Method and/or apparatus for implementing USB and audio signals shared conductors

• US 7,103,381 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Wright, David G., Wooten, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Application Number:
  US10/054,329
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/559, 710/63, 710/64
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6083 by interfacing with the vehicle audio system

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a transceiver circuit. The transceiver circuit comprises a plurality of bus input/outputs (I/Os). The transceiver circuit may be configured to directly couple (i) an analog signal to the bus I/Os when the bus I/Os are in a first state and (ii) a plurality of first digital signals to the bus I/Os when the bus I/Os are in a second state.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver circuit comprising a multiplexer circuit, an interface circuit, a physical layer interface and a plurality of bus input/outputs (I/Os), wherein (a) said transceiver circuit is configured to directly couple (i) an analog input signal to said bus I/Os with said multiplexer circuit when said bus I/Os are in a first state and (ii) a plurality of first digital signals to said bus I/Os with said multiplexer circuit when said bus I/Os are in a second state, (b) said multiplexer circuit is configured to present/receive (i) an analog output signal on an input/output when in said first state and (ii) said plurality of first digital signals on said input/output when in said second state, and (c) said interface circuit is configured to present a control signal to said multiplexer circuit and said physical layer interface to control coupling in response to said first state and said second state.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transceiver circuit is further configured to directly couple a plurality of second digital signals to said bus I/Os with said multiplexer circuit when said bus I/Os are in a third state, wherein said multiplexer circuit is configured to (i) present/receive said plurality of second digital signals on said input/output when in said third state and (ii) provide for the sharing of said analog output signal, said first digital signals and said second digital signals on said input/output.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus further comprises a second circuit (i) coupled to said transceiver circuit and (ii) configured to present/receive said first and second digital signals.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said analog input signal comprises an audio input signal;

said analog output signal comprises an audio output signal;

said transceiver circuit comprises a cellular telephone transceiver circuit;

said second circuit comprises a cellular telephone application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); and

said bus I/Os comprise a cellular telephone interconnect.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transceiver circuit is configured to determine said first state, said second state, or said third state of said bus I/Os.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second circuit is configured to determine said first state, said second state, or said third state of said bus I/Os.

7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said apparatus is configured to communicate said first, second, and third states between said transceiver circuit and said second circuit via one or more of said plurality of second digital signals.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second circuit comprises a broadband processor circuit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second digital signals are signals selected from a group consisting of Inter-IC (I²C) protocol and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol signals.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said interface circuit is configured to present said control signal to said physical layer interface and said multiplexer circuit to control said coupling in response to said first, second, and third states.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said multiplexer circuit presents/receives one of (i) said analog output signal, (ii) said first digital signals and (iii) said second digital signals in response to said control signal.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein (i) said bus I/Os and (ii) said first digital signals are compliant with a Universal Serial Bus On-The-Go (USB OTG) protocol.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first digital signals comprise signals compliant to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol.

14. An apparatus for alternately presenting/receiving an analog input signal or a plurality of digital signals via a plurality of transceiver bus input/outputs (I/Os) comprising:

means for determining a state of said bus inputs/outputs;

means for directly coupling said analog input signal to said bus inputs/outputs with a multiplexer circuit when said bus inputs/outputs are in a first state;

means for directly coupling said plurality of digital signals with said multiplexer circuit to said bus inputs/outputs when said bus inputs/outputs are in a second state, wherein said multiplexer circuit is configured to present/receive (i) an analog output signal on an input/output when in said first state and (ii) said plurality of digital signals on said input/output when in said second state; and

means for presenting a control signal to a physical layer interface and said multiplexer circuit to control coupling in response to said first state and said second state.

15. A method for alternately presenting/receiving an analog input signal or a plurality of first digital signals via a plurality of transceiver bus input/outputs (I/Os) comprising the steps of:

(A) determining a state of said bus inputs/outputs;

(B) directly coupling said analog input signal to said bus inputs/outputs with a multiplexer circuit when said bus inputs/outputs are in a first state;

(C) directly coupling said plurality of first digital signals to said bus inputs/outputs with said multiplexer circuit when said bus inputs/outputs are in a second state, wherein said multiplexer circuit is configured to present/receive (i) an analog output signal on an input/output when in said first state and (ii) said plurality of first digital signals on said input/output when in said second state; and

(D) presenting a control signal to a physical layer interface and said multiplexer circuit to control coupling in response to said first state and said second state.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

directly coupling a plurality of second digital signals to said bus inputs/outputs when said bus inputs/outputs are in a third state, wherein said multiplexer circuit is configured to (i) present/receive said plurality of second digital signals on said input/output when in said third state and (ii) provide for the sharing of said analog output signal, said first digital signals and said second digital signals on said input/output.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein step (A) comprises determining said state of said bus inputs/outputs via a cellular telephone transceiver circuit.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein step (A) comprises determining said state of said bus inputs/outputs via a cellular telephone application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

communicating said state between said transceiver circuit and said ASIC via said second digital signals.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein (i) said analog input signal comprises an audio input signal (ii) said analog output signal comprises an audio output signal and (iii) said first digital signals comprise signals compliant to a Universal Serial Bus On-The-Go (USB OTG) standard.