Detection, Identification and Operation of Pheripherals Connected Via an Audio/Video-Plug to an Electronic Device

• US 20080318629A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Inha, Kai, Backman, Juha, Saarinen, Pertti
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An electronic device including a jack arranged to receive a peripheral device A/V plug, the A/V plug providing an end-terminal for a peripheral device to be connected to the jack, wherein the device is arranged to detect insertion of the A/V plug, and upon detection of insertion, discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a jack arranged to receive a peripheral device A/V plug, the A/V plug providing an end-terminal for a peripheral device to be connected to the jack, wherein the device is arranged to detect insertion of the A/V plug, and upon detection of insertion, discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device, wherein the device is operable to determine the configuration details of the peripheral device, and wherein the configuration details include two or more characteristics including impedance, capacitance, voltage, current, and the presence of a short circuit or an optical signal.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising memory containing configuration details of a plurality of A/V plug-peripheral device configurations and associated peripheral device functionalities, and wherein the device is arranged to use the configuration details to identify the functionality of the peripheral device connected by the inserted A/V plug.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable to select appropriate applications software for the electronic device based on discriminated functionality.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to identify the functionality to discriminate that the device does not support the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable to measure characteristics at one or more contacts of the A/V plug.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is operable to measure the characteristics at two or more contacts sequentially.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the jack is arranged to make electrical contact with plugs having three contacts:

a tip, a ring and a sleeve.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the jack is arranged to make electrical contact with plugs having four contacts:

a tip, a first ring, a second ring and a sleeve.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is arranged to determine which if any of the one or more contacts is a ground contact.

12. The device of claim 1, including a photo detector arranged to receive the optical signal.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is operable to detect an external voltage applied by a self-powered peripheral device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable to determine whether the peripheral device provides analogue functionality.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable to determine whether the peripheral device provides digital functionality.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is operable first to determine whether the peripheral device provides digital functionality and then to determine whether the peripheral device provides analogue functionality.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein an interrupt signal is generated upon insertion of the plug into the jack, and wherein identification of the functionality commences in response to the interrupt.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the interrupt signal includes slopes arranged such that the signal is inaudible in the phone audio uplink.

19. The device of claim 1, including a sensor arranged to detect insertion of the plug into the jack.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to receive information from the peripheral device identifying the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

21. The device of claim 1, comprising a processor, and wherein the processor is arranged to detect insertion of a A/V plug, and upon detection of insertion of the A/V plug, the processor is arranged to test the configuration of the peripheral device to discriminate its functionality.

22. The device of claim 1, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory comprising configuration details of a plurality of plug-peripheral device configurations and associated peripheral device functionalities, and wherein the processor is arranged to detect insertion of a A/V plug, and upon detection of insertion of the A/V plug, the processor is arranged to test the configuration of the peripheral device to discriminate its functionality.

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is arranged to discriminate a shortlist of two or more possible peripheral devices which may have been connected, and provide the user with the option of selecting one or more of the discriminated peripheral devices from the discriminated shortlist to provide the functionality of the selected peripheral device.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein manual intervention is required to discriminate between two or more peripheral devices which may have been connected.

25. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises one or more connection paths to connect to corresponding one or more contacts on the A/V plug, wherein the electronic device is arranged to route the signalling down one or more of the connection paths to provide appropriate signalling to one or more of the A/V plug contacts which are appropriate for the signalling required for a peripheral device which has been connected to the jack using the A/V plug.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

26. An electronic device comprising a jack arranged to receive a peripheral device A/V plug, the A/V plug providing an end-terminal for a peripheral device to be connected to the jack, wherein the device comprises one or more connection paths to connect to corresponding one or more contacts on the A/V plug, wherein the electronic device is configured to discriminate the configuration and functionality provided by a peripheral device and arranged to route the signalling down one or more of the connection paths to provide appropriate signalling to one or more of the A/V plug contacts according to the configuration/functionality discriminated for the peripheral device, wherein the device is operable to determine the configuration details of the peripheral device, and wherein the configuration details include two or more characteristics including impedance, capacitance, voltage, current, and the presence of a short circuit or an optical signal.

27. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is arranged to automatically discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

28. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is arranged to use manual intervention to discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

29. The electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is arranged to discriminate the functionality provided by any combination of two, three, four, five, six, seven or more of peripheral devices selected from the following list;

stereo headset with microphone and button, basic headset with digital identification, basic stereo headphone, basic stereo headphone with digital identification, C-video analog audio, S-video digital multi-channel SPDIF audio, L&

R analog audio out True Hi-Fi quality, and digital microphone and data with SPDIF headset/headphone.

30. The device according to claim 26, wherein switches are used to appropriately route the signalling while the AV plug is connected.

31. The device according to claim 26, wherein software is used to appropriately route the signalling while the AV plug is connected.

33. The device according to claim 26, wherein the device is arranged to receive information from the peripheral device to discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device, where the peripheral device makes use of enhanced control interface, ECI, or accessory control interface, ACI.

32. (canceled)

34. A method comprising:

detecting insertion of an A/V plug providing an end terminal for a peripheral device into a jack of an electronic device; and

discriminating the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

35. A method comprising:

discriminating the configuration and functionality provided by a peripheral device when an A/V plug of the peripheral device is connected to a jack of an electronic device; and

routing signalling down one or more connection paths of the electronic device to corresponding contacts on the A/V plug according to the configuration/functionality discriminated for the peripheral device.

36. Circuitry for an electronic device comprising a jack arranged to receive a peripheral device A/V plug, the A/V plug providing an end-terminal for a peripheral device to be connected to the jack, wherein the circuitry is arranged to detect insertion of the A/V plug, and upon detection of insertion, discriminate the functionality provided by the peripheral device.

37. Circuitry for an electronic device comprising a jack arranged to receive a peripheral device A/V plug, the A/V plug providing an end-terminal for a peripheral device to be connected to the jack, wherein the device comprises one or more connection paths to connect to corresponding one or more contacts on the A/V plug, wherein the circuitry is configured to discriminate the configuration and/or functionality provided by a peripheral device and arranged to route the signalling down one or more of the connection paths to provide appropriate signalling to one or more of the A/V plug contacts according to the configuration/functionality discriminated for the peripheral device.