Communication interface for an electronic device

• US 7,870,319 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. (Vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Croyle, Richard Lancaster, Cox, Simon, Briffett, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Cleary; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/462,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710 10- 12, 710/62, 710/65, 710/72, 710104-105, 710300-305, 710/311, 710/313, 710/316
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile telephone handset is provided with a connector (8) and circuitry (18, 19) which permits universal serial bus (USB) and single-ended (SE) modes of data transmission with another device such as a personal computer, another mobile telephone handset or keyboard.

Claims

1. A communication interface comprising:

a USB port configured to be able to receive a data bus of an electronic device to be connected to the communication interface, the USB port including;

a power Vbus line;

a data transmission mode status line;

a ground line; and

a first and second data line for receiving data from an electronic device connected to the interface via the USB port,

wherein the first and second data lines form part of a common transmission path for enabling an electronic device connected to the USB port to be in communication with a further electronic device using either;

a first data transmission mode, comprising single-ended asynchronous data transmission;

or

a second data transmission mode, comprising USB differential transmission of data;

first communication circuitry configured to allow for communication between a connected electronic device and a further electronic device using said first data transmission mode;

second communication circuitry configured to allow for communication between a connected electronic device and a further electronic device using said second data transmission mode;

first detection circuitry configured to detect the data transmission mode status of a connected electronic device using the data transmission mode status line of the USB port;

second detection circuitry configured to detect the power activity of a connected electronic device using the power Vbus line of the USB port; and

switching circuitry configured to selectively connect the first or second communication circuitry to the common transmission path to allow for data transmission between a connected electronic device and a further electronic device in either the first or second data transmission mode using the same interface based on the first and second detection circuitries,

wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively connect said first or second communication circuitry by;

identifying the data transmission mode status of the connected electronic device using the first detection circuitry;

identifying the power activity of the connected electronic device using the second detection circuitry;

verifying the data transmission mode of the connected device using the combined findings of the first and second detection circuitries; and

connecting the first or second communication circuitry, corresponding to the verified data transmission mode, to the first and second data lines of the common transmission path to allow for data transmission between the connected electronic device and a further electronic device in said verified data transmission mode using the same interface.

2. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first and second data lines are configured to be used to transmit and receive data using said second mode of data transmission.

3. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first data line is configured to be used to receive data and said second data line is configured to be used to transmit data using said first mode of data transmission.

4. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first data line is configured to be used to receive and transmit data using said first mode of data transmission.

5. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said second data line is configured to be used to receive and transmit data using said first mode of data transmission.

6. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first and second data lines are configured to be connectable to a data bus.

7. An interface according to claim 1, wherein the USB port conforms to a B-type USB specification.

8. An interface according to claim 1, wherein the first mode of data transmission uses a first set of voltage levels.

9. An interface according to claim 8, wherein the second mode of data transmission uses a second, different set of voltage levels.

10. An interface according to claim 9, wherein said switching circuitry comprises circuitry for shifting the first and second set of voltage levels to another set of voltage level.

11. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first communication circuitry is configured for full-duplex communication.

12. An interface according to claim 1, wherein said first communication circuitry is configured for half-duplex communication.

13. An electronic device including an interface according to claim 1.

14. An interface according to claim 1, wherein the first and second lines are configured to be used for data transmission to/from two different devices.

15. An interface according to claim 1 wherein the interface is configured such that one of said first and second data lines is used only to receive data and the other of said first and second data lines is used only to transmit data using said first data transmission mode, and wherein each of said first and second data lines is used both to transmit and receive data using said second data transmission mode.

16. An interface according to claim 1, wherein the first data line is configured to be used for half-duplex data transmission between the electronic device and a first connected device and the second data line is configured to be used for half-duplex data transmission between the electronic device and a second, different connected device.

17. An interface according to claim 1, wherein the USB port is configured to be used without the need for an adapter.

18. An ASIC comprising an interface according to claim 1.

19. A method comprising:

selectively connecting first or second communication circuitry of a communication interface to a common transmission path to enable an electronic device connected to a USB ort of the communication interface to be in communication with a further electronic device, the communication to be enabled using either;

a first data transmission mode, comprising single-ended asynchronous data transmission, the first communication circuitry being configured to allow for communication between a connected electronic device and a further electronic device using said first data transmission mode;

or

a second data transmission mode, comprising USB differential transmission of data, the second communication circuitry being configured to allow for communication between a connected electronic device and a further electronic device using said second data transmission mode, wherein the USB port is configured to be able to receive a data bus of an electronic device to be connected to the communication interface, the USB port including;

a power Vbus line;

a data transmission mode status line;

a ground line; and

a first and second data line for receiving data from an electronic device connected to interface via the USB port,

wherein the first and second data lines form part of the common transmission path to enable communication between the devices across the interface,

wherein selectively connecting the first or second communication circuitry comprises;

identifying the data transmission mode status of an electronic device connected to the interface using the data transmission mode status line of the USB port;

identifying the power activity of the connected electronic device using the second detection circuitry using the power Vbus line of the USB port;

verifying the data transmission mode of the connected device using the combined findings of the identifying steps; and

performing switching to selectively connect the first or second communication circuitry, corresponding to the verified data transmission mode, to the first and second data lines of the common transmission path to allow for data transmission between the connected electronic device and a further electronic device in said verified data transmission mode using the same interface.