Data transfer control device, electronic equipment, and power supply switching method

• US 6,963,933 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Saito, Nobuyuki, Nagao, Kenyou, Oshita, Shun
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B.
• Application Number:
  US10/379,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20040042138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/33, 710/100, 710105-106, 710305-316, 713300-340, 455/557, 361/90
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A state controller of a data transfer processing circuit switches an operation of an A-device or a B-device between a host operation and a peripheral operation by state transition. A power supply switch circuit connects a power supply circuit with a VBUS line based on transition of the state controller. A power supply switching circuit of a power supply control circuit connects the VBUS line or the power supply circuit with the data transfer processing circuit based on a switching signal. The switching signal is generated based on an output signal of a switch circuit or a control signal from the state controller.

Claims

1. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer through data lines and a power supply line by controlling switching between a host state and a peripheral state by state transition of a first device which controls data transfer by using a self-power supply in a default state, or by state transition of a second device which controls data transfer by using a bus power supply in a default state, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects the power supply line with the power supply circuit when the data transfer control device operates as the first device;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through the data lines; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the power supply line and the power supply circuit based on a given switching signal.

2. The data transfer control device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a switch circuit which turns on or off the given switching signal,

wherein the given switching signal is generated based on output of the switch circuit.

9. Electronic equipment comprising:

the data transfer control device as defined in claim 1; and

a device which performs output processing, fetch processing, or storage processing of data transferred through the data transfer processing circuit and a bus.

3. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) On-The-Go (OTG) standard, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects a VBUS line with the power supply circuit when the data transfer control device operates as an A-device;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through data lines; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the VBUS line and the power supply circuit based on a given switching signal,

wherein the power supply switching circuit provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line when the data transfer control device operates as a B-device and voltage of the VBUS line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value in an idle state.

10. Electronic equipment comprising:

the data transfer control device as defined in claim 3; and

a device which performs output processing, fetch processing, or storage processing of data transferred through the data transfer processing circuit and a bus.

4. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer through data lines and a power supply line by controlling switching between a host state and a peripheral state by state transition of a first device which controls data transfer by using a self-power supply in a default state, or by state transition of a second device which controls data transfer by using a bus power supply in a default state, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects the power supply line with the power supply circuit when the data transfer control device operates as the first device;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through the data lines;

a power supply line voltage detection circuit which detects whether or not voltage of the power supply line is larger than a second threshold value; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the power supply line and the power supply circuit based on a given switching signal,

wherein the power supply switching circuit provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line when the data transfer control device operates as the second device and the voltage of the power supply line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value which is lower than the second threshold value, and provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit when the voltage of the power supply line that has been larger than the second threshold value drops and then is detected to be equal to or smaller than the second threshold value.

11. Electronic equipment comprising:

the data transfer control device as defined in claim 4; and

a device which performs output processing, fetch processing, or storage processing of data transferred through the data transfer processing circuit and a bus.

5. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) On-The-Go (OTG) standard, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects a VBUS line with the power supply circuit when the data transfer control device operates as an A-device;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through data lines;

a power supply line voltage detection circuit which detects whether or not voltage of the VBUS line is larger than a second threshold value; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the VBUS line and the power supply circuit based on a given switching signal,

wherein the power supply switching circuit provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line when the data transfer control device operates as a B-device and the voltage of the VBUS line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value which is lower than the second threshold value, and

provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit when the voltage of the VBUS line that has been larger than the second threshold voltage drops and then is detected to be equal to or smaller than the second threshold value.

6. The data transfer control device as defined in claim 5,

wherein switching of a power source provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit to the VBUS line is performed after a state transition of the B-device from an idle state to a peripheral state, and

wherein switching of a power source provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line to the power supply circuit is performed before a state transition of the B-device from the peripheral state to the idle state.

7. The data transfer control device as defined in claim 5,

wherein the second threshold value is higher than a session valid threshold value of the B-device and lower than a VBUS valid threshold value of the A-device.

8. Electronic equipment comprising:

the data transfer control device as defined in claim 5; and

a device which performs output processing, fetch processing, or storage processing of data transferred through the data transfer processing circuit and a bus.

12. A power supply switching method for a data transfer control device which controls data transfer through data lines and a power supply line by controlling switching between a host state and a peripheral state by state transition of a first device which controls data transfer by using a self-power supply in a default state, or by state transition of a second device which controls data transfer by using a bus power supply in a default state, the power supply switching method comprising:

detecting whether or not voltage of the power supply line is larger than a first threshold value in an idle state when the data transfer control device operates as the second device in a state in which power is provided to a data transfer processing circuit from a power supply circuit, the data transfer processing circuit transferring data through the data lines, and the power supply circuit being connected with the power supply line when the data transfer control device operates as the first device; and

providing power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line when the data transfer control device operates as the second device and the voltage of the power supply line is detected to be larger than the first threshold value in the idle state.

13. A power supply switching method for a data transfer control device which controls data transfer according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) On-The-Go (QTG) standard, the power supply switching method comprising:

detecting whether or not voltage of a VBUS line is larger than a first threshold value in an idle state when the data transfer control device operates as a B-device in a state in which power is provided to a data transfer processing circuit from a power supply circuit, the data transfer processing circuit transferring data through data lines, and the power supply circuit being connected with the VBUS line when the data transfer control device operates as an A-device; and

providing power to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line when the data transfer control device operates as a B-device and voltage of the VBUS line is detected to be larger than the first threshold value in an idle state.

14. A power supply switching method for a data transfer control device which controls data transfer through data lines and a power supply line by controlling switching between a host state and a peripheral state by state transition of a first device which controls data transfer by using a self-power supply in a default state, or by state transition of a second device which controls data transfer by using a bus power supply in a default state, the power supply switching method comprising:

providing power to a data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line when the data transfer control device operates as the second device and the voltage of the power supply line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value in the idle state, in a state in which power is provided to the data transfer processing circuit from a power supply circuit, the data transfer processing circuit transferring data through the data lines, and the power supply circuit being connected with the power supply line when the data transfer control device operates as the first device; and

providing power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit when the voltage of the power supply line is detected to be equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, in a state in which power is provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line.

15. The power supply switching method as defined in claim 14, further comprising:

setting the first threshold value lower than the second threshold value.

16. A power supply switching method for a data transfer control device which controls data transfer according to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) On-The-Go (OTG) standard, the power supply switching method comprising:

providing power to a data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line when voltage of a VBUS line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value in an idle state when the data transfer control device operates as a B-device in a state in which power is provided to the data transfer processing circuit from a power supply circuit, the data transfer processing circuit transferring data through data lines, and the power supply circuit being connected with the VBUS line when the data transfer control device operates as an A-device; and

providing power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit when the voltage of the VBUS line is detected to be equal to or smaller than a second threshold value in a state in which power is provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line.

17. The power supply switching method as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

performing switching of a power source provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit to the VBUS line after a state transition of the B-device from an idle state to a peripheral state, and

performing switching of a power source provided to the data transfer processing circuit from the VBUS line to the power supply circuit before a state transition of the B-device from the peripheral state to the idle state.

18. The power supply switching method as defined in claim 16, further comprising:

setting the first threshold value lower than the second threshold value.

19. The power supply switching method as defined in claim 16,

wherein the second threshold value is higher than a session valid threshold value of the B-device and lower than a VBUS valid threshold value of the A-device.

20. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer of a second device, which transfers data to or from a first device through data lines and a power supply line and operates as a peripheral by using a self-power supply in a default state, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects the power supply line with the power supply circuit;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through the data lines; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the power supply line and the power supply circuit based on a switching signal,

wherein the power supply switching circuit provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line when voltage of the power supply line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value in an idle state of the second device.

21. A data transfer control device which controls data transfer of a second device, which transfers data to or from a first device through data lines and a power supply line and operates as a peripheral by using a self-power supply in a default state, the data transfer control device comprising:

a power supply circuit;

a power supply switch circuit which connects the power supply line with the power supply circuit;

a data transfer processing circuit which transfers data through the data lines;

a power supply line voltage detection circuit which detects whether or not voltage of the power supply line is larger than a second threshold value; and

a power supply switching circuit which provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from one of the power supply line and the power supply circuit based on a switching signal,

wherein the power supply switching circuit provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply line when the voltage of the power supply line is detected to be larger than a first threshold value which is lower than the second threshold value, and

provides power to the data transfer processing circuit from the power supply circuit when the voltage of the power supply line that has been larger than the second threshold value drops and then is detected to be equal to or smaller than the second threshold value.