Serial communication over communication control pin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9547573-B2
Application number	US-201314051012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2013
Priority date	Oct 10, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for serial communications over a communications control pin. The method may include detecting, by a first device including a data interface, a current flow at a first communication control pin at the data interface; and assigning, by the first device based on the detection of the current flow at the first communication control pin, serial data communication circuitry to a second communication control pin at the data interface to carry serial data communications to another device. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
detecting, by a first device including a data interface, a current flow at a first communication control pin at the data interface, wherein the first communication control pin and a second communication control pin are configured to at least enable detection of an orientation of a connector by at least detecting the current flow; and
assigning, by the first device based on the detection of the current flow at the first communication control pin, serial data communication circuitry to the second communication control pin at the data interface to carry serial data communications to another device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data interface comprises at least one of a universal serial bus connector and a universal serial bus receptacle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin are coupled to at least pull-down resistor and a ground.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the other device including a pull-up resistor causing the current flow when coupled.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication control pin is located at a first row of the data interface, and wherein the second communication control pin is located at a second row of the data interface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting further comprises identifying the first communication control pin as actively carrying communication control signaling, and wherein the assigning further comprises selecting the second communication control pin that is not actively carrying communication control signaling to carry the serial data.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the first device, a current flow at the second communication control pin; and
assigning, by the first device based on the detection of the current flow at the second communication control pin, the serial data communication circuitry to the first communication control pin to carry serial data communications to the other device.

8. An apparatus comprising:
a data interface including a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, the first communication control pin and a second communication control pin coupled to a pull-down resistor;
detection circuitry to detect a current flow at the first communication control pin, wherein the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin are configured to at least enable detection of an orientation of a connector by at least detecting the current flow; and
control circuitry to assign, based on the detection of the current flow at the first communication control pin, serial data communication circuitry to the second communication control pin to enable serial data communications between the apparatus and another device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the data interface comprises at least one of a universal serial bus connector and a universal serial bus receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the other device including a pull-up resistor causing the current flow when coupled.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first communication control pin is located at a first row of the data interface, and wherein the second communication control pin is located at a second row of the data interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the detection circuitry identifies the first communication control pin as actively carrying communication control signaling, and wherein the control circuitry selects the second communication control pin that is not actively carrying communication control signaling to carry the serial data.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the detection circuitry is configured to
detect a current flow at the second communication control pin, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to assign, based on the detection of current flow the second communication control pin, the serial data communication circuitry to the first communication control pin at the data interface to carry serial data communications between the apparatus and the other device.

14. An apparatus comprising:
a data interface including a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, the first communication control pin coupled to a pull-up resistor and a source of power;
detection circuitry to detect a current flow at the first communication control pin, wherein the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin are configured to at least enable detection of an orientation of a connector by at least detecting the current flow; and
a serial data interface coupled the second communication control pin, the serial data interface allowed to send serial data via the second communication control pin after the detected current flow at the first communication control pin.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the data interface comprises at least one of a universal serial bus connector and a universal serial bus receptacle.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the other device including a pull-down resistor causing the current flow when coupled.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first communication control pin is located at a first row of the data interface, and wherein the second communication control pin is located at a second row of the data interface.

18. A method comprising:
detecting, by a device including a data interface having a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, a current flow at the first communication control pin, the current flow caused by at least a pull-up resistor and a source of power, wherein the first communication control pin and a second communication control pin are configured to at least enable detection of an orientation of a connector by at least detecting the current flow; and
communicating, by the device when the current flow is detected at the first communications pin, serial data via the second communication control pin at the data interface.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the data interface comprises at least one of a universal serial bus connector and a universal serial bus receptacle.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the other device including a pull-down resistor causing the current flow when coupled.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first communication control pin is located at a first row of the data interface, and wherein the second communication control pin is located at a second row of the data interface.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer program code which when executed by at least one processor circuitry causes operations comprising:
detecting, by a first device including a data interface, a current flow at a first communication control pin at the data interface, wherein the first communication control pin and a second communication control pin are configured to at least enable detection of an orientation of a connector by at least detecting the current flow; and
assigning, by the first device based on the detection of the current flow at the first communication control pin, serial data communication circuitry to a second communication control pin at the data interface to carry serial data communications to another

Assignees

• Nokia Corp
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Leinonen Pekka E
• Inha Kai
• Toivola Timo T
• Talmola Pekka
• Lindholm Rune
• Toivanen Timo J

Classifications

• G06F13/4063 Primary

  Device-to-bus coupling · CPC title

• G06F13/382

  using universal interface adapter · CPC title

• G06F11/3027 Primary

  where the computing system component is a bus · CPC title