Product detection device, product detection system and product detection method applied thereto

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11449121-B2
Application number	US-202117160226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Nov 20, 2020
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

The product detection system includes a computing device, at least one power detection instrument and a product detection device. The product detection device includes a processing unit, plural USB-C transmission ports and plural detection connection ports. A product detection method includes following steps. Firstly, at least one USB-C under-test product is connected with the plural USB-C transmission ports, and the at least one power detection instrument is connected with the plural detection connection ports. Then, the USB-C transmission port is set as a first role or a second role. Then, the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the first role is cyclically operated at plural designated voltages under control of the processing unit, and the processing unit issues an output voltage to the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the second role. Then, an operation status of the USB-C under-test product is detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product detection device for use between a computing device, at least one power detection instrument and at least one USB-C under-test product, a detection program being loaded in the computing device, the product detection device comprising:
a circuit board;
a processing unit installed on the circuit board;
plural USB-C transmission ports installed on the circuit board, and connectable with the at least one USB-C under-test product; and
plural detection connection ports installed on the circuit board, and connectable with the at least one power detection instrument, wherein the plural detection connection ports are correlated with the plural USB-C transmission ports,
wherein the detection program issues a detection command, and the USB-C transmission port connected with the USB-C under-test product is set as a first role or a second role, wherein the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the first role is cyclically operated at plural designated voltages under control of the processing unit, the processing unit issues an output voltage to the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the second role, and an operation status of the USB-C under-test product corresponding to the USB-C transmission port is detected by the connected power detection instrument.

2. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the product detection device further comprises plural Type-A transmission ports, which are installed on the circuit board and connectable with at least one Type-A under-test product, wherein the plural detection connection ports are correlated with the plural USB-C transmission ports and the plural Type-A transmission ports.

3. The product detection device according to claim 2 , wherein an operation status of the Type-A under-test product corresponding to the Type-A transmission port is detected by the connected power detection instrument according to a USB battery charging (BC) specification.

4. The product detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a back-end connection interface installed on the circuit board, wherein the back-end connection interface is connected with the computing device;
a manual operation module installed on the circuit board, wherein a detection procedure is manually performed by a user through the manual operation module; and
a display module installed on the circuit board, wherein a detection result of using the manual operation module or a detection result in response to the detection command is shown and indicated on the display module.

5. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein if the USB-C transmission port connected with the USB-C under-test product is set as the first role, the connected USB-C under-test product supplies electric power to the circuit board, wherein if the USB-C transmission port connected with the USB-C under-test product is set as the second role, the circuit board or an external power source supplies electric power to the connected USB-C under-test product.

6. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein all of the plural USB-C transmission ports are operable as the first role, and at least one of the plural USB-C transmission ports is also operable as the second role.

7. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the computing device is in communication with the at least one power detection instrument, so that a result of detecting the corresponding USB-C under-test product is transmitted from the power detection instrument to the computing device.

8. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection program issues the detection command according to a USB-C Power Delivery (PD) communication protocol.

9. The product detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the plural designated voltages include 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V.

10. A product detection system for detecting at least one USB-C under-test product, the product detection system comprising:
a computing device, wherein a detection program is loaded in the computing device;
at least one power detection instrument; and
a product detection device comprising a circuit board, a processing unit, plural USB-C transmission ports and plural detection connection ports, wherein the processing unit is installed on the circuit board, the plural USB-C transmission ports are installed on the circuit board and connectable with the at least one USB-C under-test product, the plural detection connection ports are installed on the circuit board and connectable with the at least one power detection instrument, and the plural detection connection ports are correlated with the plural USB-C transmission ports,
wherein the detection program issues a detection command, and the USB-C transmission port connected with the USB-C under-test product is set as a first role or a second role, wherein the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the first role is cyclically operated at plural designated voltages under control of the processing unit, the processing unit issues an output voltage to the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the second role, and an operation status of the USB-C under-test product corresponding to the USB-C transmission port is detected by the connected power detection instrument.

11. A product detection method for use in a product detection system to detect at least one USB-C under-test product, the product detection system comprising a computing device, at least one power detection instrument and a product detection device, a detection program being loaded in the computing device, the product detection device comprising a processing unit, plural USB-C transmission ports and plural detection connection ports, the plural detection connection ports being correlated with the plural USB-C transmission ports, the product detection method comprising steps of:
connecting the at least one USB-C under-test product with the plural USB-C transmission ports, and connecting the at least one power detection instrument with the plural detection connection ports;
the detection program issuing a detection command;
the processing unit checking connection statuses of the plural USB-C transmission ports;
setting the USB-C transmission port that is connected with the USB-C under-test product as a first role or a second role;
the processing unit controlling the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the first role to be cyclically operated at plural designated voltages, and issuing an output voltage to the USB-C transmission port corresponding to the second role; and
the connected power detection instrument detecting an operation status of the USB-C under-test product corresponding to the USB-C transmission port.

12. The product detection method according to claim 11 , wherein the product detection device further comprises plural Type-A transmission ports, and the product detection method further comprises a step of connecting at least one Type-A under-test product with the plural Type-A transmission ports, and connecting the at least one power detection instrument with the plural detection connection ports, wherein the plural detection connection ports are correlated with the plural USB-C transmission ports and the plural Type-A transmission ports.

13. The product detection method according to claim 11 , wherein the product detection device further comprises a back-end connection interface, a manual operation module and a display module, wherein the back-end connection interface is connected with the computing device, a detection procedure is manually performed by a user through the manual operation module, and a detection result o

Assignees

• Primax Electronics Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Shun-Fu
• Chiu Yi-Kang
• Chen Wei-Cheng

Classifications

• G06F13/382 Primary

  using universal interface adapter · CPC title

• G06F1/3215 Primary

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F2213/0042

  Universal serial bus [USB] · CPC title