Small connector integrated with wireless communication elements

Abstract

To provide a small connector in which radio communication elements are integrated.SOLUTION: In electric connector ports 120A and 120B arranged in mobile apparatuses 100A and 100B such as smartphones, a radio antenna connected to the electric connector ports 120A and 120B is provided. The housing of the connector ports and the antenna define a directional antenna gain pattern which allows a radio antenna to be used for a directional communication between mobile apparatuses 100A and 100B and other apparatuses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Field of the Invention Preferred examples of the subject matter described herein relate to structures and devices for wireless communication and electrical connectors for computer devices.

Background Art

[0002] Background of the Invention Connectors for computer devices and related electronic equipment have benefited from the trend towards miniaturization. Examples include the USB-C (universal serial bus-C) connector and the micro USB connector. Some connectors with a similar form factor also include magnetic elements to enable quick connection and disconnection. At the same time, portable electronic devices are increasingly incorporating wireless interfaces for communication and charging.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] In one preferred example, a mobile device has a device housing with an electrical connector port, the electrical connector port being disposed within the device housing and coupled to a wireless antenna. The electrical connector port includes a connector housing and electrical signal pins. The connector housing extends within the mobile device housing and has an opening exposed on the outer surface of the device housing. The electrical signal pins are disposed within the connector housing and are configured to mate with an electrical connector. The wireless antenna is coupled to the electrical connector port and is configured to transmit or receive wireless signals. The connector housing of the electrical connector port is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation between the external environment and the wireless antenna.

[0004] In another preferred example, the method includes the step of disposing an electrical connector port within the housing of the device. The electrical connector port includes a connector housing and electrical signal pins disposed within the connector housing, and an opening of the connector port exposes the electrical signal pins to the surface of the device housing. The method further includes the step of disposing a wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port within the device housing of the device. The electrical signal pins are configured to fit with corresponding electrical connectors within the opening; the connector housing is configured to guide wireless signals by the connector housing between the external environment and the wireless antenna. The wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port is configured to transmit or receive wireless signals.

[0005] In another preferred example, the method includes the step of configuring a mobile device to wirelessly communicate with another device via a wireless antenna coupled to an electrical connector port disposed within the device housing of the mobile device. The electrical connector port includes a connector housing and electrical signal pins, the connector housing extends within the mobile device housing and has an opening exposed on the outer surface of the device housing; the electrical signal pins are disposed within the connector housing and are configured to fit with electrical connectors.

[0006] The wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port is configured to transmit or receive wireless signals using a transmission frequency of at least 40 GHz, and the connector housing of the electrical connector port is configured to guide electromagnetic radiation between the external environment and the wireless antenna.

[0007] In one or more such preferred examples, the method includes receiving, by a processor of a mobile device, an electrical signal through one or more of the electrical signal pins of an electrical connector port. In such preferred examples, the method further includes determining, by the processor, that the electrical signal indicates that an electrical connector is present within the electrical connector port. In such preferred examples, the method further includes outputting, by the processor, a human-perceivable notification that the user of the mobile device should disconnect the electrical connector from the electrical signal port in response to the processor determining that the electrical signal indicates that an electrical connector is present within the electrical connector port, before initiating wireless communication with another device.

[0008] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, embodiments, etc., and the present invention is not limited to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings, like reference numerals indicate like elements. The elements in the drawings are illustrated in a simple and clear manner and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings, together with their detailed description, are included in the specification, form a part of the specification, and function to further illustrate examples, embodiments, etc., and to explain various principles and advantages according to the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Detailed Description The following detailed description provides examples for purposes of understanding and is not intended to limit the present invention or this application and its uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any explicit or implicit theory presented in the foregoing technical field, background, or the following detailed description.

[0011] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawings illustrate the general manner of construction and may omit descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. In addition, the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, for the purpose of improving the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the dimensions of some of the elements or regions in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements or regions.

[0012] If there are "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. in the description and claims, these may be used to distinguish similar elements and are not necessarily for describing a specific positional or temporal order. The terms used in this way are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention described in this specification can operate in an order other than, for example, the order illustrated or described in this specification. Further, "comprising", "including", "having" and their variants are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. Therefore, a process, method, item, or device comprising a list of elements is not necessarily limited to these elements and may include other elements not explicitly listed or specific to such a process, method, item, or device. As used in this specification, "coupled" is defined as being directly or indirectly connected by electrical or non-electrical means. As used in this specification, "substantially" or "essentially" means sufficient to achieve the described purpose in a practical manner, and if there are minor imperfections, these imperfections are not important for the described purpose.

[0013] References to directions such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "above", "below", etc. are not intended to require any particular orientation unless otherwise specified and are created by reference to the orientation in the corresponding single or multiple drawings for illustrative purposes.

[0014] The steps of the various processes described in this specification are non-limiting examples of suitable processes according to the embodiments and are clearly for illustrative purposes. The systems and devices according to the embodiments in this specification can use any suitable processes, including processes that omit the above steps, processes that execute these steps and similar steps in a different order, etc. It is also clear that well-known features may be omitted for clarity.

[0015] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of terms such as "about", "substantially", and the like in relation to the dimensions, relative positions, or orientations of various features indicates that these dimensions, positions, or orientations are affected by tolerances and / or process variations expected in the devices and processes selected to form the described features. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of terms such as "about", "substantially", and the like in relation to measurable values or characteristics is affected by the measurement accuracy expected in the devices and methods used to measure these values or characteristics and / or is within the limits of tolerances specified by the technical standards applicable to the technology being described.

[0016] A number of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, etc., include one or more connectors for charging and / or wired data communication with other devices, in addition to one or more antennas for wireless communication protocols including Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and / or 4G LTE (fourth generation long term evolution), 5G LTE (five generation LTE).

[0017] The miniaturization of radio frequency and microwave electronic circuits for generating and receiving wireless signals for mobile devices poses challenges due to the need for structures such as antennas to couple signals from packaged components (e.g., individual chips, system-on-chips, multi-chip packages, etc.) to free space. As mobile devices are becoming smaller and more ubiquitous, the space available for integrating connectors, displays, and wireless components is becoming more limited, and economic pressures demand continuous reduction in unit cost.

[0018] Accordingly, the apparatus according to the embodiment places one or more wireless communication antennas within or adjacent to a space that can be allocated for an already small electrical connector (e.g., a USB-C connector, a micro-USB connector, or any other suitable small connector). In addition to the potential for space and cost savings, placing the wireless communication elements within or near an existing external connector can provide useful alignment for a directional short-range communication link between devices, which will be further described below.

[0019] Figure 1A shows a first environment in which two mobile devices (mobile devices 100A, 100B) exchange wireless communication signals 199 in a "broadside" configuration via antenna elements (not shown; see Figure 2A) disposed within the mobile devices 100 and having a radiation pattern that substantially lies within the illustrated plane. In Figure 1A, each mobile device 100 has two shorter edges and two longer edges, and the antennas are disposed within the longer edges of each device. When devices 100A, 100B face the direction shown, the antennas of the respective devices face each other, and these devices can establish a line-of-sight communication link. In one or more embodiments, it is necessary to ensure that the electrical connector is not inserted into the connector port before the connector port of the device can be used to facilitate wireless communication.

[0020] The antennas are coupled to the electrical connector ports 120A, 120B of the mobile devices. Ports 120A, 120B, together with their respective antennas, can each form part of a directional antenna system, which will be further described below with reference to, for example, Figures 2A , Figure 2B, and 3. Figure 1B shows an alternative configuration in which the ports 120A, 120B of the mobile devices 100A, 100B are disposed within the shorter edges of the devices 100A, 100B.

[0021] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an example of a mobile device provided with a wireless antenna integrated with a small electrical connector according to one or more embodiments. As shown, a mobile device 200 (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, or other similar device such as mobile device 100) has a device housing 210 and an electrical connector port (port 220, e.g., port 120) disposed within the device housing 210. As shown in the exploded view, port 220 includes a housing 222 that extends from a front portion 223 of port 220 to the rear end of port 220, and electrical signal pins (pins 225) are enclosed within housing 222. Pins 225 are exposed at the front portion 223, extend toward the rear end 224, and can be coupled at the rear end 224 to other components (not shown) within device 200. Port 220 is shown with two rows of pins 225, and pins 225 are shown on opposite sides of housing 222. Also, the outer shape of a connector 290 that mates with pins 225 is shown for illustrative purposes.

[0022] FIG. 2B shows a rear perspective view of port 220. Port 220 includes a region 250 at or near the rear portion 224 of port 220, and region 250 includes a wireless antenna 252 (schematically shown as a folded dipole antenna in this example).

[0023] Port 220 is shown for illustrative purposes only, and nothing in this specification is intended to limit, unless otherwise expressly stated, the electrical connector ports according to the embodiments in this specification to any particular number of electrical signal pins or to any particular arrangement of such pins. For example, an electrical connector port such as port 220 according to one or more embodiments can have only a single row of pins 225 or a different number of pins 225 than that shown. As an additional example, in one or more embodiments, the electrical connector port has pins that are "vertically" oriented, as opposed to the "horizontally" oriented pins as shown in FIGS. 2A - 2B.

[0024] Similarly, unless otherwise specified, nothing in this specification is intended to limit embodiments to a specific dimension or shape. As a non-limiting example: in one or more embodiments, an electrical connector port such as port 220 has a height of 3 mm or less; in one or more embodiments, an electrical connector port such as port 220 has a width of 12 mm or less. In such examples, an antenna such as antenna 252 can be configured to operate in a frequency range of 50 - 150 GHz, or any other suitable range within this frequency range, which includes any suitable frequency of 40 GHz or higher, as a non-limiting example. As a further non-limiting example, a port such as port 220 can have a rectangular cross-section or an elliptical cross-section.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, a connector housing such as connector housing 222 of an electrical connector port is configured to direct wireless signals between an antenna according to an embodiment in this specification (e.g., shown in FIG. 1A or FIG. 1B) and the external environment. In one or more embodiments, a connector housing such as connector housing 222 is made of metal or formed of another conductive material.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a CAD (computer aided design) rendering of a port 320 (e.g., port 220) having 16 pins 325, which are arranged in two parallel rows of eight pins each, and each pin is disposed within a connector housing 322 and is accessible through an opening in the front portion 323 of the housing 320. Port 320 has, at its rear portion 324, a region 350 having an antenna 352. Antenna 352 is modeled as a small planar horn antenna. The results of an electromagnetic simulation of the antenna gain of antenna 352 are described below in connection with FIG. 4.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows an antenna gain pattern by simulation for the antenna 352 of FIG. 3. The antenna gain pattern is directed in intensity along an axis perpendicular to the surface of the antenna 352 facing the front of the port 320 (i.e., along the axis 399 in FIG. 3), and has a maximum gain of approximately 9.6 dB along the axis 399 of FIG. 3 with respect to an isotropic antenna (9.6 dBi).

[0028] As described above, the embodiments in this specification can be implemented with different types of connectors. FIG. 5 shows a mobile device 500 having a device housing 510 (e.g., housing 210) and an electrical connector (port 520) having electrical signal pins 525, and the electrical signal pins 525 are arranged "vertically" in contrast to the "lateral" arrangement shown for the ports 220, 320. As shown, the housing 522 has a solid front surface 530 including the signal pins 525. The port 522 represents a connector port for a magnetically coupled connector and can include a magnetic material (not shown separately). One or more wireless antennas can be arranged near the front surface 523 of the port 520 (e.g., near the region 550A), or near the rear of the port 520 (e.g., near the region 550B). The wireless signal can be guided between one or more signal pins 525 and the wall surface of the housing 520 including what is shown as a non-limiting example in FIG. 5.

[0029] An electrical connector port according to one or more embodiments can include two or more wireless antennas, as shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrical connector port 620 having two wireless antennas (wireless antenna 652A and wireless antenna 652B) co-located within region 650 between two sets of signal pins 625. In one or more embodiments, antennas 652A and 652B operate (i.e., transmit and receive) signals having different characteristics to eliminate undesired crosstalk between these antennas (to enable, for example, full-duplex communication where one antenna transmits while the other receives). As a non-limiting example, antenna 652A can be configured to transmit or receive signals characterized by left-hand circular polarization, and antenna 652B can be configured to transmit or receive signals characterized by right-hand circular polarization. As another non-limiting example, antenna 652A can be configured to transmit or receive signals characterized by vertical polarization, and antenna 652B can be configured to transmit or receive signals characterized by horizontal polarization. It is apparent that antenna elements 652A, 652B, and similar elements can be arranged in any suitable manner. For example, antennas 652A, 652B can be arranged separately from each other (e.g., on the left and right sides of the connector in FIG. 6). Alternatively, or in addition thereto, existing coding methods can be used to reduce or eliminate undesired crosstalk between multiple antennas disposed within a single connector port.

[0030] Various examples The features of the embodiments can be understood by one or more of the following examples:

[0031] Example 1: An apparatus or method including a mobile device having a mobile device housing, wherein the mobile device housing is provided with an electrical connector port disposed within the device housing and coupled to a wireless antenna. The electrical connector port includes a connector housing and electrical signal pins. The connector housing extends within the mobile device housing and has an opening exposed on an outer surface of the device housing. The electrical signal pins are disposed within the connector housing and are configured to mate with an electrical connector. The wireless antenna is coupled to the electrical connector port and is configured to transmit or receive wireless signals. The connector housing of the electrical connector port is configured to guide electromagnetic radiation between the external environment and the wireless antenna.

[0032] Example 2: The apparatus or method of Example 1, wherein at least a first portion of the electrical signal pins is disposed along a first side of the connector housing, the wireless antenna is disposed at a rear portion of the connector housing, and the connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along a first axis extending from a first surface of the connector housing at a front portion of the connector housing to the rear portion of the connector housing between the first portion of the electrical signal pins and a side of the connector housing opposite to the first portion of the electrical signal pins.

[0033] Example 3: The apparatus or method of Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna and the apparatus includes a second wireless antenna adjacent to the first wireless antenna. The connector housing and the second wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along the first axis between the first portion of the electrical signal pins and a side of the connector housing opposite to the first portion of the electrical signal pins.

[0034] Example 4: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the connector housing has a width of less than 12 mm and a height of less than 3 mm.

[0035] Example 5: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the wireless antenna is configured to operate within a frequency range above 40 GHz.

[0036] Example 6: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 5, wherein the wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna; the apparatus further includes a second wireless antenna adjacent to the first wireless antenna; the first wireless antenna is configured to transmit a signal characterized by a first type of polarization, and the second wireless antenna is configured to receive a signal characterized by a second type of polarization orthogonal to the first type of polarization.

[0037] Example 7: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 6, wherein the electrical connector port further includes a solid front surface including electrical signal pins and one or more magnetic elements configured to fit with corresponding one or more magnetic elements of the electrical connector, whereby the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector port fit with the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector. The connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along an axis extending from the solid front surface of the electrical connector port through a non-metallic portion of the solid front surface of the electrical connector port towards the wireless antenna.

[0038] Example 8: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 7, wherein the wireless antenna is disposed within a non-metallic portion of the electrical connector port and is spaced apart from the electrical signal pins and one or more magnetic elements of the electrical connector port.

[0039] Example 9: The apparatus or method according to any one of Examples 1 to 8, wherein the wireless antenna is disposed behind a non-metallic portion of the solid front surface of the electrical connector port and near the rear portion of the connector housing, and the rear portion of the connector housing is on the side opposite to the solid front surface of the electrical connector port in the connector housing.

[0040] Example 10: The apparatus or method of any of Examples 1-9, wherein the mobile device is configured to wirelessly communicate with other devices via a wireless antenna coupled to an electrical connector port disposed within a device housing of the mobile device, the electrical connector port including a connector housing and an electrical signal pin, the connector housing extending into the mobile device housing and having an opening exposed at an exterior surface of the device housing; the electrical signal pin is disposed within the connector housing and configured to mate with the electrical connector.

[0041] Example 11: The method of any of Examples 1-10, comprising: receiving, by a processor of the mobile device, an electrical signal through one or more of the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector port; determining, by the processor, that the electrical signal indicates that an electrical connector is present in the electrical connector port; and outputting, by the processor, in response to the processor determining that the electrical signal indicates that an electrical connector is present in the electrical connector port, a human perceptible notification that a user of the mobile device should disconnect the electrical connector from the electrical connector port before initiating wireless communication with another device.

[0042] The foregoing detailed description and examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, or detailed description.

[0043] It should be understood that, in its application, the present invention is not limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components described in the foregoing description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. It should also be understood that the expressions and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including", "comprising" or "having" and variations thereof herein means including the items listed hereinafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless specifically specified or limited otherwise, "attached", "connected", "supported" and "coupled", and variations thereof, are used in a broad sense and include both direct and indirect attachment, connection, support, and coupling. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

[0044] The foregoing description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but should conform to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The foregoing detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are identified by like reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and show selected embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of the invention. The examples provided herein have numerous useful alternatives, and those skilled in the art will recognize that these alternatives fall within the scope of the embodiments of the invention.

[0045] The connecting lines shown in the various drawings included in this application are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical couplings between the various elements. Note that in one or more embodiments of the subject matter, numerous alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections can exist. In addition, in this specification, certain specialized terms may be used for reference purposes only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. The “first,” “second,” and other such numerals referring to structures do not implicitly mean an order or sequence unless clearly indicated by the context.

[0046] The above description refers to elements or nodes (junctions) or features that are “connected” or “coupled” together. As used herein, “connected” means that one element is directly attached to (or directly connected to) another element, and does not necessarily mean mechanical, unless specifically stated otherwise. Similarly, unless specifically stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element is directly or indirectly attached to (or directly or indirectly, electrically, or otherwise connected to) another element, and does not necessarily mean mechanical. Thus, the schematic diagrams shown in the drawings illustrate an exemplary arrangement of one element, but additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components can exist in one or more embodiments of the subject matter being illustrated.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising a mobile device housing, an electrical connector port, and a wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port, wherein the electrical connector port includes a connector housing having a front portion that extends within the mobile device housing and has a front face defined by an opening exposed on an outer surface of the mobile device housing, and an electrical signal pin disposed within the connector housing and configured to mate with an electrical connector, the wireless antenna is disposed at a rear portion of the connector housing, the wireless antenna is configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal, and the connector housing of the electrical connector port is configured to direct electromagnetic radiation along a first axis extending between the external environment and the wireless antenna, between the wireless antenna and the front face of the connector housing on the outer surface of the mobile device housing.

2. At least a first portion of the electrical signal pin is disposed along the front face of the connector housing, and the connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to direct the wireless signal to propagate along the first axis between the first portion of the electrical signal pin and an opposite side of the connector housing from the first portion of the electrical signal pin, the mobile device according to claim 1.

3. the wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna, the mobile device further comprises a second wireless antenna adjacent to the first wireless antenna, and the connector housing and the second wireless antenna are configured together to direct the wireless signal to propagate along the first axis between the first portion of the electrical signal pin and an opposite side of the connector housing from the first portion of the electrical signal pin, the mobile device according to claim 2.

4. the connector housing has a width of less than 12 mm and a height of less than 3 mm, the mobile device according to claim 2.

5. the wireless antenna is configured to operate within a frequency range above 40 GHz, the mobile device according to claim 4.

6. the wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna, the mobile device further comprises a second wireless antenna disposed within the connector housing and adjacent to the first wireless antenna, The first wireless antenna is configured to transmit a signal characterized by a first type of polarization, and the second wireless antenna is configured to receive a signal characterized by a second type of polarization orthogonal to the first type of polarization. The mobile device according to claim 1.

7. The front surface of the connector housing is the front surface of the solid within the opening, and the front surface of the solid includes the electrical signal pins. The electrical connector port further includes one or more magnetic elements configured to fit with corresponding one or more magnetic elements of the electrical connector, whereby the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector port fit with the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector. The connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal and propagate it along the first axis through a non-metallic portion of the front surface of the solid of the electrical connector port. The mobile device according to claim 1.

8. The connector housing has a width of less than 12 mm and a height of less than 3 mm. The mobile device according to claim 7.

9. The wireless antenna is configured to operate within a frequency range above 40 GHz. The mobile device according to claim 8.

10. The wireless antenna is disposed within the non-metallic portion of the front surface of the electrical connector port and is spaced apart from the electrical signal pins and the one or more magnetic elements of the electrical connector port. The mobile device according to claim 7.

11. The wireless antenna is disposed behind the non-metallic portion of the front surface of the solid of the electrical connector port and near the rear portion of the connector housing. The rear portion of the connector housing is on the side opposite to the front surface of the solid of the electrical connector port in the connector housing. The mobile device according to claim 7.

12. The wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna. The mobile device further includes a second wireless antenna disposed within the connector housing and adjacent to the first wireless antenna. The mobile device according to claim 7.

13. A step of arranging an electrical connector port within a device housing of a device, wherein the electrical connector port comprises a connector housing and electrical signal pins disposed within the connector housing, and a step of defining a front surface of the connector housing where an opening of the electrical connector port exposes the electrical signal pins to an outer surface of the device housing. A method including a step of arranging a wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port within the device housing of the device. The wireless antenna is disposed at a rear portion of the connector housing. The electrical signal pins are configured to fit with corresponding electrical connectors within the opening. The connector housing is configured to guide a wireless signal along a first axis extending between the wireless antenna and the front surface of the connector housing between the wireless antenna and an external environment. The wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port is configured to transmit or receive the wireless signal.

14. At least a first portion of the electrical signal pins is disposed along the front surface of the connector housing. The method according to claim 13, wherein the connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along the first axis from the front surface of the connector housing at a front portion of the connector housing to a rear portion of the connector housing between the first portion of the electrical signal pins and a side of the connector housing opposite to the first portion of the electrical signal pins.

15. The wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna. The method further includes a step of arranging a second wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port adjacent to the first wireless antenna within the device housing. The method according to claim 14, wherein the connector housing and the second wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along the first axis between the first portion of the electrical signal pins and a side of the connector housing opposite to the first portion of the electrical signal pins.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the connector housing has a width of less than 12 mm and a height of less than 3 mm, and the wireless antenna is configured to operate within a frequency range above 40 GHz.

17. the front surface of the connector housing is a solid front surface including the electrical signal pins, the electrical connector port further includes one or more magnetic elements configured to fit with one or more corresponding magnetic elements of the electrical connector, whereby the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector port fit with the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector, the method according to claim 13, wherein the connector housing and the wireless antenna are configured together to guide a wireless signal to propagate along the first axis through a non-metallic portion of the solid front surface of the electrical connector port.

18. the method according to claim 17, wherein the wireless antenna is disposed within the non-metallic portion of the electrical connector port and is spaced apart from the electrical signal pins and the one or more magnetic elements of the electrical connector port.

19. the method according to claim 17, wherein the wireless antenna is disposed behind the non-metallic portion of the solid front surface of the electrical connector port and near the rear portion of the connector housing, and the rear portion of the connector housing is on the side opposite to the solid front surface of the electrical connector port in the connector housing.

20. the wireless antenna is a first wireless antenna, the method according to claim 17, wherein the device further comprises a second wireless antenna adjacent to the first wireless antenna.

21. A method comprising the step of configuring a mobile device to wirelessly communicate with another device via a wireless antenna coupled to an electrical connector port disposed within a mobile device housing of the mobile device, wherein the electrical connector port includes a connector housing extending within the mobile device housing and having an opening exposed on an outer surface of the mobile device housing, and electrical signal pins disposed within the connector housing and configured to fit with an electrical connector, the opening defining a front surface of the connector housing, the wireless antenna is disposed at a rear portion of the connector housing, the wireless antenna coupled to the electrical connector port is configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal using a transmission frequency of at least 40 GHz. A method in which the connector housing of the electrical connector port is configured to guide electromagnetic radiation between the external environment and the wireless antenna along a first axis extending between the wireless antenna and the front surface of the connector housing.

22. Receiving, by a processor of the mobile device, an electrical signal through one or more of the electrical signal pins of the electrical connector port; Determining, by the processor, that the electrical signal indicates that the electrical connector is present within the electrical connector port; Outputting, by the processor, a human-perceivable notification that the user of the mobile device should disconnect the electrical connector from the electrical connector port prior to initiating wireless communication with the other device in response to the processor determining that the electrical signal indicates that the electrical connector is present within the electrical connector port The method according to claim 21, further comprising.

Images