrate  282 . The second cavity  204  will comprise room for peripheral ports such as e.g. a USB port  204  as shown in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   c . The third cavity  288  will comprise a volume able to accommodate a printed substrate  282  and associated electronic components  284 . In the present embodiment shown, the printed substrate is mounted vertically and is adapted for the mounting of an integrated circuit  284  which is surface mounted to the printed substrate  282  prior to its mounting within the connector housing  210 . It will be appreciated that the substrate  282  can easily be modified to include room for mounting components on both sides of the substrate  282 , and also may be disposed in orientations other than vertical, or even be used in the form of a multi-piece component. 
     The printed substrate  282  shown in  FIG. 2   d  electrically couples the contact terminals  280  with the external device mounting pins  286 . In the present embodiment, the external device mounting pins  286  are shown as surface mountable pins well understood in the electronic connector arts. Alternatively these pins  286  may adapted for through hole mounting, etc. 
     In yet another embodiment, the antenna may be implemented using a conductive coating applied to the surface of the connector housing as best shown in the configuration of  FIG. 2   e . For example, the coating may be a conductive ink, Laser Direct Structuring (“LDS”), MID technology, or the like, although other approaches may be used as well. Depending on the configuration chosen, a dielectric base may be needed onto which the radiator pattern will be placed. It is also possible to attach conductive material directly to the front surface of the connector&#39;s dielectric housing via well known processes that can metallize the surfaces of plastic. 
     Moreover, other processes for forming and configurations of the antenna may be used. For example, in another embodiment, portions of the connector housing may be selectively metallized through the use of a selective plating or metallization process such as e.g., electroplating or electroforming, vapor or vacuum depositions, etc. 
     As seen in  FIG. 2   e  (reverse perspective view of a LDS connector  250 ), the connector  250  generally comprises a housing  270  further comprising a connector port  254  and a plurality of signal transmitting pins  256  adapted to communicate with an external device. The connector  250  utilizes laser direct structuring techniques (LDS) to place an antenna directly on the front face  252  of the connector  250 . The connector  250  shown also incorporates a plurality of light emitting diodes  266 , which may optionally be indicative of the wireless transmission status of the antenna  252 , or other signals associated with the connector  250 . Retention features  258  provide mechanical strength to the connector when inserted into respective holes on an external device printed circuit board. 
     The ground tabs  262  are utilized to enhance the overall EMI performance of the connector  250  when these tabs contact respective conductive grounded features on an external device. In addition to the grounding tabs  262 , grounding posts  264  on external shield  260  will further provide further points of ground for the connector  250  to an external device. 
     In yet another embodiment, ceramic antenna structures such as those manufactured by LK Products Oy of Kempele, Finland (LKP) may be incorporated into the front face  118  of the connector  102  (such as that shown in  FIG. 1 ). These ceramic antenna structures may include for example the LKP Ultra Miniature Antennas (“UMA”). These UMA antennas are similar in construction as other ceramic chip antennas, only highly miniaturized. 
     In still another embodiment, the antenna may be constructed from a rigid printed circuit board (e.g. FR-4 or the like) and attached directly to the shield via a copper ground plane soldered to the shield via well known soldering processes (e.g. IR reflow, hand soldering, etc.). Myriad other known approaches in antenna construction may be utilized in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     While the present invention has been primarily described with regard to its utilization with an RJ-45 type telecommunications connector, the principles of the present invention may be readily incorporated into a wide variety of standard and non-standard connector platforms. For example, utilizing the present invention in USB connectors, RJ-21 connectors and the like are also contemplated as possible embodiments of the present invention. In addition, while the antenna construction was primarily described with regards to its utilization in wireless applications operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz ISM band (e.g. Bluetooth and 802.11a/b/f/g/n), other frequencies and applications such as WiMAx, WLAN, GPS, UWB, GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, etc. could also be implemented by one of ordinary skill given the present disclosure herein. 
     Exemplary FSA Applications 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3   a , one exemplary application of the FSA connector assembly shown in e.g.  FIGS. 1 and 2   a  is described in detail. While primarily discussed in the context of the physical connector structure shown in  FIG. 1  or  2   a , the invention is not so limited, and may be used with any number of other configurations including, without limitation, those of  FIGS. 2   c  and  2   e  herein. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 3   a , the connector  300  is adapted to interface with an external device  316 . The external device  316  could comprise a variety of computing devices, including for instance a personal computer, mobile device (e.g., cellular telephone or PDA), a satellite or cable set-top box, networking equipment, and the like. The FSA connector  300  shown in  FIG. 3   a  includes a network port  302  which interfaces with an external network. The network port advantageously utilizes an industry standard eight (8) pin conductor such as an RJ-45 type jack such as that shown in  FIG. 1  or  2   a . Inside the FSA connector  300  advantageously reside filtering components  310  such as choke coils, and toroidal transformers, which are well known throughout the telecommunications industry in order to filter incoming or outgoing signals prior to passing the signals to/from the external device  316 . 
     The connector  300  also incorporates a wireless integrated circuit  314 , such as for example a single chip Bluetooth System-on-Chip (“SoC”) solution manufactured by RF Micro Devices® (i.e. the RFMD SiW3500, 3000, etc.). The Bluetooth SoC  314  can interface directly with wireless peripherals via the integrated connector antenna  312 . The Bluetooth SoC can also allow for communication with wired devices such as the external device  316 , or alternatively communicate with a wired device via the peripheral port  304  (e.g. USB). In alternate embodiments, the network port  302  may be obviated altogether in favor of peripheral ports  304 , thus providing peripheral devices with wireless functionality via the FSA connector  300  shown in  FIG. 3   a  (whether it is via the connector terminal pins  305  or the peripheral port  304 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the wireless integrated circuit  314  comprises a GPS integrated circuit such as the RF Micro Devices RF8110 GPS integrated circuit. The connector can either include a host or applications CPU and memory (not shown) integrated with the FSA connector  300 ; or alternatively it may utilize an appropriate connector I/O  318  to communicate between the GPS IC  314  and a host CPU located on board an external device  316 . 
     In another embodiment utilizing a GPS IC, the connector  300  may be equipped with a GPS, Assisted GPS (A-GPS), or other such locating system that can be used to provide location information. Specifically, in one variant, the GPS/A-GPS system is prompted to save the coordinates of a particular location where the connector (e.g., as used on a peripheral device such as a laptop or the like) is located. For example, a user of a peripheral device may want his/her present location determined without having to instigate a similar procedure via their cellular phone or the like; this can be accomplished by activating a function which causes the GPS receiver to store its present location data internally, or transmit to another device via a wired or wireless connection. Alternatively, the user can maintain a log or listing of saved GPS coordinates (and or address information) for easy recall at a later date. 
     In a manner somewhat analogous to the GPS/A-GPS, the connector can also use its higher level client process to exchange information with other devices (such as for example via a Bluetooth “discovery” process or OBEX object exchange managed by an application which uses the Bluetooth HCI interface, etc.). Myriad other wireless integrated circuit designs could be used consistent with the principles of the present invention. 
     The connector&#39;s location can also be determined via its present in an ad hoc or other WiFi or Bluetooth network; e.g., via an association formatted with a WiFi AP or Bluetooth master whose location is known. 
     One distinct advantage of such an integrated FSA connector solution is that the developers of external devices  316 , such as personal computers (PCs), cellular telephones and PDAs can now integrate a solution into their designs without the need for custom development of an antenna or supporting components. By utilizing a connector with integrated wireless functionality built in, designers can avoid costly development cycles and instead simply incorporate an “off the shelf” wireless solution in the form of a connector having integrated wireless capabilities built in. This is particularly advantageous if the designer needs to utilize a connector in the design irrespective of the wireless functionality; i.e., the presence of the integrated antenna, wireless IC, etc. consumes effectively no additional footprint or volume, which is especially useful for mobile or small embedded devices or the like. 
     Moreover, by placing the FSA connector  300  on board a customer&#39;s external device according to a predetermined specification, the customer of an FSA connector  300  merely need to “layout” there printed circuit board according to a predetermined specification in order to accommodate wireless functionality into there products. In this way, an end customer can avoid having to design for the physical implementation of the wireless solution and instead focus on the value added software/firmware and hardware needed for operation of the external device. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3   b , yet another embodiment of an FSA connector  300  is described in detail. The FSA connector  300  comprises an integrated antenna  312 , a wired port  330  and signal path  340  to a respective external device  320 . The FSA connector  300  also comprises an external device interface controller  322  and respective signal path  318  to an external device  316 . Here, the wired port  330  may comprise an RJ-type port, USB port and the like with a signal path  340  suitable for the designated port  330 . The signal path  340  optionally is able to handle both upstream and downstream data traffic. 
     The FSA connector  300  of  FIG. 3   b  also comprises a plurality of wireless integrated circuits  324 ,  326 . Each of these IC&#39;s  324 ,  326  handles transmission and/or reception of wireless communications via the integrated antenna  312 . These wireless IC&#39;s also optionally comprise differing wireless protocols operating at similar frequencies such as e.g. the 2.4 GHz unlicensed ISM operating band. Therefore, as one example of the benefit of such a design, the first wireless IC  326  may comprise a Bluetooth integrated circuit, while a second wireless IC  324  will handle communications according to the 802.1 a/b/f/g/n standard(s). A switching function  328  (illustrated schematically, although it will be recognized that this may be accomplished via integrated circuit, discrete device, or otherwise) alternately allows for transmission and reception of RF signals according to the specified wireless standard protocols. The switch  328  is optionally be controlled by the aforementioned wireless integrated circuits  324 ,  326  or alternatively is controlled by a separate device such as e.g. the external device interface controller  322  or another device (not shown). 
     To this end, the antenna  312  can also be made to be “multi-band” or alternatively have a similar center frequency, but with altering response or frequency roll-off characteristics. 
     The external device interface  322  comprises a controller (integrated circuit or otherwise) adapted to control communication between the various components either resident within the FSA connector  300  as well as optionally control data flow to and from various wired and wireless peripheral devices (such as the external devices  320 ,  316 ). The external device interface comprises a plurality of I/O ports including ports between the external device interface  322  and an external device  316  via a wired signal path  318 . This wired signal path  318  may for instance comprise a plurality of conductive terminal pins exiting from the bottom side of the FSA connector  300 . The wired signal path  318  however is not so limited, and may comprise any number of known wired termination methods, with the use of conductive terminal pins merely being exemplary. 
     Signal paths  332 ,  334 ,  336 ,  338  operate to transmit data to and from various components within the FSA connector  300 . While shown as a specific configuration, these signal paths  332 ,  334 ,  336 ,  338  are not limited to such a configuration. The underlying functionality of these signal paths  332 ,  334 ,  336 ,  338  is to allow for the transmission of data to and from an external device  316 ,  320  to a wired  330  or wireless port  312  via the intervening electronic components of the connector system. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3   c , yet another exemplary embodiment of an FSA connector  300  is described in detail. The FSA connector  300  comprises a shielded connector having two integrated antennas  356 ,  358  and a network port  302  for interfacing to a wired network. The FSA connector  300  is adapted for use inside of a computing device  350  comprising a microprocessor  352  and memory  354 . The computing device  350  comprises a device capable of high bandwidth wireless communication between the FSA connector  300 , microprocessor  352  and memory  354 . One such high bandwidth wireless technology is termed ultra-wideband or UWB, with the wide frequency bandwidth allowing for extremely high data rates largely in exchange for reduced transmission range. 
     In one embodiment, the high bandwidth wireless communication protocol comprises a Multiband OFDM approach such as that being promulgated by prominent MBOA participants, such as Intel Corporation. The UWB antenna  356  located on the FSA connector  300  permits communication between these UWB components in the computing device  350  and an outside network via a wireless network antenna  358  (i.e. 802.11 g, etc.) or a wired network port  302 . Since the internal distances in the device are so short, the high data bandwidth/short range tradeoff of UWB is particularly useful, and obviates the use of buswork, ribbon connectors, and the like within the device, thereby saving cost and space (as well as weight). 
     The FSA connector  300  and network port  302  disposed inside a computing device  350  is also adapted to communicate with an external device  360 . The computerized device  350  may transmit data wirelessly to and from an external device  360  via a wireless antenna  362 . The aforementioned computing device  350  may also transmit wired communications to and from an external device  360  via a network interface  364  (such as an Ethernet connection, etc.). 
     In one embodiment, the communications interface of the connector  300  comprises a TM-UWB SoC device which utilizes pulse-position modulation (PPM), wherein short duration Gaussian pulses (nanosecond duration) of radio-frequency energy are transmitted at random or pseudo-random intervals and frequencies to convey coded information. Information is coded (modulated) onto the short duration carrier pulses by, inter alia, time-domain shifting of the pulse. 
     As is well known, UWB communications have very high data rates along with high bandwidth and low radiated power levels, which are in effect traded for shorter propagation distances. Hence, UWB is ideal for a “PAN” or subnet of connectors  300  or connector-equipped devices in close proximity. The low radiated power levels and UWB modulation techniques are also substantially non-interfering with other devices in close proximity, and consume appreciably less power than longer-distance wireless systems such as cellular (e.g., CDMA, GSM, etc.), Bluetooth or WiFi. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3   d , yet another embodiment of an FSA connector  300  is shown. In this embodiment, the connector comprises a plurality of integrated antennas, the plurality of antennas forming an antenna array. The antenna array (two antenna elements  312  and  314  shown here for clarity, although additional elements may be used as well) handle transmission and/or reception of wireless communications. The array may comprise e.g., a phased array or a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) array of the type known in the wireless arts. 
     Method of Use 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a first exemplary method for utilizing an FSA connector is described in detail. 
     In step  410  of the method  400 , the FSA connector is disposed on a printed circuit board, thereby placing the FSA connector in signal communication with a device. The terminals of the FSA connector are adapted to interface with the printed circuit board of the external device and can be either of the through-hole or surface-mount variety. 
     At step  420 , wired data transmissions are received via the connector. Reception of wired transmissions can be accomplished under a number of different scenarios. A first scenario is that wired data transmissions are received via a FSA connector wired port from a wired peripheral device. At this point, at least a portion of the data transmission may optionally be transmitted to another device via wired terminals to the printed circuit board to which the FSA connector is attached. A second alternative is for wired transmissions to be received via the printed circuit board and the wired terminals, and optionally passed via a wired port to a wired peripheral device. Alternatively at step  420 , wireless data is received via an antenna located on or electrically communicating with the FSA connector, such as e.g., the integral antenna  114  of the connector assembly  100 , or alternatively an internal IC antenna or other connected device antenna. 
     At step  430 , wireless data is transmitted via the FSA connector. In a first alternative, wired data may be received via the FSA connector terminals attached to a printed circuit board as previously discussed with regards to step  420 . At least a portion of that data will then be transmitted via an integrated circuit to a wireless antenna present on the FSA connector. In a second alternative, wired data is received via the FSA wired port as discussed at step  420 . Data is then transmitted via an integrated circuit to the wireless antenna. In a third alternative, wireless data is received via a first antenna according to step  420  and transmitted via an integrated circuit to a second antenna for transmission to a wireless peripheral device at step  430 . 
     Method of Manufacture 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a first exemplary method  500  of manufacturing the FSA connector, such as for example the connector shown in  FIG. 1 , is described in detail. It will be appreciated that while described primarily in the context of the exemplary connector assembly embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the methods described herein may be readily adapted by those of ordinary skill to other connector assembly and antenna configurations, such as e.g., that of  FIG. 2   a.    
     At step  510 , the antenna features located on the front face of the connector is formed (e.g., stamped) into the base material for the shield. These features can be formed using a variety of well known methods including, for example, progressive stamping, laser cutting, etc. In addition, it is contemplated that these features may not necessarily have to be formed via a separate step, but rather may be incorporated into the base material for the shield using other well known processes such as e.g. chemical etching and the like. However, the use of stamping processes (including progressive stamping) has proven to be one of the most economically efficient methods for high volume production of thin metal stampings. 
     In step  520 , the shield features are formed (e.g., stamped) into the base material. Similar to step  510 , these features are manufactured using well known techniques such as progressive stamping and the like. In an alternative embodiment, step  520  may be performed prior to step  510 . This alternative embodiment has the advantage in that multiple antenna configurations can be used on a single shield design. A first shield design can be stamped followed by subsequent processing by different manufacturing equipment to incorporate first and second antenna configurations, etc. In a sense, such an arrangement “modularizes” the manufacturing process to accommodate a variety of differing design applications such as those previously described above. 
     At step  530 , a connector is provided for use in conjunction with the aforementioned Faraday shield antenna manufactured in steps  510 ,  520 . The production of these connectors, and the methods used in their assembly, are well known by one of ordinary skill and hence will not be discussed further herein. 
     At step  540 , the shield produced in steps  510 ,  520  is disposed on the connector provided in step  530 . The shield is attached to the connector using any number of well known techniques including heat staking, epoxy adhesives and the like. The feed point on the Faraday shield antenna is electrically connected to an associated feed point on the motherboard. This connection is accomplished via any number of well known connection techniques such as e.g. soldering, resistance or laser welding, mechanical coupling, etc. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , another exemplary method of manufacturing an FSA connector utilizing an antenna substrate (such as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2   c ) is described in detail. At step  610 , the antenna is disposed onto a base substrate. The substrate may comprise well known substrates such as FR-4, ceramic substrates and the like as previously set forth. These substrates also comprise one or more conductive metal surfaces which are processed into the final antenna design using any number of standard manufacturing techniques such as silk screen printing, photoengraving, PCB milling and the like. These techniques for printing circuitry (including antenna circuits) on substrates are well understood and as such will not be discussed further herein. 
     At step  620 , the shield features are formed (e.g., stamped) into the base material stock similar to the techniques discussed previously with regards to step  520  in  FIG. 5 . Similar to step  520 , these features are manufactured using well known techniques such as progressive stamping and the like. 
     At step  630 , a connector is provided. The connector further comprises an electrical and/or mechanical interface adapted to at least partly receive the substrate manufactured at step  610 . 
     At step  640 , the antenna substrate is disposed on the connector at the aforementioned interface. The antenna substrate and circuitry resident within the connector are electrically coupled using well known connection techniques such as soldering and the like. Further, the shield is disposed around the connector and is attached using any number of well known connection techniques such as e.g. heat staking, etc. 
     It will be recognized that while certain aspects of the invention are described in terms of a specific sequence of steps of a method, these descriptions are only illustrative of the broader methods of the invention, and may be modified as required by the particular application. Certain steps may be rendered unnecessary or optional under certain circumstances. Additionally, certain steps or functionality may be added to the disclosed embodiments, or the order of performance of two or more steps permuted. All such variations are encompassed within the invention disclosed and claimed herein. 
     While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. The foregoing description is of the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. This description is in no way meant to be limiting, but rather should be taken as illustrative of the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.