Providing orientation support in receptacles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10243312-B2
Application number	US-201715447886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2012
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A method of receiving a plug at a receptacle is disclosed. The method may include receiving a plug at a receptacle, the receptacle including contacts disposed with a rotational symmetry about a center point of the receptacle. The method may also include determining, via detection circuitry, any orientation of the plug inserted into the receptacle. The method may also include changing, via selection control circuitry, a connection path coupled to the contacts based on the orientation of the plug.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle communicatively coupled to a host computing device comprising:
contacts arranged in a first symmetrical pattern and configured to mate with contacts in a plug arranged in a second symmetrical pattern when the plug is inserted into the receptacle, the contacts of the receptacle including first and second contacts coupled to a voltage source in the host computing device and a first pair of ground contacts coupled to ground in the host computing device, the contacts in the plug including a third contact and a second pair of ground contacts, wherein the plug can be inserted into the receptacle in one of a first orientation and a second orientation 180 degrees of rotation relative to the first orientation, and wherein when the plug is in either of the first orientation and second orientation and inserted into the receptacle the first pair of ground contacts in the receptacle are coupled to the second pair of ground contacts in the plug; and
detection circuitry to determine an orientation of the plug when inserted into the receptacle by detecting whether there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact and the voltage applied to the second contact,
wherein when the plug is in the first orientation there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact while there is not a path to ground for the voltage applied to the second contact, and wherein when the plug is in the second orientation there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the second contact while there is not a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising selection control circuitry to change a connection path coupled to the contacts based on the orientation of the plug.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein a pull-up resistor is coupled between the voltage source and the first contact.

4. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein a resistor is coupled between the third contact in the plug and at least one of the second pair of ground contacts in the plug, and wherein when the plug is in the first orientation the first contact is coupled to the third contact and the voltage applied to the first contact passes through the resistor to ground.

5. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein a resistor is coupled between the third contact in the plug and at least one of the second pair of ground contacts in the plug, and wherein when the plug is in the second orientation the second contact is coupled to the third contact and the voltage applied to the second contact passes through the resistor to ground.

6. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the contacts are used for power transmission in each of the receptacle and the plug including at least a pair of voltage contacts, and wherein the plurality of contacts used for power are arranged in a symmetrical pattern about the center of the receptacle and the center of the plug.

7. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contacts is used for data transmission and remains inactive until orientation of the plug is detected and connection paths have been selected.

8. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the selection control circuitry comprises:
a first connection path communicatively coupled to the contacts;
a second connection path communicatively coupled to the contacts; and
a switch to change between the first and the second connection paths based on the orientation determined by the detection circuitry.

9. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the plug comprises a cable.

10. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is configured to employ a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface protocol.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving a plug at a receptacle in one of a first orientation and a second orientation 180 degrees of rotation relative to the first orientation, wherein the receptacle includes contacts disposed with a rotational symmetry about a center point of the receptacle including first and second contacts and a first pair of ground contacts and the receptacle is communicatively coupled to a host computing device and wherein the plug includes contacts disposed with a rotational symmetry about a center point of the plug including third and fourth contacts and a second pair of ground contacts, wherein when the plug is in either of the first and second orientation and inserted into the receptacle the first pair of ground contacts in the receptacle are coupled to the second pair of ground contacts in the plug;
applying, via the host computing device, voltage to each of the first contact and second contacts in the receptacle;
grounding the first pair of ground contacts in the receptacle, resulting in the second pair of contacts being grounded in the plug; and
determining an orientation of the plug relative to the receptacle by detecting whether there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact and the voltage applied to the second contact,
wherein when the plug is in the first orientation there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact while there is not a path to ground for the voltage applied to the second contact, and wherein when the plug is in the second orientation there is a path to ground for the voltage applied to the second contact while there is not a path to ground for the voltage applied to the first contact.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: changing, via selection control circuitry, a connection path coupled to contacts in the receptacle and in the plug based on the orientation of the plug.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein a resistor is coupled between the third contact in the plug and at least one of the second pair of ground contacts in the plug, and wherein when the plug is in the first orientation the first contact is coupled to the third contact and the voltage applied to the first contact passes through the resistor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein a resistor is coupled between the third contact in the plug and at least one of the second pair of ground contacts in the plug, and wherein when the plug is in the second orientation the second contact is coupled to the third contact and the voltage applied to the second contact passes through the resistor.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein a pull-up resistor is coupled between the voltage and the first contact.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plug is coupled to a peripheral device that is grounded when the plug is inserted into the receptacle.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising measuring a voltage level on the third contact relative to ground to determine whether the plug is in the first or second orientation.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plug comprises a cable, further comprising:
in response to detecting the plug is in the first orientation, selectively coupling contacts in the receptacle to wiring in the cable to form a first signal path; and;
in response to detecting the plug is in the second orientation, selectively coupling contacts in the receptacle to wiring in the cable to form a second signal path.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plug comprises a cable.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the receptacle is configured to employ a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface protocol.

21. A system comprising:
a processor;
memory, coupled to the processor;
a voltage source;
an Input/Output (I/O) device interface, coupled to the processor and including,

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Saunders Bradley
• Dunstan Robert

Classifications

• G06F13/102

  where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52) · CPC title

• G06F13/4068 Primary

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• H01R13/703

  operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, {e.g. dual-continuity coupling part}(H01R13/71 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R29/00 Primary

  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

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title