Systems and methods for determining the configuration of electronic connections

• US 20080167828A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kalayjian, Nicholas R., Rabu, Stanley, Terlizzi, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,589,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining the configuration of a connection between two devices by measuring an electrical characteristic are provided. Using the measured electrical characteristic, a device is able to select an appropriate communication interface, such as serial, Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, parallel, PS/2, etc., and configure itself appropriately. Systems and methods which determine the physical orientation of a connector with respect to another connector may also be provided alone or in combination with such systems and methods for selecting communication interfaces. The physical orientation of a connector can be determined by measuring an electrical characteristic and a device can then configure itself appropriately. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, device designs can decrease in size and cost as well as simplify operation for the end-user.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a communication interface comprising:

connecting a plurality of lines between a first device and a second device;

measuring a characteristic of at least one line in the connection between the first device and the second device; and

selecting an appropriate communication interface based on the measured characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting comprises:

coupling a subset of the plurality of lines between the first and second device, the subset being just the lines necessary to measure the characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected interface is a Universal Serial Bus interface.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected interface is an RS-232 serial interface.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the second device so that it is operable to communicate using the selected interface.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the second device comprises:

configuring a processor in the second device.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein configuring the second device comprises:

routing lines between the first device and the second device according to selected communication interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the lines from the first device are routed to input/output lines of a processor in the second device which is operable to process the selected interface.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the lines from the first device are routed to circuitry operable to process the selected interface.

11. A method of determining the physical orientation of two connectors with respect to each other comprising:

connecting a first device to a second device by physically coupling a first connector to a second connector, wherein the connectors are capable of being coupled together in more than one physical orientation;

measuring a characteristic of at least one line in the connection between the first connector and the second connector; and

determining the physical orientation of the first connector with respect to the second connector based on the measured characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein connecting comprises:

coupling a subset of the plurality of lines between the first and second device, the subset being just the lines necessary to measure the characteristic.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

routing lines from the first device to appropriate lines in the second device based on the determined physical orientation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the connectors comprise an odd number of lines and connecting comprises routing one of the lines between the first device and the second device the same way regardless of the determined physical orientation.

16. A method of determining the physical orientation of two connectors with respect to each other and selecting a communication interface comprising:

connecting a first device to a second device by physically coupling a first connector to a second connector, wherein the connectors are capable of being coupled together in more than one physical orientation;

measuring a characteristic of at least one line in the connection between the first connector and the second connector;

determining the physical orientation of the first connector with respect to the second connector based on the measured characteristic; and

selecting an appropriate communication interface based on the measured characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage potential.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein connecting comprises:

coupling a subset of the plurality of lines between the first and second device, the subset being just the lines necessary to measure the characteristic.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

routing lines from the first device to appropriate lines in the second device based on the determined physical orientation.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

measuring a second characteristic of at least one line in the connection between the first connector and the second connector.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the second measured characteristic is used to select an appropriate communication interface.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected interface is a Universal Serial Bus interface.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the selected interface is an RS-232 serial interface.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

configuring the second device so that it is operable to communicate using the selected interface

25. The method of claim 24 wherein configuring the second device comprises:

configuring a processor in the second device.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein configuring the second device comprises:

routing lines between the first device and the second device according to selected communication interface.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the lines from the first device are routed to input/output lines of a processor in the second device which is operable to process the selected interface.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the lines from the first device are routed to circuitry operable to process the selected interface.

29. An apparatus for selecting a communication interface comprising:

a connector for coupling the apparatus with another device;

one or more contacts for physically connecting lines between the apparatus and the other device;

detector circuitry for measuring an electrical characteristic of one or more of the contacts;

switch circuitry operable to connect the contacts to other circuitry in one or more configurations; and

control circuitry operable to interface the detector circuitry with the switch circuitry, wherein the detector circuitry selects a communication interface based on the measured characteristic and the control circuitry instructs the switch circuitry to configure itself accordingly.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the measured characteristic is resistance.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising:

a processor that is coupled with the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry instructs the processor to configure itself based on the selected communication interface.

33. An apparatus for determining the physical orientation of a connector comprising:

a connector for coupling the apparatus with another device;

one or more contacts for physically connecting lines between the apparatus and the other device;

detector circuitry for measuring an electrical characteristic of one or more of the contacts;

switch circuitry operable to connect the contacts to other circuitry in one or more configurations; and

control circuitry operable to interface the detector circuitry with the switch circuitry, wherein the detector circuitry determines the physical orientation of the connector based on the measured characteristic and the control circuitry instructs the switch circuitry to configure itself accordingly.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the measured characteristic is resistance.

36. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising:

a processor that is coupled with the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry instructs the processor to configure itself based on the determined physical orientation of the connector.

37. An apparatus for determining the physical orientation of a connector and selecting a communication interface comprising:

a connector for coupling the apparatus with another device;

one or more contacts for physically connecting lines between the apparatus and the other device;

detector circuitry for measuring an electrical characteristic of one or more of the contacts;

switch circuitry operable to connect the contacts to other circuitry in one or more configurations; and

control circuitry operable to interface the detector circuitry with the switch circuitry, wherein the detector circuitry determines the physical orientation of the connector and selects a communication interface based on the measured characteristic and the control circuitry instructs the switch circuitry to configure itself accordingly.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the measured characteristic is voltage.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the measured characteristic is resistance.

40. The apparatus of claim 37 further comprising:

a processor that is coupled with the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry instructs the processor to configure itself based on the determined physical orientation of the connector and selected communication interface.