Wireless Devices

Abstract

To provide a wireless device that functions as a USB host and can perform data communication while being powered.SOLUTION: A host wireless adapter 93 includes an optical LAN / USB protocol conversion portion 94 and a wireless USB host 95. A plug 60 is connected to the host wireless adapter 93, and a power line 88 and a ground line 89 are connected to the power source for driving the optical LAN / USB protocol conversion portion 94 and the wireless USB host, and an optical fiber 20' is connected to the optical LAN / USB protocol conversion portion. The optical LAN / USB protocol conversion portion converts a LAN signal transmitted from a switchboard HUB to an outlet via the optical fiber 20' according to the USB protocol, and outputs it to the wireless USB host. The wireless USB host transmits the USB signal as a radio wave from an antenna 96.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, when taking in commercial power, one end of a power cord is equipped with a plug that has two electrodes or three electrodes, which includes an earth electrode, and this plug is inserted into an outlet to connect the power supply line from the switchboard to the power line of the power cord. The other end of such a power cord is connected to the power supply unit of a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as PC), for example, to form a power supply system for the PC.

[0003] Recently, there have been many cases where LANs (local area networks) are formed using multiple computers and printers (for simplicity's sake, we will use computers to represent the rest) to enable data exchange between them, and optical fiber is becoming more and more popular as a signal line for LANs. In this case, the PCs that serve as terminals that make up the LAN naturally require a power supply and optical fiber connection, so the PC's power supply unit is connected to the outlet with the power cord mentioned above, and the optical terminal is connected to the LAN HUB (hub) with an optical cable.

[0004] That is, at least a power cord and an optical cable must extend from the personal computer, resulting in congestion of wiring. As a countermeasure to wiring congestion, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2001-266665 and 2001-318286 propose a composite cable in which a power cord and an optical cable are integrated. That is, these composite cables have a power line and an optical fiber embedded in a common sheath, forming the whole into a single cable. [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-266665 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-318286 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to function as a USB host and perform data communication while receiving power.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a wireless device that functions as a USB host and can perform data communication while being powered. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the wireless device of the present invention comprises a non-wireless communication unit that performs USB protocol communication, a wireless communication unit that includes a master / slave type wireless data communication means, and a communication connector unit that can be used to take in power. network The wireless device is not a device having a plurality of external connection terminals for connecting to the connection terminal of a terminal of a single cable used for power supply and communication, and functions as a USB host to which the USB device can be connected, and is capable of performing data communication while being powered using a cable that has a male connector and does not convert the connector, and a female connector to which it is connected, and is characterized by having wireless communication means with a wireless product having the wireless communication unit. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a wireless device can function as a USB host and perform data communication while being powered. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment applied to the connection between a switchboard and a personal computer. A power supply line 18 and a ground line 19 extend from the switchboard 10 to a socket 30 serving as a female connector attached to a wall surface inside a room. The switchboard 10 is connected to a commercial power line 12. The switchboard 10 is provided with a HUB 14 for forming a LAN, and an optical fiber 20 extends from the HUB 14 to an outlet 30 . Between the switchboard 10 and the outlet 30, a composite cable 16 is used in which an optical fiber is combined with a VVF (vinyl insulated vinyl sheath flat cable).

[0010] The outlet 30 accommodates two power electrodes 40 and an earth electrode 45 within a casing 31 formed by a front plate 32 and a frame 36 joined to the rear side of the front plate 32. The frame 36 is made of resin, and the power electrode 40 and the earth electrode 45 are molded into the frame 36 and each rises from the bottom wall of the frame toward the front plate 32.

[0011] The power electrode 40 and the earth electrode 45 are provided at their bases with electric wire connection parts 41, 46 which engage in a wedge shape with the power supply line 18 and the earth wire 19 which are inserted from outside the frame 36. Therefore, the power supply line 18 and the earth wire 19 are connected to each electrode simply by inserting the exposed core wire, making them less likely to come loose. Meanwhile, the tip sides of the power electrode 40 and the ground electrode 45 extend close to the front plate 32 to form current-carrying portions 42, 47 which can come into contact with the power electrode and the ground electrode of a plug 60 serving as a male connector, which will be described later. Incidentally, the current-carrying portion 42 of the power electrode 40 of the outlet 30 is formed with a bulging portion 43 that protrudes from the surface that comes into contact with the power electrode of the plug.

[0012] The earth electrode 45 rises from the bottom wall of the frame 36 and is offset a predetermined distance along the front plate 32 toward the power electrode 40, with its tip forming a current-carrying portion 47, forming an overall L-shape. The front plate 32 has electrode insertion holes 33, 34 for receiving the power electrodes of the plug and an electrode insertion hole 35 for receiving the earth electrode at positions corresponding to each power electrode 40 (current-carrying portion 42) and earth electrode 45 (current-carrying portion 47).

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode insertion holes 33, 34 for the power electrodes are arranged in parallel facing each other at a predetermined interval, and the electrode insertion hole 35 for the earth electrode is arranged below the center position of the electrode insertion holes 33, 34. The arrangement of these three electrode insertion holes is in accordance with the same standard (e.g., JIS C 8303 2-pole grounded outlet). 1 corresponds to a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and shows only one of a pair of power electrodes 40, and also shows only one side of a power supply line 18 and a power supply line 88 described below.

[0014] The frame 36 is further provided with an optical connector support portion 37 extending from the bottom wall thereof to the front plate 32 . The optical connector support portion 37 has a slide hole 38 parallel to the inserting / removing direction of the earth electrode of the plug, and the slide hole 38 is aligned with the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45. For this reason, a part of the side wall of the slide hole 38 is cut out so that the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45 faces inside the slide hole 38. The slide hole 38 also penetrates the bottom wall of the frame 36.

[0015] An optical connector 50 is slidably inserted into the slide hole 38 of the optical connector support part 37. A guide pin 54 is provided on the side wall of the optical connector 50, and the guide pin 54 is guided by an elongated guide hole 39 formed in the side wall of the slide hole 38, so that the sliding range of the optical connector 50 is limited to a predetermined range. Furthermore, the guide pin 54 engages with the guide hole 39, thereby restricting the rotation of the optical connector 50 around its axis.

[0016] The guide pin 54 passes through the guide hole 39 and protrudes outside the side wall, and a tension spring 55 is provided between the tip of the guide pin 54 and the end of the optical connector support part 37 on the front plate 32 side. As a result, the optical connector 50 is constantly urged toward the front plate 32, and one end is located close to the conductive part 47 of the earth electrode 45 in a free state.

[0017] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the optical connector 50. As shown in FIG. The optical connector 50 comprises a body 51 having a ferrule hole 56 passing through its axis, and a cap 52 having a spring accommodating chamber 53 . A guide pin 54 extends from the body 51 . A ferrule 90 supported by a connecting block 92 is inserted into the ferrule hole 56 from the cap 52 side.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the connection structure between the optical fiber 20 and the ferrule 90, where (a) is a longitudinal section and (b) is a section of the BB portion in (a). Here, a ferrule for two cores is used. The coating of the optical fiber core 20a (two coated optical fiber strands) extending from the switchboard 10 is stripped, and the optical fiber strand 20b is inserted into a connecting block 92 coupled to a ferrule 90. Furthermore, the protective member of the optical fiber strand 20b is stripped, and the optical fiber 20c extends to the tip of the ferrule 90 and is embedded therein.

[0019] As is well known, the ferrule 90 is made of, for example, stainless steel (SUS) or zirconia ceramic, and its tip is polished so as to be perpendicular to the axial direction of the end face of the optical fiber 20c. In particular, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the cross section of the ferrule 90 has a partially cut semicircular shape. In this application, the optical fiber core 20a, the optical fiber strand 20b, and the optical fiber 20c within the optical fiber strand are collectively represented as the "optical fiber" 20 unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them.

[0020] Returning to FIG. 3, the end of the main body 51 on the cap 52 side is formed with a recess 57 for slidably receiving the connecting block 92 therein. The cap 52 is fixed to the other end of the main body 51 (the side farther from the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45) by screwing or gluing, and a spring 58 arranged in the spring accommodating chamber 53 biases the connecting block 92 against the opening end face of the ferrule hole 56 on the side farther from the conductive portion 47.

[0021] The optical fiber 20 is connected to the connecting block 92 and ferrule 90 through a hole in the bottom wall of the cap 52 . The ferrule hole 56 of the body 51 of the optical connector 50 has a semicircular cross section that matches the shape of the cross section of the ferrule 90. This defines the position of the ferrule 90 relative to the body 51 around the axis. A slit 59 for receiving a protector portion, which will be described later, is formed in the end face of the main body 51 of the optical connector facing the front plate 32.

[0022] Next, the male plug 60 that is provided at the end of the composite cable 86 extending from the personal computer 80 and that is inserted into the outlet 30 will be described. The plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30 to connect the power line 88 and the optical fiber 20 ′ of the composite cable 86 to the power supply line 18 and the optical fiber 20 on the switchboard 10 side, respectively, and also connects the earth wire 89 of the composite cable 86 to the earth wire 19 . The plug 60 is made up of a cap plate 61 that fixes and supports a power electrode 65 and a ground electrode 70 by resin molding, and a case 62 whose opening is sealed by this cap plate. The surface of the cap plate 61 faces the front plate 32 of the outlet 30 .

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement of each electrode 65, 65, 70 corresponds to the electrode insertion holes 33, 34, 35 of the outlet 30 and is the same standard as those available on the market, and the earth electrode 70 has a cross section that enables it to be inserted into the earth electrode of an existing commercial power outlet installed, for example, on the wall of a house. In addition, in Figs. 1, 5, and Figs. 6 to 8 shown later, the thickness of the earth electrode 70 is illustrated exaggerated for ease of understanding.

[0024] 1, one end of the power electrode 65 extends perpendicularly outward from the wall surface of the cap plate 61 and serves as a contact portion for the conductive portion 42 of the power electrode 40 of the outlet 30. The other end of the power electrode 65 serves as a connection portion for connecting to the power line 88 inside the case 62. A round hole 66 is provided near the tip of the contact portion of power electrode 65, which engages with bulge 43 formed on current-carrying portion 42 of power electrode 40 of outlet 30. The engagement between bulge 43 and round hole 66 is a known structure, which enhances the ability of plug 60 to prevent it from coming loose. One end of the earth electrode 70 also extends vertically outward from the wall surface of the cap plate 61 and serves as a contact portion for the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45 of the outlet. The other end of the earth electrode 70 serves as a connection portion for connecting to an earth wire 89 inside the case 62.

[0025] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the earth electrode 70. The earth electrode 70 includes a cylindrical portion 71 having a bottom wall 72 at its outer tip, and a protector portion 78 extending outward from the tip (bottom wall 72) of the cylindrical portion 71. The length of projection of the cylindrical portion 71 from the cap plate 61 is set to be shorter than that of the power electrode 65 . A connecting block 92' supporting a ferrule 90' ​​is slidably housed at the tip end side within the cylindrical portion 71, and an inner cylinder 73 is inserted and fixed at the base end side, with a spring 58' disposed between the tip end of the inner cylinder 73 and the connecting block 92'. The connecting block 92' is biased by the spring 58' and pressed against the bottom wall 72 of the inner cylinder 71. The ferrule 90' ​​extending from the connecting block 92' passes through a hole 75 provided in the bottom wall 72 and extends outward.

[0026] Although not particularly shown, the hole 75 in the bottom wall 72 has a shape that matches the cross section of the ferrule 90', thereby defining the orientation of the ferrule 90' ​​in the axial direction. The orientation of this ferrule 90' ​​is set so that when the plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30, it coincides with the orientation of the ferrule 90 in the optical connector 50 of the outlet. The shapes and sizes of the ferrule 90' ​​and the connecting block 92' are the same as those of the ferrule 90 and the connecting block 92 shown in FIG.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 6, the protector portion 78 surrounds the ferrule 90' ​​protruding from the bottom wall 75 with a specified gap therebetween, and its outer circumferential surface is formed by directly extending a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71 in the axial direction. The area surrounding the ferrule 90' ​​of the protector portion 78 is preferably at least semicircular in cross section. Also, the length of the protector portion 78 is preferably equal to or slightly shorter than the maximum protruding length of the ferrule 90' ​​when the connecting block 92' is pressed against the bottom wall 72.

[0028] The length of the tube portion 71 protruding from the wall surface of the cap plate 61 is set so that when the plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30 and the cap plate 61 and the front plate 32 come into contact, a slight gap is created between the bottom wall 75 of the tube portion 71 and the end face of the optical connector 50, but even if an error or the like causes the bottom wall 72 and the end face of the optical connector 50 to come into contact, the error is absorbed because the optical connector 50 is slidable. The depth of the slit 59 of the optical connector 50 is also set so that the protector portion 78 does not bottom out, but any error is also absorbed in the same way.

[0029] 1, a composite cable 86 from the personal computer 80 is pulled into the case 62 through a hole provided at the top of the case, and as described above, a power line 88 and a ground line 89 are connected to the bases (connections) of the power electrode 65 and the ground electrode 70 by crimping or the like. Also, an optical fiber 20' passes through the inner tube 73 of the ground electrode and is connected to a connecting block 92' (and a ferrule 90'). The connection structure between the optical fiber 20', the connecting block 92', and the ferrule 90' ​​is the same as that shown in FIG.

[0030] FIG. 7 shows the above-mentioned configuration in a connected state where the plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30. The power electrode 65 of the plug 60 comes into contact with the conductive portion 42 of the power electrode 40 of the outlet 30 to establish a power conducting state, and the power supply line 18 and the power supply line 88 are connected. The earth electrode 70 of the plug 60 has a cylindrical portion 71 that comes into contact with the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45 of the outlet 30, so that the earth wire 19 and the earth wire 89 are connected. Then, the ferrule 90' ​​protruding from the tip of the cylindrical portion 71 enters the ferrule hole 56 of the optical connector 50 of the outlet, and its tip comes into contact with the tip of the ferrule 90 housed in the ferrule hole.

[0031] At this time, since the orientations of the ferrules 90, 90' in the direction around the axis are set to match each other, the two optical fibers at the end faces of each ferrule face each other with high precision, thereby connecting the optical fiber 20 and the optical fiber 20'. During this time, the protector portion 78 that protects the ferrule 90 ′ protruding from the cylindrical portion 71 is received in the slit 59 of the optical connector 50 , so that it does not interfere with the optical connector 50 .

[0032] Figure 8 shows the state when a normal power plug is inserted into the outlet. In a conventional plug 60Z, the ground electrode 70Z has the same protruding length as the power electrode 65, but the power electrode 65 comes into contact with the conductive part 42 of the power electrode 40 of the outlet 30 to conduct power, connecting the power supply line 18 and the power supply line 88. The ground electrode 70Z of the plug 60Z also comes into contact with the conductive part 47 of the ground electrode 45 of the outlet, connecting the ground wire 19 and the ground wire 89.

[0033] On the other hand, since the length of the earth electrode 70Z is greater than the cylindrical portion 71 of the earth electrode 70 of the plug 60 in the embodiment, the tip of the earth electrode 70Z abuts against the optical connector 50. Here, since the optical connector 50 is slidable along the slide hole 38, when pressed by the earth electrode 70Z of the plug 60Z, it escapes outward against the tension spring 55, and the earth electrode 70Z and the optical connector 50 do not interfere with each other. As described above, the outlet 30 can receive the conventional plug 60Z that is not compatible with optical fiber, and in this case too, the power supply state can be obtained in the same manner as in the conventional case.

[0034] Next, the composite cable 86 will be described. As the composite cable 86, for example, those proposed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-266665 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-318286, and others, can be used, but in this embodiment, as a more preferred embodiment, the composite cable 86 has the structure shown in Figure 9. That is, the composite cable 86 has a generally circular cross section, and an insulator 111 therein has three non-circular blocks 112 that are point symmetric with respect to the central axis O.

[0035] The outer periphery of each block 112 is an arcuate surface 113, and the inner periphery is an arcuate surface 114 that protrudes toward the central axis O. The apex of the arcuate surface 114 has a gap of a predetermined amount d from the central axis O, and this forms a space S between the three blocks 112 that is defined by the arcuate surfaces 114 and has a shape with arms 115 extending in three directions. Chamfers are formed at the corners of the outer periphery of the insulator 111 on a radial line passing from the central axis O to the tip of each arm 115, forming notches 118 in appearance, and the radial line connecting the tip of each arm 115 and the notches 118 forms the partition line 117 between the blocks 112.

[0036] The outer periphery of the block 112 is covered with a sheath 110 having a ring-shaped cross section, and an optical fiber 20' is arranged in the internal space S on a central axis O. In addition, spacers 125 are attached to the optical fiber at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. In the center of each block 112, a conductor 120 is disposed as a power line 88 and a ground line 89. It is preferable that the tip position of each arm 115 described above reach the envelope 122 of each conductor 120 . The sheath 110 and the insulator 111 are each made of a polyvinyl chloride resin or the like.

[0037] The above configuration is realized, for example, by surrounding the optical fiber 20' at the center, extruding each block 112 of the insulator 111 while wrapping the conductor 120, and combining them into one piece, so that each block 112 meets at the dividing line 117, and then covering the outer circumference of the insulator 111 with the sheath 110, also by extrusion molding. With this composite cable 86, when the plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30 and the end faces of the ferrules 90, 90' come into contact with each other and move slightly back against the springs 58, 58', respectively, the optical fiber connected to the ferrules can escape within the large space, and no excessive external force is applied to the optical fiber 20'. Furthermore, even when an external force is applied to the cable from the side, such as when it is stepped on, the space S formed in the center of the interior provides a so-called cushioning function, protecting the optical fiber.

[0038] In addition, even if the composite cable is too long and is tied in a bow, which is not a recommended wiring method, the optical fiber 20' can escape from the central axis O position to the area of ​​the arm 115, and no excessive external force is applied to the optical fiber. Therefore, there is no need for tension members for protecting the optical fibers, which have always been required in conventional optical cables. Furthermore, since the conductors 120 are arranged point-symmetrically around the central axis O, connection with the plug 60, in which the power electrode and the earth electrode are similarly arranged, is particularly smooth and easy. In this case, since the outside of the blocks 112 is covered with the sheath 110, it is not necessary to join the blocks 112 to each other, but if the blocks are not covered with a sheath, they can be joined to each other at the division line 117. Even in this case, the division line 117 between the blocks 112 of the insulator is short, and a notch 118 is formed on the outer periphery of the division line 117, so that the blocks 112 at the cable terminals can be easily separated at the division line 117 when wiring, resulting in a composite electric wire. As described above, the composite cable 16 is based on VVF, but the same structure as the composite cable 86 may be adopted.

[0039] In this embodiment, the plug 60 corresponds to a male connector, and the outlet 30 corresponds to a female connector. The spring 58' in the plug 60 constitutes a first biasing means, and the position of the ferrule 90' ​​in a state in which the connecting block 92' is pressed against the bottom wall 72 of the cylindrical portion 71 corresponds to the first predetermined position. The spring 58 in the outlet 30 constitutes a second biasing means, and the position of the ferrule 90 in a state in which the connecting block 92 is pressed against the open end face of the ferrule hole 56 of the optical connector 50 corresponds to the second predetermined position. In addition, the tension spring 55 in the outlet 30 constitutes a third biasing means, and the position of the optical connector 50 when the guide pin 54 is regulated by the guide hole 39 and the optical connector 50 is closest to the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode corresponds to the third predetermined position.

[0040] This embodiment is configured as described above, and the pair of outlet 30 and plug 60 has power electrodes 40, 65, earth electrodes 45, 70, and ferrules 90, 90' connected to optical fibers 20, 20' and arranged coaxially with the earth electrodes 45, 70, and the end faces of the ferrules 90, 90' face the end faces of the mating ferrules when the power electrodes and earth electrodes are connected to the mating power electrodes and earth electrodes, respectively, so that the power supply system and the optical fibers are connected simultaneously by simply inserting the plug 60 into the outlet 30. Therefore, by combining the power line 88 and the like with a composite cable 86 that integrates the optical cable 20', the wiring around the connection part is also simplified.

[0041] In particular, plug 60 has power electrode 65 and earth electrode 70 extending parallel to each other and protruding from cap plate 61, earth electrode 70 forming a tubular portion 71 with a bottom wall 72 at its tip end, and ferrule 90' ​​is held in tubular portion 71 and configured to protrude outward from bottom wall 72. Since plug 60 has a shape that satisfies the standards for ordinary male plugs with earth electrodes, it is compatible with conventional male plugs.

[0042] Receptacle 30 also has current-carrying portions 42, 47 in which power electrode 40 and earth electrode 45 come into contact with the mating power electrode 65 and earth electrode 70, and is provided with an optical connector 50 having a ferrule hole 56 on the back side of current-carrying portion 47 of the earth electrode, and ferrule hole 56 holds a ferrule 90 on the side away from current-carrying portion 47 of the earth electrode, and receives a mating ferrule 90' ​​from the opening on the current-carrying portion 47 side. Current-carrying portions 42, 47 of the power electrode and earth electrode correspond to plug 60 and are arranged to meet the standards of a normal female plug, and are therefore compatible with conventional female plugs.

[0043] Furthermore, the ferrule 90' ​​of the plug 60 is biased by the spring 58' in the outward protruding direction and is positioned at a position where the connecting block 92' is pressed against the bottom wall 72 of the tubular portion 71, but is able to slide relative to the tubular portion 71 of the earth electrode. Therefore, when the ferrule 90' ​​receives an external force, such as when the plug 60 is inserted into the outlet 30 and comes into contact with the ferrule 90 of the outlet, it retreats in the axial direction against the spring 58', absorbing the external force and keeping the surface pressure on the end face of the ferrule 90' ​​at an appropriate level.

[0044] The ferrule 90 of the outlet 30 is also biased by the spring 58 in the direction of the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode, and is positioned at a position where the connecting block 92 is pressed against the opening end face of the ferrule hole 56 of the optical connector 50 on the side away from the conductive portion 47. However, since the ferrule 90 is capable of sliding relative to the ferrule hole 56, when it comes into contact with the ferrule 90' ​​of the plug 60 which has entered the ferrule hole 56 from the opening on the conductive portion 47 side, it retreats in the axial direction against the spring 58, and the surface pressure between the end faces of the ferrules reaches an appropriate level at a position where the biasing forces applied to each ferrule 90, 90' are balanced.

[0045] The earth electrode 70 of the plug 60 is provided with a protector portion 78 that extends outward from the bottom wall 72 of the tubular portion 71, and therefore covers the ferrule 90' ​​even if it protrudes from the tubular portion 71, preventing damage to the ferrule 90' ​​even if it is hit by another object. In addition, the outer shape of the protector portion 78 is within the outer cross section of the tubular portion 71, so its function as an earth electrode is not impaired.

[0046] Furthermore, the optical connector 50 of the outlet 30 is biased by the tension spring 55 so that one end is set at a position close to the conductive portion 47 of the earth electrode 45, but since it is axially slidable, even if the length of the earth electrode of the plug inserted into the outlet 30 causes interference with the optical connector in the set position, the interference is prevented by sliding the optical connector 50 back. This allows compatibility to be maintained even if the length of the earth electrode of a normal male plug varies.

[0047] Although the composite cable 86 has been described as extending from within the computer 80, if the composite cable and the computer are to be made detachable, then it is sufficient to provide a female plug 100, the external appearance of which is shown in FIG. 10, at the other end of the composite cable, which corresponds to a computer connector having protruding electrodes like the plug 60 and which has a built-in structure similar to that of the outlet 30. Similarly, in the embodiment, the female connector is a socket 30 that is installed on a wall of a building or the like, but the present invention is not limited to this form and may be a female plug 100 as shown in FIG.

[0048] The optical fibers 20, 20' are aligned by matching the cross-sectional shape of the ferrule hole 56 with the cross-sectional shape of the ferrules 90, 90'. Alternatively, the cross section of the connecting blocks 92, 92' which are integrally joined to the ferrules 90, 90' and support the ferrules can be made to have a shape other than a circle, for example a rectangle, and the cross section of the sliding area of ​​the connecting blocks can be matched to the cross-sectional shape of the connecting blocks, thereby regulating the posture of the ferrules 90, 90' and achieving highly accurate alignment. Although an example using two optical fibers 20, 20' has been shown, the number of optical fibers may be set as required, and a ferrule corresponding to the number of optical fibers may be used. In particular, in the case of a single core, by setting the optical fiber at the axis of the ferrule, it is possible to make the cross section of the ferrule circular without the need to restrict the position.

[0049] The connection structure between each electrode and the power supply line, power supply line, and earth line is not limited to that shown in the figure, and any known structure can be adopted. In addition, the arrangement and size of the male and female power electrodes and earth electrodes are in accordance with the standards for plugs and outlets for commercial power sources; however, if the standards are revised or the standards differ from country to country, they may be set appropriately to satisfy the standards in each region. Although the protector portion 78 covers a part of the periphery of the ferrule 90' ​​protruding from the cylindrical portion 71 of the earth electrode 70, it may also surround the entire periphery.

[0050] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the ferrule connected to the optical fiber on the plug side is supported by the earth electrode, but regardless of the presence or absence of an earth electrode, as long as the cross section of the power electrode can be made cylindrical, the ferrule may be supported by the power electrode instead of the earth electrode. It is also possible to allocate single-core ferrules to each power electrode. In this case, the optical connector 50 on the outlet side is also placed on the axial back side of the corresponding power electrode. In any case where the optical fiber is supported by any electrode, the optical fiber is placed on the central axis by adopting the cross-sectional structure of the composite cable 86, making it easy to route the optical fiber.

[0051] Furthermore, by forming the ferrule on the plug side from a metal material with good electrical conductivity, the ferrule itself can be used as both a power electrode and an earth electrode. In this case, the ferrule hole 56 of the optical connector 50 is also made large in diameter to correspond to the ferrule on the plug side. Furthermore, the optical connector 50 can also be used as a power electrode or a ground electrode.

[0052] In the embodiment, an example has been shown in which a power / optical composite connection structure formed by connecting an outlet 30 and a plug 60 is used to connect a personal computer 80 to a HUB 14 of an optical LAN provided in a switchboard 10. However, not only personal computers but also televisions, video devices, and DVD recorders that download high definition video from outside via a broadband router connected to an external optical fiber network can be connected to an optical LAN, and the present invention can be directly applied to the case of connecting each of these devices to the HUB 14.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, when wireless communication is mediated in the connection between the HUB 14 and the notebook computer, it can also be provided as a host side adapter that can be connected to the outlet 30 via the plug 60. FIG. 11 shows an example of a connection between a host wireless adapter 93 as a host-side adapter and a notebook computer 97. The host wireless adapter 93 includes an optical LAN / USB protocol converter 94 and a wireless USB host 95. The plug 60 described in the embodiment is connected to the host wireless adapter 93, and a power line 88 and a ground line 89 are connected to a power supply unit (not shown) for driving the optical LAN / USB protocol converter 94 and the wireless USB host 95, and an optical fiber 20′ is connected to the optical LAN / USB protocol converter 94.

[0054] The optical LAN / USB protocol converter 94 converts the LAN signal transmitted from the HUB 14 in the distribution board through the outlet 30 and the optical fiber 20' into a USB protocol signal, and outputs it to the wireless USB host 95. The wireless USB host 95 transmits the USB signal as radio waves from an antenna 96. Meanwhile, the notebook computer 97 is equipped with a wireless USB device 99, which receives the transmitted radio waves with an antenna 98 to receive the USB signal. This is restored to a LAN signal through the USB / LAN protocol converter, but this is not shown in the figure as it is a normal configuration. This allows the notebook computer 97 to be easily connected to the LAN, for example, by simply inserting the plug 60 of the host wireless adapter 93 into the outlet 30 in the room where the notebook computer 97 is brought. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the optical connector. [Figure 4] 3 is an enlarged view showing a connection structure between an optical fiber and a ferrule. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the earth electrode of the plug. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a connected state in which a plug is inserted into an outlet. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state when a normal power plug is inserted into a power outlet. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a composite cable. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of the appearance of a female plug that can be used in place of a socket. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of application of a notebook computer to a LAN connection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Switchboard 14 HUB 16, 86 composite cable 18 Power supply line 19, 89 Earth wire 20, 20' optical fiber 20a optical fiber core 20b Optical fiber 30 Power Outlets 31 Casing 32 Front Plate 33, 34, 35 Electrode insertion holes 36 Frames 37 Optical connector support 38 Slide hole 39 Guide hole 40, 65 power electrode 41, 46 Wire connection part 42, 47 Current carrying section 45 Earth electrode 50 Optical Connector 51 Main unit 52 Cap 53 Spring Containment Cell 54 Guide pin 55 Tension Spring 56 Ferrule hole 57 Recess 58, 58' Spring 59 Slit 60, 60Z plug 61 Cap Plate 62 cases 70, 70Z Earth electrode 71 Cylinder part 72 Bottom wall 73 Inner cylinder 75 holes 78 Protector part 80 PC 88 Power line 90, 90' ferrule 92, 92' Connecting Blocks 93 Host Wireless Adapter 94 Optical LAN / USB protocol converter 95 Wireless USB Host 96, 98 Antenna 97 Laptop 99 Wireless USB Device 100 Plug 110 Sheath 111 Insulators 112 Blocks 113 Circular Surface 114 Arc surface 115 Arm 117 Lotteries 118 Notch 120 Conductors 122 Envelope 125 Spacer

Claims

[Claim 1] A wireless device having a USB protocol communication unit that uses a male connector of a communication cable that does not have a means for converting a connector into a connector of a different shape for communication with an external device, A wireless device characterized in that when the male connector used by the USB protocol communication unit for communicating with the outside is used to take in power from the outside, the wireless device functions as a USB host device and the USB protocol communication unit is able to communicate with external USB devices.

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