USB communication circuit and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a USB communication circuit and an electronic device, the USB communication circuit comprising a Type-C interface, a first switch chip, a first hub, a second switch chip, a master device interface and a slave device interface; the Type-C interface is connected with the first switch chip; a first selection end of the first switch chip is connected with an input end of the first hub, and another first selection end is connected with an output end of the first hub; another input end of the first hub is connected with the slave device interface, and an output end thereof is connected with the second switch chip; a second selection end of the second switch chip is connected with the master device interface; when the Type-C interface is connected with a first slave device as a downstream interface, a first selection end of the first switch chip is connected with an input end of the first hub; when the Type-C interface is connected with a first master device as an upstream interface, another first selection end of the first switch chip is connected with an output end of the first hub, and the second switch chip is closed. The compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit can be improved, and the cost can be reduced.

Description

USB communication circuit and electronic device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic devices, and in particular to a USB communication circuit and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In related technologies, a Type-C interface can be connected to a host device as an uplink port and connected to a slave device as a downlink port. When the Type-C interface is used as an uplink port or a downlink port, a USB communication circuit needs to switch a link through a USB switcher, so that when the Type-C interface is used as an uplink port, a USB link where the Type-C interface is located is a data uplink, and when the Type-C interface is used as a downlink port, the USB link where the Type-C interface is located is a data downlink.

[0003] In related technologies, a plurality of switch chips are directly connected and serially connected to each other to switch between a data uplink and a data downlink. The serial connection of the plurality of USB switchers results in too large impedance of the USB communication circuit, increased risk of failing to identify a type of a device connected to the Type-C interface, i.e., reduced compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit. In addition, in the case of the same number of interfaces of a commercial display device, the USB switcher needs more selection ends, resulting in higher cost.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a USB communication circuit and an electronic device, which can improve the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit.

[0006] A first aspect of embodiments of the present application provides a USB communication circuit, which includes a Type-C interface, a first switch chip, a first hub, a second switch chip, a host device interface, and a slave device interface.

[0007] The Type-C interface is connected to a first fixed end of the first switch chip, and the Type-C interface is configured to alternatively connect a first slave device or a first host device.

[0008] One of first selection ends of the first switch chip is connected to one of input ends of the first hub, and another first selection end of the first switch chip is connected to an output end of the first hub.

[0009] Another input end of the first hub is connected to the slave device interface, and the slave device interface is configured to connect a second slave device. The output end of the first hub is connected to a second fixed end of the second switch chip.

[0010] The second selection end of the second switch chip is connected with the host device interface, and the host device interface is used for connecting a second host device.

[0011] When the Type-C interface is connected with the first slave device as a downstream interface, one of the first selection ends of the first switch chip is connected with one of the input ends of the first hub; when the Type-C interface is connected with the first host device as an upstream interface, another of the first selection ends of the first switch chip is connected with the output end of the first hub, and the second switch chip is closed.

[0012] In some embodiments, when the Type-C interface is not connected with the first slave device and the first host device, the first switch chip is closed when the slave device interface is connected with a second slave device.

[0013] In some embodiments, the number of the second selection ends is multiple, and multiple second selection ends are connected with multiple host device interfaces one by one.

[0014] In some embodiments, the number of the slave device interfaces is one or multiple; and / or,

[0015] The slave device interface includes a USB-A interface; and / or,

[0016] The host device interface includes a USB-B interface.

[0017] In some embodiments, the USB communication circuit further includes a third switch chip and a second hub;

[0018] A third fixed end of the third switch chip is connected with the output end of the first hub; one of the third selection ends of the third switch chip is connected with the input end of the second hub, and at least another of the third selection ends of the third switch chip is used for connecting with a third host device.

[0019] The output end of the second hub is connected with one of the first selection ends of the first switch chip and a second fixed end of the second switch chip.

[0020] In some embodiments, the number of the third selection ends is more than three, one of the third selection ends is connected with the input end of the second hub, and the rest of the third selection ends are used for connecting with the third host device one by one.

[0021] In some embodiments, a touch screen is further included, and the touch screen is connected with the second hub.

[0022] In some embodiments, the USB communication circuit is a USB2.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip, and the host interface are all USB2.0 devices.

[0023] or the USB communication circuit is a USB3.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip, and the host interface are all USB3.0 devices.

[0024] In some embodiments, the USB communication circuit is a USB3.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip, and the host interface are all USB3.0 devices, and the USB communication circuit further comprises a protocol chip connected to the Type-C interface and the first switch chip.

[0025] The present application also provides an electronic device comprising a housing and a USB communication circuit according to any one of the above embodiments; the first switch chip, the first hub, and the second switch chip are arranged in the housing, and the Type-C interface, the host interface, and the slave interface are arranged on the housing and partially exposed from the housing.

[0026] Based on the above embodiments, the first switch chip and the second switch chip are connected to the output end of the first hub, and the first switch chip and the second switch chip are connected in parallel with respect to the first hub, and there is no problem of excessive impedance and inability to identify the type of device connected to the Type-C interface due to direct series connection between the first switch chip and the second switch chip, so that the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit can be improved.

[0027] Further, in the present embodiment, the first switch chip and the second switch chip are both USB switches with two poles, which have lower manufacturing cost. This makes the overall cost of the USB communication circuit in the present embodiment lower. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor based on the drawings shown.

[0029] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the framework of an embodiment of the electronic device of the present application;

[0030] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the framework of an embodiment of the USB communication circuit of the present application;

[0031] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the USB communication circuit shown in Fig. 2 in a first operating mode;

[0032] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the USB communication circuit shown in Fig. 2 in a second operating mode;

[0033] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the USB communication circuit shown in Fig. 2 in a third operating mode;

[0034] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the USB communication circuit;

[0035] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the USB communication circuit shown in Fig. 6 in a fourth operating mode;

[0036] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the USB communication circuit shown in Fig. 6 in a fifth operating mode;

[0037] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the USB communication circuit;

[0038] Fig. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method of the electronic device.

[0039] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: 1000, electronic device; 100, USB communication circuit; 10, Type-C interface; 20, first switch chip; 21, first fixed terminal; 22, first selection terminal; 30, first hub; 40, second switch chip; 41, second fixed terminal; 42, second selection terminal; 50, master device interface; 60, slave device interface; 70, third switch chip; 71, third fixed terminal; 72, third selection terminal; 80, second hub; 90, touch screen; 200, housing; 2000, first master device; 3000, first slave device; 4000, second master device; 5000, second slave device; 6000, third master device.

[0040] The implementation, functional features and advantages of the present application will be further described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear, the following will further describe the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] The following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0043] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second" and the like are used only for descriptive purposes and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, in the description of the present application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise specified. The association relationship of the associated objects is described, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0045] First, the nouns in the embodiments of the present application are introduced.

[0046] Commercial display devices, such as commercial displays, are devices that combine touch screens (infrared touch or capacitive touch solutions), liquid crystal screens, host computers running Android systems and / or PC host computers (commonly known as master devices), and all-in-one machine housings, which can realize display and touch operation. Commercial display devices have touch function, display function, sound function, network function and other functions, and can be applied to different scenarios such as education, conference systems, monitoring and command centers, and advertising, in combination with different application software resources.

[0047] It should be noted that the technical solutions described below can be applied to any electronic product with a USB communication circuit, including but not limited to smart interactive tablets, tablet computers, smart blackboards, computers or terminals, and other electronic devices. The technical problems, technical solutions and technical effects to be solved by the present application are described below with reference to smart interactive tablets.

[0048] The Type-C interface generally refers to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) Type-C interface. The USB Type-C interface is a USB interface shape standard, has a smaller size than a USB-A interface and a USB-B interface, can be used as an uplink port to connect a host device (also referred to as a Host, for example, a notebook computer), and can be used as a downlink port to connect a slave device (also referred to as a Device, for example, a hard disk, a mouse, a loudspeaker, a microphone, etc.). The main function of a hub (USB HUB) is to regenerate, reshape and amplify the received signal to expand the transmission distance of the network, and to concentrate all nodes around it.

[0049] At present, an intelligent interactive panel generally has a host running an Android system, a PC host running a Windows system, a USB-A interface, a USB-B interface and a Type-C interface. The host running the Android system and the PC host running the Windows system are master devices, the USB-B interface and the Type-C interface can be connected with external master devices, the USB-A interface and the Type-C interface can be connected with external slave devices. Since the Type-C interface, the USB-A interface and the USB-B interface are provided by the intelligent interactive panel, the master devices such as the host running the Android system and the PC host running the Windows system carried by the intelligent interactive panel can be used to control the display of a commercial display device, and the USB-B interface and the Type-C interface can be used to connect master devices with display functions. Therefore, the switching of the master devices is the switching of the display channels. If the connected master device is switched from a current master device to a target master device, it means that the display channel is switched. At this time, the corresponding USB-A interface and Type-C interface (as an uplink interface) need to be switched according to the switching of the display channel.

[0050] After the switching of the master device, the USB device (master device or slave device) connected to the USB-A interface or the USB-B interface also needs to switch the communication channel to match the communication channel with the display channel, so as to ensure that the USB device connected to the USB-A interface, the USB-B interface or the Type-C interface can normally communicate with the switched master device after the switching of the master device.

[0051] The Type-C interface can be connected to a master device as an upstream port and can be connected to a slave device as a downstream port. When the Type-C interface is used as an upstream port or a downstream port, the USB communication circuit needs to switch the link through a USB switch. When the Type-C interface is used as an upstream port, the USB link where the Type-C interface is located is a data upstream link. When the Type-C interface is used as a downstream port, the USB link where the Type-C interface is located is a data downstream link. Generally, multiple USB switches are directly connected and in series to switch between the data upstream link and the data downstream link.

[0052] In the related art, when the Type-C interface switches between the data upstream link and the data downstream link, the Type-C interface and other master device interfaces are usually connected to the selection end of the same USB switch to enable the downstream link of the Type-C interface, and then the Type-C interface is connected to the fixed end of another USB switch to enable the upstream link of the Type-C interface. In this way, the selection end of the USB switch is empty, and a USB switch with a higher selection cost needs to be selected (the more selection ends of the USB switch, the higher the cost). That is, when the number of interfaces of a commercial display device is the same, a USB switch with more selection ends needs to be selected. In addition, in the related art, the multiple USB switches of the USB communication circuit 100 are in series and have a large impedance, which increases the risk of failing to identify the type of the device connected to the Type-C interface, that is, reduces the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit.

[0053] To solve the above technical problems, please refer to FIGS. 1-2, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is to provide a USB communication circuit 100 and an electronic device 1000 with the USB communication circuit 100, the USB communication circuit 100 includes a Type-C interface 10, a first switch chip 20, a first hub 30, a second switch chip 40, a master device interface 50, and a slave device interface 60.

[0054] When the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first master device 2000 as an uplink interface, and the slave device interface 60 is connected to the second slave device 5000, the other first selection end 22 of the first switch chip 20 is conducted with the output end of the first hub 30, and the second switch chip 40 is closed. The second switch chip 40 being closed can be understood as the second fixed end 41 of the second switch chip 40 not selecting any second selection end 42 of the second switch chip 40. The second slave device 5000 uploads data to the first master device 2000 through the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the first switch chip, and the Type-C interface 10. That is, the second slave device 5000, the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the first switch chip 20, the Type-C interface 10, and the first master device 2000 constitute a data uplink. When the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first slave device 3000 as a downlink interface, one of the first selection ends 22 of the first switch chip 20 is conducted with one of the input ends of the first hub 30, and the second switch chip 40 is not conducted or conducted. The second switch chip 40 being conducted can be understood as the second fixed end 41 of the second switch chip 40 selecting one of the second selection ends 42 of the second switch chip 40. In this way, the first slave device 3000 transmits data to the second master device 4000 through the Type-C interface 10, the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, and the master device interface 50. That is, the first slave device 3000, the Type-C interface 10, the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, the master device interface 50, and the second master device 4000 constitute a data downlink.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, when the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first master device 2000 as an uplink interface, the slave device interface 60 can be in a state of not being connected to the second slave device 5000.

[0056] Through the above technical solution, the technical effects achieved are: the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are both connected to the output end of the first hub 30, and the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are connected in parallel with respect to the first hub 30. There is no problem of impedance being too large and being unable to identify the type of device connected to the Type-C interface 10 because of being directly connected in series between the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40. Therefore, the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit 100 can be improved. In addition, the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 do not have the situation of the selection end being empty, which greatly reduces the cost of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40.

[0057] In the embodiment, the host interface 50 can be a personal identification number (Pin) interface, which is a widely used standardized interface with good compatibility. This means that the USB communication circuit 100 using the Pin interface can be more easily compatible with existing devices and systems.

[0058] It can be understood that the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are both one-of-two USB switches, which have two selection ends and are lower in manufacturing cost than one-of-four or one-of-eight USB switches in the related art. This makes the overall cost of the USB communication circuit 100 in the embodiment reduced while meeting the basic requirements of commercial display devices. In addition, the one-of-four or one-of-eight USB switches may cause an increase in impedance of signal transmission due to their complex internal structure, thereby affecting the stability of device recognition and communication. However, the one-of-two USB switches used in the embodiment have lower impedance, which helps to improve the compatibility of the USB communication circuit 100.

[0059] The implementation of the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0060] Please refer to FIGS. 1-2, first, the present embodiment provides an electronic device 1000, electronic products include but not limited to smart interactive tablet, smart interactive tablet, tablet computer, wisdom blackboard, computer or terminal and other electronic equipment 1000. The electronic device 1000 includes a USB communication circuit 100 and a shell 200.

[0061] The USB communication circuit 100 includes a Type-C interface 10, a first switch chip 20, a first hub 30, a second switch chip 40, a host interface 50, and a slave interface 60. The first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, and the second switch chip 40 are arranged in the shell 200 to protect the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, and the second switch chip 40 by the shell 200, and the Type-C interface 10, the host interface 50, and the slave interface 60 are arranged on the shell 200 and partially exposed to the shell 200, so as to facilitate the connection of the slave and the host with these interfaces.

[0062] As mentioned above, the Type-C interface 10 can be used as an uplink port or a downlink port. When the Type-C interface 10 is used as an uplink port, it is used to connect with the first master device 2000, which can be a device running an Android system or a Windows system, such as a notebook computer. When the Type-C interface 10 is used as a downlink port, it is used to connect with the first slave device 3000, which can be a U disk, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like.

[0063] The Type-C interface 10 is connected with the first fixed terminal 21 of the first switch chip 20. One of the first selection terminals 22 of the first switch chip 20 is connected with one of the input terminals of the first hub 30, and the other first selection terminal 22 of the first switch chip 20 is connected with the output terminal of the first hub 30. The first switch chip 20 can control the first fixed terminal 21 to be selectively connected with one of the first selection terminals 22 and disconnected with the other first selection terminal 22, or the first switch chip 20 can control the first fixed terminal 21 to be disconnected with any of the first selection terminals 22.

[0064] Specifically, when the Type-C interface 10 is used as an uplink port, the first switch chip 20 connects the output terminal of the first hub 30 with the Type-C interface 10, and the second switch chip 40 is turned off. When the Type-C interface 10 is used as a downlink port, the first switch chip 20 selects the input terminal of the first hub 30 with the Type-C interface 10, and the first switch chip 20 does not communicate with the output terminal of the first hub 30.

[0065] The other input terminal of the first hub 30 is connected with the slave device interface 60, which is used to connect the second slave device 5000. The output terminal of the first hub 30 is connected with the second fixed terminal 41 of the second switch chip 40. The slave device interface 60 is used to connect the second slave device 5000, which can be the same as or different from the first slave device 3000, for example, the second slave device 5000 can be a U disk, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like.

[0066] The second selection terminal 42 of the second switch chip 40 is connected with the master device interface 50, which is used to connect the second master device 4000. The second switch chip 40 can control the second fixed terminal 41 to be selectively connected with one of the second selection terminals 42, or the second fixed terminal 41 of the second switch chip 40 can be disconnected with any of the second selection terminals 42 of the second switch chip 40. The master device interface 50 is used to connect the second master device 4000, which can be the same as or different from the first master device 2000, for example, the second master device 4000 can be a notebook computer.

[0067] Based on the USB communication circuit 100 described above, the USB communication circuit 100 has at least two working modes as follows:

[0068] The first working mode is shown in FIG. 3. When the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first host device 2000 as an uplink interface and the slave device interface 60 is connected to the second slave device 5000, the first switch chip 20 is turned on and the second switch chip 40 is turned off, i.e., the first selection end 22 of the first switch chip 20 is not in communication with the output end of the first hub 30, and the first switch chip 20 is in communication with the output end of the first hub 30. At this time, the slave device interface 60 connected to the second slave device 5000 can upload data to the first host device 2000 through the first hub 30, the first chip switch, and the Type-C interface 10, i.e., the second slave device 5000, the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the first chip switch, the Type-C interface 10, and the first host device 2000 form a data uplink.

[0069] The second working mode is shown in FIG. 4. When the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first slave device 3000 as a downlink interface, the first selection end 22 of the first switch chip 20 is in communication with the input end of the first hub 30, so that the first slave device 3000 connected to the Type-C interface 10 can give relevant data to the first hub 30 through the first switch chip 20, and then give the data to the second host device 4000 connected to the electronic device 1000 through the first hub 30. At this time, a data downlink is formed through the first slave device 3000, the Type-C interface 10, the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, and the second host device 4000.

[0070] In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, when the Type-C interface 10 is not connected to the first slave device 3000 and is not connected to the first host device 2000, and the slave device interface 60 is connected to the second slave device 5000, the USB communication circuit 100 further has:

[0071] The third working mode is that the second slave device 5000 can transmit data to the second host device 4000 through the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, and the host device interface 50, i.e., the second slave device 5000, the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, the host device interface 50, and the second host device 4000 form another data link.

[0072] In summary, in the embodiment of the present application, the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are connected to the output end of the first hub 30, and the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are connected in parallel with respect to the first hub 30. There is no problem of too large impedance caused by direct series connection between the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40, and the type of the device connected to the Type-C interface 10 cannot be identified. Therefore, the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit 100 can be improved. In addition, since the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are both two-to-one USB switches, the two-to-one USB switch has two selection ends, and compared with the four-to-one or eight-to-one USB switch in the related art, the manufacturing cost is lower. This makes the overall cost of the USB communication circuit 100 in the embodiment reduced, while meeting the basic needs of commercial display devices.

[0073] In some embodiments, when the Type-C interface 10 is not connected to the first slave device 3000 and is not connected to the first master device 2000, the slave device interface 60 is connected to the second slave device 5000, the first switch chip 20 is turned off, and the second switch chip 40 is turned on. That is, when the USB communication circuit 100 works in the third working mode, the second switch chip 40 is turned on, and the second slave device 5000 can transmit data to the second master device 4000 through the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, and the master device interface 50, thereby realizing communication between the second slave device 5000 and the second master device 4000. Turning off the first switch chip 20 can reduce the energy consumption of the USB communication circuit 100.

[0074] Please refer to FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the second switch chip 40 includes a plurality of second selection ends 42, and the plurality of second selection ends 42 are connected to the plurality of master device interfaces 50 one by one. For example, in FIG. 2, the number of second selection ends 42 is 2, and the two second selection ends 42 are connected to the two master device interfaces 50 one by one. In this way, the plurality of master device interfaces 50 can be connected to a plurality of second master devices 4000. For example, one master device interface 50 is connected to a notebook computer with an Android host, and the other master device interface 50 is connected to a notebook computer with a PC host. In this way, the application scenarios of the electronic device 1000 can be diversified.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 3, when the USB communication circuit 100 works in the first working mode, the first selection end 22 connected with the output end of the first hub 30 is in communication with the first fixed end 21, the first selection end 22 connected with the input end of the first hub 30 is disconnected with the first fixed end 21, and the second switch chip 40 is off, that is, the second fixed end 41 is disconnected with the two second selection ends 42, thus the second slave device 5000 uploads data to the first master device 2000 through the slave device interface 60, the output end of the first hub 30, the first selection end 22 connected with the output end of the first hub 30, the first fixed end 21 and the Type-C interface 10.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, when the USB communication circuit 100 works in the second working mode, the first selection end 22 connected with the output end of the first hub 30 is disconnected with the first fixed end 21, the first selection end 22 connected with the input end of the first hub 30 is in communication with the first fixed end 21, and the second switch chip 40 is on, that is, the second fixed end 41 is in communication with one of the two second selection ends 42, specifically, the second fixed end 41 is in communication with one of the second selection ends 42 connected with the second master device 4000, thus the first slave device 3000 transmits data to the second master device 4000 through the Type-C interface 10, the first fixed end 21, the first selection end 22 connected with the input end of the first hub 30, the first hub 30, the second fixed end 41, one of the second selection ends 42 and the master device interface 50.

[0077] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 5, when the USB communication circuit 100 works in the third working mode, the first switch chip 20 is off, that is, the first fixed end 21 is disconnected with the two first selection ends 22, and the second switch chip 40 is on, that is, the second fixed end 41 is in communication with one of the two second selection ends 42 (specifically, the second fixed end 41 is in communication with one of the second selection ends 42 connected with the second master device 4000), thus the second slave device 5000 transmits data to the second master device 4000 through the slave device interface 60, the output end of the first hub 30, the second fixed end 41, one of the second selection ends 42 and the master device interface 50.

[0078] In this way, on the one hand, through the control of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40, the switching between the first working mode of the USB communication circuit 100 (that is, the second slave device 5000 transmits data to the first master device 2000), the second working mode (that is, the first slave device 3000 transmits data to the second master device 4000) and the third working mode (that is, the second slave device 5000 transmits data to the second master device 4000) is realized, the application scenarios of the USB communication circuit 100 are expanded, and the flexibility and expansibility of the USB communication circuit 100 are improved.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the USB communication circuit 100 further comprises a third switch chip 70 and a second hub 80.

[0080] The third fixed end 71 of the third switch chip 70 is connected with the output end of the first hub 30; one of the third selection ends 72 of the third switch chip 70 is connected with the input end of the second hub 80, and the other third selection ends 72 of the third switch chip 70 are used for connecting with the third host device 6000.

[0081] The output end of the second hub 80 is connected with the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40.

[0082] Specifically, the output end of the second hub 80 is connected with one of the first selection ends 22 of the first switch chip 20 and the second fixed end 41 of the second switch chip 40.

[0083] In addition, the third selection ends 72 of the third switch chip 70 are used for connecting with the third host device 6000, so that, on the one hand, since the third switch chip 70 can access the third host device 6000, the expansibility of the USB communication circuit 100 can be further improved, and on the other hand, since the second hub 80 is located between the first switch chip 20 and the third switch chip 70, the impedance caused by directly connecting the first switch chip 20 and the third switch chip 70 can be avoided; similarly, since the second hub 80 is located between the second switch chip 40 and the third switch chip 70, the impedance caused by directly connecting the second switch chip 40 and the third switch chip 70 can be avoided, and the risk of failing to identify the type of the device connected with the Type-C interface 10 can be avoided.

[0084] In some embodiments, the third host device 6000 comprises an Android device running an Android system and / or a PC device running a Windows system, since the Android device and the PC device are widely applied at present, the third switch chip 70 can be connected with the Android device and the PC device, so that the expansibility of the USB communication circuit 100 can be improved, and the Android device and the PC device can be more conveniently connected with the USB communication circuit 100.

[0085] In some embodiments, the third switch chip 70 comprises at least three third selection ends 72, one of which is connected with the input end of the second hub 80, and the other third selection ends 72 are used for connecting with the third host device 6000. In this way, multiple third selection ends 72 are reserved for connecting with the third host device 6000, so that the USB communication circuit 100 can connect multiple third host devices 6000, and the expansibility of the USB communication circuit 100 can be further improved.

[0086] In some embodiments, the electronic device 1000 comprises a smart interactive tablet, and the smart interactive tablet further comprises a touch screen 90, wherein the touch screen 90 can be a capacitive touch screen or an infrared touch screen. The touch screen 90 is connected to the second hub 80, so that the touch screen 90 can receive a touch signal through the second hub 80, so that the smart interactive tablet has a touch function, which is more convenient for users to use. Meanwhile, the second hub 80 can receive the touch signal and transmit the touch signal to the third host device 6000 or the second host device 4000.

[0087] In some embodiments, the USB communication circuit 100 is a USB2.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, and the host device interface 50 are all USB2.0 devices. The USB2.0 devices are relatively inexpensive, and on the basis of realizing the first working mode, the second working mode, and the third working mode, the hardware cost of the USB communication circuit 100 can be reduced.

[0088] In some embodiments, the USB communication circuit 100 is a USB3.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, the second switch chip 40, and the host device interface 50 are all USB3.0 devices. The USB communication circuit 100 further comprises a protocol chip, and the protocol chip is connected to the Type-C interface 10 and the first switch chip 20. In this way, the protocol chip can detect whether the device connected to the Type-C interface 10 is a USB3.0 device or a USB2.0 device, so as to determine whether the USB communication circuit 100 subsequently transmits data according to the USB3.0 protocol or the USB2.0 protocol. When the data is transmitted according to the USB3.0 protocol, the USB communication circuit 100 has a faster transmission rate.

[0089] Based on the above-mentioned USB communication circuit 100, the USB communication circuit 100 further has the following working modes:

[0090] The fourth working mode is shown in FIG. 7. When the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first slave device 3000 as a downstream interface, the first selection end 22 of the first switch chip 20 is in communication with the output end of the first hub 30. In this way, the first slave device 3000 connected to the Type-C interface 10 can transmit relevant data to the first hub 30 through the first switch chip 20, and then transmit the data to the input end of the third switch chip 70 through the first hub 30. One of the third selection ends 72 of the third switch chip 70 is in communication with the third host device of the electronic device 1000. At this time, a data downstream link is formed by the first slave device 3000, the Type-C interface 10, the first switch chip 20, the first hub 30, the third switch chip 70, and the third host device.

[0091] The fifth working mode is shown in FIG. 8. The second slave device 5000 can transmit data to the third host device 6000 through the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30 and the third switch chip 70, that is, the second slave device 5000, the slave device interface 60, the first hub 30, the third switch chip 70 and the third host device 6000 form another data link.

[0092] Please refer to FIG. 9. It is to be explained that the third host device 6000 is integrated in the electronic device 1000. The third host device 6000 can be an Android host and / or a PC host. It can be understood that the PC host can be integrated in a commercial display device or can be independent of the commercial display device and used in connection with the commercial display device as a separate PC device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the number of slave device interfaces 60 is one or more. When the number of slave device interfaces 60 is more than one, the plurality of slave device interfaces 60 can be connected to a plurality of second slave devices 5000, further improving the scalability of the USB communication circuit 100.

[0094] Please refer to FIG. 9. In some embodiments, the slave device interface 60 includes a USB-A interface, such as the USB-A1 interface and the USB-A2 interface shown in FIG. 10. In this way, the USB-A interface is suitable for most slave devices such as a U disk, a mouse or a keyboard, etc. The USB communication circuit 100 is suitable for connecting more types of slave devices, not only improving the scalability of the USB communication circuit 100, but also making it more convenient for users to use the electronic device 1000.

[0095] Please refer to FIG. 9. In some embodiments, the host device interface 50 includes a USB-B interface, such as the USB-B1 interface and the USB-B2 interface shown in FIG. 10. In this way, the USB-B interface is suitable for most host devices such as a notebook computer, etc. Not only does the USB communication circuit 100 improve the scalability, but also makes it more convenient for users to use the electronic device 1000.

[0096] Please refer to FIG. 10. The embodiments of the present application also provide a control method of an electronic device 1000, which is applied to the electronic device 1000 as described above. The control method includes the following steps:

[0097] In step S10, a first connection state of the Type-C interface 10 is acquired.

[0098] Specifically, the first connection state of the Type-C interface 10 includes that the Type-C interface 10 is connected to the first host device 2000 or the first slave device 3000, or the Type-C interface 10 is suspended, that is, the Type-C interface 10 is not connected to any device.

[0099] In the embodiment, the third master device 6000 is integrated in the electronic device 1000, and the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 can be connected with the master chip of the third master device 6000 to control the on-off state of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 through the master chip.

[0100] In step S20, the working mode of the USB communication circuit 100 is controlled according to the first connection state.

[0101] Specifically, when the Type-C interface 10 is connected with the first master device 2000 as an uplink interface, the on-off state of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 is controlled to control the USB communication circuit 100 to work in the first working mode; when the Type-C interface 10 is connected with the first slave device 3000 as a downlink interface and the slave device interface 60 is not connected with the second slave device 5000, the on-off state of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 is controlled to control the USB communication circuit 100 to work in the second working mode; when the Type-C interface 10 is not connected with the first slave device 3000 and the slave device interface 60 is connected with the second slave device 5000, the on-off state of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 is controlled to control the USB communication circuit 100 to work in the third working mode.

[0102] In the embodiment, the on-off state of the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 is controlled to switch the USB communication circuit 100 between the first working mode, the second working mode and the third working mode, and the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are connected to the output end of the first concentrator 30, and the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40 are connected in parallel with respect to the first concentrator 30, and there is no problem of too large impedance and unable to identify the type of the device connected with the Type-C interface 10 because of direct series connection between the first switch chip 20 and the second switch chip 40, so the compatibility and reliability of the USB communication circuit 100 can be improved.

[0103] In the drawings of the embodiment, the same or similar reference signs correspond to the same or similar components; in the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” and the like is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore the terms describing the position relationship in the drawings are only used for exemplary illustration, and cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application, and for those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0104] The above merely provides preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, and improvement made in the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A USB communication circuit, wherein, The USB communication circuit comprises a Type-C interface, a first switch chip, a first hub, a second switch chip, a host device interface and a slave device interface. The Type-C interface is connected with a first fixed end of the first switch chip, and the Type-C interface is used to selectively connect a first slave device or a first host device. One of the first selection ends of the first switch chip is connected with one of the input ends of the first hub, and another first selection end of the first switch chip is connected with the output end of the first hub. Another input end of the first hub is connected with the slave device interface, and the slave device interface is used to connect a second slave device; and the output end of the first hub is connected with a second fixed end of the second switch chip. The second selection end of the second switch chip is connected with the host device interface, and the host device interface is used to connect a second host device. When the Type-C interface is connected with the first slave device as a downstream interface, one of the first selection ends of the first switch chip is connected with one of the input ends of the first hub; when the Type-C interface is connected with the first host device as an upstream interface, another first selection end of the first switch chip is connected with the output end of the first hub, and the second switch chip is closed.

2. The USB communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein, When the Type-C interface is not connected with the first slave device and the first host device, and the slave device interface is connected with the second slave device, the first switch chip is closed.

3. The USB communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The number of the second selection ends is multiple, and multiple second selection ends are connected with multiple host device interfaces one by one.

4. The USB communication circuit of claim 1, wherein, The number of the slave device interfaces is one or multiple; and / or, The slave device interface comprises a USB-A interface; and / or, The host device interface comprises a USB-B interface.

5. The USB communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The USB communication circuit further comprises a third switch chip and a second hub. A third fixed end of the third switch chip is connected with the output end of the first hub; one of the third selection ends of the third switch chip is connected with the input end of the second hub, and at least another third selection end of the third switch chip is used to connect with a third host device. The output end of the second hub is connected with one of the first selection ends of the first switch chip and the second fixed end of the second switch chip.

6. The USB communication circuit according to claim 5, wherein, The number of the third selection ends is more than three, one of the third selection ends is connected with the input end of the second hub, and the rest of the third selection ends are used to connect with the third host device one by one.

7. The USB communication circuit according to claim 5, wherein, A touch screen is further included, and the touch screen is connected with the second hub.

8. The USB communication circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The USB communication circuit is a USB2.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip and the host device interface are all USB2.0 devices. Or the USB communication circuit is a USB3.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip and the host interface are all USB3.0 devices.

9. The USB communication circuit of any one of claims 1, wherein, The USB communication circuit is a USB3.0 communication circuit, and the first switch chip, the first hub, the second switch chip and the host interface are all USB3.0 devices, and the USB communication circuit further comprises a protocol chip connected to the Type-C interface and the first switch chip.

10. An electronic device, comprising: Comprise: The USB communication circuit according to any one of claims 1-9; A shell, the first switch chip, the first hub and the second switch chip are arranged in the shell, the Type-C interface, the host interface and the slave interface are arranged on the shell and partially exposed on the shell.

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