PACKET-BASED DIGITAL DISPLAY INTERFACE SIGNAL MAPPING TO BI-DIRECTIONAL SERIAL INTERFACE SIGNALS

• US 20110191814A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• 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 13/4269 using a handshaking protocol, e.g. Centronics connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/00 Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A passive cable adaptor for connecting a data source device with a display device is described. The adaptor has a packet-based interface connector at one end, the connector having a positive main link pin, a negative main link pin, a positive auxiliary channel pin, and a negative auxiliary channel pin. Also at the same end is a serial interface connector, such as a serial interface connector. At the other end is an upgraded serial interface connector (e.g., enhanced serial interface) connector having high-speed transmission pins, high-speed receiving pins, and a ground pin, wherein multimedia content is transmitted over the cable adaptor and electrical power is supplied over the cable adaptor simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method of mapping signals between a multimedia data source device and an external display device, the method comprising:

mapping high-speed transmission signals (“

HSTX”

) to main link signals of a packet-based interface;

mapping high-speed receiving signals (“

HSRX”

) to auxiliary channel signals of the packet-based interface, wherein said mappings enable transport of a multimedia data stream; and

enabling power supply from the external display device to the source device using a serial interface connection while simultaneously transporting the multimedia data stream.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

mapping a ground signal of the data source device to a packet-based display interface hot plug detect signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein mapping high-speed transmission signals to main link signals further comprises:

mapping a HSTX positive signal to a main link positive signal; and

mapping a HSTX negative signal to a main link negative signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein mapping high-speed receiving signals to auxiliary channel signals further comprising:

mapping high-speed receiving positive signal to an auxiliary channel positive signal and mapping high-speed receiving negative signal to an auxiliary channel negative signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

mapping a high-speed receiving negative signal to a packet-based interface negative auxiliary pin signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

multiplexing the packet-based interface negative auxiliary signal and a hot plug detect signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein supplying power further comprises:

determining whether the external display device has serial interface downstream capability.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising supplying power through a packet-based interface power pin if the external display device does not have serial interface downstream capability.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising supplying power through a Vbus pin and a packet-based interface power pin, if the external display device does have serial interface downstream capability.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the source is a multimedia device and the external display device is a television.

11. A cable adaptor for connecting a data source device with a display device, the cable adaptor comprising:

a packet-based interface connector at a first end having a positive main link pin, a negative main link pin, a positive auxiliary channel pin, and a negative auxiliary channel pin;

a serial interface connector at the first end; and

an enhanced serial interface connector at a second end having high speed transmission (“

HSTX”

) pins, high speed receiver (“

HSRX”

) pins, and a ground pin, wherein multimedia content is transmitted over the cable adaptor and electrical power is supplied over the cable adaptor simultaneously.

12. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 11 wherein the packet-based interface connector further comprises:

a pin for hot plug detect (HPD) signals.

13. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 11 wherein the positive main link pin connects to a positive HSTX pin in the data source device and the negative main link pin connects to a negative HSTX pin in the data source device.

14. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 11 wherein the positive auxiliary channel pin connects to a positive HSRX pin in the data source device and the negative auxiliary channel pin connects to a negative HSRX pin in the data source device.

15. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 12 wherein the pin for HPD connects to a ground pin.

16. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 12 wherein the pin for HPD connects to a negative HSRX pin.

17. A cable adaptor as recited in claim 12 wherein the negative auxiliary channel pin is multiplexed with the pin for HPD.

18. A method of transmitting data and supplying power between a multimedia data source and an external display device, the method comprising:

supplying power from the display device to the data source;

monitoring a ground voltage level and a Vbus voltage level; and

performing a mapping of packet-based signals and USB signals.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein performing a mapping further comprises:

mapping an HSTX positive pin with a positive main link pin; and

mapping an HSTX negative pin with a negative main link pin.

20. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein performing a mapping further comprises:

mapping an HSRX positive pin with a positive auxiliary pin; and

mapping an HSRX negative pin with a negative auxiliary pin.

21. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein supplying power further comprises:

if the external display device has serial interface downstream capability, supplying power using a Vbus pin and a packet-based interface power pin.

22. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein supplying power further comprises:

if the external display device does not have serial interface downstream capability, supplying power using a packet-based interface power pin.

23. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein power is supplied while the multimedia data is being transmitted from the source to the display device.