Power distribution inside cable
First Claim
1. A cable apparatus comprising:
- a cable;
a first plug coupled to a first end of the cable and comprising;
a first active circuit including clock and data recovery circuits to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data; and
a second plug coupled to a second end of the cable and comprising;
a second active circuit including clock and data recovery circuits to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data; and
wherein a first supply voltage is received at the first plug and provided at the second plug to a device, the device converts the first supply voltage to a second supply voltage and provides the second supply voltage to the second plug, andwherein the second supply voltage powers the first active circuit in the first plug and the second active circuit in the second plug.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide for the powering of active components in connector inserts at each end of a cable may in various ways. For example, where a host is coupled to a device that is not self-powered, the host may provide power for circuitry at each end of the cable. In various embodiments of the present invention, the device may request higher voltage from the host, such that more power can be delivered. In these cases, the device may regulate the voltage received from the host to a lower voltage, and then provide the lower voltage to circuitry at one or both ends of the cable. Where the host is connected to a device that is self-powered, the host and the self-powered device may power their respective connector insert circuits.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A cable apparatus comprising:
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a cable; a first plug coupled to a first end of the cable and comprising; a first active circuit including clock and data recovery circuits to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data; and a second plug coupled to a second end of the cable and comprising; a second active circuit including clock and data recovery circuits to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data; and wherein a first supply voltage is received at the first plug and provided at the second plug to a device, the device converts the first supply voltage to a second supply voltage and provides the second supply voltage to the second plug, and wherein the second supply voltage powers the first active circuit in the first plug and the second active circuit in the second plug. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A cable apparatus comprising:
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a cable; a first plug having a first terminal to receive a first power supply from a host and a second terminal to receive a second power supply, and a second plug having a second terminal to receive the first power supply through the cable from the host and a first terminal to receive the second power supply, wherein the first terminal in the first plug is coupled through the cable to the second terminal in the second plug, and the second terminal in the first plug is coupled through the cable to the first terminal in the second plug, wherein the first plug further comprises; a first active circuit, wherein the first active circuit may be powered by the first power supply, a portion of the first power supply, or the second power supply. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of providing power to cable circuitry comprising:
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receiving a first supply voltage from a first device at a first plug of a cable, and if power is provided through the cable from the first device to a second device at a second plug of the cable, the first plug and the second plug at opposite ends of the cable, and the first supply voltage is below a first threshold, then powering first active circuitry in the first plug with the first supply voltage, and powering second active circuitry in the second plug with at least a part of the first voltage, if power is provided from the first device to the second device and the first supply voltage is above the first threshold, then generating a second supply voltage from the first supply voltage in the second device, and powering the first active circuitry and the second active circuitry with the second supply voltage, and if power is not provided from the first device to the second device, then receiving a second power supply voltage at the second plug from the second device, and powering the first active circuitry with the first power supply voltage and powering the second active circuitry with the second power supply voltage. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification