Method for establishing connection between devices having universal serial bus USB type-C interfaces, and terminal device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10437752-B2
Application number	US-201616083602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A method for establishing a connection between devices having USB Type-C interfaces includes that: a first device determines that a USB cable is connected to a USB Type-C interface; determines a role configuration type supported by a second device; establishes a first USB connection to the second device; displays role information that is of the first device and the second device during establishment of the first USB connection and role configuration types supported by the first device and the second device; receives role configuration information of a user of the first device; and establishes a second USB connection to the second device according to the role configuration information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for establishing a connection between devices having Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C interfaces, wherein the method comprises:
determining, by a first device, that a USB cable is connected to a USB Type-C interface of the first device, wherein a first USB plug of the USB cable is inserted into the USB Type-C interface of the first device, and a second USB plug of the USB cable is inserted into a USB Type-C interface of a second device;
determining, by the first device, a role configuration type supported by the second device, wherein the role configuration type is one of the following: a dual role port (DRP) device, a downstreaming facing port (DFP) device, or an upstreaming facing port (UFP) device;
establishing, by the first device, a first USB connection to the second device;
displaying, by the first device, role information of the first device and the second device during establishment of the first USB connection and role configuration types supported by the first device and the second device;
receiving, by the first device, role configuration information of a user of the first device, wherein the role configuration information instructs the user of the first device to choose to change the role information of the first device and the second device during establishment of the first USB connection; and
establishing, by the first device, a second USB connection to the second device by using changed role information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining, by the first device, a role configuration type supported by the second device comprises:
determining, by the first device, that the second device is connected to the USB Type-C interface of the first device;
detecting, by the first device, voltages on a configuration channel (CC) pin of the USB Type-C interface of the first device within a preset time; and
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are high levels, determining that the role configuration type supported by the second device is a DFP device;
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are low levels, determining, by the first device, that the second device is a UFP device; or
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are variable levels, determining that the role configuration type supported by the second device is a DRP device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining, by the first device, a role configuration type supported by the second device comprises:
detecting, by the first device, voltages on a configuration channel (CC) pin of the USB Type-C interface of the first device within a preset time; and
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are high levels, determining that the role configuration type supported by the second device is a DFP device;
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are low levels, determining, by the first device, if it is determined that the second device is connected to the USB Type-C interface of the first device, that the second device is a UFP device; or
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are variable levels, determining that the role configuration type supported by the second device is a DRP device.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:
keeping, by the first device within the preset time, configuration channel (CC) pins of the USB Type-C interface being disconnected from a Type-C controller of the first device; and
connecting, by the first device, the CC pins of the USB Type-C interface and the Type-C controller after the preset time expires.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determining, by a first device, that a USB cable is connected to a USB Type-C interface of the first device comprises:
if a level on a first ground pin of the USB Type-C interface of the first device changes from a first level to a second level, determining, by the first device, that the USB cable is connected to the USB Type-C interface, wherein the first level is higher than the second level, and one terminal of the first ground pin is connected to the first level; or
if an infrared receiving apparatus in the USB Type-C interface of the first device cannot receive light emitted by an infrared emission apparatus, determining, by the first device, that the USB cable is connected to the USB Type-C interface of the first device.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
keeping, by the first device within the preset time, configuration channel (CC) pins of the USB Type-C interface being disconnected from a Type-C controller of the first device; and
connecting, by the first device, the CC pins of the USB Type-C interface and the Type-C controller after the preset time expires.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the determining, by a first device, that a USB cable is connected to a USB Type-C interface of the first device comprises:
if a level on a first ground pin of the USB Type-C interface of the first device changes from a first level to a second level, determining, by the first device, that the USB cable is connected to the USB Type-C interface, wherein the first level is higher than the second level, and one terminal of the first ground pin is connected to the first level; or
if an infrared receiving apparatus in the USB Type-C interface of the first device cannot receive light emitted by an infrared emission apparatus, determining, by the first device, that the USB cable is connected to the USB Type-C interface of the first device.

8. A terminal device, comprising:
a USB Type-C interface;
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor, the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to:
determine that a USB cable is connected to the USB Type-C interface, wherein a first USB plug of the USB cable is inserted into the USB Type-C interface of the terminal device, and a second USB plug of the USB cable is inserted into a USB Type-C interface of a second device;
determine a role configuration type supported by the second device, wherein the role configuration type is one of the following: a dual role port (DRP) device, a downstreaming facing port (DFP) device, or an upstreaming facing port (UFP) device;
establish a first USB connection to the second device;
display role information of the terminal device and the second device during establishment of the first USB connection and role configuration types supported by the terminal device and the second device;
receive role configuration information of a user of the terminal device, wherein the role configuration information instructs the user of the terminal device to choose to change the role information of the terminal device and the second device during establishment of the first USB connection; and
establish a second USB connection to the second device by using changed role information.

9. The terminal device according to claim 8 , wherein the programming instructions instruct the at least one processor to:
determine that the second device is connected to the USB Type-C interface of the terminal device;
determine, based on voltages that are on a configuration channel (CC) pin of the USB Type-C interface of the terminal device within a preset time, the role configuration type supported by the second device; and
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are high levels, determine that the role configuration type supported by the second device is a DFP device;
if levels of the voltages within the preset time are low levels, determine that

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xu Zhongjie

Classifications

• G06F13/20 Primary

  for access to input/output bus · CPC title

• G06F13/4282

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title

• G06F13/4068 Primary

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• G06F2213/0042

  Universal serial bus [USB] · CPC title