Computer peripheral device and operating method thereof

• US 8,688,888 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Original Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Inventors: Lin, Tzu Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, CHRISTOPHER B
• Application Number:
  US13/732,365
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 710/72, 710305-313, 710 32- 63, 713/300
• US Class Current: 710/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002

Abstract

A computer peripheral device, which is adapted to a computer system having a system-end connecting interface, includes a device-end connecting interface, an impedance unit and a control unit. The device-end connecting interface includes a power pin and a ground drain pin. The power pin electrically connects to a power source of the computer system and generates a voltage level on the ground drain pin. The impedance unit electrically connects to the power pin and ground drain pin of the device-end connecting interface respectively and decreases the voltage level of the ground drain pin optionally. The control unit electrically connects to the ground drain pin of the device-end connecting interface and determines a USB specification of the system-end connecting interface according to the voltage level of the ground drain pin.

Claims

1. A computer peripheral device adapted to a computer system having a system-end connecting interface, comprising:

a device-end connecting interface detachably electrically connected to the system-end connecting interface, the device-end connecting interface comprising a power pin and a ground drain pin, wherein the power pin is electrically connected to a power source of the computer system;

an impedance unit electrically connected to the power pin and the ground drain pin respectively, and the power pin generating a voltage level on the ground pin via the impedance unit when the power pin is electrically connected to the power source of the computer system; and

a control unit, electrically connected to the conjunction node of the impedance unit and ground drain pin for determining a USB standard of the system-end connecting interface according to the voltage level of the ground drain pin;

wherein the computer peripheral device is arranged such that when the ground drain pin floating, the voltage level of the ground drain pin is reduced to a ground voltage level.

2. The computer peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the USB standard of the system-end connecting interface is USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 according to the voltage level, and the control unit determines the USB standard of the system-end connecting interface is USB 3.0 when the impedance unit decreases the voltage level.

3. A computer peripheral device, which is adapted to a computer system having a system-end connecting interface, comprising:

a device-end connecting interface detachably electrically connected to the system-end connecting interface, the device-end connecting interface comprising a power pin and a ground drain pin, wherein the power pin is electrically connected to a power source of the computer system and generates a voltage level on the ground drain pin;

a control unit electrically connected to the ground drain pin and determining a USB standard of the system-end connecting interface according to the voltage level of the ground drain pin;

an impedance unit electrically connected to the power pin and the ground drain pin respectively and decreasing the voltage level of the ground drain pin optionally; and

an operational amplifier electrically connected to the system-end connecting interface and the control unit wherein the control unit generates a gain control signal according to the voltage level and the operational amplifier adjusts a gain setting according to the gain control signal.

4. The computer peripheral device of claim 3, further comprising a loudspeaker electrically connected to the operational amplifier, and the operational amplifier driving the loudspeaker according to the gain control signal.

5. The computer peripheral device of claim 4, further comprising an audio processor electrically connected to the operational amplifier and the device-end connecting interface, wherein the audio processor receives an audio signal of the computer system and transmits the audio signal to the loudspeaker through the operational amplifier.

6. The computer peripheral device of claim 3, wherein the control unit determines the USB standard of the system-end connecting interface is USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 according to the voltage level, and the control unit determines the USB standard of the system-end connecting interface is USB 3.0 when the impedance unit decreases the voltage level.

7. A method for operating a computer peripheral device having a device-end connecting interface, an impedance unit and a control unit, comprising:

electrically connecting the device-end connecting interface to a system-end connecting interface of a computer system, wherein a power pin of the device-end connecting interface is electrically connected to a power source of the computer system and generates a voltage level on a ground drain pin of the device-end connecting interface;

decreasing the voltage level of the ground drain pin optionally by the impedance unit;

detecting a voltage level of the ground drain pin by the control unit;

determining a USB standard of the system-end connecting interface according to the voltage level by the control unit;

generating a gain control signal corresponding to the voltage level and transmitting the gain control signal to an operational amplifier of the computer peripheral device by the control unit; and

adjusting a gain setting according to the gain control signal by the operational amplifier.

8. The method for operating the computer peripheral device of claim 7, further comprising:

driving a loudspeaker of the computer peripheral device at the gain setting by the operational amplifier.

9. The method for operating the computer peripheral device of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an audio signal of the computer system from the device-end connecting interface by an audio processor of the computer peripheral device; and

transmitting the audio signal to the loudspeaker through the operational amplifier by the audio processor.