Electronically configurable interface

• US 20090316724A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ollila, Mikko Antti, Alakarhu, Juha, Muukki, Mikko Juhana
• Granted Patent: US 7,990,992 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A physical interface that is electronically configurable to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols is disclosed. Moreover, electronic configuration of such a physical interface to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols is disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a physical interface electronically configurable to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two protocols of the pre-defined set of at least two protocols are serial protocols.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configurable via a serial computer bus.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configurable via a camera control interface.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two protocols are configured to have a mutually interoperable underlying physical layer protocol.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two protocols are configured to at least partially use the same physical signal lines.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two protocols are scalable protocols.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the physical layer of at least one of the at least two protocols comprises a scalable number of physical differential signal lines.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, which interface is operable in at least two states comprising a software standby state.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the interface is electronically configurable while the interface is in a software standby state.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9, which interface is operable in at least four states comprising a power off state, a hardware standby state, a software standby state and an active state.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configurable by the same entity to which or from which the information is transferred.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector configured to generate the information.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the detector is a camera.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1, which apparatus is a camera module.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1, which apparatus is a portable device that further comprises a user interface.

17. Camera module comprising

a physical interface electronically configurable to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols and

a camera configured to generate the information.

18. Method comprising transferring information via an electronically configurable physical interface according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the at least two protocols of the pre-defined set of at least two protocols are serial protocols.

20. Method according to claim 18, wherein the interface is electronically configurable via a serial computer bus.

21. Method according to claim 20, wherein the interface is electronically configurable via a camera control interface.

22. Method according to claim 18, wherein the at least two protocols are configured to have a mutually interoperable underlying physical layer protocol.

23. Method according to claim 18, wherein the at least two protocols are configured to at least partially use the same physical signal lines.

24. Method according to claim 18, wherein the at least two protocols are scalable protocols.

25. Method according to claim 23, wherein the physical layer of at least one of the at least two protocols comprises a scalable number of physical differential signal lines.

26. Method according to claim 18, wherein the interface is operable in at least two states comprising a software standby state.

27. Method according to claim 26, wherein the interface is electronically configurable while the interface is in a software standby state.

28. Method according to claim 26, wherein the interface is operable in at least four states comprising a power off state, a hardware standby state, a software standby state and an active state.

29. Method according to claim 18, wherein the interface is configurable by the same entity to which or from which the information is transferred.

30. Method according to claim 18, wherein the information is generated by a detector.

31. Method according to claim 30, wherein the detector is a camera.

32. Method according to claim 18, wherein the method is performed by a portable device that further comprises a user interface.

33. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method according to claim 18.

34. An apparatus comprising:

means for enabling a physical interface to be electronically configured to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols; and

means for transferring information via the physical interface according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.

35. Apparatus comprising a controller configured to electronically configure a physical interface to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.

36. A method comprising electronically configuring a physical interface to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.

37. A computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 36.

38. An apparatus comprising:

means for communicating with a physical interface via a physical connection; and

means for electronically configuring the physical interface via the physical connection to transfer information according to any protocol of a pre-defined set of at least two protocols.