Patent Description:
It is often important to "connect" electronic devices together, establishing a communications link between the electronic devices, such as for transferring data between the devices, or simply communicating between the two devices. Exemplary data being transferred between devices may comprise a media file (such as an image file, an audio file, a video file), DRM (digital rights management) protected content, an OS (operating system) update, customer specific code, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) specific code, retail specific code, a firmware image for the destination device, user data, encryption/decryption keys (codes), electronic funds transfer (EFT) data, static data and the like.

In the descriptions set forth herein, one of the devices participating in a communications link may be referred to as a "source" (or sending) device, and the other device may be referred to as a "destination" (or receiving) device. However, it should be understood that data may be transferred in either, or both directions between the two devices.

Some examples of electronic devices which may benefit from the techniques disclosed herein may include cellphones (or handsets, or smart phones), computers, laptops, tablets, or comparable electronic device, to name but a few.

Typically, the communications link between two devices comprises a cabled connection or a wireless connection. A cabled connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) is typically point-to-point, and requires mechanical connectors at each device, and a cable between the devices (one of which devices may be a "hub" connecting point-to-point with several other USB-enabled devices). A wireless connection such as WiFi or Bluetooth operates in more of a "broadcast" mode, where one device can communicate simultaneously with several other devices, over a RF (radio frequency) link, typically in the range of <NUM> - <NUM>.

In the main hereinafter, point-to-point connection-oriented techniques for data transfer between two electronic devices will be discussed. An illustrative example of a point-to-point, connection-oriented communications link for transferring data between electronic devices is Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC implements a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio frequency (RF) communication with each other by touching ("bumping") them together or bringing them into close proximity with one another.

Current mechanical connectors are "passive", and therefore offer no additional features and capabilities with respect to the state of the connection. Generally, either the connection is working, or not. The host system behind the connector may perform some initial analysis (including detection and enumeration of connected devices) in setting up the communications link, which may be time-consuming process and, generally, after the link is established, no more testing is performed, the link simply operates, until it fails. After link failure, a host system may be programmed to attempt to re-establish the connection, which can be a cumbersome process.

<CIT> describes, in accordance with its abstract, a wireless base station in which both the suppression of a power consumption of a wireless base station and the reduction of the period that a mobile terminal takes to identify a cell cannot be satisfied at a time is provided.

<CIT> describes, in accordance with its abstract, tightly-coupled near-field transmitter/receiver pairs which are deployed such that the transmitter is disposed at a terminal portion of a first conduction path, the receiver is disposed at a terminal portion of a second conduction path, the transmitter and receiver are disposed in close proximity to each other, and the first conduction path and the second conduction path are discontinuous with respect to each other.

<CIT> describes, in accordance with its abstract, a method and apparatus for two-way telemetry is provided. For one embodiment, a telemetry interface module may receive data regarding the strength of transmitted signals.

<CIT> describes, in accordance with its abstract, a dielectric strip which is located in a space formed by facing grooves in two conductors. A corner of the groove bottom surface Gb has a sectionally substantial arc form.

<CIT> describes, in accordance with its abstract, a radio frequency module control interface, and embodiments of an extremely high frequency transceiver using a baseband module and a radio frequency module.

<CIT> discloses a millimetre wave transmission device comprising a first and a second electronic component connected to each other by a transmission line and a DC/low frequency transmission line.

<CIT> discloses radio wave communications device comprising a first and a second section connected via a hinge section.

Optional features are provided for in the dependent claims. It is a general object of the invention to provide improved techniques for communicating between electronic devices, which may include techniques for establishing, initiating, setting up. monitoring, maintaining, adapting and dynamically altering the communication links, and which may include improved techniques for alleviating overhead on the host system.

These and other objects may generally be achieved by eliminating mechanical connectors and cable wires, using instead "contactless" (electromagnetic, rather than electrical) connectors and an electromagnetic (EM) communications link (interface). The contactless connectors may constitute a communication subsystem associated with a host system of a device, and may comprise transceivers (and associated transducers or antennas) for converting between electrical signals (for the host system) and electromagnetic (EM) signals (for the contactless communications link).

Data transfers between electronic devices are implemented over a "contactless" radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications link (interface) which is handled substantially entirely by the contactless connectors of the devices involved in the data transfer. (The electronic devices may be referred to hereinafter simply as "devices". The contactless RF EHF communications link may be referred to hereinafter simply as "contactless communications link" or "contactless link", or "contactless connection", or simply "connection". Communication between devices over the connection may be referred to as a "communication session".

In the main hereinafter, "contactless" radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) communications links between devices having contactless connectors will be discussed.

According to the invention, generally, electronic devices (or simply "devices") may comprise a host system and "smart" contactless connector for setting up and managing a contactless data link. A "smart" contactless connector is described in.

Some benefits or advantages of the techniques disclosed herein may include one or more of the following:.

The invention described herein may relate to industrial and commercial industries, such as electronics and communications industries using devices that communicate with other devices or devices having communication between components in the devices.

Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosure, non-limiting examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures (FIGs). The figures may be in the form of diagrams. Some elements in the figures may be exaggerated or drawn not-to-scale; others may be omitted, for illustrative clarity. Any text (legends, notes, reference numerals and the like) appearing on the drawings are incorporated by reference herein. When terms such as "left" and "right", "top" and "bottom", "upper" and "lower", "inner" and "outer", or similar terms are used in the description, they may be used to guide the reader to orientations of elements in the figures, but should be understood not to limit the apparatus being described to any particular configuration or orientation, unless otherwise specified or evident from context. Different "versions" of elements may be referenced by reference numerals having the same numbers (###) followed by a different letter suffix (such as "A", "B", "C", or the like), in which case the similar elements may be inclusively referred to by the numeric portion (###) only of the reference
numeral. With regard to circuit diagrams, some connections between elements which are shown may be described only briefly, and some connections between elements may be omitted, for illustrative clarity.

Various embodiments (or examples) may be described to illustrate teachings of the invention(s), and should be construed as illustrative rather than limiting. It should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention(s) to these particular embodiments. It should be understood that some individual features of various embodiments may be combined in different ways than shown, with one another. Reference herein to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", or similar formulations, may mean that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiments and aspects thereof may be described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, devices and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. Specific configurations and details may be set forth in order to provide an understanding of the invention(s). However, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention(s) may be practiced without some of the specific details being presented herein. Furthermore, some well-known steps or components may be described only generally, or even omitted, for the sake of illustrative clarity.

In the following descriptions, some specific details may be set forth in order to provide an understanding of the invention(s) disclosed herein. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that these invention(s) may be practiced without these specific details. Headings (typically underlined) may be provided as an aid to the reader, and should not be construed as limiting.

The following terms may be used in the descriptions set forth herein, and should be given their ordinary meanings unless otherwise explicitly stated or as may be evident from context.

The acronym "EHF" stands for Extremely High Frequency, and refers to a portion of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> (gigahertz).

The term "transceiver" (which may be abbreviated "XCVR", or "Tx/Rx") may refer to a device such as an IC (integrated circuit) including a transmitter ("Tx") and a receiver ("Rx") so that that the integrated circuit may be used to both transmit and receive information (data). Generally, a transceiver may be operable in a half-duplex mode (alternating between transmitting and receiving), or in a full-duplex mode (transmitting and receiving simultaneously), or configured as either a transmitter or a receiver (simplex mode).

The term "contactless", as used herein, refers to implementing electromagnetic (EM) rather than electrical (wired, contact-based) connections and transport of signals between entities (such as devices). In some of the literature, the term "wireless" is used to convey this meaning. As used herein, the term "contactless" may refer to a carrier-assisted, dielectric coupling system which may have an optimal range in the zero to five centimeter range. The connection may be validated by proximity of one device to a second device. Multiple contactless transmitters and receivers may occupy a small volume of space. A contactless link established with electromagnetics (EM) may be point-to-point, in contrast with a wireless link which typically broadcasts to several points.

The terms, chip, die, integrated circuit (IC), semiconductor device, and microelectronic device, are often used interchangeably, in common usage, and may be used interchangeably herein. This also may include bare chips (or dies), packaged chips (or dies), and chip modules and packages. The techniques disclosed herein may be implemented with integrated circuits (ICs) using standard CMOS (Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) processes. Some functions described as being implemented by chips may be implemented as macro-functions incorporated into application specific integrated circuits (ASICS) and the like, and may alternatively be implemented, at least partially, by software running on a microcontroller. With respect to chips, various signals may be coupled between them and other circuit elements via physical, electrically-conductive connections. Such a point of connection is may be referred to as an input, output, input/output (I/O), terminal, line, pin, pad, port, interface, or similar variants and combinations.

<CIT> (the '<NUM> publication), discloses tightly-coupled near-field communication-link devices, referred to therein as "connector-replacement chips". Tightly-coupled near-field transmitter/receiver pairs are deployed such that the transmitter is disposed at a terminal portion of a first conduction path, the receiver is disposed at a terminal portion of a second conduction path, the transmitter and receiver are disposed in close proximity to each other, and the first conduction path and the second conduction path are discontiguous with respect to each other. In this manner, methods and apparatus are provided for transferring data through a physically discontiguous signal conduction path without the physical size and signal degradation introduced by a signal-carrying mechanical connector, and associated cabling.

The '<NUM> publication shows (FIG. <NUM> therein) a high-level schematic representation of an illustrative embodiment of a near-field transmitter/receiver pair. The transmitter and receiver are not physically touching, but are spaced in proximity to each other such that near-field coupling between them is obtained. The near-field transmitter/receiver pair provides an ultra-miniaturized high-capacity communications link. An EHF carrier enables tiny antennas and very large bandwidth capacity. Additionally, signal equalization and termination management may be integrated on the same chip with the near-field transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver.

As further disclosed in the '<NUM> publication,.

Generally, embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for transferring data through a physically discontiguous signal conduction path without the physical size and signal degradation introduced by a signal-carrying mechanical connector, and without the associated costs and power consumption of equalization circuits. Various embodiments of the present invention provide data transfer between physically discontiguous portions of a signal conduction path by means of near-field coupling apparatus which have tightly-linked transmitter and receiver pairs. These transmitters and receivers are typically implemented as integrated circuits. Antennas for these may be internal or external with respect to the integrated circuits.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmitter/receiver pair includes a first chip with a transmitter and a second chip with a receiver; while in other embodiments the transmitter/receiver pair includes a first chip with one or more transceivers, and a second chip with one or more transceivers.

In some embodiments, the signal conduction path is single-ended, whereas in other embodiments the signal conduction path includes a differential pair.

As further disclosed in the '<NUM> publication, an electronic product may comprise:.

<CIT> (the '<NUM> publication), discloses integrated circuit with electromagnetic communication. A system for transmitting or receiving signals may include an integrated circuit (IC), a transducer operatively coupled to the IC for converting between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals, and insulating material that fixes the locations of the transducer and IC in spaced relationship relative to each other.

<CIT> (the '<NUM> application), discloses connectors providing haptic feedback. As mentioned therein, it is important to provide improved signal security and integrity when communicating between any two EHF communication units. One method for enhancing or ensuring proper signal security and integrity is to verify that a second EHF communication unit is within a predetermined range before or during a communication attempt with a first EHF communication unit. To that end, systems and methods for detecting the presence of the second EHF communication unit and/or for ensuring another device or surface is within a certain distance may be included. Examples of such systems and methods are described in <CIT>.

<CIT> (the '<NUM> publication), discloses a system for sensing proximity using EHF signals may include a communication circuit configured to transmit via a transducer an EM signal at an EHF frequency, and a proximity sensing circuit configured to sense a nearby transducer field-modifying object by detecting characteristics of a signal within the communication circuit. Some exemplary proximity-sensing circuits are disclosed therein, and the proximity of a nearby object may be detected by a change in the effective impedance of an antenna caused by the nearby object.

<CIT> (the '<NUM> publication), discloses EHF communication with electrical isolation and with dielectric transmission medium. A communication system including two transceivers is disclosed therein. A transceiver operating in a transmit mode may include an amplifier that receives a transmit baseband signal and amplifies the signal for input to a modulator which may apply the baseband signal to an EHF carrier signal produced by an EHF oscillator to produce a transmit electrical EHF signal that is communicated to an antenna for transmission. When the transceiver is functioning in a receive mode, an EHF signal received by an antenna and converted to an electrical signal for input to a demodulator for producing a baseband signal. The communication system disclosed uses a modulated EHF carrier to couple signals across an air or dielectric medium. A very high data rate may be realized using this technique.

<CIT>, (the '<NUM> application), discloses CONTACTLESS DATA TRANSFER SYSTEMS AND METHODS. Data may be transferred from a communication subsystem of a first device to a communication subsystem of a second device contactlessly, at high speed, and without intervention by host processors of either device. Devices may be programmed or personalized at the factory or warehouse, and may personalized at a warehouse or at a point of sale while in the box. Various modes of operation and use scenarios are described. Portions of the devices themselves, or a transmission path between the devices may be shielded against snooping by a material which degrades an EHF signal passing therethrough.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, electronic devices (or simply "devices") may comprise a host system and an I/O (input/output) or communication subsystem. The host system may comprise a host processor and "primary" storage. The I/O subsystem may comprise a controller, "exchange" storage, and an RF (radio frequency) portion comprising at least one of a transmitter (Tx) or receiver (Rx), or at least one transceiver (Tx/Rx). The host processor may function as the communication subsystem controller. The primary and exchange storages may be different portions of one storage.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, data transfers between electronic devices may be implemented over a "contactless" radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) Extremely High Frequency (EHF) communications link (interface), which is handled substantially entirely by the communication subsystems of the devices involved in the data transfer.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, data to be transferred may be stored (temporarily) in an "exchange" storage of (or associated with) the communication subsystem of a source (sending) device, awaiting detection (by the source device) of a destination (receiving) device. The host system of the sending device may be OFF, or in a low-power mode. Upon detection of a destination device, a communications link may be established and the data may be transferred to an "exchange" storage of the communication subsystem of the destination (receiving) device where it may be stored (temporarily). The host system of the receiving device may be OFF, or in a low-power mode. Data in the exchange storages of the sending and receiving devices may be firewalled, to protect the host system from malicious code in the data being transferred. The communication subsystem of the receiving device may notify the host system of the receiving device (and may also notify the communication subsystem of the sending device) when the data transfer operation is complete. When the receiving device is turned ON, data from its "exchange" storage may be moved (or copied) to its primary storage. Data may be also transferred in a similar manner from the receiving device to the sending device.

<CIT>, (the '<NUM> application), discloses CONTACTLESS REPLACEMENT FOR CABLED STANDARDS-BASED INTERFACES. A contactless, electromagnetic (EM) replacement (substitute, alternative) for cabled (electric) Standards-based interfaces (such as, but not limited to USB) which effectively handles the data transfer requirements (such as bandwidth, speed, latency) associated with the Standard, and which is also capable of measuring and replicating relevant physical conditions (such as voltage levels) on data lines so as to function compatibly and transparently with the Standard. A contactless link may be provided between devices having transceivers. A non-conducting housing may enclose the devices. Some applications for the contactless (EM) interface are disclosed. A dielectric coupler facilitating communication between communications chips which are several meters apart is disclosed. Conductive paths may provide power and ground for bus-powered devices.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, the process of a first device (notably its communication subsystem) detecting a second device (notably its communication subsystems) and establishing a contactless link may be referred to generally as "link discovery".

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, in point-to-point wireless (contactless) systems, it is necessary to determine when to initiate a link between two devices. In traditional connector-based systems, the link establishment can be determined based on measuring some electrical characteristics that change when a connector is plugged in and a link between two devices may be established. In a point-to-point contactless system, an electrical detection method may not be possible.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, the transceivers of the two (referred to as "sending" and "receiving") devices may be enabled to detect a link partner while dissipating minimal power. Link discovery may be implemented by the sending device (more particularly, the transmitter Tx portion of its transceiver) transmitting a beacon signal, periodically, for a short duration of time, instead of being enabled continuously. Likewise, the receiving device (more particularly, the receiver Rx portion of its transceiver) may be enabled to listen for the beacon, periodically, for a short duration of time, instead of being enabled continuously. A ratio of the transmit and receive durations of time can be established to ensure periodic overlap - i.e., that the receiver will be activated to detect the beacon within a reasonable number of periods. If a transmitter beacon is within an appropriate range to establish a link, the transmitter's beacon will be picked up by an active receiver. This periodic beaconing and listening approach allows for conservation of power (and extended battery life).

Some techniques for link detection, including beaconing and enumeration, and switching from reduced-power to full-power operation, are disclosed in the aforementioned <CIT>, For example, as disclosed therein, a contactless connector chip may operate in a reduced-power state, low enough to allow for "always-on" operation, powering up only when a viable communications link with another contactless connector chip (which may similarly be operating in a reduced-power state) is detected, such as by beaconing or pinging. Upon detection, both devices may move to full-power operation, exchange capabilities and pairing codes, and the communications link may be enabled.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, one or both of the devices which are communicating with one another may be enclosed in a non-conducting barrier (housing, enclosure, or the like, not shown), such as of plastic or acrylic. Electromagnetic (EM) radiation may pass easily through the barrier, but electrical current cannot pass easily through the barrier. The barrier can therefore isolate circuit board and fragile chips from ESD (electrostatic discharge). The barrier may also hermetically seal the device(s). The barrier may additionally provide a benefit to device(s) such as cell phones, for example protecting them from moisture and humidity. The electromagnetic interface (EM) techniques disclosed herein may completely eliminate the need for any mechanical connectors (other than, perhaps a jack for recharging an internal battery) or other openings in the device.

As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, the concept of providing a dielectric coupler to extend the range of the contactless link is described in the aforementioned <CIT> and <CIT>. Generally, a dielectric coupler for facilitating propagation of EHF-frequency signals may include an elongate strip of dielectric material (medium) such as plastic, glass, rubber or ceramic, and may have a rectangular cross section and two ends. Suitable plastic materials for the dielectric medium may include, but are not limited to, PE (polyethylene), acrylic, PVC (polyvinylchloride), ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene), and the like. The dielectric coupler may include dielectric portions made of plastic or other materials having a dielectric constant of at least about <NUM>. Materials having higher dielectric constants may result in reduction of required dimensions due to a reduced wavelength of the signal in that material. The dielectric material of the plastic cable that may be at least partially coated in a layer having a low dielectric constant or an electrically conductive layer to facilitate propagation, reduce interference, or to reduce the likelihood of shorting the signal being propagated down a long axis of the coupler. The dielectric medium may function as a transmission medium (such as waveguide), and the EHF carrier may propagate along a long axis of the dielectric medium, maintaining a single polarization direction. An outer surface of the dielectric medium may be coated or covered with a conductive material (metal) which may isolate the dielectric medium from external interference (and, optionally, and may serve as a conductive path for electrical signals and/or power). Stacked or layered structures may enable multiple signal paths.

As noted in <CIT>, although the dielectric coupler may extend the range of the communication link, the primary mechanism at work is communicating EHF signals contactlessly with the first device over an anisotropic physical path through a dielectric medium.

The point-to-point contactless links described herein are inherently secure. As disclosed in the '<NUM> application, data passing between the two devices can further be secured (such as against "snooping") using a "technical" approach such as (but not limited to) the sending (source) device pausing (skipping) transmission of a data stream at periodic intervals, and allowing the receiving (destination) device to transmit "skip fills" back to the source device during the skipped periods. Further means for providing "shielding" of the transmissions (which may be considered to be a "physical" approach) to prevent against snooping are also described, such as disposing dielectric, plastic or other passive materials as a coating (or layer), or as a housing (or enclosure) around at least a portion of the data paths including the transceivers (Tx/Rx), the contactless link, and dielectric coupler (if any), to protect the data being transferred from being snooped, so that signals passing through the security coating (or housing) may become "muddled" by the composition or structure of the layer/housing, making any signals received outside the enclosure unintelligible. 4A of the '<NUM> application shows devices communicating over a dielectric coupler which may be a plastic material selected for its ability to propagate EHF signals. An enclosure comprising a coating (or layer) of material may be disposed on (covering at least a portion of) the dielectric coupler, and may comprise dielectric, plastic or other passive materials capable of degrading an EHF signal emanating from the dielectric coupler and passing through the material. This "physical" approach to protecting against snooping, in addition with "technical" approaches such as skip fills (described above), encryption/decryption and the like, may provide enhanced security for data being transferred between two devices.

<FIG> illustrates a communications system <NUM> wherein two electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may communicate with one another over an associated contactless link <NUM>. Data may be transferred in at least one direction, from a first device <NUM> which may be regarded as a "source" for sending the data to be transferred, to a second device <NUM> which may be regarded as a "destination" for receiving the data which is transferred. In the main hereinafter, the transfer of data from the first device <NUM> to the second device <NUM> may be described. However, it should be understood that data may alternatively or additionally be transferred from the second device <NUM> (acting as a "source" for sending the data) to the first device <NUM> (acting as a "destination" for receiving the data), and that often information may be exchanged in both directions between the two devices <NUM> and <NUM> during a given communications session.

For illustrative clarity, the two devices <NUM> and <NUM> will be described as "mirror images" of one another, but it should be understood that the two devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be different than each other. For example, one of the devices may be a laptop computer, the other device may be a mobile phone. Some examples of electronic devices which may benefit from the techniques disclosed herein may include cell phones (or handsets, or smart phones), computers, docks (docking stations), laptops, tablets, or comparable electronic device, to name but a few.

The first electronic device <NUM> may comprise a host system <NUM> and a communication subsystem (which may be referred to as "smart" contactless connector, or "smart connector", or "contactless connector", or simply "connector") <NUM>. The connector <NUM> associated with the electronic device may be generally capable of performing at least one of:.

These functions of the connector <NUM>, with regard to interacting with the link <NUM>, the data and the host system <NUM> may be described and elaborated upon and discussed in greater detail hereinbelow (or elsewhere in this disclosure).

The contactless connector <NUM> associated with the first device <NUM> may comprise some or all of the following elements:.

The operation of these various elements (<NUM>-<NUM>) may be may be described and elaborated upon and discussed in greater detail hereinbelow (or elsewhere in this disclosure).

The second electronic device <NUM> may comprise a host system <NUM> and a communication subsystem (which may be referred to as "smart" contactless connector, or "smart connector", or "contactless connector", or simply "connector") <NUM>. The connector <NUM> associated with the electronic device may be generally capable of :.

The contactless connector <NUM> associated with the second device <NUM> may comprise some or all of the following elements:.

The connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may operate without intervention from the host processors (in the host systems <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively), and may take control of the host system <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, or portions thereof.

The connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may open/activate applications, return status/power levels, connection parameters, data types, info on devices/systems that are connected, content info, amount of and type data being transferred, including device configuration based on connection type, link management, quota information, channel control, and the like.

The dashed-line rectangles shown (in the figure) around the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may simply represent "partitioning" of functions, separating (distinguishing) the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> from the host system <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. The antennae shown (symbolically) outside of the dashed-line rectangles may be considered to be within the functional blocks of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, but may be disposed either internal or external to a communications chip constituting the contactless connector.

The dashed-line rectangles shown (in the figure) around the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may also represent non-conducting barrier (housing, enclosure, or the like, not shown), such as of plastic or acrylic enclosing the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> or the entire devices <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, as described hereinabove.

The electrical interfaces <NUM> and <NUM> may comprise communications port(s)/channel(s) to communicate with the host systems <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. The host systems <NUM> and <NUM> may have their own processors (not shown).

The processors <NUM> and <NUM> may be embedded microprocessors, or microcontrollers, or state machines, may run management OS for the connection, may have built-in authentication/encryption engines.

The processors <NUM> and <NUM>, either alone or in combination with other elements presented herein, may be referred to as "means for managing the connection (or communications link)" or "means for monitoring data (passing through the connectors and over the communications link)", or "means for providing application support (for the host system)", or variations thereof as may become evident from the several functional descriptions set forth herein. Generally, all of the functions may be broadly characterized as "interactions" (with the link, with the data, with the host), and various elements and combinations thereof may be referred to as "means for interacting (with the link, data, host)". "Interacting" may include monitoring the link, the data or the host, as well as reacting to states or conditions of the link, data or host, as well as modifying the link/data/host. For example, one of more elements may constitute "means for determining the quality of the connection", or "means for determining the type of data passing through the connector (or over the link)", or "means for altering (or modifying or appending to) data passing through the connector", or "means for initiating actions in the host system", and the like. In some instances, some of these interactions may be performed primarily or exclusively by elements (electrical interfaces <NUM>/<NUM>, memory <NUM>/<NUM>, control circuits <NUM>/<NUM>, measurement circuits <NUM>/<NUM>, transceivers <NUM>/<NUM>) other than the processors <NUM> and <NUM>). The elements set forth herein may be considered to be any "means for performing" any of the functions set forth herein, whether described explicitly or implicitly. In a broader sense, the connectors <NUM>, <NUM> are capable of performing one of more of (at least one of) the various functions described herein.

The memory <NUM> and <NUM> may be RAM (random access memory), NVRAM (non-volatile RAM), or the like, and may comprise registers containing configuration, status, permissions, content permissions, keys for authentication/encryption, and the like.

The control circuits <NUM> and <NUM> may comprise any suitable circuitry capable of (which may be referred to as "means for") monitoring the state of the link and/or actively appending to or changing data concurrently ("on-the-fly") as it goes through the contactless connector <NUM> or <NUM>, respectively.

The measurement circuits <NUM> and <NUM> may comprise any suitable circuitry capable of observing (monitoring) the connection state/status, the connection type and the data being transmitted. Sensors (not shown) may be included to monitor signal strength, ambient environmental conditions, and the like. Signal-to-noise ratio can be used as an indicator of signal quality.

The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may comprise any transceivers (and associated transducers or antennas) suitable for converting between electrical signals (for the host system) and electromagnetic (EM) signals (for the contactless communications link), such as have been described hereinabove. The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may be referred to as "means for converting electrical signals to electromagnetic signals" (and variations thereof), and are described in greater detail hereinbelow. One or both of the connectors <NUM> or <NUM> may have two (or more) transceivers. Having two (or more) transceivers may support a feedback loop, latency, changes, full duplex operation, and simultaneously establishing a second communications link (such as for communicating with the host system).

An exemplary "data flow" may proceed as follows. Data originating from the host system <NUM> (or data originating at the first connector <NUM>) may be provided by the first connector <NUM>, via its transceiver <NUM>, onto the communications link <NUM>. The data passes through (or over) the communications link <NUM>. Data received from the communications link <NUM> by the transceiver <NUM> of the second connector <NUM> may be provided to the host system <NUM> (or may remain in the second connector <NUM>). Data may flow in the reverse direction, from the host system <NUM> via the connector <NUM> (or originating at the connector <NUM>) onto the contactless link <NUM> to the connector <NUM> which may pass the data to the host system <NUM>. The connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may be "contactless" connectors, and the communications link <NUM> may be a "contactless" link, as described hereinabove.

The communications link <NUM> may be a "contactless" link, and the first and second connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may be "contactless" connectors, as described herein. Differences between the contactless connectors <NUM> and <NUM> disclosed herein and conventional mechanical connectors may be immediately apparent, and may be described herein. The connectors may be considered to be communication subsystems of a host device. In this regard, differences between the contactless connectors <NUM> and <NUM> disclosed herein and controllers such as Ethernet (Standard) controllers may not be immediately apparent in that both may handle data flow between a host system and a communications link. However, a distinction between the contactless connectors (or subsystems) disclosed herein and exemplary Standards controllers is that the contactless connectors disclosed herein both set up the contactless communications link and transfer data from a host system directly onto the contactless communications link, without the intermediary (for example) of mechanical (electrical, not RF) connectors and a cable. Further distinctions may be made in the way that the contactless connectors disclosed herein are capable of operating independently and transparently from the host system, without requiring host awareness or interaction.

The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> are examples of means for communicating EHF signals contactlessly between the first device <NUM> and the second device <NUM>, respectively and for converting between EHF signals and digital electrical signals.

The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may each be a half-duplex transceiver which can asynchronously convert a baseband signal into a modulated EHF (extremely high frequency) carrier at <NUM>-<NUM>, or higher, such as <NUM> carrier frequency, which is radiated from an internal or external antenna (shown schematically only), or can receive and demodulate the carrier and reproduce the original baseband signal. The EHF carrier may penetrate a wide variety of commonly-used non-conductive materials (glass, plastic, etc.). Antennas associated with transceivers are discussed in detail in the '<NUM> and '<NUM> publications.

It should be understood that if only one-way communication is required, such as from the first device <NUM> to the second device <NUM>, the transceiver <NUM> could be replaced by a transmitter (Tx) and the transceiver <NUM> could be replace by a receiver (Rx).

Transmit power and receive sensitivity for the transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may be controlled to minimize EMI (electromagnetic interference) effects and simplify FCC certification. RF energy output by connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may be below FCC requirements for certification or for transmitting an identification (ID) code which would otherwise interrupt data flow during data transfers. Reference is made to <NUM> CFR §<NUM> (Operation within the band <NUM>-<NUM>), incorporated by reference herein.

The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may be implemented as IC chips comprising a transmitter (Tx), a receiver (Rx) and related components. The transceiver chip(s) may be packaged in a conventional manner, such as in BGA (ball grid array) format. The antenna may be integrated into the package, or may be external to the package, or may be incorporated onto the chip itself. An exemplary connector <NUM>, <NUM> may comprise one, two, or more transceiver chips.

Some features or characteristics of the transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may include:.

The signals transmitted by the transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> may be modulated in any suitable manner to convey the data being transferred from one device to the other device, some non-limiting examples of which are presented herein. Modulation may be OOK (on/off keying) or other similar simple modulation techniques. Signals may be encoded and packetized and transmitted by one transceiver (such as <NUM>), and received and unpacketized and decoded by another transceiver (such as <NUM>). Out-of-band (OOB) signaling or other suitable techniques may be used to convey information other than or related to the data being transferred between the two devices.

The transceivers <NUM> and <NUM>, or individual transmitters and receivers, which may be implemented as chips, may be factory-serialized, so that the chips and their transmissions may be 'tagged' (fingerprinted), which may enable a later forensic analysis to be performed for digital rights management (DRM). For example, protected (premium) content could be freely (unimpeded) transferred from one device to another, but the transaction could be traced to the specific devices involved, so that the participants in the transaction can be held accountable (such as, billed). Premium protected content may be modified, data appended thereto, and can be logged with chip ID, user ID, or by other means.

Data transfer between the two electronic devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be implemented over a "contactless" radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) communications link (interface) <NUM>, which is handled substantially entirely by the "smart" connectors (communication subsystems) <NUM> and <NUM> of the first and second devices <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. Signals flowing between the devices <NUM> and <NUM> occurs electromagnetically over a non-electrical (dielectric) medium such as an air gap, waveguide, plastics (polyethylene, thermoplastic polymers, polyvinylidene difluoride, fluoropolymers, ABS, and other plastics), including combinations of these materials The EHF signal can pass through other dielectric materials such as cardboard. The EHF signal can pass through a series of different dielectric materials and/or waveguides.

Due to the high data rate enabled by the EHF contactless communication, large data files, such as movies, audio, device images, operating systems, and the like may be transferred in very short periods of time in contrast with existing technologies such as NFC. As an example, a <NUM> Gigabyte data file may be transferred in as little as <NUM> seconds.

The electromagnetic communication may typically be over an air gap may be limited to a short range, such as <NUM>-<NUM>. A dielectric medium such as a dielectric coupler, may be used to extend the range of the contactless link between the devices <NUM> and <NUM> to several centimeters (cm), meters, or more, and reference is made to the aforementioned <CIT> and <CIT>.

The communications link may comprise a dielectric medium selected from the group consisting of air gap, waveguide, plastics, and combinations thereof. Alternatively, the communications link may be a slot antenna in a conductive medium, the slot antenna directing the contactless connectivity in a desired direction. A device (at least the contactless connector) may be substantially fully enclosed by a conductive medium other than at a location where it is desired to emit and receive EHF radiation from a partner device (at least the contactless connector thereof) which may also be similarly substantially fully enclosed by a conductive medium.

It should be understood that in this, and any other embodiments of contactless links discussed herein, an overall communications system may be implemented as a combination of contactless and physical links. Furthermore, some of the techniques described herein may be applied to transferring data over a physical link, such as a cable and connectors. Similarly, some of the techniques described herein may be applied to transferring data over a wireless link, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In the main, hereinafter, the use of a contactless link for transferring data between the two devices will be described.

The establishment of a contactless communication link between devices <NUM> and <NUM> may be initiated by one or both of the devices.

The connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, with embedded processors and embedded measurement and control circuits, are capable of interacting with the link, with the data being transferred over the link and with the host system of the devices in numerous ways, including (but not limited to):.

These capabilities, alternatives and additional capabilities may be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

<FIG> is a diagram (in flowchart form) of a generalized exemplary overall method <NUM> of conducting a communications session between two electronic devices, such as the devices <NUM> and <NUM> described hereinabove, over a contactless link <NUM>, such as has been described hereinabove. The method <NUM> may be described in a number of steps. In some cases, steps which are described are optional, and can be omitted. In other cases, the order in which the steps are presented may be changed. Some steps, described elsewhere, may not be shown in the diagram.

In an exemplary first step <NUM>, both "smart" connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, particularly their transceivers <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, may be operating in a reduced-power mode, awaiting link discovery, as described above. Upon discovery of the link, the "smart" connectors may power up and start negotiating the contactless connection, exchanging various parameters (such as those listed in other sections of this application) and information with one another as may be described elsewhere herein, and setting up the communication session. In addition, the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> can negotiate and set parameters based upon the type of connection - for example, device-to-device, device-to-docking station, device-to-cable - the parameters being set such that link signal integrity and FCC requirements are met. A "smart" connector may also negotiate and set these parameters based on the geographic location, the data rate of the connection, application requirements, whether the device is indoors or outdoors, and whether the device is within an aircraft.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, the communication session may commence. As discussed elsewhere, the session may begin using medium power settings, thereafter adjusting the power level to a more appropriate level, taking into consideration factors such as conserving battery power.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, measurements (monitoring) may be performed by one or both of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, including (but not limited to) parameters such as: transmitted/received power, time-of-flight, parasitic loading, baseband data content/state, etc. Monitoring may be performed by the measurement circuits <NUM> and <NUM> of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively. This step can be performed before the step <NUM> of commencing the session.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, controls (adjusting) may be implemented by one or both of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, including (but not limited to) parameters such as: transmitted carrier frequency and power, receiver tuning and sensitivity, signal path muting, enumeration states, power management, authentication, security, channel coding (On-Off Keying, Phase-Shift Keying, Frequency-Shift Keying, Amplitude-Shift Keying, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, and other channel coding techniques), etc. Control may be implemented by the control circuits <NUM> and <NUM> of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, or by the processors <NUM> and <NUM> of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, application support (directing link operation) may be implemented by one or both of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, including (but not limited to) detecting various characteristics of the communication session between two devices (and optionally notifying the host system of the associated device) such as, but not limited to: type of content being transferred, the type of connection, the type of devices or type of systems being connected, whether or not data will be transferred on demand or pushed into a device, which data is valid to be transferred, the prevention of DRM content being transferred, the prevention of other types of data being transferred, tracking data that is being transferred, appending info or changing (altering) data within a data stream, tracking and logging data transactions, etc. This may include the contactless connector tracking and logging characteristics of the contactless connection.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, various other tasks and techniques may be performed by one or both of the "smart" connectors, including (but not limited to) detecting the shape of the partner device, and other functions, such as may be discussed in greater detail herein.

In an exemplary next step <NUM>, the devices my log off from the communications session, notify their respective host systems, and resume low-power operation awaiting discovery of a new link.

Many capabilities may be enabled by "smart" connectors (with embedded processors) such as have been described herein establishing an "intelligent" communications link. By monitoring and controlling the communications link, as well as by providing application support, several advantages may be obtained. As mentioned previously, some of these techniques may be applicable to cabled connections, and also to wireless connections. Generally, however, the techniques described herein may be most beneficially adapted to contactless EHF connections established over an air gap or a dielectric coupler.

Some capabilities of or enabled by the "smart connectors" disclosed herein will be presented in three broad categories: "Managing the Link", "Modifying the Data", and "Providing Application Support". It should be understood that some of the capabilities presented in one category may involve capabilities being performed in another category or may be performed entirely in another category. Some capabilities that may not be neatly organized into these three broad categories may be discussed under the heading (in the category of) "Other Capabilities". The organization of capabilities into these categories is meant to be illustrative, not limiting.

Managing the link <NUM> by the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may include (but is not limited to):.

Since the connection is contactless, may be "short reach" (<NUM>-<NUM>), and the devices <NUM> and <NUM> may move around with respect to one another, it may be advantageous for one or both of the "smart" connectors <NUM> and <NUM> to determine and monitor how much mechanical margin is present. (A given connector may determine link quality and react, and may notify its host, and can notify the other connector. ) For example, the condition of the connection can be monitored, over time, and it can readily be determined whether the connection is improving or degrading. If it is determined that the connection is improving, appropriate actions such as increasing data rate or reducing power may be implemented. If it is determined that the connection is degrading, a time to connection failure may be calculated (estimated), and appropriate actions such as storing an indications of data transfer progress or smoothly shutting down the transceivers (or the host system, if it was woken up for the communication session) may be implemented, to name but a few actions that may be taken in response to link condition and history.

Conditions such as connection state can be determined, including factors such as time-of-flight, and used to verify proper connection, thereby providing security for the communication session. Vibrations can be detected, such as inferred by rapid small changes in position over time. This may be useful for detecting mechanical vibrations in engines, machinery or equipment, and only one connector may be needed to perform this function. Objects and obstacles can be detected. One device can detect the other device, and vice-versa. The proximity sensing capabilities of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> enables the connectors to perform many "radar like" functions.

The time of flight or signal strength may be used as a hash into an encryption table. The key located at the hash indicated by the time of flight may be used to encrypt or decrypt the data as it travels over the link. In this manner, as the connection moves around or the signal is improved or degraded, the encryption code varies creating a virtually unhackable link.

The quality (state, condition, capability) of the communications link can determined (monitored, tested) by the "smart" connectors. This determination can be made at the beginning of a communications session, such in conjunction with link discovery, and can also be performed at any point, including continuously throughout the communication session. The quality of the link may be used to modify the data rate of transactions passing through the contactless communication link. As the quality degrades or improves, the data rate may change (be adapted) to ensure proper data integrity.

By monitoring the quality of the connection, it may be determined (predicted) for example that connection failure is imminent, in which case various actions as may be appropriate may be performed, such as exiting "smoothly" and/or notifying the host system of the imminent failure. (Some mechanical connectors use varying length traces to determine when a link is being unplugged, but these only provide a margin for power delivery, and are not able to alert an application that the data stream will be disconnected in a defined amount of time.

The connectors <NUM> and <NUM> provide useful quality of service capability, such as linear connection strength telemetry, antenna loading, and other capabilities that are generally impossible with a conventional connector which fails catastrophically. These capabilities may be used to determine whether a link is being actively observed by a third party.

Upon discovery of a link, it may be determined that the link is weak, but improving. This may occur, for example, when one device is approaching the other. It may then be determined to wait, until the quality of the link has improved to a threshold level before conducting the communications session. Meanwhile, various actions can be taken by the connector (or by the host system, which m ay be notified by the connector) to prepare for the onset of the communications link. Then, the data that is being transferred may be transferred in an optimal manner, as quickly as possible, without tying up resources of either device for longer than necessary.

Information about the quality of the link may be passed on to the user of a device, such as via the host system, in which case it may be possible to allow the user to determine if or when a given data transfer should occur. The host system itself may decide whether and when to conduct the data transfer.

When a link is detected, the transceivers <NUM> and <NUM> can be powered up from their "always-on" reduced-power state. Initially, the link may be established using a high (such as maximum) power level, then dynamically decreased to a lower power level which is sufficient to maintain the link. Alternatively, the link may initially be established using a medium power level, thereafter increasing or decreasing the power level and determining the condition of the link, then dynamically decreased to a lower power level which is sufficient to maintain the link. Transceiver output may be dynamically controlled, for example to achieve at least one of minimizing power usage, maximizing data transfer rate, meeting emission requirements based on connection type, adjusting power output to improve quality of the connection, adjusting power output to provoke a reaction from the other contactless connector, and meeting emission requirements in different geographic locations.

Depending on what type of transaction (data transfer) is desired, transceiver power output may be adjusted accordingly. For example, a high power level may be used to ensure maximum data transfer rate.

Performance of the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> may be modified to maintain link integrity by adjusting power levels and tuning other parameters. Power usage may be reduced or minimized to conserve battery life, generate less heat, conserve other system resources, etc. Power levels may conversely be increased, to achieve other objectives. In general, the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> are capable of dynamically adapting to link conditions.

Sophisticated power management algorithms may be implemented, including (but not limited to) metering, quotas, speed/power scaling, multi-channel (carrier frequency) control, lock and key algorithms, and the like.

Modifying data passing through the connectors <NUM> and <NUM> to or from the link <NUM> may include (but is not limited to):.

Circuitry inside connector may perform the watermarking (including any modifying) of data passing though the connector based upon at least one of:.

In this manner, data may be modified or secured as it is passing through the connector.

Circuitry inside connector may also maintain a record or what data was sent over the link, when it was sent, DRM associated with the data, User ID, and the like.

The "smart" connector can identify the type of content being transferred over the communications link, provide application support (to the host system), and can modify what is being transferred based on a characteristic of the device at the other end of the link. Subsequent actions may be invoked based on content. As disclosed in <CIT>, data may be transferred from a communication subsystem of a first device to a communication subsystem of a second device contactlessly, at high speed, and without intervention by host processors of either device.

The "smart" connectors disclosed herein may provide an additional level of security for data transfers, including (but not limited to) authentication, encryption, prevention of certain types of content being transferred, etc. Since the "smart" connector may be aware of the content in the data being transferred, it can identify and direct applications to be invoked in the host system. The transfer of certain types of data (non-authorized DRM content, viruses, OS, firmware, etc.) may be prevented. The "smart" connectors can determine what systems and devices are connected, their capabilities, whether they are the source of or destination for data, manage the devices, ascertain or modify device status, ascertain or modify connection status, limit the amount of data transferred, etc. Data being transferred can be tracked and logged, along with information on the data being transferred, transcryption, transactional coding of data, etc. The data being transferred can be modified, including tagged or encrypted.

Digital watermarking, signature detection/stamping and steganography/obfuscation algorithms may be applied to data being transferred over the connection. Connection-state (e.g. span) driven encryption may be employed. Telemetry data may be used to drive encryption. An extremely secure communication session can be conducted between two devices because only the two devices are privy to parameters such as signal strength, conditions which may be substantially impossible for a spying or snooping device to recreate. Threat detection, in the form of link qualification (proper timing, loading) may be implemented.

During setting up the session, a given device may enable different privilege levels, thereby facilitating or limiting data transfers depending on what the other device is and/or what privilege levels the other device has. The communication session may depend upon or otherwise be affected by the combination of the two devices engaged in the session.

Depending on the nature of the connection, as ascertained by the "smart" connector, the host system can modify parameters of or associated with the data being transferred, for example by increasing or decreasing bit error protection, and other characteristics of the data being transferred.

The "smart" connectors enable lock and key algorithms to be applied to data being transferred over the link.

Providing application support for the host system <NUM> and <NUM> by the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, may include (but is not limited to):.

An embedded processor or control circuitry within the "smart" connector (<NUM>, <NUM>) may detect content passing through the connector, and based on appropriate settings within the connector may notify the host controller (in the host system <NUM>, <NUM>) and/or applications running on the host controller of specific content being transferred over the communications link (<NUM>), and may additionally provide bookkeeping and/or security services based upon requests from the host processor or application running on the host. For example, upon notification from the connector, the application running on the host may perform or prepare to perform tasks related to the content being transferred, which may include (but are not limited to):.

application. The content of data being transferred may be monitored and controlled, such as allowing only DRM-authorized content to be transferred. only device at the ,.

The connector (<NUM>, <NUM>) can identify itself to the host (<NUM>, <NUM>) and expose certain functions through an API (application programming interface) or as a device or driver to the host processor or the connected device's host processor, allowing the host to exercise control over some functions of the connector. When two devices are communicating, one device can pass a device-specific API to the other device. When the API is passed, one device may be able to control or interface to the connected device through the API.

The connector may store information related to the contactless connection in registers associated with the connector. These registers may be accessible by the host processor and, based on these settings, applications may be initiated or closed, and functions (such as password access) within an application may be invoked. Based on the register settings received from the contactless connector, the host processor may determine how to treat/react to (such as store in certain memory locations ) data being received via the contactless connector.

A given contactless connector (<NUM>) may collect, store and provide to its associated host system (<NUM>) information about the type of data being transferred over the communications link (<NUM>), information about the communications link itself and/or information or requirements that may be relevant to implementing an effective communication session between devices (<NUM>, <NUM>) associated with the contactless connectors (<NUM>, <NUM>), including tracking and logging characteristics of the contactless connection.

Many of the functions described herein may be implemented in an adapter/interface for a conventional mechanical connector for a cabled communications link.

Security of the communication is inherent in short-reach, point-to-point sessions, and certain "technical" and "physical" mechanisms for improving security have been discussed hereinabove. As disclosed in <CIT>, the proximity of a nearby object may be detected, such as by a change in the effective impedance of an antenna caused by the nearby object. In this regard, a given contactless connector can determine an overall physical shape of a nearby object (which may be the partner device) and, based on the determined shape, certain privileges may be invoked or withheld. In a more general sense, the ability of a contactless connector such as described herein to "see" its surrounding environment, in a manner reminiscent of radar, numerous other possibilities may be enabled, based on the appearance of surrounding objects.

The contactless connector may detect position and movement (change in position, over time) of a nearby object, including another contactless connector, such as to initiate or validate a contactless connection. This may be used, for example, to recognize a particular object, such as by a particular movement relative to the contactless connector. The contactless connector (<NUM>) may further include an accelerometer (or gyroscope) to recognize changes in its own position, or how the device (<NUM>) it is associated with is moving, in three dimensions.

Contactless connectors such as disclosed herein have many inherent benefits over mechanical connectors. A given connector can support many different Standards, changing the protocol as may be necessary, without the problems of mechanical mismatch that is inherent in the variety of mechanical connectors supporting different Standards (including the variety of connectors that may be used within a given Standard). Information exchanged between devices during enumeration or bring-up may be used to choose different protocols (Standards), based on different needs - for example, transferring data using a USB protocol, transferring video using a video protocol, and the like - thereby enabling the pair of "smart" connectors to modify the way that they communicate (transfer data) with each other. The "smart" connectors may determine which protocol (Standard) to use based on (i) information about the connected device (type of device), (ii) detecting the type of data being transferred between devices, (iii) information about the link (such as signal strength, for example), (iv) any other information or requirements that may be relevant to implementing an effective communication session between connected devices.

The "smart" connectors described herein may provide seamless (transparent) authentication and security, autonomously, without involving the host system. Since much, if not all of the tasks are performed in the connector, the demands on the host system can greatly be alleviated. Various levels of security can be "layered" in the connection itself, between the two "smart" connectors. Scrambling and encryption can be based on the characteristics of the communications link itself, based on distance, other parameters, etc. For example, several layers of security may be implemented, including (but not limited to):.

The "smart" connectors <NUM> and <NUM> enable link management, such as sophisticated power management algorithms, metering, quotas, speed/power scaling, and multi-channel (carrier frequency) control. Different connectors may operate at different frequencies. Frequency hopping may be employed. An optimal frequency for the connection-in-progress may be selected.

Some advantages and benefits of the techniques disclosed herein may include, but are not limited to one or more of the following, including various combinations thereof:.

Claim 1:
A contactless connector (<NUM>) for associating with an electronic device (<NUM>) comprising a host system (<NUM>), the contactless connector (<NUM>) comprising a first extremely high frequency, EHF, transceiver (<NUM>) for establishing a contactless connection with another contactless connector comprising a second EHF transceiver (<NUM>) associated with another electronic device (<NUM>) by at least one of sending and receiving data in the form of EHF signals over a point to point contactless communications link (<NUM>), the contactless connector (<NUM>) comprising:
an electrical interface (<NUM>) for interfacing with the host system (<NUM>) of the device (<NUM>);
the first EHF transceiver being arranged for contactlessly exchanging EHF signals with the second EHF transceiver according to a first transceiver power output,
wherein the contactless communications link is configured such that the contactless signals be contactlessly transmitted over an physical path through a dielectric medium,
wherein the physical path through the dielectric medium is characterized by a point-to-point contactless communications scheme that has an effective range on the order of up to five centimeters when the dielectric medium is air; and
a processor operative to:
managing the contactless communications link, wherein the contactless communications link actively conveys contactless EHF signals between the first EHF transceiver and the second EHF transceiver;
monitor a quality of the contactless communications link; and
modify the contactless communication link based on the quality of the contactless communication link,
wherein the processor is operative to:
use a maximum transceiver output power to establish the communications link;
after the communications link is established, decrease the first transceiver power output to a lower power level sufficient for maintaining the contactless communications link.