Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Larry W Martin

Yoshimichi Matsuoka

Eric Hc Liu

Manjirnath A Chatterjee

Nicholas Ryan Gilmour

Karl Alun Townsend

Michael Joseph Francisco

Mark Corbridge

William Justin Grange

John Gee Tang

A receptacle may include a locking mechanism for retaining a plug in a mated condition. For example, the locking mechanism may engage with a hole formed in at least one prong of the plug. The locking mechanism may include at least one locking pin that moves to a retracted position during insertion of the plug into the receptacle, and that moves to an engaged position when the hole in the prong aligns with the locking pin. In some implementations, an electrical connection is not formed until the locking pin at least begins to engage with the hole in the prong. In some instances, an electrical contact may move into electrical connection with the prong as the locking pin engages with the hole in the prong. Furthermore, in some implementations, the receptacle may be included in a plug adapter for securely mating a plug with the plug adapter.

Plug-retaining receptacle

A mobile computing device ('MCD') and docking station ('dock') are individually equipped with features and components that enable charging/power signals to be communicated from the dock to the MCD without use of connectors. Other embodiments provide for the MCD or the dock to identify an orientation of the MCD as retained on the docking station. As an addition or alternative, magnetic coupling may be used to maintain and/or orient the two devices in a mated position.

Orientation and presence detection for use in configuring operations of computing devices in docked environments

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Larry W Martin