USB-C Wireless Dongle Layout for Stable Beam Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless dongles for information handling systems face issues with breakage due to their long footprint and orientation-dependent wireless signal performance, especially in low-profile USB ports, leading to increased tooling costs and difficulty in repair or recycling.
Innovation Solution
A wireless dongle design with a circuit board orthogonal to the port connector insertion axis, featuring a spaced parallel antenna and a pogo pin interface, embedded in flexible material, to reduce torsional forces and facilitate easy repair or replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the dongle is designed with a long footprint to accommodate the antenna and radio, then the wireless signal performance can be improved, but the dongle becomes more prone to breakage when plugged into side ports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reorients the circuit board from a longitudinal arrangement (parallel to insertion axis) to a transverse arrangement (orthogonal to insertion axis). This dimensional change allows the antenna and radio components to be positioned across the width of the dongle rather than extending its length, reducing the lever arm and torsional forces on the connector while maintaining adequate space for wireless signal transmission.
2Reliability
If the antenna is oriented at an upper side of the dongle's circuit board, then the wireless signal radiation pattern can be optimized, but the dongle becomes unstable when inserted upside down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the dongle with symmetrical positioning of the antenna relative to the circuit board, allowing the device to function correctly regardless of insertion orientation. The antenna is positioned to radiate signals effectively in multiple directions, making the dongle universally compatible with either upward or downward insertion into the port.
3Reliability
If different types of dongles are designed with specific footprints and layouts for different peripheral devices, then the wireless communication performance can be optimized, but the tooling costs increase and repair/recycling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a standardized transverse circuit board layout that can accommodate different antenna types (I/O antenna, audio antenna, phased array antenna) and radio configurations within the same physical footprint. This universal platform allows a single dongle design to support multiple peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard, speaker) while maintaining optimized wireless communication performance for each device type.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design reduces the risk of breakage and enhances wireless signal stability by minimizing the dongle's length and accommodating different peripherals, while allowing for easy adaptation and repair.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second antenna elements are phased array antenna elements that cooperate by phase adjustments to direct wireless communications toward a peripheral
Implementation Method 2
The antenna interfaces with the circuit board through a pogo pin that has a spring bias to accept some movement without breaking
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless dongle couples to an information handling system port by inserting into a port along an insertion axis to interface with the information handling system processor. A circuit board couples orthogonal to a Type C USB connector and mounts a radio that communicates wireless signals with a peripheral device. A pair of adjacent three dimensional antenna couple to the circuit board in a spaced parallel relationship to communicate wireless signals orthogonal the circuit board along the insertion axis and directed as a beam with phase shifting of the wireless signals by the radio.