# US 10,122,361 B2 · Electronic device and associated signal processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,361 B2 - Document ID: US10122361B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/368,914 - Filed: 2016-12-05 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-03 - Assignees: MStar Semiconductor, Inc. - Applicants: MStar Semiconductor, Inc. - Inventors: Wei-Ling Chen; Chun Wen Yeh; Yan-Cheng Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122361B2 ## CPC - H03K 19/01759: {with a bidirectional operation} - G06F 13/00: Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16 ) - G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling} - H03K 5/19: Monitoring patterns of pulse trains (indicating amplitude G01R19/00; indicating frequency G01R23/00; measuring characteristics of individual pulses G01R29/02) - H03K 17/28: Modifications for introducing a time delay before switching (modifications to provide a choice of time-intervals for executing more than one switching action H03K17/296) - H03K 19/017509: {Interface arrangements} - H03K 2005/00241: {using shift registers} - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An electronic device includes a transmission interface, a driving circuit, a receiving circuit, a sampling circuit, a detecting circuit, a timing control circuit and a processing circuit. The transmission interface is for connecting to another electronic device via a connecting cable. The driving circuit outputs a backward signal via the transmission interface to the another electronic device. The receiving circuit receives a received signal including the backward signal and a forward signal from the transmission interface. The sampling circuit samples the received signal to obtain a plurality of sample results. The detecting circuit detects transitions of the sample results to obtain a plurality of detection results. The processing circuit generates a control signal according to the detection results, and adjusts a time point at which the driving circuit outputs the backward signal through the timing control circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a transmission interface, for connecting to another electronic device via a connecting cable; a driving circuit, outputting a backward signal to the another electronic device via the transmission interface; a receiving circuit, receiving a received signal from the transmission interface, the received signal comprising a forward signal and the backward signal, the forward signal outputted from the another electronic device; a sampling circuit, sampling the received signal to obtain a plurality of sample results; a detecting circuit, detecting transitions of the sample results to obtain a plurality of detection results; a timing control circuit, controlling a time point at which the driving circuit outputs the backward signal and a width of the backward signal; and a processing circuit, generating a control signal according to the detection results to adjust the time point at which the driving circuit outputs the backward signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit generates the control signal according to a cycle of the forward signal, a width of the backward signal, a predetermined value and the detection results. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the detection results comprise a back edge of the backward signal and a front edge of a next forward signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the forward signal comprises a front edge and a first back edge when corresponding to a first logic value, and comprises the front edge and a second back edge when corresponding to a second logic value, and the backward signal with an adjusted output time point completely covers an interval between the first back edge and the second back edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a training mode, the sampling circuit samples the received signal to obtain a plurality of training mode sample results, and the detecting circuit detects the training mode sample results to obtain a plurality of training mode detection results; in a normal mode, the receiving circuit further receives a duplicated backward signal from the driving circuit, and subtracts the received signal and the duplicated backward signal from each other to obtain a data signal, the sampling circuit samples the data signal to obtain a plurality of normal mode sample results, the detecting circuit detects the normal mode sample results to obtain a plurality of normal mode detection results, and the processing circuit determines a sampling position according to the normal mode detection results. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device according to claim 5, operating in the training mode when initially connected to the another electronic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the forward signal comprising a front edge and a first back edge when corresponding to a first logic value, and comprising the front edge and a second back edge when corresponding to a second logic value, and the processing circuit calculates an average first back edge position and an average second back edge position of the forward signal according to the normal mode detection results in the normal mode and accordingly obtains the sampling position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the processing circuit calculates an intermediate point of the average first back edge position and the average second back edge position as the sampling position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the timing control circuit comprises: a phase delay circuit, generating a plurality of data signals having different phases; a first multiplexer, outputting a first output signal according to one of the data signals; and a second multiplexer, outputting a second output signal according to another of the data signals; and the driving circuit comprises: a driver control circuit, generating a driver control signal according to the first output signal and the second output signal; and a driver, outputting the backward signal according to the driver control signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first multiplexer is controlled by the processing circuit to output the first output signal. ### Claim 11 A signal processing method, applied to an electronic device that is connected to another electronic device via a transmission interface, the signal processing method comprising: transmitting a backward signal to the another electronic device via the transmission interface; receiving a received signal from the transmission interface, the received signal comprising a forward signal and the backward signal, the forward signal outputted from the another electronic device; sampling the received signal to obtain a plurality of sample results; detecting transitions of the sample results to obtain a plurality of detection results; and generating a control signal according to the detection results, and accordingly adjusting a time point for outputting the backward signal, wherein the step of generating the control signal according to the detection results and accordingly generating the time point for outputting the backward signal comprises: generating the control signal according to a cycle of the forward signal, a width of the backward signal, a predetermined value and the detection results. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The signal processing method according to claim 11, wherein the detection results comprise a back edge of the backward signal and a front edge of a next forward signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The signal processing method according to claim 11, wherein the forward signal comprises a front edge and a first back edge when corresponding to a first logic value, and comprises the front edge and a second back edge when corresponding to a second logic value, and the backward signal with an adjusted output time point completely covers an interval between the first back edge and the second back edge. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The signal processing method according to claim 11, wherein the steps of sampling the received signal to obtain the plurality of sample results, and detecting the sample results to obtain the plurality of detection results are performed in a training mode; the signal processing method further comprising: in a normal mode: receiving a duplicated backward signal subtracting the received signal and the duplicated signal from each other to obtain a data signal; sampling the data signal to obtain a plurality of normal mode sample results; detecting the normal mode sample results to obtain a plurality of normal mode detection results; and determining a sampling position according to the normal mode detection results. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The signal processing method according to claim 14, wherein the electronic device operates in the training mode when initially connected to the another electronic device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The signal processing method according to claim 14, wherein the forward signal comprises a front edge and a first back edge when corresponding to a first logic value, and comprises the front edge and a second back edge when corresponding to a second logic value; the step of determining the sampling position according to the normal mode detection results comprises: in the normal mode, calculating an average first back edge position and an average second back edge position of the forward signal according to the normal mode detection results and accordingly obtaining the sampling position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The signal processing method according to claim 16, wherein the step of obtaining the sampling position comprises: calculating an intermediate point of the average first back edge position and the average second back edge position as the sampling position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The signal processing method according to claim 11, wherein the step of controlling the time point for outputting the backward signal comprises: generating a plurality of data signals having different phases; outputting a first output signal according to one of the data signals; outputting a second output signal according to another of the data signals; generating a driver control signal according to the first output signal and the second output signal; and outputting the backward signal according to the driver control signal.