Patent ID: 7108560

Claim:
A peripheral device, comprising: a device processor; a first protocol processor operatively coupled to communicate with said device processor, said first protocol processor being configured to process a first protocol; and an extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector configured to facilitate communication between said device processor and a host computer configured to be detachably coupled with said extended USB connector, including an extended pin substrate having an extended substrate length longer than a length of a pin substrate of an industry-standard Series A USB connector, said length of said pin substrate of said industry-standard Series A USB connector being about 12 mm; and a plurality of non-USB connector contacts supported by said extended pin substrate and arranged in a connector row in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said extended USB connector, said plurality of non-USB connector contacts being configured to carry non-USB signals; and a plurality of USB connector contacts supported by said extended pin substrate and arranged in another connector row in said direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said extended USB connector, said plurality of USB connector contacts being configured to carry USB signals; wherein said extended USB connector is configured to be mechanically and electrically compatible with both an industry-standard Series A USB socket and an extended USB socket, said extended USB socket including an extended cavity having an extended cavity length longer than a length of a cavity of said industry-standard Series A USB socket, said length of said cavity of said industry-standard Series A USB socket being about 9 mm and a plurality of non-USB socket contacts arranged in a socket row in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said extended USB socket, said plurality of non-USB socket contacts being configured to carry said non-USB signals, and wherein when said extended USB connector couples with said industry-standard Series A USB socket, said plurality of non-USB connector contacts are configured such that said plurality of non-USB connector contacts do not electrically contact either a plurality of USB socket contacts in said industry-standard Series A USB socket or a metal cover of said industry-standard Series A USB socket, and wherein said plurality of non-USB connector contacts being disposed in a longitudinally separate position relative to said plurality of USB connector contacts, thereby preventing said plurality of non-USB connector contacts from electrically coupling with said plurality of USB socket contacts configured to carry said USB signals in said industry-standard Series A USB socket when said extended USB connector is fully inserted into said industry-standard Series A USB socket.