Reversible connector orientation detection circuitry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10579107-B2
Application number	US-201715466158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2017
Priority date	Mar 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

Reversible connector orientation detection circuitry, reversibly connectible devices having multiple device portions, and methods for determining a connection orientation of multiple device portions of a hardware device are provided herein. A hardware device can include a first device portion and a second device portion. A first resistor can be in a first side of the first device portion. A second resistor can be in a first side of the second device portion, and a third resistor can be in a second side of the second device portion. Connection of the first device portion to the second device portion in different orientations creates, through the resistors, different voltages that can be compared by a digital logic device to indicate orientation. The compared voltages are within either a low voltage range below a digital logic low threshold or a high voltage range above a digital logic high threshold.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device, comprising:
a first device portion;
a second device portion, wherein the first device portion is detachably and reversibly connectable to the second device portion;
a first resistor, the first resistor in a first side of the first device portion;
a second resistor and a third resistor, the second resistor in a first side of the second device portion and the third resistor in a second side of the second device portion, wherein connection of the first device portion to the second device portion in a first orientation forms a first voltage divider, the first voltage divider being between the first resistor and the second resistor, and wherein connection of the first device portion to the second device portion in a second orientation forms a second voltage divider, the second voltage divider being between the first resistor and the third resistor; and
a digital logic device configured to receive a voltage representing the output of either the first or second voltage divider and compare the voltage to a second voltage, wherein a result of the comparison indicates whether the device is connected in the first orientation or the second orientation, and wherein both the output of the first or second voltage divider and the second voltage are within either a low voltage range below a digital logic low threshold or a high voltage range above a digital logic high threshold.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second resistor and the third resistor have a same value.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital logic device comprises an analog-to-digital converter, and wherein the digital logic device is configured to compare digital voltage levels converted, using the analog-to-digital converter, from the output of the first or second voltage divider and the second voltage.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the digital logic device comprises a comparator.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth resistor, the fourth resistor in a second side of the first device portion, wherein the second voltage is an output of a voltage divider between the fourth resistor and either the second or third resistor.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the second and third resistors have a same value, and wherein the first and fourth resistors have different values.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first device portion comprises a first connector portion, the first resistor being conductively coupled to a pin of the first connector portion,
the second device portion comprises a second connector portion, the second and third resistors being conductively coupled, respectively, to different pins of the second connector portion, and
the first and second connector portions are connected when the first and second device portions are connected.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a laptop, and wherein at least one of the first or second device portion contains a display.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second device portion comprises at least one processing device in communication with the digital logic device, the at least one processing device configured to enable or disable functionality of the device based on the result of the comparison by the digital logic device.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein both of the first and second device portions comprises at least one processing device in communication with the digital logic device, the processing devices configured to enable or disable functionality of the device based on the result of the comparison by the digital logic device.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving a first voltage at a first input of a digital logic device and a second voltage at a second input of the digital logic device, the first voltage determined by a voltage divider formed through connection of two portions of a hardware device, and the second voltage determined by connection of the two portions of the hardware device;
determining, using the digital logic device, which of the first voltage or the second voltage is greater, wherein the first voltage and the second voltage are either both digital logic lows or digital logic highs;
based on which of the first or second voltage is greater, determining whether the two portions of the hardware device are connected in a first orientation or a second orientation; and
based on the determined orientation, enabling or disabling functionality of the hardware device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second voltage is determined by a second voltage divider formed through connection of the two portions of the hardware device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hardware device is a computing device having a display portion and a base portion, the base portion comprising a keyboard, and wherein the functionality of the hardware device enabled or disabled comprises at least one of keyboard functionality or display functionality.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining that the two portions of the hardware device are connected based on the first voltage and the second voltage being both either digital logic highs or digital logic lows.

15. A computing device, comprising:
a display portion comprising:
a first connector portion; and
a first resistor on a first side of the display portion, the first resistor connected between ground and a pin of the first connector portion; and

a base portion, the display portion being detachably and reversibly connectable to the base portion, the base portion comprising:
a second connector portion;
a second resistor and a third resistor, the second and third resistors having a same value that is greater than a value of the first resistor, the second resistor in a first side of the base portion and connected between a positive supply voltage and a first pin of the second connector portion, the third resistor in a second side of the base portion and connected between a positive supply voltage and a second pin of the second connector portion, wherein connection of the display portion to the base portion in a forward orientation forms a first voltage divider through connection of the pin of the first connector portion and the first pin of the second connector portion, and wherein connection of the display portion to the base portion in a reverse orientation forms a second voltage divider through connection of the pin of the first connector portion and the second pin of the second connector portion; and
a digital logic device configured to receive a voltage representing the output of either the first or second voltage divider and compare the voltage to a second voltage, wherein a result of the comparison indicates whether the display portion is connected to the base portion in the forward orientation or the reverse orientation, and wherein both the output of the first or second voltage divider and the second voltage are within a low voltage range below a digital logic low threshold.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the digital logic device comprises an analog-to-digital converter, and wherein the digital logic device is configured to compare digital voltage levels converted, using the analog-to-digital converter, from the output of the first or second voltage divider and the second voltage.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , further comprising a fourth resistor having a value smaller than the value of the first resistor, the fourth resistor in a second side of the display portion, wherein the second voltage is an output of a voltage divider between the fourth resistor and ei

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• LIN James Hao-An Chen
• Chang Jyhlin
• Shah Manish

Classifications

• G06F1/1669

  Detachable keyboards · CPC title

• G06F1/1662

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F1/1654 Primary

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• G06F1/22

  Means for limiting or controlling the pin/gate ratio · CPC title

• G06F1/162

  changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user · CPC title