Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Intrasystem connection – Bus interface architecture
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-30
2003-12-09
Dang, Khanh (Department: 2181)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Intrasystem connection
Bus interface architecture
C361S732000, C439S928000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662259
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims priority to Taiwan application No. 089109809, entitled “A Modularized Universal Serial Bus Hub,” filed on May 19, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal serial bus hub, and more particularly to a modularized universal serial bus hub.
2. Description of the Related Art
A universal serial bus hub is a standard peripheral interface for connecting a computer to different devices, such as digital telephone lines, monitors, modems, mice, printers, scanners, game controllers, keyboards, and so on. The universal serial bus hub can replace RS-232C serial ports, parallel ports, PS/2 interfaces, and game/MIDI ports.
Please refer to FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective diagram of a prior art universal serial bus hub
10
. The universal serial bus hub (USB hub)
10
is used for connecting a computer
13
to several peripheral devices. The USB hub
10
comprises a power port
12
for connecting to a power supply by a power cable
15
, a computer port
14
connected to the computer
13
for transmitting data signals with the computer
13
, and a plurality of device ports
16
for connecting to a plurality of peripheral devices. In
FIG. 1
, the USB hub
10
has five device ports
16
for connecting to peripheral devices. The power supply is used for supplying power to the USB hub
10
and some specific peripheral devices connected to the universal serial bus hub
10
. When the peripheral device connected to the USB hub
10
is a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, the USB hub
10
supplies power to the peripheral device by the power supply.
Because the number of the device ports of the USB hub
10
is limited, the number of the peripheral device that can be connected to the USB hub
10
is limited. When the device ports are not enough, the user can serially connect another USB hub to the USB hub
10
to increase the number of the device ports to be connected.
Please refer to FIG.
2
.
FIG. 2
is a perspective diagram of connecting the USB hub
10
to another USB hub
18
. The user uses a connection cable
20
to connect the USB hubs
10
and
18
. One end of the connection cable
20
is connected to a predetermined device port
16
of the USB hub
10
, and the other end of the connection cable
20
is connected to the computer port
22
of the USB hub
18
. Therefore, the data signals of the computer
13
can transmit to the USB hub
18
. The power port
24
of the USB hub
18
has to be connected to another power supply by another power cable for supplying power to the USB hub
18
and some specific peripheral devices connected to the USB hub
18
.
If the total number of the device ports of the USB hubs
10
and
18
is still not enough, the user can serially connect another USB hub to the USB hub
18
to increase the number of the device ports.
In order to increase the number of the device ports, several USB hubs are serially connected to each other. However, when one more USB hub is connected, one more power cable for connecting to another power supply and one more connection cable for serially connecting two USB hubs are required. Therefore, when several USB hubs are serially connected together, several power cables and connection cables are easily tangled together. Furthermore, the serial connection of several USB hubs is space consuming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a modularized USB hub to solve the above-mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a modularized universal serial bus hub. The USB hub comprises a power unit, a basic unit, and at least one extension unit. The power unit comprises a power terminal for transmitting power signals, and a power port for connecting to a power supply. The basic unit comprises a computer port connected to a computer for transmitting data signals with the computer, a basic unit power terminal connected to the power terminal of the power unit for transmitting the power signals, and a basic unit signal terminal for transmitting the power and data signals. The extension unit comprises a first signal terminal connected to the basic unit signal terminal of the basic unit for transmitting the power and data signals with the basic unit, a second signal terminal for transmitting the power and data signals, and at least one device port for connecting to at least one peripheral device. Each of the mentioned units has a modularized housing and can be mechanically connected to each other.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the modularized USB hub according to the present invention is combined by modules so as to increase the number of device port by adding more modules.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4981438 (1991-01-01), Bekhiet
patent: 5645434 (1997-07-01), Leung
patent: 6462953 (2002-10-01), Tong et al.
patent: 6522550 (2003-02-01), Nishio et al.
Milan, Stakable Power Supply System, Dec. 19, 2002, Pub. No. US2002/0193015 A1.
Chiang Chien-Ju
Chiu Yang-Po
Fan Kang-Yao
Lin Shu-De
Dang Khanh
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Wistron Corporation and Acer Inc.
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