Reversible connector for accessory devices

• US 9,477,625 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Heng, Evans, Duane Martin, He, Yi, Obie, Gene Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/087,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20160217092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 208 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/20 for access to input/output bus
• 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: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates

Abstract

Reversible connectors for accessory devices are described. In one or more implementations, a connector cable for an accessory of a host computing device is configured such that a head of the connector cable may be plugged into a corresponding port of the host in either orientation (straight or reverse). The host computing device is configured to sample signals associated with allocated pins of the connector to detect connection of the connector to an accessory port and to ascertain an orientation of the connector. A combination of high and low values of signals conveyed via these allocated pins upon insertion of the connector may be used by a controller of the host to distinguish between different types of devices and to resolve the orientation of the connector cable. A switching mechanism of the host computing device may then be configured to automatically route signals accordingly.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting insertion of a connector into an accessory port of a computing device based on detection pin signals conveyed via a plurality of detection pins in the connector;

ascertaining an orientation of the connector inserted in the accessory port based on the detection pin signals;

determining, based on logic states of the detection pin signals, whether an accessory device connected via the connector is a one-wire type device or a two-wire type device; and

configuring a switching mechanism of the computing device to route signals to pins of the accessory port according to the ascertained orientation and the determined type of the accessory device connected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting insertion of the connector further comprises sampling the signals conveyed via the detection pins and combining values of the sampled signals to determine the logic states of the detection pin signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein sampling the signals conveyed via the detection pins is performed in parallel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection pins provide an interface that supports hot plug detection and communications for device authentication, power exchange, or signal routing control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the switching mechanism comprises directing switches or multiplexers of the computing device to route signal path connections to pins of the accessory port.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein configuring the switching mechanism further comprises sending commands from the computing device to the accessory device connected via the connector inserted in the accessory port, that cause the accessory device to configure signal routing within the accessory device via signal switching components of the accessory device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

ascertaining the orientation of the connector inserted in the accessory port when the accessory device is a two-wire type device further comprises:

resolving the orientation via an authentication sequence in which credentials presented by the accessory device are used by the computing device to establish validity states for the detection pins indicative of the orientation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the credentials presented by the accessory device comprise one or more resistor values exposed on the detection pin signals conveyed by the detection pins.

9. A device comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

an accessory port configured to receive a connector for an accessory device; and

instructions stored on computer-readable storage media that when executed by the one or more processors cause the device to perform operations including;

detecting insertion of the connector into the accessory port based on detection pin signals conveyed via a plurality of detection pins of the connector;

obtaining a logic state of the detection pin signals;

determining a type of the accessory device based upon the obtained logic state of the detection pin signals;

ascertaining an orientation of the connector inserted in the accessory port by;

when the accessory device is a one-wire type device,

determining the orientation of the connector directly from the logic states of the detection pin signals;

or

when the accessory device is a two-wire type device,

measuring values of identity resistors exposed by the accessory device via the detection pin signals, and

determining the orientation of the connector based on predetermined valid values of the measured values of the identity resistors; and

configuring signal routing to pins of the accessory port according to the determined type of the accessory device and the ascertained orientation.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a one-wire type device is a device that communicates via receive and transmit signals conveyed over a single line.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein a two-wire type device is a device that communicates via receive and transmit signals conveyed over separate lines.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein configuring signal routing according to the determined type of the accessory device and the ascertained orientation includes sending commands to a switching mechanism that cause it to route signal path connections to pins of the accessory port.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein determining the type of the accessory device based upon the logic state of the detection pin signals comprises using a data structure mapping of possible logic state combinations to accessory device types.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the instructions that when executed further cause the device to determine whether credentials supplied by the accessory device indicate if it is an accessory device authorized for interacting with the device, or if it is an unsupported accessory device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the instructions are implemented via firmware communicatively coupled to the one or more processors of the device, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate independently of a primary processing system of the device.

16. A device comprising:

a processing system;

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

instructions stored on computer-readable storage media that when executed by the processing system cause the device to perform security actions that;

detect insertion of a connector for an accessory device into an accessory port of the device based on logic states of detection pin signals conveyed from the accessory device via detection pins of the connector,

the connector and accessory port configured to support reversible insertion of the connector into the accessory port;

identify an accessory device type according to the logic states of the detection pin signals, the logic states indicating whether the accessory device is a one-wire type device or a two-wire type device;

ascertain an orientation of the connector inserted into the accessory port; and

configure a switching mechanism of the device to route signals to the detection pins of the accessory port according to the identified accessory device type and the ascertained orientation of the connector.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the detection pins provide an interface that supports hot plug detection and communications for device authentication, power exchange, or signal routing control.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the switching mechanism is configured by setting positions of switches or multiplexers of the device to route signal paths straight or reversed to pins of the accessory port according to the ascertained orientation of the connector;

or

by sending commands from the device to the accessory device that cause it to configure signal routing at the accessory device via signal switching components of the accessory device.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the logic states include high and low logic states conveyed via the detection pin signals.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the orientation of the connector inserted into the accessory port is ascertained based on:

a determination of the orientation directly from the logic states of the detection pin signals when the accessory device is a one-wire type device;

or

an authentication sequence in which credentials presented by the accessory device are used to establish validity states for the detection pin signals indicative of the orientation when the accessory device is a two-wire type device.