# US 11,442,886 B2 · Communication apparatus capable of implementing a selected communication protocol > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,886 B2 - Document ID: US11442886B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/972,214 - Filed: 2019-06-07 - Published: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-08 - Assignees: IOT.nxt BV - Applicants: IOT.nxt BV - Inventors: Gysbert Johannes Jacobs; Rudi Deodat Du Toit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442886B2 ## CPC - G06F 13/385: {for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - H04L 69/08: Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion - G06F 2213/0042: Universal serial bus [USB] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A communication apparatus is disclosed with a communication controller that has a host-side communication interface for communicating with a host and a plurality of slave-side communication interfaces. Each slave-side communication interface has a plurality of electrical pins that are configurable to define a communication port that implements a selected communication protocol thereon. Each pin is in electrical communication with a slave socket having a predetermined layout. Each slave socket is configured to receive a protocol adapter that corresponds to the selected communication protocol and that is configured to facilitate communication between an external slave device and the relevant communication port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication apparatus including a communication controller having a host-side communication interface for communicating with a host and a plurality of slave-side communication interfaces, each slave-side communication interface having a plurality of electrical pins that are configurable to define a communication port that implements a selected communication protocol thereon, and each pin further being in electrical communication with a slave socket having a predetermined layout, wherein each slave socket is configured to removably receive a protocol adapter that corresponds to the selected communication protocol, the protocol adapter being configured to facilitate communication between an external slave device and the defined communication port, wherein a footprint of each slave socket is configured to at least partially correspond to the layout of the protocol adapter, such that the protocol adapter is interchangeable between at least a subset of the slave sockets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication controller is configured to send data received through the host-side communication interface to a particular slave-side communication interface port for sending to a slave device; and wherein the communication controller is configured to send data received from a slave device through a slave-side port to the host-side communication interface for sending to a host. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication controller is a microprocessor that is configured to implement a plurality of slave-side communication interfaces thereon or wherein the communication controller is a communication bridge integrated circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each slave-side communication interface is configurable to define a communication port that implements a selected communication protocol thereon on the fly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication controller is in communication with a non-volatile electronic memory for storage of a particular communication interface configuration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication controller is arranged to restore a stored communication interface configuration at start-up. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the host-side communication interface is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a slave-side communication interface is configurable to define more than one communication port. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected communication protocol implemented on each communication port defined on each of the slave-side communication interfaces is selected from the group consisting of: a serial peripheral interface (SPI) protocol, an inter-integrated circuit (I2C™) protocol or a two-wire interface (TWI) protocol, 1-wire interface protocol, a JTAG protocol, a universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART) protocol, a controller area network (CAN) bus protocol, and a binary protocol. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a protocol adapter is arranged to convert the slave-side interface signals to RS-232 standard or RS-485 standard. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a protocol adapter is arranged to convert an analogue signal of a slave device to digital data and to communicate it to the slave-side communication interface by means of a digital communication protocol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each protocol adapter is arranged to convert communication signals of a slave device so as to be electrically compatible with relevant slave-side communication interfaces and vice versa. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a slave-side facing section of the slave socket is in electrical communication with an electromechanical connector to allow a slave device to be electrically connected thereto. ### Claim 14 A computer-implemented method for configuring a communication apparatus, the method executed at a host and comprising: sending a configuration instruction to a communication controller of the apparatus, the configuration instruction including a selected communication protocol identifier; and causing the communication controller to configure electrical pins of a slave-side communication interface thereof to define a communication port and to implement a communication protocol thereon that corresponds to the communication protocol identifier, the pins of the slave-side communication interface being in electrical communication with a slave socket having a predetermined layout; whereby communication is facilitated between the communication port and an external slave device by a protocol adapter corresponding to the selected communication protocol that is removably received within the slave socket, wherein a footprint of each slave socket is configured to at least partially correspond to the layout of the protocol adapter, such that the protocol adapter is interchangeable between at least a subset of the slave sockets. ### Claim 15 A computer-implemented method for configuring a communication apparatus, the method executed at the communication apparatus and comprising: receiving a configuration instruction at a communication controller of the apparatus, the configuration instruction including a selected communication protocol identifier; and configuring electrical pins of a slave-side communication interface of a communication controller to define a communication port and to implement a communication protocol thereon that corresponds to the communication protocol identifier, the pins of the slave-side communication interface being in electrical communication with a slave socket having a predetermined layout; whereby communication is facilitated between the communication port and an external slave device by a protocol adapter corresponding to the selected communication protocol that is removably received within the slave socket, wherein a footprint of each slave socket is configured to at least partially correspond to the layout of the protocol adapter, such that the protocol adapter is interchangeable between at least a subset of the slave sockets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the USB host-side communication interface provides a USB hub to facilitate the connection of further USB devices to a same USB bus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communication controller has an identifier stored thereon to enable a host to identify the communication controller as a particular apparatus to be configured.