US 2013/0173936 A1Published application

Power distribution inside cable

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsPaul A. Baker, William O. Ferry, James Orr

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide for the powering of active components in connector inserts at each end of a cable may in various ways. For example, where a host is coupled to a device that is not self-powered, the host may provide power for circuitry at each end of the cable. In various embodiments of the present invention, the device may request higher voltage from the host, such that more power can be delivered. In these cases, the device may regulate the voltage received from the host to a lower voltage, and then provide the lower voltage to circuitry at one or both ends of the cable. Where the host is connected to a device that is self-powered, the host and the self-powered device may power their respective connector insert circuits.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A cable apparatus comprising:

a cable;
a first plug coupled to a first end of the cable and comprising:
a first active circuit to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data;
and
a first circuit to receive a first supply voltage and to determine if the first supply voltage is above a threshold voltage;
and
a second plug coupled to a second end of the cable and comprising:
a second active circuit to receive and retime data, and to provide the retimed data;
and
a second circuit,
wherein if the first supply voltage is below the first threshold, then the first circuit powers the first active circuit with the first supply voltage and provides a second power supply to the second circuit, and the second circuit powers the second active circuit with the second power supply, and if the first supply voltage is not below the first threshold, the first circuit and the second circuit each receive a third supply voltage, and the first circuit powers the first active circuit with the third supply voltage, and the second circuit powers the second active circuit with the third supply voltage.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/615,642Filed 14 Sep 2012
Priority: 30 Jun 2010
Published: 4 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06F 1/266
Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof: arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under…
G06F 1/06
Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom: clock generators producing several clock signals
G06F 3/14
Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for…: digital…
G09G 5/006
Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto: details of…

Family

Application61/360,436Us provisional application · filed 30 Jun 2010
Application61/360,432Us provisional application · filed 30 Jun 2010
Application61/446,027Us provisional application · filed 23 Feb 2011
Application13/173,979Continuation · filed 30 Jun 2011
Application13/615,642Continuation
US 2012/0005496 A1Published application
US 8,312,302 B2Related patent
US 8,862,912 B2Related patent
US 2013/0173936 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.