METHOD OF LINE-SWITCHING AND CONNECTION FOR A CONNECTOR WITH A COMBO PORT

• US 20120057694A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arcadyan Technology Corporation (Compal Electronics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Arcadyan Technology Corporation (Compal Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: LEE, CHIH-FANG, CHIANG, WEI-RONG
• Application Number:
  US13/210,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057694A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0272 Arrangements for coupling to multiple lines, e.g. for differential transmission

Abstract

Provided is a method of line-switching and connection for a connector with a combo port. The method is particularly adapted to the connector compatible with two or more link types. The method is to switch the wires to connect a specific link based on the detection of connector type. The step is firstly to initialize the system with the connector. A detecting circuit is configured to detect the type of connector which is plugged into the combo port. The detection covers the physical layer and protocol related to the plugged connector. An automatic switching process is then performed to establish a connection in compliance with the connector type chosen by a controller. In one embodiment, the connector with combo port particularly meets the requirements of connections to RJ-45 connector and RJ-11 connector. After the switching process, the adapted connection is implemented with required configurations.

Claims

1. A line switching method for a connecting apparatus with a combo port, comprising:

initializing the connecting apparatus with a combo port, including an initial configuration of connection of the connecting apparatus with a combo port;

detecting a type of connection plugged into the connecting apparatus with a combo port according to a physical layer and communication protocol of the connection; and

performing an automatic switching process by a connector controller to switch one of the line combinations corresponding to the connection type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic switching process is to switch a plurality of connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts corresponding to the connecting apparatus with a combo port.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the every connector includes at least one RJ-45 connector and one RJ-11 connector.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the connecting apparatus with a combo port is a connector with eight pins, and the switching process is to switch route of the eight pins correspondingly connected to the RJ-45 connector, or to switch route of the six pins correspondingly connected to the RJ-11 connector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic switching process is performed by a relay circuit, which generates a switching signal for the switching in response to detection result.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of line combinations comprise:

unshared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts do not have shared electrical contacts; and

shared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts have the shared electrical contacts.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, an RJ-45 connector in compliance with 10/100 BASE and an RJ-11 connector form the unshared lines;

the RJ-45 connector for 1000 BASE standard has shared lines with the RJ-11 connector.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein port of the connecting apparatus with a combo port has a plurality of electrical contacts linked with a plurality of metal wires, and the metal wires are divided into several line combinations, which are respectively linked to a first connection module and a second connection module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first connection module is circuit module for Digital subscriber line, and the second connection module is circuit module for Ethernet network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the switching process is to switch one of the line combinations, and the combinations are applied to:

an RJ-11 connector, in compliance with standard of an Digital subscriber line, connected to circuit module of the Digital subscriber line;

an RJ-45 connector, in compliance with 10 BASE-T or 100 BASE-TX standard, connected to circuit module of an Ethernet network; and

wherein, the RJ-45 connector corresponds to a 1000 BASE-T standard circuit and connects to the circuit module of the Ethernet network.

11. A connecting method for a connecting apparatus with a combo port, comprising:

initializing the connecting apparatus with a combo port, including configuration of connection of the connecting apparatus with a combo port;

detecting type of a connection plugged into the connecting apparatus with a combo port, in which the connection type is determined according to physical layer and communication protocol of the connection;

performing an automatic switching process, by a connector controller, to switch a line combination corresponding to the detected connection type; and

initiating a connecting process, wherein the connector controller performs the connecting process according to the detected connecting type.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatic switching process is performed to switch the lines of connecting apparatus with a combo port with corresponding an RJ-45 connector or an RJ-11 connector, in which the RJ-45 connector and the RJ-11 connector have different numbers of electrical contacts.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the connecting apparatus with a combo port is a connector with eight pins, and the automatic switching process is performed to switch the pins to correspondingly connect the RJ-45 connector having eight pins, or to connect the RJ-11 connector having six pins.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching process is implemented as a relay circuit, which generates a switching signal for performing the switching according to a detection result from the detecting process.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the line combinations include:

unshared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts do not have shared electrical contacts; and

shared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts have the shared electrical contacts.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, an RJ-45 connector in compliance with 10/100 BASE and an RJ-11 connector form the unshared lines;

the RJ-45 connector for 1000 BASE standard has shared lines with the RJ-11 connector.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of switching the line combinations is to switch the circuit modules including:

an RJ-45 connector, in compliance with 10 BASE-T or 100 BASE-TX standard, connected to circuit module of an Ethernet network;

the RJ-45 connector, in compliance with 1000 BASE-T standard, connected to circuit module of the Ethernet network; and

an RJ-11 connector, in compliance with standard of a Digital subscriber line, connected to circuit module of the Digital subscriber line.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating connecting process including initiating the connection modes including:

configuring connection of Digital subscriber line according to connection parameters provided by a service provider of Digital subscriber line; and

configuring Ethernet network according to a LAN configuration of the Ethernet network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration includes:

a setting of dynamic host configuration protocol;

a setting of point-to-point protocol of the Ethernet network; and

a setting of a static network address.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the connecting apparatus with a combo port includes a memory unit for storing the connection configuration.