Connecting device and connecting system

Abstract

The connection device includes a first connection interface, a second connection interface, a third connection interface, a controller, and a power selection component. The first transmission / reception line of the first connection interface is directly or indirectly coupled to the second transmission / reception line of the second connection interface. The first protocol communication terminal of the first connection interface, the second protocol communication terminal of the second connection interface, and the third protocol communication terminal of the third connection interface are coupled to the controller, which is used to execute at least the PD charging protocol. The power selection component can selectively couple the first power bus of the first connection interface to the second power bus of the second connection interface or the third power bus of the third connection interface according to the control signal of the controller.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a connection device and connection system; more particularly to a connection device and connection system supporting the PD charging protocol. [Previous Technology]

[0002] With the development of e-commerce, people often use display media for meetings and negotiations. However, as the number of electronic devices used increases, people are paying more attention to line extension, signal quality, line complexity, and other line-related issues. For example, various extension cables, adapters, or connecting devices can be used to extend or convert the same / different connection interfaces, or active transmission lines can be used to improve the signal quality of long-distance transmission.

[0003] On the other hand, there is also a desire to reduce the number of cables (e.g., power cords or signal cables) required for electronic devices. In current technology, signals (especially image signals) can be transmitted via Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB Type-C), and electronic devices can be charged using PD charging protocols suitable for USB Type-C. For example, referring to Figures 1A and 1B, an image signal output device (e.g., a laptop P01) can provide image signals to a display device (e.g., a screen P03) via a connection device (e.g., an adapter P02A or a transmission cable P02B). The screen P03 can also supply power to the laptop P01 via the power bus on the connection device P02 after establishing a PD charging protocol with the laptop P01. This effectively reduces the number of cables required to connect the laptop P01.

[0004] However, when the screen P03 (i.e., the power supply device) cannot support the PD charging protocol or cannot provide sufficient power, the notebook computer P01 (i.e., the power-demanding device) will require an additional power cord. While some existing transmission lines provide external power (e.g., US Patent 8,964,861B2), the external power is only used to power the chip within the transmission line, not the devices connected to either end of the transmission line. In contrast, in existing transmission lines (e.g., patent number TWM641795U), the external power connected to the adapter is still only used to power the chip within the transmission line.

[0005] As can be seen from the above, in terms of the wiring connection of electronic devices, the prior art still has problems that need to be overcome and solved, such as the limitation of the power supply device. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a connection device and connection system to effectively solve the various problems encountered in the prior art.

[0007] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a connection device and connection system that can achieve the connection of transmission lines and provide a stable power supply to power demand devices.

[0008] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a connection device. The connection device includes a first connection interface, a second connection interface, a third connection interface, a controller, and a power selection component. A first transmission / reception line of the first connection interface is directly or indirectly coupled to a second transmission / reception line of the second connection interface. A first protocol communication terminal of the first connection interface, a second protocol communication terminal of the second connection interface, and a third protocol communication terminal of the third connection interface are coupled to the controller, which is at least used to execute a PD charging protocol. The power selection component can selectively couple a first power bus of the first connection interface to a second power bus of the second connection interface or a third power bus of the third connection interface according to a control signal from the controller.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connection device further includes: an active component coupled between the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line; wherein the active component is used to perform active signal processing on the signals transmitted on the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line.

[0010] In one embodiment, the active component includes a repeater or a retimer, and the active signal processing includes relay processing or retimer processing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the active component includes a channel multiplexer coupled to the first transmit / receive line and used to distinguish multiple channels of the first transmit / receive line according to bandwidth.

[0012] In one embodiment, the connection device further includes: a power conversion component coupled to the power selection component; wherein the power conversion component is used to receive a PD power supply from one of the first power bus, the second power bus or the third power bus, and convert the PD power supply into a board power supply.

[0013] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a connection system. The connection system includes any of the aforementioned connection devices and a power supply. The power supply includes a fourth connection interface, a fifth connection interface, and a PD power supply module. The fourth connection interface is configured to be detachably coupled to a third connection interface. The fifth connection interface is configured to be detachably coupled to a power supply interface. The PD power supply module is coupled between the fourth connection interface and the fifth connection interface. When the PD power supply module performs a PD charging protocol with the controller, a PD power supply is output from a fourth power bus of the fourth connection interface.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the first connection interface is connected to a first device and the second connection interface is connected to a second device, the first device performs a PD charging protocol with at least one of the second device and the power supply via a controller.

[0015] In summary, the connection device and connection system of the present invention have a third connection interface supporting the PD charging protocol and a corresponding power supply. When the power supply device connected to the second connection interface cannot provide the power required by the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface, the required power can be transmitted to the first connection interface and provided to the power-demanding device through the third connection interface after establishing a PD charging protocol with the power supply device. In this way, a stable power supply can be provided to the power-demanding device. Furthermore, the connection device can provide functions such as connection, extension, switching, or signal relay of the line between the power-demanding device and the power supply device.

Implementation Method

[0023] Any reference to elements referred to herein by names such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of these elements. Rather, these names are used herein as a convenient way to distinguish two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, it should be understood that the names "first," "second," etc., in the claim do not necessarily correspond to the same names in the written description. Furthermore, it should be understood that references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements can be used or that the first element must precede the second element. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," etc., as used herein are open-ended, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0024] The term “coupled” is used herein to refer to a direct or indirect electrical coupling between two structures. For example, in one example of indirect electrical coupling, one structure may be coupled to another structure via a passive element such as a resistor, capacitor, or inductor.

[0025] In this invention, the terms "exemplary" and "for example" are used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" or "for example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the invention. The terms "about" and "approximately" as used herein with respect to specified values ​​or characteristics are intended to mean within a certain value (e.g., 10%) of the specified value or characteristic.

[0026] In this invention, the term "PD charging protocol" refers to the Power Delivery (PD) protocol. It can refer to the power delivery technology defined by the USB-IF Association, or any related protocol for power delivery or power supply.

[0027] Please refer to FIG2, which illustrates a connection device 100. The connection device 100 includes a first connection interface 110, a second connection interface 120, a third connection interface 130, a controller 140, and a power selection component 150. The first transmission / reception line (TX / RX-1) of the first connection interface 110 is directly or indirectly coupled to the second transmission / reception line (TX / RX-2) of the second connection interface 120. The first protocol communication terminal (CC1) of the first connection interface 110, the second protocol communication terminal (CC2) of the second connection interface 120, and the third protocol communication terminal (CC3) of the third connection interface 130 are coupled to the controller 140, which is used at least to execute a PD charging protocol. The power selection component 150 can selectively couple the first power bus (VBUS1) of the first connection interface 110 to the second power bus (VBUS2) of the second connection interface 120 or the third power bus (VBUS3) of the third connection interface 130 according to the control signal (CS) of the controller 140.

[0028] The first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 can be any connection interface suitable for the PD charging protocol. According to the current definition of connection interfaces by the USB-IF Association, USB Type-C is currently the only standard interface. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 of this invention are not limited to USB Type-C. When the PD charging protocol standard is updated or the technology changes, other suitable connection interfaces can still be applied without departing from the spirit of this invention. Furthermore, the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 can be a conventional connection interface configuration such as a female connector, a male connector, a female connector with a cable, or a male connector with a cable. This invention does not limit the structural configuration of the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130.

[0029] The controller 140 may be a computing-capable component such as an FPGA, ASIC, or microprocessor. Preferably, the controller 140 may be an integrated circuit for PD control of USB Type-C. When the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 are respectively connected to devices (e.g., the first connection interface 110 is connected to a laptop, the second connection interface 120 is connected to a display, and the third connection interface 130 is connected to a power supply that provides the PD charging protocol), the controller 140 can perform PD charging protocol. Specifically, the PD charging protocol allows the devices connected to the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 to confirm parameters such as power supply capability, power supply requirements, or power supply path through the first protocol communication terminal (CC1), the second protocol communication terminal (CC2), and the third protocol communication terminal (CC3). The PD charging protocol ensures that PD power transmission can be performed between the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130. The first protocol communication terminal (CC1), the second protocol communication terminal (CC2), and the third protocol communication terminal (CC3) are, for example, the USB Type-C Configuration Channel (CC), but are not limited to this.

[0030] After the controller 140 completes the PD charging protocol, the controller 140 provides a control signal (CS) to the power selection component 150. The power selection component 150 selectively couples the first power bus (VBUS1) of the first connection interface 110 to the second power bus (VBUS2) of the second connection interface 120 or the third power bus (VBUS3) of the third connection interface 130 according to the control signal (CS). For example, the power selection component 150 is a component with selectable line coupling, such as a transistor switch, switch, or switcher. When the device connected to the first connection interface 110 is a power-demanding device, and the device connected to the second connection interface 120 is sufficient to provide the power required by the power-demanding device, and a PD charging protocol is established, the controller 140 can provide a control signal (CS) to couple the first power bus (VBUS1) to the second power bus (VBUS2), so that the device connected to the second connection interface 120 can provide PD power to the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface 110. On the other hand, when the device connected to the second connection interface 120 is insufficient to provide the power required by the power-demanding device, the device connected to the third connection interface 130 (preferably a power supply) will establish a PD charging protocol with the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface 110. At this time, the controller 140 will provide a control signal (CS) to couple the first power bus (VBUS1) to the third power bus (VBUS3), so that the device connected to the third connection interface 130 can provide PD power to the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface 110.

[0031] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the present invention does not limit the device connected to the third connection interface 130. The device connected to the third connection interface 130 can be any device that supports the PD charging protocol, and its source can be a screen, power supply, computer, or other devices. The third connection interface 130 serves as an auxiliary power supply for the second connection interface 120. When the device of the second connection interface 120 cannot provide the power required by the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface 110, the required power can be transmitted to the first connection interface 110 and provided to the power-demanding device through the third connection interface 130. This avoids the power-demanding device needing additional lines to provide power, which would lead to wiring clutter or increased wiring costs.

[0032] In the above embodiments, although the first connection interface 110 is coupled to the power demand device as an example, it should be understood that the first connection interface 110 and the second connection interface 120 in this invention can also be symmetrical and non-directional. For example, the power selection component 150 can be configured to further selectively couple the second power bus (VBUS2) to the third power bus (VBUS3) according to the control signal (CS). Therefore, the second connection interface 120 can also be connected to the power demand device to obtain the required power from the first connection interface 110 or the third connection interface 130.

[0033] In one embodiment, referring to FIG3, the connection device 100 further includes an active component 160 coupled between the first transmission / reception line (TX / RX-1) and the second transmission / reception line (TX / RX-2). The active component 160 is used to perform active signal processing, including relay processing or retimer processing, on the signals transmitted on the first transmission / reception line (TX / RX-1) and the second transmission / reception line (TX / RX-2). Relay processing includes, for example, signal enhancement, modulation, or re-emphasis operations such as signal equalization, pre-emphasis, and / or de-emphasis. Retimer processing includes, for example, detecting data and clock signals through clock and data recovery (CDR) circuitry to reduce output jitter. Therefore, the active component 160 may include a repeater 161 (Redriver) and / or a retimer 162 (Retimer), but is not limited thereto. Through the active component 160, the transmitted signal can be enhanced in the connection device 100, and signal attenuation can be compensated for, and adverse signal factors such as jitter, clock skew, crosstalk and electromagnetic interference can be eliminated, but not limited to these.

[0034] In one application example of the active component 160, referring to Figure 4, the active component 160 may also include a channel multiplexer 163, which can distinguish multiple channels on the first connection interface 110 or the second connection interface 120 according to bandwidth. For example, when the first connection interface 110 and the second connection interface 120 are USB Type-C, the USB Type-C can be divided into two channels (2 LAN) or four channels (4 LAN) by a six-to-four or six-to-two channel multiplexer 163 for relay processing or retiming processing respectively. The channel multiplexer 163 can also distinguish the signals transmitted on the first connection interface 110 and the second connection interface 120 and process them separately. For example, the signal bandwidth of four channels is larger, which can perform large-bandwidth video transmission or simultaneous data transmission and smaller-bandwidth video transmission, and corresponding relay processing can be performed on the video signal. Since the bandwidth of the two channels is relatively small, they can be used for data transmission, and corresponding relay processing can be performed on the data signals. More types of repeaters 161 and / or retimers 162 can be selected through the channel multiplexer 163 to form the active component 160. In this embodiment, a demultiplexer or integrator 164 can be configured to re-integrate the separated channel signals, depending on the situation. However, the components constituting the active component 160 are not limited to the multiplexer and / or demultiplexer; a suitable active component 160 can be selected based on the signal type transmitted by the first connection interface 110 and the second connection interface 120.

[0035] In one embodiment, referring to FIG5, the connection device 100 further includes a power conversion component 170 coupled to the power selection component 150. The power conversion component 170 receives PD power (PD) from the power selection component 150 from the first power bus (VBUS1), the second power bus (VBUS2), or the third power bus (VBUS3), and converts the PD power (PD) into board power (VB). Specifically, the PD power is a power supply with higher power and higher voltage. When any component on the circuit board of the connection device 100 (e.g., active component 160, LED lamp, or power-required component) needs power, the PD power often cannot be supplied directly. After the PD power (PD) is converted into board power (VB) by the power conversion component 170, the board power (VB) can be provided to the power layer (100-V) on the circuit board of the connection device 100 to supply the power required by the components on the circuit board. Thus, the connection device 100 can directly use the PD power from the first connection interface 110, the second connection interface 120, or the third connection interface 130 board without an external power supply. The board power supply (VB) is preferably 5V, but is not limited to this. It should also be noted that this embodiment is not intended to limit the invention; when the components on the circuit board of the connection device 100 can directly use the PD power supply or do not require a power supply, the power conversion component 170 may not be included.

[0036] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a connection system 10. Referring to FIG6, the connection system 10 includes a connection device 100 and a power supply 200. The power supply 200 includes a fourth connection interface 210, a fifth connection interface 230, and a PD power supply module 220. The fourth connection interface 210 is configured to be detachably coupled to a third connection interface 130. The fifth connection interface 230 is configured to be detachably coupled to a power supply interface (PW). The PD power supply module 220 is coupled between the fourth connection interface 210 and the fifth connection interface 230. When the PD power supply module 220 performs a PD charging protocol with the controller 140, PD power (PD) is supplied from the fourth power bus (VBUS4) of the fourth connection interface 210.

[0037] Specifically, the fourth connection interface 210 is the interface corresponding to the third connection interface 130. For example, when the third connection interface 130 is a USB Type-C female connector, the fourth connection interface 210 is also a corresponding USB Type-C male connector. The fourth power bus (VBUS4) of the fourth connection interface 210 is coupled to the third power bus (VBUS3) of the third connection interface 130, and the fourth protocol communication terminal (CC4) of the fourth connection interface 210 is coupled to the third protocol communication terminal (CC3) of the third connection interface 130. The power supply interface (PW) is, for example, a wall-mounted utility power outlet, a power outlet transformer, or any power output interface with sufficient power to supply PD power. The fifth connection interface 230 is the interface corresponding to the power supply interface (PW). For example, if the power supply interface (PW) is a power outlet, then the fifth connection interface 230 is a power plug. After receiving power (P) from the power supply interface (PW), the PD power supply module 220 can convert or transfer the power provided by the power supply interface (PW) (e.g., AC 110 V or DC 5-20 V) to PD power supply to the fourth power bus (VBUS4) of the fourth connection interface 210.

[0038] The connection system 10 provides a stable PD power supply to the connection device 100 through the power supply 200. When the first connection interface 110 is connected to the first device (D1) and the second connection interface 120 is connected to the second device (D2), the first device (D1) performs a PD charging protocol with at least one of the second device (D2) and the power supply 200 via the controller 140. Therefore, the first device (D1) can receive the power required by the first device (D1) from at least one of the second device (D2) and the power supply 200. It should be noted that although the first device (D1) in FIG. 6 is a laptop and the second device (D2) is a screen, the connection system 10 is not limited to the device type and connection direction shown in FIG. 6.

[0039] In summary, the connection device 100 and connection system 10 of the present invention have a third connection interface 130 supporting the PD charging protocol and a corresponding power supply 200. When the power supply device connected to the second connection interface 120 cannot provide the power required by the power-demanding device connected to the first connection interface 110, the power supply 200 can establish a PD charging protocol with the power-demanding device, and then transmit the required power to the first connection interface 110 through the third connection interface 130 and provide it to the power-demanding device. In this way, a stable power supply can be provided to the power-demanding device. Furthermore, the connection device 100 can provide functions such as connection, extension, switching, or signal relay of the line between the power-demanding device and the power supply device.

[0040] The prior description of the invention is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or practice the invention. Various modifications to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations or embodiments may be combined with or implemented individually without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the examples described herein, but is accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features of the invention herein. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0016] The accompanying drawings presented in this invention are intended to help describe various embodiments of the invention. However, to simplify the drawings and / or highlight what the drawings are intended to present, known structures and / or elements in the drawings may be drawn in a simple schematic manner or presented in an omitted manner. On the other hand, the number of elements in the drawings may be singular or plural. The accompanying drawings presented in this invention are only for illustrating these embodiments and not for limiting them.

[0017] Figures 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of the transmission line and adapter setup in the prior art.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the connecting device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a connection device with an active component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the active component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a connection device having a power conversion component in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the connection system in one embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connection device comprising: a first connection interface; a second connection interface, wherein a first transmission / reception line of the first connection interface is directly or indirectly coupled to a second transmission / reception line of the second connection interface; a third connection interface; a controller for executing at least a PD charging protocol, wherein a first protocol communication terminal of the first connection interface, a second protocol communication terminal of the second connection interface, and a third protocol communication terminal of the third connection interface are coupled to the controller; and a power selection component, wherein the power selection component determines a first power supply mode and a second power supply mode according to a control signal from the controller, wherein in response to the first power supply mode, a first power bus of the first connection interface is coupled to a second power bus of the second connection interface; and in response to the second power supply mode, the first power bus of the first connection interface is coupled to a third power bus of the third connection interface.

2. The connection device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an active component coupled between the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line; wherein the active component is configured to perform active signal processing on the signals transmitted on the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line.

3. The connection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the active component includes a repeater or a retimer, and the active signal processing includes repeater processing or retimer processing.

4. The connection device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the active component includes a channel multiplexer coupled to the first transmit / receive line and used to distinguish multiple channels of the first transmit / receive line according to bandwidth.

5. The connection device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a power conversion component coupled to the power selection component; wherein the power conversion component is configured to receive a PD power supply from one of the first power bus, the second power bus, or the third power bus, and convert the PD power supply into a board power supply.

6. A connection system, comprising: a connection device, including: First connection interface; A second connection interface, wherein a first transmission / reception line of the first connection interface is directly or indirectly coupled to a second transmission / reception line of the second connection interface; a third connection interface; a controller for executing at least a PD charging protocol, wherein a first protocol communication terminal of the first connection interface, a second protocol communication terminal of the second connection interface, and a third protocol communication terminal of the third connection interface are coupled to the controller; and a power selection component, wherein the power selection component determines a first power supply mode and a second power supply mode according to a control signal of the controller, wherein in response to the first power supply mode, a first power bus of the first connection interface is coupled to a second power bus of the second connection interface; and in response to the second power supply mode, the first power bus of the first connection interface is coupled to a third power bus of the third connection interface; And a power supply, including: a fourth connection interface configured to be detachably coupled to the third connection interface; a fifth connection interface configured to be detachably coupled to a power supply interface; and a PD power supply module coupled between the fourth connection interface and the fifth connection interface; wherein when the PD power supply module performs the PD charging protocol with the controller, a PD power supply is output from a fourth power bus of the fourth connection interface.

7. The connection system as claimed in claim 6, the connection device further comprising: an active component coupled between the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line; wherein the active component is configured to perform active signal processing on the signals transmitted on the first transmission / reception line and the second transmission / reception line.

8. The connection system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the active component includes a repeater or a retimer, and the active signal processing includes repeater processing or retimer processing.

9. The connection system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the active component includes a channel multiplexer coupled to the first transmit / receive line and used to distinguish multiple channels of the first transmit / receive line according to bandwidth.

10. The connection system as claimed in claim 6, the connection device further comprising: a power conversion component coupled to the power selection component; wherein the power conversion component is configured to receive a PD power supply from one of the first power bus, the second power bus, or the third power bus, and convert the PD power supply into a board power supply.

11. The connection system as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the first connection interface is connected to a first device and the second connection interface is connected to a second device, the first device performs the PD charging protocol via the controller and at least one of the second device and the power supply.

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