COMMUNICATION OVER IDENTIFICATION LINE

• US 20150248151A1
• Filed: 02/28/2014
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Lim, Cheow Guan
• Granted Patent: US 9,507,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In one example a method includes communicating, by a first device, with a second device via an identification (ID) line of a universal serial bus (USB) cable. A first connector of the USB cable may be attached to a USB connector of the first device. A second connector of the USB cable may be attached to a USB connector of the second device. The USB connector of the first device may include a bus voltage (VBUS) connector configured to mate with a VBUS line of the USB cable, a positive data (D+) connector configured to mate with a D+ line of the USB cable, a negative data (D−) connector configured to mate with a D− line of the USB cable, the ID connector configured to mate with a ID line of the USB cable, and a ground (GND) connector configured to mate with a GND line of the USB cable.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) connector comprising;

a bus voltage (VBUS) connector configured to mate with a VBUS line of a USB cable;

a positive data (D+) connector configured to mate with a D+ line of the USB cable;

a negative data (D−

) connector configured to mate with a D−

line of the USB cable;

an identification (ID) connector configured to mate with a ID line of the USB cable; and

a ground (GND) connector configured to mate with a GND line of the USB cable; and

a communication module configured to communicate with another device via the ID line of the USB cable.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to negotiate one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line with the other device, and wherein the one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line include one or more of:

a voltage level for the VBUS line; and

a current level for the VBUS line.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device is configured to provide power to the other device via the VBUS line, and wherein the communication module is configured to negotiate the one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line by at least receiving, from the other device, a request for more power.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a power supply configured to provide power to the other device via the VBUS connector, wherein the power supply is configured to provide additional power to the other device in response to receiving a request for more power.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a detection module configured to determine whether a connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector or a B-type connector.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising:

a first transmitter; and

a second transmitter,

wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the other device via the first transmitter where the connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector, and wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the other device via the second transmitter where the connector of the USB cable is a B-type connector.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first transmitter comprises one or more components electrically positioned between the ID connector and the GND connector, and wherein the second transmitter comprises one or more components electrically positioned between the VBUS connector and the ID connector

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the detection module is configured to determine that the connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector where a voltage level of the ID connector is pulled up or where a resistance between the ID connector and the GND connector exceeds a threshold, and wherein the detection module is configured to determine that the connector of the USB cable is a B-type connector where the a voltage level of the ID connector is pulled down to a voltage level of the GND connector.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to communicate with the other USB device via the ID line in full duplex.

10. A method performed by a first device that comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector that includes a bus voltage (VBUS) connector configured to mate with a VBUS line of a USB cable, a positive data (D+) connector configured to mate with a D+ line of the USB cable, a negative data (D−

) connector configured to mate with a D−

line of the USB cable, an identification (ID) connector configured to mate with an ID line of the USB cable, and a ground (GND) connector configured to mate with a GND line of the USB cable, the method comprising;

communicating, by the first device, with a second device via the ID line of the USB cable, wherein a first connector of the USB cable is attached to the USB connector of the first device, and wherein a second connector of the USB cable is attached to a USB connector of the second device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating comprises:

negotiating, by the first device, one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line of the USB cable, and wherein the one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line include one or more of;

a voltage level for the VBUS line; and

a current level for the VBUS line.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device is configured to provide power to the second device via the VBUS line, and wherein negotiating comprises receiving, from the second device, a request for more power.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to receiving, from the second device, a request for more power, providing additional power to the second device via the VBUS line.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to providing the additional power to the second device, reducing the amount of current provided to the second device to zero.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first device is configured to either provider power to or receive power from the second device via the VBUS line, wherein communicating comprises:

negotiating a transition from providing power to the second device to receiving power from the second device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the first connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector or a B-type connector.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

communicating, by the first device, with the second device via a first transmitter where the first connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector; and

communicating, by the first device, with the second device via the second transmitter where the first connector of the USB cable is a B-type connector.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first transmitter comprises one or more components electrically positioned between the ID connector of the first device and the GND connector of the first device, and wherein the second transmitter comprises one or more components electrically positioned between the VBUS connector of the first device and the ID connector of the first device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining whether the first connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector or a B-type connector comprises:

determining that the first connector of the USB cable is an A-type connector where a voltage level of the ID connector is pulled up or where a resistance between the ID connector and the GND connector exceeds a threshold; and

determining that the first connector of the USB cable is a B-type connector where the voltage level of the ID connector is pulled down to a voltage level of the GND connector.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein communicating, by the first device, with the second device via the ID line comprises communicating, by the first device, with the second device via the ID line in full duplex.

21. A universal serial bus (USB) cable comprising:

a bus voltage (VBUS) line;

a positive data (D+) line;

a negative data (D−

) line;

an identification (ID) line;

a ground (GND) line;

an A-type connector comprising;

a VBUS connector configured to mate with a first end of the VBUS line;

a D+ connector configured to mate with a first end of the D+ line;

a D−

connector configured to mate with a first end of the D−

line;

an ID connector configured to mate with a first end of the ID line; and

a GND connector configured to mate with a first end of the GND line;

a B-type connector comprising;

a VBUS connector configured to mate with a second end of the VBUS line;

a D+ connector configured to mate with a second end of the D+ line;

a D−

connector configured to mate with a second end of the D−

line;

an ID connector configured to mate with a second end of the ID line; and

a GND connector configured to mate with a second end of the GND line; and

a capacitor electrically positioned between the first ID connector and the second ID connector.

22. The USB cable of claim 21, wherein the A-type connector further comprises one or more circuit elements electrically positioned between the VBUS connector and the ID connector, and wherein the B-type connector further comprises one or more circuit elements electrically positioned between the ID connector and the GND connector.

23. A system comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) cable comprising;

a bus voltage (VBUS) line;

a positive data (D+) line;

a negative data (D−

) line;

an identification (ID) line;

a ground (GND) line;

a first connector comprising;

a first VBUS connector connected to a first end of the VBUS line;

a first D+ connector connected to the first end of the D+ line;

a first D−

connector connected to the first end of the D−

line;

a first ID connector connected to the first end of the ID line; and

a first GND connector connected to the first end of the GND;

a second connector comprising;

a second VBUS connector connected to a second end of the VBUS line;

a second D+ connector connected to the second end of the D+ line;

a second D−

connector connected to the second end of the D−

line;

a second ID connector connected to the second end of the ID line; and

a second GND connector connected to the second end of the GND;

and

a capacitor electrically positioned between the first ID connector and the second ID connector;

a first device comprising;

a USB connector comprising;

a VBUS connector configured to mate with the first VBUS connector of the USB cable;

a D+ connector configured to mate with the first D+ connector of the USB cable;

a D−

connector configured to mate with the first D−

connector of the USB cable;

a ID connector configured to mate with the first ID connector of the USB cable; and

a GND connector configured to mate with the first GND connector of the USB cable; and

a communication module; and

a second device comprising;

a USB connector comprising;

a VBUS connector configured to mate with the second VBUS connector of the USB cable;

a D+ connector configured to mate with the second D+ connector of the USB cable;

a D−

connector configured to mate with the second D−

connector of the USB cable;

a ID connector configured to mate with the second ID connector of the USB cable; and

a GND connector configured to mate with the second GND connector of the USB cable; and

a second communication module,

wherein the first communication module and the second communication module are configured to communicate with each other by exchanging data over the ID line of the USB cable.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first device is a power consumer, wherein the second device is a power provider, wherein the first communication module is configured to negotiate one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line with the second communication module, and wherein the one or more power characteristics for the VBUS line include one or more of:

a voltage level for the VBUS line; and

a current level for the VBUS line.