Data transfer control device and electronic equipment

• US 7,424,569 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Kuniaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Khanh
• Application Number:
  US10/989,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 710/305, 710/316, 713/310, 713/340
• US Class Current: 710/316
• 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

Aspects of the invention can provide a data transfer control device and electronic equipment that can achieve to switch supplying power through a VBUS. The transfer controller can transmit a switching request packet of supplying power through a VBUS to a type-B plug connected side (a type-B device side). In the case when the transfer controller can receive a switching acknowledgment packet of supplying power through the VBUS, the transfer controller can instruct a power supply switching circuit to stop a power supply through the VBUS. A monitoring the voltage level of the VBUS can be stopped before stopping the power supply through the VBUS. A transfer controller can receive the switching request packet of supplying power through the VBUS from the type-A plug connected side (a type-A device side). In the case when the transfer controller acknowledges the switching, the transfer controller can transmit the switching acknowledgment packet of supplying power through the VBUS, and instructs the power supply switching circuit to start supplying power through the VBUS. The monitoring the voltage level of the VBUS can be stopped before starting the power supply through the VBUS. The switching request packet and switching acknowledgment packets can be transmitted using a control transfer.

Claims

1. A data transfer control device for transferring data through a USB, comprising:

a transfer controller that controls a data transfer; and

a power supply switching circuit that controls a switching of supplying power to a VBUS line of the USB,

when the data transfer control device is a first data transfer control device connected to a type-A plug side of the USB and supplies power to the VBUS line, the transfer controller transmits a switching request packet of supplying power to a second data transfer control device connected to a type-B plug side of the USB, the switching request packet of supplying power containing a request to switch the supplying of power to the VBUS line to the second data transfer control device; and

if the transfer controller receives a switching acknowledgment packet of supplying power from the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side, then the transfer controller instructs the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line, wherein the supplying of the power to the VBUS line is switched from the first data transfer control device connected to the type-A plug side of the USB to the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side of the USB.

2. The data transfer control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring circuit that monitors a voltage level on the VBUS line,

the transfer controller instructing the monitoring circuit to stop monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line before instructing the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line.

3. The data transfer control device according to claim 2,

the transfer controller:

instructing the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line;

performing a waiting process; and

instructing the monitoring circuit to resume monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line.

4. The data transfer control device according to claim 1,

when the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side supplies power to the VBUS line, and

if a stoppage of supplying power to the VBUS line from the second data transfer control device is instructed by an upper layer or if the voltage level on the VBUS line is smaller than an operation active voltage level, the transfer controller transmits a stop order packet of supplying power on the VBUS line to the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side and instructs the power supply switching circuit to resume supplying power to the VBUS line.

5. The data transfer control device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a monitoring circuit that monitors the voltage level on the VBUS line,

the transfer controller instructing the monitoring circuit to stop monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line before instructing the power supply switching circuit to resume supplying power to the VBUS line.

6. The data transfer control device according to claim 5, the transfer controller:

instructing the power supply switching circuit to resume supplying power on the VBUS line;

performing a waiting process; and

instructing the monitoring circuit to resume monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line.

7. The data transfer control device according to claim 1, the transfer controller transmitting the switching request packet using a control transfer based on the USB specification.

15. Electronic equipment, comprising:

the data transfer control device according to claim 1; and

a processing unit that controls the data transfer control device.

8. A data transfer control device for transferring data through a USB, comprising:

a transfer controller that controls a data transfer;

a power supply switching circuit controlling a switching of supplying power to a VBUS line of the USB,

when the data transfer control device is a second data transfer control device connected to a type-B plug side of the USB and power to the VBUS line is supplied by a first data transfer control device connected to a type-A side of the USB;

if the transfer controller receives a switching request packet of supplying power to the VBUS line from the first data transfer control device connected to the type-A plug side, the switching request packet of supplying power contains a request that the second data transfer control device supply power to the VBUS line, then the transfer controller transmits a switching acknowledgment packet of supplying power to the VBUS line to the first data transfer control device connected to the type-A plug side and instructs the power supply switching circuit to start supplying power to the VBUS line, wherein the supplying of the power to the VBUS line is switched from the first data transfer control device connected to the type-A plug side of the USB to the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side of the USB.

9. The data transfer control device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a monitoring circuit that monitors a voltage level on VBUS line,

the transfer controller instructing the monitoring circuit to stop monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line before instructing the power supply switching circuit to start supplying power to the VBUS line.

10. The data transfer control device according to claim 9,

the transfer controller:

instructing the power supply switching circuit to start supplying power to the VBUS line;

performing a waiting process; and

instructing the monitoring circuit to resume monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line.

11. The data transfer control device according to claim 8,

when the data transfer control device is the second data transfer control device connected to the type-B plug side that supplies power to the VBUS line, if a stop order packet of supplying power to the VBUS line is received from the first data transfer control device connected to the type-A plug side, or if the voltage level on the VBUS line is smaller than an operation active voltage level, then the transfer controller instructs the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line.

12. The data transfer control device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a monitoring circuit that monitors the voltage level on the VBUS line,

the transfer controller instructing the monitoring circuit to stop monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line before instructing the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line.

13. The data transfer control device according to claim 12,

the transfer controller:

instructing the power supply switching circuit to stop supplying power to the VBUS line;

performing a waiting process; and

instructing the monitoring circuit to resume monitoring the voltage level on the VBUS line.

14. The data transfer control device according to claim 8,

the transfer controller transmitting the switching acknowledgment packet using a control transfer based on the USB specification.

16. Electronic equipment, comprising:

the data transfer control device according to claim 8; and

a processing unit that controls the data transfer control device.