Multi-mode adapter

• US 8,886,849 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Golembeski, Gregg J., Yew, Jason, Toprani, Shyam S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUN, SCOTT C
• Application Number:
  US13/607,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4221 being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

An adapter can be used to connect a portable electronic device to an accessory in instances where the portable electronic device and the accessory have incompatible connectors. The adapter provides two connectors, one compatible with the portable electronic device and the other compatible with the accessory. The adapter has several modes of operation. The portable electronic device selects the appropriate mode of operation for the adapter once it receives information about the accessory connected to the adapter. The portable electronic device instructs the adapter to switch to the selected mode and in response the adapter configures its internal circuitry to enable the selected mode. The portable electronic device can then communicate with the accessory via the adapter. The presence of the adapter can be transparent to the accessory.

Claims

1. A method for operating an adapter, the method comprising:

detecting, by the adapter, connection of an accessory to a first port of the adapter;

detecting, by the adapter, connection of a host device to a second port of the adapter;

receiving, by the adapter, accessory information from the accessory;

communicating, by the adapter to the host device, the accessory information;

receiving, by the adapter from the host device, instructions to activate a first mode of the adapter, wherein the adapter is configured to operate in a plurality of modes and wherein the instructions are based in part on the accessory information;

selectively activating, by the adapter, internal circuitry to conform to the first mode; and

informing the host device that the first mode is activated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first port comprises a first connector and the second port comprises a second connector that is different from the first connector.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first connector has a first form factor and the second connector has a second form factor smaller than the first form factor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the accessory information comprises one or more of:

accessory identification information, accessory capabilities information, or accessory configuration information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of modes has an associated signal path configuration for signal paths within the adapter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selectively activating the internal circuitry further comprises enabling a first signal path associated with the first mode.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the adapter, a first message from the host device, the first message including a second message that is destined for the accessory;

extracting, by the adapter, the second message from the first message; and

sending, by the adapter, the second message to the accessory.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to detecting connection of the accessory:

communicating, by the adapter to the host device, information indicating presence of the first port; and

receiving, by the adapter from the host device, an instruction to enable the first port.

9. An adapter comprising:

a housing;

a first port disposed at a first portion of the housing and configured to accept an accessory;

a second port disposed at a second portion of the housing and configured to connect to a host device; and

control circuitry coupled to the first port and the second port and disposed within the housing, the control circuitry being operable in a plurality of operation modes, wherein the adapter is configured to;

detect connection with the host device and the accessory;

receive, from the accessory, information about operating requirements of the accessory;

communicate the operating requirements of the accessory to the host device;

receive instructions from the host device specifying an operation mode for the adapter, wherein the instructions are based at least in part on the operating requirements of the accessory; and

configure the control circuitry to operate in the specified operation mode.

10. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the first port comprises a first connector of a first type and the second port comprises a second connector of a second type different from the first type.

11. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the first connector has a first form factor that is different from a second form factor of the second connector.

12. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the second connector comprises between 4 and 16 contacts.

13. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the first connector comprises 30 contacts.

14. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the first connector is a receptacle connector and the second connector is a plug connector.

15. The adapter of claim 10 wherein the adapter is further configured to communicate with the accessory and the host device using a set of messages.

16. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the plurality of operation modes comprise:

a first mode having a first signal routing configuration, wherein data is exchanged between the accessory and the host device without any processing within the adapter;

a second mode having a second signal routing configuration, wherein the adapter receives digital audio data from the host device via USB data pins and provides corresponding analog audio data to the accessory; and

a third mode having a third signal routing configuration, wherein the adapter receives data generated using a first USB protocol from the host device and provides the data to the accessory that uses a second USB protocol different from the first USB protocol.

17. The adapter of claim 16 wherein the plurality of operation modes further comprises a fourth mode wherein the first port is disabled.

18. An adapter comprising:

a first connector configured to connect to an accessory;

a second connector configured to connect to a host device; and

control circuitry coupled to the first connector and the second connector, wherein the control circuitry is configured to communicate with the accessory and the host device using a plurality of messages, the plurality of messages comprising;

a first message sendable by the adapter to the host device, the first message including information about the accessory;

a second message receivable by the adapter from the host device, the second message specifying an operation mode for the adapter;

a third message sendable by the adapter to the host device informing the host device that the specified mode is activated; and

a fourth message receivable by the adapter, the fourth message including a fifth message that is destined for the accessory, wherein the adapter extracts the fifth message from the fourth message and communicates the fifth message to the accessory.

19. The adapter of claim 18 wherein the plurality of messages further comprise:

a sixth message sendable by the adapter to the host device, the sixth message indicating presence of the first connector; and

a seventh message receivable by the adapter from the host device, the seventh message instructing the adapter to enable the first connector.

20. The adapter of claim 18 wherein the first connector is a receptacle connector and includes 30 contacts.

21. The adapter of claim 18 wherein the second connector is a plug connector and includes between 4 and 16 contacts.

22. The adapter of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry comprises:

a first USB device;

a second USB device coupled to the first USB device;

a microcontroller coupled to the first USB device and the second USB device; and

a multiplexer coupled to the first USB device, the second USB device, and the microcontroller.

23. A host device comprising:

a processor;

a connector; and

a communication interface coupled to the processor and the connector and configured to exchange information with an external device connected to the connector, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive information from the external device about an accessory coupled to the external device;

analyze the information about the accessory to select a mode of operation for the external device, wherein the external device is capable of operating in a plurality of modes;

send instructions to the external device to activate the selected mode of operation; and

communicate with the accessory, via the external device, based on the selected mode of operation.

24. The host device of claim 23 wherein prior to receiving information about the accessory, the processor is further configured to:

receive information from the external device indicating presence of an accessory connector on the external device to which the accessory is connected; and

send instructions to the external device to enable the accessory connector.

25. The host device of claim 23 wherein the information about the accessory comprises one or more of:

an accessory identifier, accessory capabilities information, or accessory operating parameters.

26. A method for controlling an adapter connected to a host device via a first connector of the adapter, the method comprising:

receiving, by the host device from the adapter, information indicating presence of a second connector of the adapter;

sending, by the host device to the adapter, instructions for enabling the second connector;

receiving, by the host device from the adapter, information about an accessory connected to the second connector of the adapter;

selecting, by the host device, a first mode of operation for the adapter, from among a plurality of modes, based at least in part on the information about the accessory;

instructing, by the host device, the adapter to enable the first mode; and

receiving, by the host device from the adapter, confirmation that the first mode is enabled.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein instructing the adapter to enable the first mode further comprises sending a mode change message to the adapter, the mode change message including an identifier associated with the first mode.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein receiving confirmation that the first mode is enabled further comprises receiving a mode change complete message from the adapter, the mode change complete message including the identifier associated with the first mode.