Apparatus and method for controlling USB switching circuit in portable terminal

An apparatus for controlling a Universal Serial Bus (USB) switching circuit in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

• a USB interface unit, connected with an external device, for transmitting signals between the portable terminal and the external device;
• a USB switching circuit for one of connecting and disconnecting signal lines with the USB interface unit to respectively one of establish and break a signal path between the external device and a corresponding internal module used to perform data communication;
• a signal detector for detecting a signal generated upon the external device being connected to the USB interface unit while the portable terminal is not operated in a communication mode with the external device, to output a first detected value corresponding to the detected signal, and for detecting an external event from the external device while the external device is connected to the USB interface unit and the portable terminal is operated in the communication mode with the external device, to output a second detected value corresponding to the detected external event;
• and
• a controller for identifying a type of the external device according to the first detected value upon the external device being connected to the USB interface unit while the portable terminal is not operated in the communication mode with the external device, for activating the communication mode of the portable terminal with the external device according to the identified type of the of the external device, and for switching between at least active and sleep modes of the USB switching circuit according to the second detected value while the external device is connected to the USB interface unit and the portable terminal is operated in the communication mode with the external device,
• wherein, during the active mode, the signal path between the external device and the corresponding internal module is established, and during the sleep mode, the signal path between the external device and the corresponding internal module is broken.