Today, Apple was granted their second major reversible USB patent by the U.S. Patent Office. The patent covers Apple's all-things related to their Lightning connector.

Granted Patent: External Contact Connector

Apple's newly granted patent covers their invention relating to input/output electrical connectors such as audio connectors and data connectors and in particular to slim or low profile connectors that can be used in place of standard connectors currently used.

In Apple's patent claim #2 they note that "The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of data types include HDMI data, audio data, USB data, or video data."

In Claim #11 Apple notes that the accessory of claim 7 wherein the plug connector is a reversible connector that includes opposing first and second sides, and wherein the first pair of differential data contacts is on the first side of the plug connector and the second pair of differential data contacts is on the second side of the plug connector directly opposite the first pair of differential data contacts.

Apple credits Eric Jol, Albert Golko, Mathias Schmidt and Jahan Minoo as the inventors of granted patent 8,984,188 which was originally filed in Q3 2013 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Apple's first granted patent on this connector was made public in July 2014. For more details on this invention, see Apple's Granted Patent number 8,984,188

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