Detailed Description
The following description is provided for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications and various changes in detail, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The drawings of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be drawn to scale. The following embodiments will further explain the related art of the present invention in detail, but the disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or signals, these elements or signals should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used primarily to distinguish one element from another element or from one signal to another signal. In addition, the term "or" as used herein should be taken to include any one or combination of more of the associated listed items as the case may be.
First embodiment
Referring to fig. 1 to 4, a first functional block diagram, a second functional block diagram, a schematic structural diagram and a schematic usage status diagram of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the invention are respectively shown. As shown in the drawings, an embodiment of the invention provides an electronic device Z, which includes ahousing module 1, acore module 2, and at least oneperipheral module 3.
Specifically, the electronic device Z of the present invention can be a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, an Access Point (AP) or a Gateway (Gateway), but is not limited thereto. Thecase module 1 may be a housing of the electronic device Z. Thecase module 1 includes afirst housing 11 and asecond housing 12, areceiving space 10 is defined between thefirst housing 11 and thesecond housing 12, and thereceiving space 10 is used for receiving thecore module 2 and at least oneperipheral module 3.
Next, as shown in fig. 1 to fig. 3, thecore module 2 of the present invention is disposed in theaccommodating space 10, thecore module 2 may include aProcessing Unit 20 and at least one mainwireless transmission Unit 21, and theProcessing Unit 20 may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor Unit (MPU) or a microcontroller Unit (MCU), but not limited thereto. The mainwireless transmission unit 21 may be a wireless transmission electronic component having a millimeter wave (mmWave) transmission function, and the mainwireless transmission unit 21 is electrically connected to theprocessing unit 20. Further, thecore module 2 may further include a substrate unit 22, the substrate unit 22 is disposed in theaccommodating space 10, the substrate unit 22 may be a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), theprocessing unit 20 and the at least one mainwireless transmission unit 21 may be disposed on the substrate unit 22 and electrically connected to the substrate unit 22, and theprocessing unit 20 and the at least one mainwireless transmission unit 21 are electrically connected to each other through the substrate unit 22.
Next, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, theperipheral module 3 of the present invention can be disposed in theaccommodating space 10 as well; in thehousing space 10 of thehousing module 1, one or moreperipheral modules 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e may be disposed according to the requirements of users or manufacturers. Theperipheral modules 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e may be, but not limited to, a battery, a bus interface, a display, an audio input/output module, a communication module, a camera module, a sensor, or other suitable electronic modules. Theperipheral module 3 may have asub-wireless transmission unit 30, and thesub-wireless transmission unit 30 may be a wireless transmission electronic component having a millimeter wave (mmWave) transmission function. Also, theperipheral module 3 does not directly or indirectly contact the substrate unit 22, the at least one first mainwireless transmission unit 21, or both.
Therefore, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, thecore module 2 and the plurality ofperipheral modules 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e of the present invention are disposed in theaccommodating space 10, and thecore module 2 establishes a communication channel with the plurality ofperipheral modules 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e in a wireless communication manner, so as to perform data transmission or power transmission with the plurality ofperipheral modules 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3 e. Further, theprocessing unit 20 of thecore module 2 can establish a data transmission channel with theperipheral module 3 by wirelessly connecting the primarywireless transmission unit 21 with the secondarywireless transmission unit 30. In other words, theprocessing unit 20 can utilize the primarywireless transmission unit 21 to transmit at least one data to the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 in a millimeter wave wireless transmission manner, and then the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 can transmit the data to theperipheral module 3; conversely, theperipheral module 3 can also transmit at least one datum to theprocessing unit 20 in the same way.
Therefore, the electronic device Z of the present invention utilizes millimeter waves (mmWave) as a transmission connection mode between interfaces through the above technical solution, which is different from the bridging mode that the inside of the conventional electronic device (system) is connected with the interfaces through a wired mode (physical transmission line). Furthermore, according to the electronic device Z of the present invention, by using the above technical solution, not only a large amount of board material and internal space can be saved, but also the problems of discontinuous impedance, poor signal integrity, high frequency radiation interference, etc. at the bridge can be avoided. Moreover, for the situations of software multi-version configuration, peripheral module upgrading and the like, the method has the advantages of no need of redesigning a core unit, quick configuration, replacement, upgrading and the like.
In addition, the electronic device Z of the present invention is not limited to wireless transmission within the housing, but may be extended to wireless interface signal transmission inside and outside the housing. For example, as shown in fig. 4, thecore module 2 of the present invention can be directly connected to an external electronic device E (for example, but not limited to, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or a mobile hard disk) through wireless transmission, or thecore module 2 can be indirectly connected to the external electronic device E through theperipheral module 3 through wireless transmission. Therefore, the system has more flexibility in system design and when a user replaces or upgrades the module unit (such as a game machine); moreover, when the device with special waterproof, dustproof and shockproof properties is used (such as an automotive electronic device and an industrial electronic device), the interfaces are effectively prevented from being damaged by water inflow and vibration through wireless transmission, and the device is more beneficial to system and mechanism application in special environments.
It should be noted that, in conjunction with fig. 1, theprocessing unit 20 of the present invention may establish a wireless transmission connection with a plurality of secondarywireless transmission units 30 through one primarywireless transmission unit 21, or thecore module 2 may also have a plurality of primarywireless transmission units 21, and each primarywireless transmission unit 21 establishes a wireless transmission connection with a corresponding secondarywireless transmission unit 30.
However, the above-mentioned example is only one possible embodiment and is not intended to limit the present invention.
Second embodiment
Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the invention, and please refer to fig. 1 to 4 together. As shown in the drawings, the electronic device of the present embodiment is substantially similar to the electronic device of the previous embodiment, and therefore, the arrangement or operation of the same elements will not be described herein again. The difference between the present embodiment and the above embodiments is that in the present embodiment, one of theperipheral modules 3 may be a wireless transceiver Module (WLAN Radio Module/WWAN Radio Module) or a bluetooth communication Module, but not limited thereto. Theperipheral module 3 may include a communication unit 31 and a subwireless transmission unit 30, and the communication unit 31 is electrically connected to the subwireless transmission unit 30. Therefore, the electronic device Z of the present invention can be communicatively connected to at least one external electronic device E (such as a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone or a server) through the communication unit 31. Then, after theprocessing unit 20 transmits at least one first signal to the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 through the primarywireless transmission unit 21 in a wireless transmission manner of millimeter waves, the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 may transmit the first signal (for example, a signal including data, but not limited thereto) to the communication unit 31. Next, the communication unit 31 may transmit the first signal to the external electronic device E. In contrast, the electronic device Z of the present invention may also receive data transmitted by the external electronic device E through the communication unit 31; the communication unit 31 may then transmit the data to the primarywireless transmission unit 21 using the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 to enable theprocessing unit 20 to receive the data.
Further, as shown in fig. 5, one of theperipheral modules 3 of the present invention may also be a power supply, but not limited thereto. For example, theperipheral module 3 may include apower supply unit 32 and asub-wireless transmission unit 30, thepower supply unit 32 is electrically connected to thesub-wireless transmission unit 30, and thepower supply unit 32 may be electrically connected to an external power supply terminal (not shown in the drawings, the external power supply terminal may be, for example, a commercial power, but not limited thereto). Therefore, thepower supply unit 32 can transmit power to the mainwireless transmission unit 21 through the subwireless transmission unit 30 in a millimeter wave transmission manner, so that theprocessing unit 20 obtains power required for operation. Theprocessing unit 20 can also transfer power to otherperipheral modules 3 by using the mainwireless transmission unit 21.
Further, one of theperipheral modules 3 may also be a display, but not limited thereto. For example, theperipheral module 3 may include adisplay unit 33 and asub-wireless transmission unit 30, wherein thedisplay unit 33 is electrically connected to thesub-wireless transmission unit 30. Thus, theprocessing unit 20 may transmit at least one second signal (e.g., a display signal) to the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 through the primarywireless transmission unit 21 in a millimeter wave transmission manner, so that thedisplay unit 33 obtains the second signal. Then, thedisplay unit 33 can display an image (such as characters, numbers, patterns or a combination thereof) according to the second signal.
Further, one of theperipheral modules 3 of the present invention may also be an audio input/output interface component, but is not limited thereto. For example, theperipheral module 3 may include anaudio unit 34 and thesub-wireless transmission unit 30, wherein theaudio unit 34 is electrically connected to thesub-wireless transmission unit 30. Therefore, the electronic device Z of the present invention can be communicatively connected to at least one external playback device R (e.g. bluetooth speaker, audio device or other playback device) through theaudio source unit 34. Then, after theprocessing unit 20 transmits at least one third signal to the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 through the primarywireless transmission unit 21 by way of millimeter wave wireless transmission, the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 may transmit the third signal (for example, a signal including sound, but not limited thereto) to thesound source unit 34. Next, thesound source unit 34 can transmit the third signal to the external playback device R for playing back through the external playback device R. In contrast, the electronic device Z of the present invention can also receive the data transmitted by the external playback device R through thesound source unit 34; then, thesound source unit 34 can utilize thesub-wireless transmission unit 30 to transmit the data to the mainwireless transmission unit 21 so that theprocessing unit 20 can receive the data.
Further, one of theperipheral modules 3 of the present invention may also be a camera module, but is not limited thereto. For example, theperipheral module 3 may include acamera unit 35 and a subwireless transmission unit 30, and the camera unit is electrically connected to the subwireless transmission unit 30. Therefore, after theimage capturing unit 35 acquires an image and converts it into an image signal, theimage capturing unit 35 may transmit at least one image signal to the mainwireless transmission unit 21 by the subwireless transmission unit 30 in a millimeter wave transmission manner so that theprocessing unit 20 obtains the image signal.
Further, one of theperipheral modules 3 of the present invention may also be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface component, but is not limited thereto. For example, theperipheral module 3 may include at least one bus unit 36 (e.g., a USB connector) and thesub-wireless transmission unit 30, wherein thebus unit 36 is electrically connected to thesub-wireless transmission unit 30. Therefore, the electronic device Z of the present invention can be connected to at least one external electronic device E (such as but not limited to a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or a mobile hard disk) through thebus unit 36. Then, after theprocessing unit 20 transmits at least one fourth signal to the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 through the primarywireless transmission unit 21 in a millimeter wave wireless transmission manner, the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 may transmit the fourth signal (for example, a signal including data, but not limited thereto) to thebus unit 36. Next, thebus unit 36 may transmit the fourth signal to the external electronic device E. In contrast, the electronic device Z of the present invention can also receive at least one external signal transmitted by the external electronic device E through thebus unit 36; then, thebus unit 36 can transmit the external signal to the primarywireless transmission unit 21 by using the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 so that theprocessing unit 20 can receive the external signal.
However, the above-mentioned example is only one possible embodiment and is not intended to limit the present invention.
Advantageous effects of the embodiments
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the electronic device Z provided by the present invention can "include ahousing module 1, acore module 2 and at least oneperipheral module 3. Thehousing module 1 has anaccommodating space 10. Thecore module 2 is located in theaccommodating space 10, thecore module 2 includes aprocessing unit 20 and at least one mainwireless transmission unit 21, and theprocessing unit 20 is electrically connected to the at least one mainwireless transmission unit 21. At least oneperipheral module 3 is located in theaccommodating space 10, and the at least oneperipheral module 3 has a secondarywireless transmission unit 30. Wherein, at least one of the primarywireless transmission unit 21 and the secondarywireless transmission unit 30 is mutually connected in a millimeter wave transmission manner, so as to improve the convenience and the practicability of the electronic device Z.
Furthermore, compared to the conventional electronic device in which the connection interfaces of the electronic components are connected to each other through the physical transmission lines, the electronic device is limited by the structural requirements of the physical connectors and the power supply, and thus the device, the system, and the application thereof are limited in extension and diversity. The invention provides an electronic device Z of a wireless plug-and-play modular system architecture, wherein the connection transmission mode of the electronic device Z aiming at a signal interface utilizes the technology of Millimeter Wave (mmWave for short) instead of the traditional connector and a solid transmission line used by the traditional electronic device, so the invention can provide highly customized products aiming at different customer requirements, accelerate the development time course, further save the high potential cost and the development time course requirement which are possibly caused by the re-version and upgrading of the mainboard design of different functional design requirements, and realize the strong convenience that each peripheral functional module can be singly used and integrated by the mmWave. That is, the electronic device Z of the present invention, through the above technical solution, can make the installation position and design structure of each internal electronic component to be different from the existing established design structure, and can provide the user to configure the relative position of theperipheral module 3 and thecore module 2 at will according to his own needs or preferences.
Moreover, the electronic device Z of the present invention can further cooperate with the peripheral functional modules to be modularized by the above technical solution, and only the peripheral functional modules need to be replaced according to different functional requirements, thereby achieving the technical effects of modularization, diversification, time saving and low cost.
The disclosure is only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, so that all technical equivalents and modifications using the contents of the specification and drawings are included in the scope of the claims.