3com Corporation

Rick D Giles

David D Oliphant

Tim Urry Price

Brent Delbert Madsen

Thomas A Johnson

Jeffrey L Jones

Jon A Nelson

Kurt Stewart

Robert Merrill

Curtis Tengan

A communications device and method of operating the communications device are provided. The communications device includes a housing having a first edge portion. A display device is attached to a display device support member. The display support member is slidably attached to the housing to allow the display device to be positioned in an extended position beyond the first edge portion of the housing for viewing the display device when the communications device is in use and a retracted position within the housing when the communications device is not in use.

Communications device having retractable display means

An interface box links a user's cellular telephone with all the standard telephone extensions at the user's home or office. In this way, the portable cellular telephone is the interface between the user's telephone extensions and the telephone company. The interface box connects to the cellular telephone's access connector, for example, whenever the cellular telephone is laid in a cradle of the interface box. Through this connector is sent all power, signal and input/output connections. In addition to the interface circuitry, the interface box preferably recharges the cellular telephone's battery.

Cellular-based telephone connection system

A power management circuit for use in a terminal interface device such as a modem which converts available line side power into usable power for use by the terminal interface device to activate a variety of line status indicators. These line status indicators signaling the off-hook status of the terminal interface device, low line side power, or the presence of excessive line current. The line status indicators draw power from the available line side power without placing a burden on the attached digital device or its power source. Certain line status indicators utilize flasher/oscillator circuits to increase the functionality of the line status indicators by providing a frequency based pulse to more accurately describe the operating environment of the circuit. The power management circuit is additionally comprised of a voltage regulator which, when a terminal interface device becomes operational, is enabled and regulates available voltage and current into usable power as available from the interfacing communication network. The preferred embodiment of the power management circuit is further comprised of a programmable hold current sink which enables a terminal interface device incorporating the power management circuit to be compatible with multiple communication networks having diverse hold current specifications.

Method and system for line status indicators using line side power

A chip component assembly is provided that includes a plurality of chip components each having respective first and second terminal elements, the first terminal elements being joined to corresponding solder pads on a printed circuit board, the solder pads being in communication with electronic circuitry of the printed circuit board, and the second terminal elements being joined together by an array ground plane of a grounding device. The grounding device additionally includes a ground path structure which physically and electrically connects the array ground plane, and thus the chip components, to a ground pad located on the printed circuit board so as to provide a ground path from the chip components. Preferably, the array ground plane additionally includes a plurality of resilient contact elements which provide for substantial and continuous contact between the array ground plane and an ancillary ground plane, such as the top cover of a PC card. The grounding device serves to foreclose electrostatic discharge or EMI by the chip components and in some applications further serves to direct undesirable noise to ground. The relatively small size of the grounding device permits the use of a relatively smaller ground pad on the printed circuit board, thereby conserving valuable printed circuit board surface area. Finally, the ground path structure is configured for automated attachment to the chip components, and the chip component assembly thus formed is well suited for installation on the printed circuit board by pick-and-place manufacturing techniques.

Chip component assembly

An antenna system for a communication card provides wireless or radio frequency (RF) communication with other networks or communication systems. The antenna system includes an antenna attached to a retractable platform that is selectably movable between an extended position and a retracted position. When wireless communication is desired, the retractable platform is located in the extended position and the antenna is substantially disposed outside of the body of the communications card. When wireless communication is not desired, the retractable platform and antenna are stored inside the body of the communications card in the retracted position. Desirably wireless communication is automatically available when the retractable platform is in the extended position, and wireless communication is automatically unavailable when the retractable platform is in the retracted position.

Antenna for wireless communication system

Methods and apparatus for wirelessly communicating between a master and slave device with multi-directional infrared transmissions are provided. The master device is equipped with a multi-directional infrared (IR) port in the form of either a PCMCIA communications card, an infrared domed housing or a plurality of IR ports, positioned multi-directionally, about a computing system configuration. The IR port has a plurality of IR pairs, infrared isolated therebetween, comprised of an infrared transmitter and receiver. From the master device, each of the IR transmitters transmit an attention pulse in a wide-angular pattern in a singular plane to attract the attention of the slave device regardless of its physical placement in relation to the master device. In response to the attention pulse, the slave device sends a reply. Thereafter, the reply is evaluated at each of the IR pairs according to various criteria to select the IR pair or pairs best suited for infrared communications with the slave device. Preferably, the IR pair is selected so that the most accurate, fastest and/or strongest signal strength communications are effectuated between the master and slave devices. Once the IR pair providing the desired infrared communication characteristic is selected, the physical placement of the slave device is stored and associated with that IR pair. Storage is preferably performed by a look-up table so that during subsequent communications between the master and slave device, the preferred IR pair can be quickly selected and communications established in a fast manner. A protocol for communicating between this invention and conventional devices is also described.

Multi-directional infrared port and methods of using same

An electrical jack system is operable with an electrical plug, such as an RJ-type plug. In one embodiment, the electrical plug is at least partially translucent. The jack system includes a housing bounding a socket. The socket is configured to receive the electrical plug. A light source is coupled with the housing so as to selectively illuminate the socket and/or the translucent electrical plug when the translucent electrical plug is received within the socket of the housing. In one embodiment, the light source is a light emitter, such as an LED, mounted on the housing so as to be at least partially exposed to the socket of the housing. In an alternative embodiment, an opening is formed on the housing in communication with the socket. A light emitter is disposed a distance from the opening on the housing. A conduit extends between the light emitter and the opening. The conduit, such as a light pipe, is configured to channel light from the light emitter to the opening on the housing.

Illuminating electrical jack system

Methods and apparatus for providing temperature compensation for a communications card, such as a modem or network card, to minimize retrain sequences between the communications card and another communications card during periods of temperature build-up within the communications card are disclosed. It is a feature of the invention to provide this temperature compensation regardless of the speed or temperature of arriving at a steady state temperature and regardless of the make of the communications card, host computer or computing temperature environment under examination. In a preferred embodiment, a keyword between the communications card and a host computer is compared to provide unique heat compensation for these two devices that have generally different, but consistent, heating characteristics. If the keywords do not match, a plurality of original delta values are developed in accordance with the heating characteristics between the communications card and the host computer for adjusting filter coefficients of a DSP in the communications card. Whereas, if the keywords match, a set of initial delta values having previously been developed are set. A temperature is monitored within the communications card so that whenever the monitored temperature exceeds a preselected threshold, the filter coefficients are adjusted by a delta value. The delta value corresponds to a preselected temperature range and is stored in a fast storage device to minimize the time required to alter the coefficients from one temperature range to the next. This minimizes the retraining sequences between the communications card and the another communications card. Ultimately, net character transmission throughput between the communications cards is improved and faster communications result. In one embodiment, heat or temperature is sensed by a thermistor and provided to the DSP for retrieval of the delta values from a fast storage device whenever the ambient temperature within the communications card exceeds some temperature threshold.

Temperature compensation for communications cards

A method and apparatus for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of low-magnitude input signals that coincide with a noise band of channel noise introduced into the transmission of data across a communication channel. A transmitting and receiving modem establish a communication channel for facilitating the exchange of input signals. The receiving modem evaluates the noise spectrum of the communication channel on a dynamic basis at the commencement of the exchange of information. The transmitting modem suspends transmission while the receiving modem evaluates the noise band and magnitude of the noise information. The channel noise band and levels are transmitted from the receiving modem to the transmitting modem to generate pre-compensation modulation points that have an enhanced magnitude outside the channel noise. The enhanced low-magnitude input signal and all other signals are propagated across the communication channel and exposed to the channel noise. The signal-to-noise ratio of the low-magnitude signal is improved due to the magnitude enhancement of the susceptible signals prior to transmission.

Method and apparatus for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of

A communications card is provided having a plurality of communications ports, capable of receiving and being placed in electrical communication with a media connector, that are pivotably maneuverable from within a housing of the communications card, a closed position, to a position outside of the card, an open position, to reveal the communications ports. In a preferred embodiment, the communications card has an upper and lower planar surface from which an elongate member pivots about a pivot means between the open and closed positions. A rail insertably mated with a channel of the elongate member is provided to guide the elongate member between the open and closed positions. A spring and a cam pin act in apposition against the elongate member to maintain the elongate member in each of the open and closed positions. A tab formed in the upper and planar surfaces is provided to reveal a portion of the elongate member so that a user can depress the elongate member to cause the elongate member to maneuver from the closed to the open position and vice versa. The communications card also has a printed circuit board capable of being placed in electrical communication with a host computer. The printed circuit board is also in electrical communication with the apertures by an electrical connection means to ultimately connect the media connector, attached to a communications line, with the computer.

Growing community of inventors

Sandy, UT, United States of America

Rick D Giles