Communication control pins in a dual row connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9727518-B2
Application number	US-201314050927-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2013
Priority date	Oct 10, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for communications control in a dual row connector. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include coupling a first data connector including a pair of communication control pins and another pair of communication control pins, wherein the pair further comprises a first communication control pin located at a first row of the first data connector and a second communication control pin located at a second row of the data connector, wherein the other pair further comprises a third communication control pin located at the first row of the first data connector and a fourth communication control pin located at the second row of the first data connector. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a data connector including a communication pin, a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, wherein the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin are pulled up by a first pull-up having a first pull-up resistor;
detection circuitry to detect which of the first and the second communication control pins is an active communication control pin, based on at least detecting a current flow caused by the first pull-up when coupled to the data connector and an external device, and to determine an orientation of the data connector based on the current flow or a change in voltage at the active communication control pin;
a second pull-up configured to be connected, in response to the detection of the active communication control pin, to the active communication control pin, the second pull-up having a second pull-up resistor with a higher resistance than the first pull-up resistor; and
communication circuitry, coupled to the active communication control pin, configured to communicate according to a communication protocol after detecting the orientation of the data connector coupled to the external device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data connector includes:
a first row including the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin, and
a second row including a third communication control pin and a fourth communication control pin.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate according to another communication protocol, when the detection circuitry detects a current flow both in the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the third communication control pin and wherein the second communication control pin is coupled to the fourth communication control pin.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data connector comprises a universal serial bus connector.

6. An apparatus comprising:
a data connector including a communication pin, a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, wherein the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin are pulled down by a first pull down having a first pull-down resistor;
detection circuitry configured to detect which of the first and the second communication control pins is an active communication control pin, based on at least detecting a current flow caused by the first pull down when coupled to the data connector and an external device, and to determine an orientation of the data connector based on the current flow or a change in voltage at the active communication control pin;
a second pull-down configured to be connected, in response to the detecting of the active communication control pin, to the active communication control pin, the second pull-down having a second pull-down resistor with a higher resistance than the first pull-down resistor; and
communication circuitry coupled to the active communication control pin detected by the detection circuitry and configured to communicate according to a communication protocol after detecting the orientation of the data connector coupled to the external device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the data connector includes:
a first row including the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin, and
a second row including a third communication control pin and a fourth communication control pin.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the communication circuitry is configured to communicate according to another communication protocol, when the detection circuitry detects a current flow both in the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first communication control pin is coupled to the third communication control pin and wherein the second communication control pin is coupled to the fourth communication control pin.

10. A method comprising:
pulling up a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, the first and the second communication control pins included in a data connector having a communication pin;
detecting which of the first and the second communication control pins is an active communication control pin, based on at least detecting a current flow caused by at least the pulling-up, when coupled to the data connector and an external device, and to determine an orientation of the data connector based on the current flow or a change in voltage at the active communication control pin;
connecting, in response to the detecting of the active communication control pin, a second pull-up to the active communication control pin, the second pull-up having a second pull-up resistor with a higher resistance than the first pull-up resistor; and
coupling a communication circuitry to the active communication control pin, the communication circuitry configured to communicate according to a communication protocol, after detecting the orientation of the data connector coupled to the external device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data connector includes a first row including the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin, and a second row including a third communication control pin and a fourth communication control pin.

12. A method comprising:
pulling down a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, wherein the first and second communication control pins included in a data connector having a communication pin;
detecting which of the first and the second communication control pins is an active communication control pin, based on at least detecting a current flow caused by at least the pulling down, when coupled to the data connector and an external device, and to determine an orientation of a data connector based on the current flow or a change in voltage at the active communication control pin;
connecting, in response to the detecting of the active communication control pin, a second pull-down to the active communication control pin, the second pull-down having a second pull-down resistor with a higher resistance than the first pull-down resistor; and
coupling a communication circuitry to the active communication control pin, the communication circuitry configured to communicate according to a communication protocol after detecting the orientation of the data connector coupled to the external device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the data connector includes a first row including the first communication control pin and the second communication control pin, and a second row including a third communication control pin and a fourth communication control pin.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer code which when executed by at least one processor causes operations comprising:
pulling up a first communication control pin and a second communication control pin, the first and the second communication control pins included in a data connector having a communication pin;
detecting which of the first and the second communication control pins is an active communication control pin and an inactive communication control pin, based on at least detecting a current flow caused by at least the pulling-up, when coupled to the data connector and an external device, and to determine an orientation of the data connector based on the current flow or a change in voltage at the active com

Assignees

• Nokia Corp
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06F13/42 Primary

  Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation · CPC title

• G06F13/4063

  Device-to-bus coupling · CPC title

• H01R29/00

  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