Adapter for use with a portable electronic device

• US 9,459,670 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rich, Zachary C., Siahaan, Edward, Colahan, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHIL K
• Application Number:
  US13/607,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140075210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 439/928, 439/945
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus

Abstract

An adapter for enabling connection of a portable electronic device with an accessory includes two connectors, an identification device, a power control device, and power clamping circuitry. All of these components may be included in a single integrated housing. Another adapter may have a cable with two connectors connected to either end of the cable. One of the connectors may house the identification device and the power control device. Optionally, the adapter may also house the power clamp circuitry.

Claims

1. An adapter for enabling communication between a first device and a second device, the adapter comprising:

a housing including a first side and a second side;

a first connector disposed at the first side and configured to be mated with a first device connector associated with the first device;

a second connector disposed at the second side and configured to be mated with a second device connector associated with the second device;

a first power path between the first and second connector and a second power path between the first connector and the second connector in parallel with the first power path, the second power path having a lower resistance than the first power path;

an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit disposed in-line with data lines between the first and second connectors, the ESD protection circuit configured to reduce corruption and disruption of data transmission over the data lines;

an identification device coupled to the first connector and disposed in the housing, the identification device storing identification information for the adapter and configured to communicate the identification information to the first device; and

a power control device disposed in the housing and coupled to the identification device, the first connector, and the second connector, wherein the power control device is configured to enable the first power path between the first connector and the second connector by default and enable the second power path between the first connector and the second connector after the identification information is validated.

2. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the first connector comprises between 4 and 16 contacts arranged in opposing pairs and wherein a first contact from a pair of contacts is disposed on a top surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a second contact from the pair of contacts is disposed on a bottom surface of the PCB directly below the first contact.

3. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the first connector comprises:

a tab portion that extends from the housing to a predetermined distance;

a first plurality of contacts arranged on an upper surface of the tab;

a second plurality of contacts arranged on a bottom surface of the tab;

wherein each contact in the first plurality of contacts is located directly above a corresponding contact in the second plurality of contacts.

4. The adapter of claim 3 wherein the first plurality of contacts and the second plurality of contacts are exposed to the environment.

5. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the second connector is a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

6. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the identification device is implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

7. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the power control device is implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

8. The adapter of claim 1 further comprising power clamping circuitry coupled to the power control device, the power clamping circuitry configured to present a voltage at the input of the power control device that does not exceed a predetermined value.

22. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the first power path comprises a resistor having a fixed value and the second power path includes a transistor.

25. The adapter of claim 1 wherein the power control device is configured to receive DC power from the second device over the second connector and provide DC power to the first device over the first connector.

9. An adapter for enabling communication between a first device and a second device, the adapter comprising:

a cable having a first end and a second end;

a first connector attached to the first end of the cable and configured to be mated with a first device connector associated with the first device; and

a second connector attached to the second end of the cable and configured to be mated with a second device connector associated with the second device,

first and second parallel power paths between the first connector and the second connector, the second power path having a lower resistance than the first power path;

wherein the first connector comprises;

an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit disposed in-line with data lines between the first and second connectors, the ESD protection circuit configured to reduce corruption and disruption of data transmission over the data lines;

an identification device configured to store identification information for the adapter and configured to communicate the identification information to device; and

a power control device coupled to the identification device, the first connector and the second connector, wherein the power control device is configured to enable the first power path between the first connector and the second connector by default and to enable the second power path between the second connector and the first connector after the identification information is validated.

10. The adapter of claim 9 further comprising a power clamp circuit coupled to the power control device and configured to ensure that a voltage at the input of the power control device does not exceed a predetermined value.

11. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the identification device is implemented as single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

12. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the power control device is implemented as single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

13. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the identification device and the power control device are together implemented as single integrated circuit (IC) chip.

14. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the second connector is a micro universal serial bus (μ

USB) connector.

15. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the power control circuitry comprises a first power path and a second power path and wherein a first resistance of the first power path is higher than a second resistance of the second power path.

16. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the first power path has a first resistance sufficiently high that the first device cannot obtain power from the second device over the first power path, and the second power path, when enabled, enables the first device to obtain power from the second device.

23. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the first power path comprises a resistor having a fixed value and the second power path includes a transistor.

26. The adapter of claim 9 wherein the power control device is configured to receive DC power from the second device over the second connector and provide DC power to the first device over the first connector.

17. A method for electrically connecting a first electronic device to a second device using an adapter that includes a first connector, a second connector, an identification device, first and second parallel power paths between the first connector and the second connector, the second power path having a lower resistance than the first power path, and a power control device, the method comprising:

upon connection of a first electronic device to the first connector and connection of a second electronic device to the second connector, enabling the first power path and sending, by the identification device, identification information associated with the adapter to the portable electronic device, the identification information being stored in the identification device;

sending, by the identification device to the power control device, a signal to enable the second power path between the accessory and the portable electronic device; and

enabling, by the power control device, the second power path between the accessory and the portable electronic device; and

reducing corruption and disruption of data transmission over data lines between the first and second connectors with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit disposed in-line with data lines between the first and second connectors.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

sending, by the identification device, authentication information to the portable electronic device, the authentication information being stored in the identification device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first connector comprises between 4 and 16 contacts arranged in opposing pairs and wherein a first contact from a pair of contacts is disposed on a top surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a second contact from the pair of contacts is disposed on a bottom surface of the PCB directly below the first contact.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the power control device includes a first power path that has a first resistance and a second power path that has a second resistance higher than the first resistance and wherein enabling the power path comprises enabling the first power path.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first power path has a resistance sufficiently high that the portable electronic device cannot obtain power from the accessory over the first power path, and wherein the second power path, when enabled, enables the portable electronic device to obtain power from the accessory.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the first power path comprises a resistor having a fixed value and the second power path includes a transistor.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein DC power control is received over the second connector from the second device and provided over the first connector to the first device.