# US 7,746,081 B2 · Cable detection method and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,746,081 B2 - Document ID: US7746081B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/608,410 - Filed: 2006-12-08 - Published: 2008-06-12 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-12-08 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: David Shannon Slaton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746081B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/14: Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} - G09G 5/006: {Details of the interface to the display terminal (specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract A cable detection apparatus includes; a plurality of conductors which transmit signal information, a detection control circuit operably connected to a first conductor of the plurality of conductors, wherein the detection control circuit outputs an output signal as a first detection signal when a predetermined signal level is detected from the first conductor and outputs a second detection signal when the predetermined signal level is not detected from the first conductor, and a multiplexer operably connected to the detection control circuit which receives one of the first and second detection signals and selects between a digital signal input and an analog signal input based on the output signal of the detection control circuit and outputs the selected signal input to a conductor of the plurality of conductors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cable detection apparatus comprising: a plurality of conductors which transmit signal information; a detection control circuit operably connected to a first conductor of the plurality of conductors, wherein the detection control circuit outputs an output signal as a first detection signal when a predetermined signal level is detected from the first conductor and outputs a second detection signal when the predetermined signal level is not detected from the first conductor; and a multiplexer operably connected to the detection control circuit which receives one of the first and second detection signals and selects between a digital signal input and an analog signal input based on the output signal of the detection control circuit and outputs the selected signal input to a conductor of the plurality of conductors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cable detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multiplexer includes a plurality of multiplexers operably connected to the detection control circuit, each multiplexer receives one of the first and second detection signals and each of the plurality of multiplexers selects between one of a plurality of digital signal inputs and one of a plurality of analog signal inputs based on the output signal of the detection control circuit and outputs the selected signal inputs to a respective conductor of the plurality of conductors, except the first conductor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cable detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined signal level is a voltage level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cable detection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the voltage level is a ground voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The cable detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the multiplexers select one of the plurality of analog signals when they receive the first detection signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cable detection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a switch operably connected to the detection control circuit, wherein the switch operably connects the first conductor to a ground voltage when the ground signal is detected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cable detection apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a reset line operably connected to the detection control circuit, wherein when the reset line sends a reset signal to the detection control circuit, and the detection control circuit sets the multiplexer and the switch to default states. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cable detection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detection control circuit detects the predetermined signal level as a voltage of the first conductor when the reset signal is inactive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The cable detection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the digital signal inputs are digital video signals and the analog signal inputs are analog video signals. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cable detection apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of conductors send signals to two or more display apparatus. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The cable detection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductors comprise one part of a plug and display interface connector. ### Claim 12 A method of detecting a cable connection, the method comprising: receiving a signal from a first conductor of a plurality of conductors; inputting the signal into a detection control circuit; outputting a first detection signal from the detection control circuit when a predetermined signal level is detected from the first conductor and outputting a second detection signal from the detection control circuit when the first signal level is not detected from the first conductor; operably connecting one of an analog signal input and a digital signal input to at least one of the plurality of conductors, except the first conductor, when the first detection signal is received by a multiplexer; and operably connecting the other signal input to at least one of the plurality of conductors, except the first conductor, when the second detection signal is received by the multiplexer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising: operably connecting a plurality of analog signal inputs to the plurality of conductors, respectively, except the first conductor, when the first detection signal is received by a plurality of multiplexers; and operably connecting a plurality of digital signal inputs to the plurality of conductors, respectively, except for the first conductor, when the first detection signal is received by the plurality of multiplexers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the first signal level is a voltage level. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the voltage level is a ground voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: connecting the first conductor to a ground voltage with a switch when the first detection signal is output from the detection control circuit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising: outputting a third detection signal from the detection control circuit when a reset signal is received at the detection control circuit; placing the multiplexers in a default state when the third detection signal is received by the plurality of multiplexers; placing the switch in a default state when the third detection signal is output by the detection control circuit. ### Claim 18 A cable detecting system for automatically detecting a cable, the system comprising: a computer comprising a video unit, the video unit comprising: a cable detection circuit, wherein the cable detection circuit comprises: a plurality of conductors which transmit signal information; a detection control circuit operably connected to a first conductor of the plurality of conductors, wherein the detection control circuit outputs an output signal as a first detection signal when a predetermined signal level is detected from the first conductor and outputs a second detection signal when the predetermined signal level is not detected from the first conductor; and a multiplexer operably connected to the detection control circuit which receives one of the first and second detection signals and selects between a digital signal input and an analog signal input based on the output signal of the detection control circuit and outputs the selected signal input to a conductor of the plurality of conductors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The cable detecting system for automatically detecting a cable of claim 18, wherein the multiplexer includes a plurality of multiplexers operably connected to the detection control circuit, each multiplexer receives one of the first and second detection signals and each of the plurality of multiplexers selects between one of a plurality of digital signal inputs and one of a plurality of analog signal inputs based on the output signal of the detection control circuit and outputs the selected signal inputs to a respective conductor of the plurality of conductors, except the first conductor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The cable detecting system for automatically detecting a cable of claim 18, wherein the predetermined signal level is a voltage level. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The cable detecting system for automatically detecting a cable of claim 15, wherein the voltage level is a ground voltage.