Apple dock-connector patent tips USB 3.0 for future computers, iDevices

By on Apr 5, 2011 at 8:38 PM
General April 5, 2011

Patently Apple reports that its Cupertino-based namesake has been granted a new patent for an improved 30-pin dock connector. The interface, which is used by Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPods, is slightly thinner and will be able to sherpa data over USB 3.0 and 2.0, and contain a dual-lane display port channel. The patents suggest that future versions of the company’s laptops, desktops, and mobile devices will utilize the new USB technologies — and that future mobile devices may be able to output to HDMI without the need for an adapter. There is an additional patent schematic after the break.

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  • Anonymous

    Hopefully this doesn’t mean Apple will abandon wireless syncing with the improved 30-pin connecter and all.

  • Anonymous

    WOW, USB 3.0. Really kicking it up a notch.

  • Anonymous

    Still proprietary. It’ll be much bigger news when Apple deigns to join what the rest of the world is doing in terms of accepted standards (mini/micro USB, etc.).

    Aww, who are we kidding.

    • Anonymous

      Micro USB is far less common than iPod cables / docks / accessories. As a consumer I much rather have a iPod port than micro USB. Certainly it is way better than those motorola and samsung proprietary chargers. You can find iPod cables and chargers for as little as 1-2$ each these days.

      • Anonymous

        Micro USB… uncommon? What about digital cameras?

        As far as Motorola’s proprietary chargers… I don’t know what they’re doing now, but my Droid 2 definitely uses bone-stock micro USB. While you would rather see Apple’s proprietary connector become the de facto standard, I would rather see a slightly more open standard — say, something like micro USB — become what everybody uses.

        Like I said, though: everybody in the world could go to micro USB. Apple would still keep with their 30 pin connector because they’re all about control (not a judgment call; just a simple reality).

      • Anonymous

        Honestly as long as the cables are inexpensive to replace and are easy to find, as well as being functional (like ability to sync and charge, transmit audio and video at the same time) I would be happy. Or at least happy for when I am using Apple’s products.

        Besides, there’s not a comparable open standard right now.

      • http://twitter.com/sicmx SicMX

        I’m pretty sure the current and future 30pin port is capable of way more than a micro USB. Can you charge all tablets with micro USB?

        Thunderbolt is capable of outputting 10W if i remember correctly which is pretty good and hopefully included in this new 30pin port.

    • http://twitter.com/brorfred brorfred

      I can’t really see how micro USB can be used for anything more than USB and charging. The 30-pin connector is a entirely different beast with audio in-out, analog video, hdmi, usb, etc. It would be great with an open standard for this, but I don’t think there how that would happen.

      • Betelgeuse Orion

        you moron,

        audio in and out
        video in and out
        control data in and out

        ARE ALL DATA, guess what usb handles? DATA TRANSFER

        usb can handle 5gbit/s of data transfer which is more than enough for full HD video, HD sound and full remote controls

      • http://twitter.com/sicmx SicMX

        What about charging? Many Android tablets that have USB cannot be charged via it and need a separate charging port.

        I don’t care much for USB2 as FW800 has always been better for my needs. Try daisychaining 5 external HDs with 1 USB cable and you’ll know what I mean. USB3 is heaps better, but Thunderbolt is far beyond that with 4 channels all capable of supporting 10gbit/s EACH (that’s 40gbit/s all in all).

        Just hope this supports Thunderbolt so that the iPad 3 with up to 128gb NAND flash can be filled up quickly (compared to shitty CPU intensive USB2) USB 3 would also be fine, but i don’t Apple will support that when they are already supporting the superior Thunderbolt standard

      • Nope

        You very clearly don’t understand how interfaces like this work, so I would be more cautious when calling someone a moron.

        Yes they are data, but having a dedicated audio or video channel would mean that whatever it was connecting it to would not have to do as much work or need dedicated hardware to read and play back that data, it could merely pipe it along to whatever audio/video chipset does the work of outputting it to your speakers/display device. A plain usb port would require a much larger hardware layer on the receiving end to handle that data.

        I think the comments section of BGR may worse than Youtube when it comes to rude and embarrassingly misinformed people.

  • Anonymous

    lol @ dock connector. Apple is so fail.

    • http://twitter.com/brorfred brorfred

      Eh, why?

  • Steve Hillshire

    Wow, Apple’s stock price should shoot up tomorrow on this news!

  • http://www.facebook.com/hsichan Hsi Chan

    Does the connector have the Thunderbolts?

    When the new Macbooks came out, people were making such a huge fuss about how Thunderbolt would replace USB 3.0. So much for that.

    • http://twitter.com/brorfred brorfred

      I assume it’s a future hedge to make sure that iPods/iPads will work on all Windows machines in the future.

  • God Almighty

    “Sherpa data”. Do you know what a sherpa is? That’s like saying that the connector will be able ‘Jew data’ or ‘Irish data’ over USB 3.0. If you don’t know, ask.

  • Anonymous

    Apple fans may enjoy USB 3.0-related patents. In the mean time other are enjoying actual USB 3.0 ports.

  • super0

    This is one of the most moronic patents receiving approval. All of these kinds of things should just be gone. What are patents for?
    - I am going to patent the walking pattern that reliably gets me from my front door to the curb. Claim 2 would be to even make it to my car. Claim 3, would be the walking pattern that safely is used to kick a can and still get my milk home!

  • Anonymous

    So how is this any better than MHL? The fact that MHL is already in use and has broad support and does the same thing this does, except it is not proprietary. And what’s the shelf life of this tech? I thought Apple was already moving towards micro USB in the EU?

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