Connector system for supporting multiple types of plug carrying accessory devices

• US 20070049103A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Townsend, Karl, Kashi, Mostafa
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/396
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for intelligent handheld device accessory support. A method of one embodiment includes sensing the presence of an accessory plug in a jack of the handheld device, determining a type of accessory device attached to the accessory plug, including receiving electrical signals from pins of the plug and based on the determination, configuring the handheld device, including assigning particular signals to pins of the plug.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computing device, the method comprising:

detecting a plug mated with a receptacle connector of the computing device, wherein the plug is used by an accessory device;

determining information about the accessory device that uses the plug, wherein the information is determined from electrical characteristics produced on one or more signal lines that extend to the receptacle connector as a result of the plug being mated with the receptacle connector; and

configuring the computing device to accommodate the accessory device using the determined information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining information about the accessory device includes measuring an impedance produced on one or more signal lines that extend to the receptacle connector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein measuring an impedance produced on one or more signal lines includes comparing measured impedance values on two or more signal lines, wherein each of the two or more signal lines corresponds to one of a plurality of pins of the plug and the corresponding pin of each of the two or more signal lines is different.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the computing device further comprises assigning one of a plurality of signal lines to each of a plurality of pins of the plug and producing a bias voltage on the plurality of signal lines.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining information about the accessory device includes determining that the accessory device has a microphone source.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the accessory device has a microphone source includes performing steps comprising:

measuring, on the plurality of signal lines, a signal originating from each of a first pin, second pin, and third pin of the plug; and

making a determination of the accessory device having a combination headphone/headset in response to the signal originating from the third pin being other than ground.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the accessory device has a microphone source includes performing steps comprising:

measuring, on the plurality of signal lines, a signal originating from each of a first pin, second pin, and third pin of the plug; and

making a determination of the accessory device having a non-stereo headset in response to a measurement of the signal on the first pin being different than a measurement of the second pin.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein determining that the accessory device has a microphone source includes performing steps comprising:

measuring, on the plurality of signal lines, a signal originating from each of a first pin, second pin, and third pin of the plug;

making a determination that the accessory device has a combination headphone/headset in response to the signal originating from the third pin being other than ground;

making a determination of the accessory device having a non-stereo headset in response to a measurement of the signal on the first pin being different than a measurement of the second pin; and

identifying one of the first pin, second pin and third pin as the microphone source depending on whether the accessory device includes the combination headphone/headset or non-stereo headset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein configuring the computing device to accommodate the accessory device includes:

if the combination headphone/headset is detected, routing a microphone signal to the third pin;

if the non-stereo headset is detected, routing the microphone signal to the first pin; and

otherwise, using a built-in microphone of the mobile computing device.

10. A connector system for a computing device, the connector system comprising:

a receptacle configured to receive a plug connector of an accessory device;

a measurement module configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics off of one or more signal lines that extend from the receptacle upon insertion of the plug connector into the receptacle; and

a knowledge module configured to generate configuration data for a processor of the computing device, the configuration data being determined from data corresponding to the one or more electrical characteristics measured by the measurement module, and the configuration data indicates a use of one or more of the signal lines that extend from the receptacle.

11. The connector system of claim 10, wherein the measurement module is configured to measure an impedance of one or more signal lines in order to detect a type of the accessory device.

12. The connector system of claim 10, wherein the measurement module is configured to detect a number of non-grounded signal lines, and wherein the knowledge module makes a determination based on the number of non-grounded signal lines.

13. The connector system of claim 12, wherein the measurement module is configured to make a determination of whether the accessory device has three pins or four pins based on detecting either two non-ground signal lines or three-non-ground signal lines.

14. The connector system of claim 10, wherein the knowledge module is configured to identify an electrical characteristic measured by the measurement module of at least two signal lines being substantially equal to one another.

15. The connector system of claim 14, wherein the configuration data generated by the knowledge module indicates at least that use of signal lines is for audio output in stereo.

16. The connector system of claim 10, wherein a measurement module includes a combination of pull-up circuit elements that tie in to each of the one or more signal lines to enhance the affects of resistive load applied to that signal line.

17. The connector system of claim 10, wherein the knowledge module includes a look-up table that correlates one or more measured electrical characteristic on one more of the signal lines with a type of accessory device.

18. The connector system of claim 10, wherein the knowledge module is implemented with software.

19. The connector system of claim 10, further comprising a mechanical detect switch to detect insertion of the plug connector.

20. A computing device comprising:

a receptacle configured to receive a plug connector of an accessory device;

a plurality of signal lines that extend to the receptacle; and

one or more processors configured to;

identify information about the accessory device based on a measured electrical characteristic on one or more of the plurality of signal lines, wherein the measured electrical characteristic is a result of the at least one of the plurality of signal lines being electrically connected with a pin of the plug connector upon insertion of the plug connector into the receptacle.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of signal lines is energized prior to insertion of the plug connector, and wherein the processor is configured to detect a change to one or more of the plurality of signal lines as a result of the at least one energized signal line being contacted by the plug connector.

22. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors identify information about the accessory device by determining a number of non-ground signal lines in the plurality of signal lines after insertion of the plug connector.

23. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors identify information about the accessory device by determining that an impedance characteristic on at least two of the plurality of signal lines is substantially equal.

24. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors configure use of at least one of the plurality of signal lines based on the information identified about the accessory device.

25. The computing device of claim 20, wherein:

the one or more processors identify information about the accessory device by determining three non-ground signal lines in the plurality of signal lines after insertion of the plug connector; and

the one or more processors configure use of at least;

(i) a first signal line for a first audio output, (ii) a second signal line for a second audio output, and (iii) a third signal line for a microphone input.

26. The computing device of claim 20, wherein:

the one or more processors identify information about the accessory device by determining two non-ground signal lines in the plurality of signal lines after insertion of the plug connector; and

the one or more processors configure use of at least;

(i) a first signal line for a first audio output, and (ii) a second signal line for a second audio output in stereo with the first audio output.

27. The computing device of claim 20, wherein:

the one or more processors identify information about the accessory device by determining two non-ground signal lines in the plurality of signal lines after insertion of the plug connector; and

the one or more processors configure use of at least;

(i) a first signal line for an audio output, and (ii) a second signal line for a microphone input.