US 7,627,704 B2Granted

Communication interface for an electronic device

AssigneeNokia Corporation

InventorsRichard Croyle, Simon Cox, Neil Briffett

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A mobile telephone handset is provided with a connector (8) and circuitry (18, 19) which permits universal serial bus (USB) and single-ended (SE) modes of data transmission with another device such as a personal computer, another mobile telephone handset or keyboard.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A universal serial bus (USB) communication interface configured to provide for communication between an electronic device with another electronic device using first or second data transmission modes, said first mode of data transmission comprises single-ended asynchronous data transmission and wherein said second mode of data transmission comprises USB differential transmission of data, the interface comprising:

first communication circuitry for communication using said first mode;
second communication circuitry for communication using said second mode;
switching circuitry configured to selectively connect the first/second communication circuitry to a common transmission path based on determining circuitry for determining the mode of data transmission on said common transmission path;
and
a USB port configured to physically conform to a USB specification for receiving a data bus, the USB port including power and ground lines and first and second data lines, the first and second data lines forming part of the common transmission path;
wherein the interface is configured to;
use the first and second data lines for data transmission in said second USB differential data transmission mode and in said first single-ended asynchronous data transmission mode without the need for an interface adapter, the first single ended asynchronous data transmission mode providing for a use of one of said first and second data lines only to receive data and the other of said first and second data lines only to transmit data, and the second USB differential transmission mode providing for use each of said first and second data lines both to transmit and receive data;
use a first set of voltage levels along the data lines in said first mode of data transmission;
and
use a second different set of voltage levels along the data lines in said second mode of data transmission;
and wherein said switching circuitry is configured to shift the first or second set of voltage levels of the data lines between the two sets of voltage levels.

8 more elements

A means for a USB communication interface configured to provide for communication between an electronic device with another electronic device using first or second data transmission modes, said first mode of data transmission comprising single-ended asynchronous data transmission and said second mode of data transmission comprising USB differential transmission of data, the interface comprising:

means for communicating using said first mode;
means for communicating using said second mode;
means for selectively connecting the first/second communication means to a common transmission path based on means for determining the mode of data transmission on said common transmission path;
and
means for USB connection configured to physically conform to a USB specification for receiving a data bus, the means for USB connection including power and ground lines and first and second data lines, the first and second data lines forming part of the common transmission path;
wherein the means for a USB interface is configured to:
use the first and second data lines for data transmission in said second USB differential data transmission mode and in said first single-ended asynchronous data transmission mode without the need for an interface adapter, the first single ended asynchronous data transmission mode providing for a use of one of said first and second data lines only to receive data and the other of said first and second data lines only to transmit data, and the second USB differential transmission mode providing for use each of said first and second data lines both to transmit and receive data;
use a first set of voltage levels along the data lines in said first mode of data transmission;
and
use a second, different set of voltage levels along the data lines in said second mode of data transmission;
and wherein said means for selectively connecting is configured to shift the first or second set of voltage levels of the data lines between the two sets of voltage levels.

8 more elements

A method of providing for communication of an electronic device with another electronic device using a USB communication interface and using first or second data transmission modes, said first mode of data transmission comprising single-ended asynchronous data transmission and said second mode of data transmission comprising USB differential transmission of data, the USB communication interface comprising:

first communication circuitry to communicate using said first mode;
second communication circuitry to communicate using said second mode;
switching circuitry to connect selectively the first/second communication circuitry to a common transmission path based on determining circuitry for determining the mode of data transmission on said common transmission path;
and
a USB port configured to physically conform to a USB specification for receiving a data bus, the USB port including power and ground lines and first and second data lines, the first and second data lines forming part of the common transmission path;
the method comprising
providing the first and second data lines to be used in data transmission in said second USB differential data transmission mode and in said first single-ended asynchronous data transmission mode without the need for an interface adapter, the first single ended asynchronous data transmission mode providing for a use of one of said first and second data lines only to receive data and the other of said first and second data lines only to transmit data, the second USB differential transmission mode providing for use each of said first and second data lines both to transmit and receive data;
using a first set of voltage levels along the data lines in said first mode of data transmission;
using a second, different set of voltage levels along the data lines in said second mode of data transmission;
and using said switching circuitry to shift the first or second set of voltage levels of the data lines between the two sets of voltage levels.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/473,846Filed 11 Apr 2002
Priority: GB 0110565.930 Apr 2001
Published: US 2004/0133722 A18 Jul 2004
Granted: 1 Dec 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04W 88/02
Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices: terminal devices
G06F 13/387
Using universal interface adapter: for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters…
H04W
Wireless communication networks
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

US 2004/0133722 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jul 2004
US 7,627,704 B2This patent

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

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Abstract

first communication circuitry for communication using said first mode;
second communication circuitry for communication using said second mode;
switching circuitry configured to selectively connect the first/second communication circuitry to a common transmission path based on determining circuitry for determining the mode of data transmission on said common transmission path;
and
a USB port configured to physically conform to a USB specification for receiving a data bus, the USB port including power and ground lines and first and second data lines, the first and second data lines forming part of the common transmission path;
wherein the interface is configured to;
use the first and second data lines for data transmission in said second USB differential data transmission mode and in said first single-ended asynchronous data transmission mode without the need for an interface adapter, the first single ended asynchronous data transmission mode providing for a use of one of said first and second data lines only to receive data and the other of said first and second data lines only to transmit data, and the second USB differential transmission mode providing for use each of said first and second data lines both to transmit and receive data;
use a first set of voltage levels along the data lines in said first mode of data transmission;
and
use a second different set of voltage levels along the data lines in said second mode of data transmission;
and wherein said switching circuitry is configured to shift the first or second set of voltage levels of the data lines between the two sets of voltage levels.

8 more elements

Facts

Application

10/473,846Filed 11 Apr 2002

Priority

GB 0110565.930 Apr 2001

Published

US 2004/0133722 A18 Jul 2004

Granted

1 Dec 2009

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04W 88/02
Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices: terminal devices
G06F 13/387
Using universal interface adapter: for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters…
H04W
Wireless communication networks
G06F
Computing and data processing