Reversible plug

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10079461-B1
Application number	US-201314087642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 2, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A swap logic unit including a set of outputs configured to be in a first configuration or a second configuration, and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to connect to a swap indication contact, wherein a voltage of the swap indication contact is configured to indicate an orientation of a reversible plug in a cable unit, and configure the set of outputs in the first configuration or the second configuration based on the voltage of the swap indication contact, wherein the first configuration corresponds to a first orientation of the reversible plug and the second configuration corresponds to a second orientation of the reversible plug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swap logic unit comprising:
a set of outputs configured to be in a first configuration or a second configuration that is different than the first configuration; and
control circuitry configured to:
connect to a single swap indication contact of a receptacle configured to receive a reversible plug of a cable unit and determine a voltage at the single swap indication contact, wherein:
in a first orientation, the single swap indication contact connects to a swap marker contact on the reversible plug and receives a first voltage that is indicative of the first orientation of the reversible plug of the cable unit;
in a second orientation, the single swap indication contact connects to a different contact on the reversible plug and receives a second voltage that is different than the first voltage and that is indicative of the second orientation of the reversible plug; and
both the first orientation and second orientation of the reversible plug are determinable using only the voltage at the single swap indication contact; and

configure the set of outputs in the first configuration in response to determining that the single swap indication contact is at the first voltage and configure the set of outputs in the second configuration in response to determining that the single swap indication contact is at the second voltage, wherein the first configuration corresponds to the first orientation of the reversible plug and the second configuration corresponds to the second orientation of the reversible plug.

2. The swap logic unit of claim 1 wherein the second orientation is rotated by 180° relative to the first orientation.

3. The swap logic unit of claim 1 wherein the set of outputs are configured to transmit a receive signal and a transmit signal.

4. The swap logic unit of claim 3 wherein a location of an output for the receive signal relative to a location of an output for the transmit signal in the set of outputs in the first configuration is different than the location of the output for the receive signal relative to the location of the output for the transmit signal in the set of outputs in the second configuration.

5. The swap logic unit of claim 1 wherein the single swap indication contact is configured to connect to a swap marker contact in the reversible plug.

6. The swap logic unit of claim 5 wherein the first voltage is a voltage of the swap marker contact.

7. The swap logic unit of claim 1 wherein an order of signals carried by the set of outputs in the first configuration is reversed relative to an order of signals carried by the set of outputs in the second configuration.

8. The swap logic unit of claim 1 wherein:
the control circuitry is located in a target device;
the control circuitry is further configured to enter a high impedance mode in response to determining that the reversible plug is initially connected to the target device; and
the high impedance mode prevents at least some outputs in the set of outputs from transmitting or receiving signals while the reversible plug is connected to the receptacle.

9. An electronic device comprising:
a receptacle configured to be connected to a reversible plug of a cable unit;
a first set of contacts located in the receptacle and configured to be connected to a second set of contacts located in the reversible plug, wherein:
the first set of contacts comprises a single swap indication contact;
in a first orientation, the single swap indication contact connects to a swap marker contact on the reversible plug and receives a first voltage that is indicative of the first orientation of the reversible plug;
in a second orientation, the single swap indication contact connects to a different contact on the reversible plug and receives a second voltage that is different than the first voltage and that is indicative of the second orientation of the reversible plug; and
both the first orientation and the second orientation of the reversible plug are determinable using voltages received at the single swap indication contact only; and

a swap logic unit comprising:
a set of outputs configured to be in a first configuration or a second configuration, and be connected to the first set of contacts; and
control circuitry configured to:
connect to the single swap indication contact; and
configure the set of outputs in the first configuration in response to determining that the single swap indication contact is at the first voltage and configure the set of outputs in the second configuration in response to determining that the single swap indication contact is at the second voltage, wherein the first configuration corresponds to the first orientation of the reversible plug and the second configuration corresponds to the second orientation of the reversible plug.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the second orientation is rotated by 180° relative to the first orientation.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein a location of an output for a receive signal relative to a location of an output for a transmit signal in the set of outputs in the first configuration is different than the location of the output for the receive signal relative to the location of the output for the transmit signal in the set of outputs in the second configuration.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the single swap indication contact is configured to connect to a swap marker contact in the reversible plug.

13. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein the receptacle comprises a first magnetic element configured to cooperate with a second magnetic element in the reversible plug to secure the receptacle with the reversible plug.

14. The electronic device of claim 9 wherein an order of signals for the set of outputs in the first configuration is reversed relative to an order of signals for the set of outputs in the second configuration.

15. A cable unit comprising:
a reversible plug configured to be connected to a target device, and be in a first orientation or a second orientation; and
a first set of contacts located in the reversible plug and configured to be connected to a second set of contacts located in the target device;
wherein:
the first set of contacts comprises a voltage contact, a ground contact, and a single swap marker contact connected to the voltage contact or the ground contact, and the second set of contacts comprises a single swap indication contact;
in the first orientation, the single swap marker contact is configured to contact the single swap indication contact and receive a first voltage that is indicative of the reversible plug being in the first orientation; and
in the second orientation, the single swap indication is configured to not contact the single swap indication contact and receive a second voltage that is indicative of the reversible plug being in the second orientation;
the single swap indication contact is configured to indicate when to reverse an order of signals for the second set of contacts from a first order of signals in the first orientation to a second order of signals in the second orientation; and
both the first orientation and the second orientation of the reversible plug are determinable using voltages received at the single swap indication contact only.

16. The cable unit of claim 15 wherein the second orientation is rotated by 180° relative to the first orientation.

17. The cable unit of claim 15 wherein the reversible plug comprises a first magnetic element configured to cooperate with a second magnetic element in a receptacle in

Assignees

• Western Digital Techologies Inc
• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jenkins Dean M
• Kakish Musa I

Classifications

• H01R29/00

  Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, {programmable connectors} · CPC title

• H01R31/06 Primary

  Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter (with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94) · CPC title

• G06F1/181 Primary

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title