Interface expansion device

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses an interface expansion device, which is characterized in that a plurality of HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors are arranged in the interface expansion device, so that the interface expansion device can realize the access of a plurality of HDMI devices at the same time, and meanwhile, a first selection instruction is transmitted to a first switching module through a first end of a first connector and a second end of the first connector; therefore, the data transmission channels between the second ends of the different HDMI connectors and the first conversion module can be selectively conducted, HDMI signals received by the different HDMI connectors are transmitted to the first conversion module, and compared with a docking station only comprising a single-path HDMI connector, the expansibility of the interface expansion device is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication, in particular to an interface expansion device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The expansion dock on the market can only realize the access of a single HDMI device. In the case that the user needs to switch different HDMI devices, the user needs to first pull out the HDMI device connected to the expansion dock, and then insert the required HDMI device into the expansion dock. The expansion dock has poor expansibility, and the user operation is inconvenient. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0003] The embodiment of the present application discloses an interface expansion device, which improves the expansibility of the interface expansion device and improves the convenience of user operation.

[0004] The embodiment of the present application discloses an interface expansion device, which comprises a first connector, a second connector, a first switching module, a control module, a first conversion module and at least two HDMI connectors.

[0005] Any of the HDMI connectors is configured to receive an HDMI signal through a first end of the HDMI connector;

[0006] The first connector is configured to receive a first selection instruction through a first end of the first connector and output the first selection instruction through a second end of the first connector;

[0007] The second connector is connected with the second end of the first connector, and the second connector is configured to receive interface data through a second end of the second connector;

[0008] The first switching module is connected with the first conversion module and the second end of at least two HDMI connectors respectively;

[0009] The control module is connected with the first switching module and the second end of the first connector respectively, and is configured to control the second connector to stop receiving the interface data when the first connector receives the first selection instruction, and control the first switching module to selectively conduct a data transmission path between the second end of a target HDMI connector and the first conversion module according to the first selection instruction; wherein the target HDMI connector is one of the at least two HDMI connectors;

[0010] The first conversion module is connected with the third end of the first connector, and is configured to convert the first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path into first multimedia data, and transmit the first multimedia data to the third end of the first connector, so as to output the first multimedia data through the first connector.

[0011] In this embodiment, by arranging multiple HDMI connectors in the interface expansion device, the interface expansion device can simultaneously realize the access of multiple HDMI devices. Meanwhile, the first selection instruction is transmitted to the control module through the first end of the first connector and the second end of the first connector, so that the first switch module can selectively conduct the data transmission path between the second end of the different HDMI connectors and the first conversion module, thereby realizing the transmission of the HDMI signals received by the different HDMI connectors to the first conversion module. Compared with the docking station including only a single HDMI connector, the expandability of the interface expansion device is improved.

[0012] Secondly, compared with the mechanical switch, the first switch module of the present embodiment is of an electric control type, and the second end and the first end of the first HDMI connector for outputting interface data are realized by multiplexing. The first selection instruction is received, the volume of the interface expansion device is small without affecting the first multimedia transmission. Furthermore, the user can switch the signal source without plugging and unplugging the HDMI device, thereby improving the convenience of user operation.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first connector includes a Type-C universal serial bus connector;

[0014] The first conversion module is further configured to convert the first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path into first multimedia data corresponding to a display interface DP communication protocol.

[0015] In this embodiment, the interface expansion device is provided with a first conversion module, a first switch module, multiple HDMI connectors and a Type-C connector. The Type-C connector is used as an output connector (a connector for outputting multimedia data). Compared with using the HDMI connector as the output connector, multiple signal types of data (interface data and first multimedia data) can be outputted, the expandability of the interface expansion device is improved, the first conversion module can convert the received HDMI data into first multimedia data corresponding to a DP communication protocol, and the first multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol supports higher resolution and refresh rate than the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol, so that the first multimedia data can exhibit finer image details and smoother picture performance, thereby improving the user experience.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second connector comprises a USB connector, and the first selection instruction received by the first end of the first connector is a differential signal.

[0017] In this embodiment, the transmission of the first selection instruction is implemented by the second end of the first connector corresponding to the USB, which can ensure the accuracy of the first selection instruction received by the first switching module. Meanwhile, since the transmission of the first selection instruction and the first multimedia data uses different ends of the first connector, the first switching module can switch different HDMI signal sources while ensuring the reliability of the transmission of the first multimedia data.

[0018] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device further comprises a forwarding module.

[0019] The control module is further configured to determine, in a case where the first connector accesses a first electronic device and the second connector accesses a second electronic device, a first time slice during which the first electronic device transmits the first selection instruction, and a second time slice during which the second electronic device transmits the interface data.

[0020] The forwarding module is connected with the second end of the first connector, the first end of the second connector, and the control module respectively. The forwarding module is configured to, when receiving the first selection instruction sent by the second end of the first connector during the first time slice, send the first selection instruction to the control module, and when receiving the interface data during the second time slice, send the interface data to the second end of the first connector.

[0021] In this embodiment, the forwarding module is arranged in the interface expansion device. By means of time division multiplexing, the first selection instruction and the interface data are transmitted by the second end of the first connector and the first end of the first connector. Compared with transmitting the first selection instruction and the interface data by using different hardware resources, the utilization efficiency of the hardware resources of the interface expansion device can be improved, the size of the interface expansion device can be reduced, and the cost of the interface expansion device can be reduced.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second connector comprises a USB connector, and the forwarding module comprises a USB hub.

[0023] In this embodiment, by means of the USB hub, the control module and each USB connector are connected with the second end of the first connector, so that the interface expansion device can implement the transmission of the first selection instruction based on the USB communication protocol, and can also implement data interaction with the USB device connected with the USB connector, thereby improving the expansibility of the interface expansion device.

[0024] In some embodiments, the control module supports a first serial communication protocol, the first selection instruction corresponds to a second serial communication protocol, and the interface expansion device further comprises a second conversion module;

[0025] The second conversion module is connected with the second end of the first connector and the control module, respectively. The second conversion module is configured to convert the received first selection instruction into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol, and send the serial communication signal to the control module.

[0026] In this embodiment, by setting the second conversion module, it can use the existing standard protocol (such as Modbus) to realize the communication between the control module and the first electronic device, so as to realize the control of the first switching module to switch. This design can significantly reduce the complexity and risk of software development, because the use of standardized communication protocol reduces the need for customized protocol, thereby improving the compatibility and development efficiency of the system. In addition, the use of standard protocol can simplify the process of data transmission and device interaction, improve the stability and reliability of the system.

[0027] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device further comprises a first register;

[0028] The first conversion module is connected with the fourth end of the first connector. The first conversion module is further configured to, when the first connector is connected to the first electronic device and receives the electric energy provided by the first electronic device, receive the first EDID information sent by the first electronic device through the first connector, and store the first EDID information in the first register;

[0029] The first conversion module is further configured to, when the first switching module selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, obtain the first EDID information in the first register, and send the first EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first conversion module stores the first EDID information corresponding to the first electronic device in the first register in the case that the first conversion module receives the power provided by the first electronic device, so that the first conversion module can directly send the first EDID information stored in the first register to the target HDMI device without communicating with the first electronic device in the case that the first switching module selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, thereby reducing the acquisition time of the first EDID information, reducing the time for the target HDMI device to output the first HDMI signal, further reducing the black screen time caused by switching the signal source, and improving the user experience. At the same time, since the first EDID information is obtained from the first electronic device, i.e., the first EDID information matches the first electronic device, the display effect of the first electronic device displaying the first multimedia data can be ensured.

[0031] In some embodiments, the interface expansion apparatus further includes a non-volatile memory and a first register;

[0032] The first conversion module is further configured to acquire the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory when the first conversion module is powered on, and store the second EDID information in the first register;

[0033] The first conversion module is connected with the fourth end of the first connector, and the first conversion module is further configured to acquire the second EDID information in the first register and send the second EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector in the case that the first switching module selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first conversion module can store the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory to the first register when the first conversion module is powered on. In the case that the first switching module selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, the interface expansion apparatus can directly send the second EDID information stored in the first register to the target HDMI device without communicating with the first electronic device, thereby reducing the acquisition time of the second EDID information, reducing the time for the target HDMI device to provide the first HDMI signal, further reducing the black screen time caused by switching the signal source, and improving the user experience. At the same time, since the second EDID information is stored in the non-volatile memory, the acquisition time of the EDID can be greatly shortened.

[0035] In some embodiments, the first multimedia data corresponds to a first data communication protocol, and the interface expansion apparatus further comprises a second switching module and a third connector;

[0036] The third connector is configured to receive second multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol through a first end of the third connector;

[0037] The first connector is further configured to receive a second selection instruction or a third selection instruction through a first end of the first connector;

[0038] The second switching module is connected with the first conversion module, a second end of the third connector and a third end of the first connector respectively;

[0039] The control module is further connected with the second switching module, and the control module is further configured to control the second switching module to turn on a data transmission path between the first conversion module and the third end of the first connector according to the second selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector, and / or the control module is further configured to control the second switching module to turn on a data transmission path between the third end of the first connector and the second end of the third connector according to the third selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector.

[0040] In this embodiment, the interface expansion apparatus can receive first HDMI signals corresponding to an HDMI communication protocol, and convert the first HDMI signals to obtain first multimedia data corresponding to a first communication protocol, and output the first multimedia data through the first connector. The interface expansion apparatus can also receive second multimedia data corresponding to a DP communication protocol, and directly output the second multimedia data through the first connector. Compared with the interface expansion apparatus that can only receive multimedia data corresponding to a single communication protocol, the interface expansion apparatus provided in this embodiment has high practicability.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first connector comprises a Type-C connector, and the third connector comprises a DP connector.

[0042] In this embodiment, the interface expansion apparatus can receive first HDMI signals corresponding to an HDMI communication protocol provided by an HDMI device, and convert the first HDMI signals to obtain first multimedia data corresponding to a first communication protocol, and output the first multimedia data through the first connector. The interface expansion apparatus can also receive second multimedia data corresponding to a DP communication protocol provided by a third electronic device, and directly transmit the second multimedia data to the first electronic device through the first connector. That is, the interface expansion apparatus can realize interaction between the first electronic device and the HDMI device and the third electronic device, thereby improving the practicability and expansibility of the interface expansion apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only constitute some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a display system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0045] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of another display system disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0046] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0047] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0048] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0049] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0050] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0051] Figure 8 is an interface schematic diagram of an EDID selection interface disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0052] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0053] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of an interface expansion device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0054] Figure 11a is a structural schematic diagram of a first selection instruction transmission link disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0055] Figure 11b is a connection schematic diagram among a first conversion module, a DP interface and a second conversion module disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0056] Figure 11c is a connection schematic diagram between a second switching module and a Type-C connector disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0057] Figure 11d is a connection schematic diagram between a USB HUB and a USB interface disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0058] Figure 12 is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0059] Figure 13 is an interface schematic diagram of a signal source selection interface disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0060] Figure 14 is a process schematic diagram of a first interface of switching selection disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0061] Figure 15 is an interface schematic diagram of a display interface disclosed by some embodiments of the present application;

[0062] Figure 16 is a flow schematic diagram of a device identification method disclosed by some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0064] It should be noted that the terms “include” and “have” and any variations thereof in the embodiments of the present application and the drawings are intended to cover the inclusions without limitation. For example, the processes, methods, systems, products or devices including a series of steps or units are not limited to the listed steps or units, but in some embodiments, other steps or units not listed are also included, or in some embodiments, other steps or units inherent to the processes, methods, products or devices are also included.

[0065] In the display field, most docking stations are provided with a Type-C (Universal Serial Bus Type-C) connector for connecting a signal source device, which can be understood as a device providing multimedia data, and an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connector for connecting a receiving device as a receiving end of the multimedia data. The docking station converts the multimedia data corresponding to the DP (DisplayPort) communication protocol provided by the signal source device received through the Type-C connector into multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol, and sends the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol to the receiving device through the HDMI connector, so as to display the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol through the receiving device.

[0066] Although there are docking stations on the market that can receive multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol, convert the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol into multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol, and output to the receiving device, such docking stations are rarely applied in the display field. This is because current display devices generally use the HDMI connector as the input connector, so the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol is rarely converted into multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol as a docking station for connecting display devices.

[0067] The researchers of the present application found that the docking stations on the market at most have one HDMI connector as an input interface, that is, only one input interface can receive HDMI data, so that in the case of needing to switch different HDMI devices, the user needs to first pull out the HDMI device connected to the docking station, and then insert the required HDMI device into the docking station. The flexibility of the docking station is poor, and the user operation is inconvenient. It can be seen that there is a lack of docking stations on the market that can simultaneously access multiple HDMI devices and switch different HDMI devices as signal sources.

[0068] The embodiment of the present application provides an interface expansion device, which has good expandability and improves the convenience of user operation.

[0069] In this embodiment, the interface expansion device includes a first connector, a first switching module, a control module, a first conversion module, a second connector, and at least two HDMI connectors. The first switching module is connected to the second ends of the first conversion module and the at least two HDMI connectors. The first conversion module is connected to the third end of the first connector. The first end of the second connector is connected to the second end of the first connector. The control module is connected to the first switching module and the second end of the first connector. The first connector is configured to receive and output a first selection command through its first end and its second end. The HDMI connector is configured to receive HDMI signals through its first end. The second connector is configured to receive interface data through its second end and send the interface data to the second end of the first connector to output interface data. The control module is configured to control the second connector to stop receiving interface data when the first connector receives the first selection command, and selectively connect the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module according to the first selection command. The first conversion module is configured to convert the format of the first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path to obtain first multimedia data and output the first multimedia data through the first connector. By incorporating multiple HDMI connectors in the interface expansion device, it is possible to simultaneously connect multiple HDMI devices. Furthermore, by transmitting a first selection command to the control module through the first and second ends of the first connector, the data transmission channels between the second ends of different HDMI connectors and the first conversion module can be selectively activated. This allows the transmission of HDMI signals received by different HDMI connectors to the first conversion module, thus improving the expandability of the interface expansion device compared to docking stations that only include a single HDMI connector.

[0070] Secondly, compared to using a mechanical switch, this embodiment employs an electrically controlled first switching module. Furthermore, by multiplexing the second and first ends of the first HDMI connector used for interface data output, it receives the first selection command, ensuring that the first multimedia data transmission is not affected while minimizing the size of the interface expansion device. Moreover, switching the signal source does not require the user to plug or unplug the HDMI device, improving user convenience.

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown, it illustrates a schematic diagram of the structure of a display system provided in some embodiments of this application. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the display system may include a receiving device 110, an interface expansion device 120, a signal source device 130, and a second electronic device 140.

[0072] The receiving device 110 and the interface expansion device 120 can be connected through a cable 150, and the interface expansion device 120 can be connected with each signal source device 130 through a cable (not shown in the figure). Figure 1 The signal source device 130 supports a third data communication protocol, the receiving device 110 supports a first data communication protocol and a second data communication protocol, and the second electronic device 140 supports the second data communication protocol. The signal source device 130 can be configured to output third multimedia data corresponding to the third data communication protocol, the interface expansion device 120 can be configured to convert the data corresponding to the third data communication protocol into first multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol, the second electronic device 140 can be configured to provide interface data such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) data, and the receiving device 110 can be configured to output a first selection instruction, process the first multimedia data, and process the interface data.

[0073] In some embodiments, the receiving device 110 includes a Type-C connector, the interface expansion device 120 includes a Type-C connector, and the Type-C connector of the receiving device 110 and the Type-C connector of the interface expansion device 120 are both female. The receiving device 110 and the interface expansion device 120 can be connected through a Type-C cable, one end of which is a male head of a Type interface, and the other end is also a male head of a Type interface. In this embodiment, the connection between the receiving device 110 and the interface expansion device 120 can be achieved through the Type-C cable.

[0074] In some embodiments, the signal source device 130 includes an HDMI connector, the interface expansion device 120 includes an HDMI connector, and the HDMI connector of the signal source device 130 and the HDMI connector of the interface expansion device 120 are both female. The interface expansion device 120 can be connected with each signal source device 130 through an HDMI cable, one end of which is a male head of an HDMI connector, and the other end is also a male head of an HDMI connector. In this embodiment, the connection between the signal source device 130 and the interface expansion device 120 can be achieved through the HDMI cable.

[0075] In some embodiments, the signal source device 130 can include but is not limited to a television, a game console, a computer, a portable multimedia player, a camera, etc.

[0076] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device 120 can be a docking station.

[0077] In some embodiments, the receiving device 110 can include, but is not limited to, a television, a monitor, an electronic bulletin board, an electronic table, and the like.

[0078] In some embodiments, the second electronic device can include a USB device, and the second electronic device can include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, a U disk, an external hard disk, and the like.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 2 which shows a structural schematic diagram of another display system provided by some embodiments of the present application. As Figure 2 shown, the signal source device 210 can include a fifth connector 211, and the fifth connector 211 is configured to perform data transmission based on a third data communication protocol. The signal source device 210 can be used to provide multimedia data corresponding to the third data communication protocol.

[0080] In some embodiments, the third data communication protocol can be used to implement transmission of audio data and / or video data. The interface expansion apparatus 220 can include a plurality of sixth connectors 221, and the plurality of sixth connectors 221 are used to connect the signal source device 210 and perform data transmission with the signal source device 210 based on the third data communication protocol, that is, the interface expansion apparatus 220 can receive multimedia data provided by the signal source device 210 connected to the sixth connector 221 through the sixth connector 221. The interface expansion apparatus 220 and the signal source device 210 can reliably receive the multimedia data provided by the signal source device 210 based on the third data communication protocol.

[0081] In some embodiments, the third data communication protocol includes, but is not limited to, an HDMI communication protocol, a DP (DisplayPort) communication protocol, a VGA (Video Graphics Array) communication protocol, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) communication protocol, an RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) communication protocol, and the like.

[0082] In some embodiments, the number of the sixth connectors 221 included in the interface expansion apparatus 220 is greater than or equal to 2. In some embodiments, the number of the sixth connectors 221 can be 2, 3, 4, or 5, and the like. The number of the sixth connectors 221 is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0083] The interface expansion apparatus 220 can further include a first connector 222 configured to connect to the receiving device 230 and perform data transmission with the receiving device 230 based on the first data communication protocol and the second data communication protocol, i.e., the interface expansion apparatus 220 can provide the receiving device 230 with the first multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol and the interface data corresponding to the second data communication protocol via the first connector 222.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first data communication protocol can be used to implement transmission of multimedia data such as audio data and / or video data, and the second data communication protocol can be used to implement multimedia data, file content, HID (Human Interface Device) data, etc. The first data communication protocol, the second data communication protocol, and the third data communication protocol are all different. The receiving device 230 can include a fourth connector 231 configured to connect to the first connector 222 via a cable and perform data transmission with the first connector 222 based on the first data communication protocol and the second data communication protocol to receive the first multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol and the interface data corresponding to the second data communication protocol and send the first selection instruction.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first data communication protocol can include, but is not limited to, HDMI communication protocol, DP communication protocol, VGA communication protocol, DVI communication protocol, RTP, etc.

[0086] In some embodiments, the second data communication protocol can include USB communication protocol, etc.

[0087] In some embodiments, the receiving device 230 can further include a display screen, and the receiving device 230 receives the first multimedia data transmitted by the first connector 222 via the fourth connector 231 and displays the first multimedia data on the display screen.

[0088] In some embodiments, the second electronic device 240 includes a seventh connector 241, and the interface expansion apparatus includes a second connector 223, the seventh connector 241 is configured to output the interface data to the second connector 223 to send the interface data to the interface expansion apparatus 220. The second connector 223 can send the interface data to the first connector 222.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 3This illustration shows one of the structural schematic diagrams of an interface expansion device provided in some embodiments of this application. In this embodiment, the fifth connector 211 and the sixth connector 221 are HDMI connectors, and the signal source device is an HDMI device, as an example for illustration. In the following embodiments, the receiving device is referred to as the first electronic device, and the signal source device is referred to as the HDMI device. Here, an HDMI device refers to an electronic device including an HDMI connector, which can transmit HDMI signals through the HDMI connector.

[0090] like Figure 3 As shown, the interface expansion device 300 may include a first connector 310, a first switching module 320, a first conversion module 330, a second connector 340, a control module 360, and at least two HDMI connectors 350. The first switching module 320 is connected to the second ends of both the first conversion module 330 and the at least two HDMI connectors 350. The first conversion module 330 is connected to the third end of the first connector 310. The first end of the second connector 340 is connected to the second end of the first connector 310. The control module is connected to both the first switching module and the second end of the first connector. The interface expansion device 300 may include one or more second connectors 340.

[0091] The first connector 310 is configured to receive a first selection instruction through its first end, transmit the first selection instruction to its second end, output the first selection instruction through its second end, transmit the interface data through the first end of the second connector 340 to the second end of the first connector 310, and output the interface data through the first end of the first connector 310. The first conversion module 330 is configured to convert multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol into multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol. Any HDMI connector 350 is configured to receive HDMI signals through its first end, and the second connector 340 is configured to receive interface data through its second end. The control module is configured to control the second end of the second connector 340 to stop receiving interface data when the first end of the first connector 310 receives a first selection instruction, and according to the first selection instruction, control the first switching module 320 to selectively open the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector 350 and the first conversion module 330. The first conversion module 330 is configured to receive the first HDMI signal through the data transmission path, convert the received first HDMI signal into a format to obtain first multimedia data, and send the first multimedia data to the third end of the first connector 310 so as to output the first multimedia data through the first end of the first connector 310.

[0092] The target HDMI connector is one of the HDMI connectors 350 included in the interface expansion device 300. It can be understood that the target HDMI connector 350 is connected to the HDMI device, so that the first connector 310 can receive the HDMI signal, and the first electronic device can display the first multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI data. The first multimedia data corresponds to the first data communication protocol, and the first electronic device supports the first data communication protocol and the second data communication protocol. Therefore, the first electronic device connected to the first connector 310 can process the first multimedia data and the interface data.

[0093] It should be noted that the first data communication protocol is different from the HDMI communication protocol. The first conversion module 330 is configured to convert the multimedia data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol into the multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol, so that the HDMI device provided by the HDMI device can be processed by the first electronic device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first selection instruction is generated by the first electronic device in response to a first interface switching operation. The first interface switching operation is used to instruct to select the target HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector as a signal source. Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the first HDMI connector is the target HDMI connector. The target HDMI connector is any one of the plurality of HDMI connectors 350.

[0095] For example, the first HDMI information can be audio and video data. The first electronic device can display and output sound according to the first multimedia data, so that the user can watch and hear the data provided by the target HDMI device. For example, the first electronic device can include a display screen and a speaker. The display screen can be used to display the video data of the first multimedia data, and the speaker can be used to play the audio data of the first multimedia data.

[0096] For example, the first electronic device can be provided with a first button, and the first interface switching operation includes triggering the first button. The first electronic device detects the triggering operation of the first button, and generates the first selection instruction in response to the triggering operation of the first button.

[0097] For example, the triggering operation of the first button includes single-click, double-click or long-press of the first button. The user can switch the signal source by single-clicking, double-clicking or long-pressing the first button on the first electronic device.

[0098] It should be noted that by setting the first conversion module 330, the first HDMI data is converted into the first multimedia data corresponding to the first communication protocol, so that the first multimedia data can be sent to the first electronic device through the first connector 310 and recognized and output by the first electronic device.

[0099] For example, the control module 360 is configured to control the first connector 310 to stop receiving interface data when the second connector 340 receives the interface data.

[0100] The present applicant considers that the data transmission path between the first conversion module 330 and the second end of the different HDMI connector 350 can be turned on by setting a key mechanical switch. However, this technical solution needs the user to manually operate the key mechanical switch to realize the switching of the signal source, that is, the user needs to move to the vicinity of the docking station, manually press the key of the key mechanical switch, and then the switching of the signal source can be realized. This is not convenient for the user to operate, and the key mechanical switch is often large, which can cause the docking station to be large in size. In the embodiment, compared with the scheme of realizing the switching of the signal source by the key mechanical switch, the user can select the HDMI device connected to the HDMI connector 350 required by the user as the signal source by performing the first interface switching operation, thereby improving the convenience of the user to switch the signal source. At the same time, the electric control switch does not need to be provided with a key and other manual operation components, so the electric control switch is often smaller than the mechanical switch. The electric control switch realizes the function of switching the signal source while making the interface expansion device 300 small in size.

[0101] In some embodiments, the control module 360 is configured to selectively control the first switching module 320 to turn on the default HDMI connector and the first connector 310 when powered on. The default HDMI connector can be any one of the HDMI connectors 350, such as the first HDMI connector. The default HDMI connector can also be the HDMI connector that the first switching module 320 turned on before the last power-off of the first switching module 320.

[0102] In the embodiment, by providing a plurality of HDMI connectors 350 in the interface expansion device 300, the interface expansion device 300 can simultaneously realize the access of a plurality of HDMI devices. At the same time, the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310 are used to transmit the first selection instruction to the control module 360, so as to control the first switching module 320 to selectively turn on the data transmission path between the second end of the different HDMI connector 350 and the first conversion module 330, thereby realizing the transmission of the HDMI signals received by the different HDMI connectors 350 to the first conversion module 330. Compared with the docking station including only a single HDMI connector 350, the expandability of the interface expansion device 300 is improved.

[0103] Secondly, compared with setting a mechanical switch, the first switching module 320 of the embodiment of the application is of an electric control type, and the second end and the first end of the first HDMI connector 350 for outputting interface data are implemented to receive the first selection instruction, so that the volume of the interface expansion device 300 is small while the first multimedia transmission is not affected. Furthermore, the switching of the signal source can be realized without the user's plugging and unplugging operation on the HDMI equipment, thereby improving the convenience of the user's operation.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first connector 310 can include a Type-C connector, and the first conversion module 330 is further configured to perform format conversion on the first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path to obtain the first multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol. It should be noted that the first conversion module 330 can implement conversion of data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol to data corresponding to the DP communication protocol, and the interface expansion device 300 can implement switching of multiple HDMI signal sources. The HDMI communication protocol is a standard interface protocol for transmitting high-definition digital audio and video signals, supports synchronous transmission of audio and video, and is widely used in home entertainment systems, televisions, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and audio equipment. The DP communication protocol is a digital display interface standard formulated by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), mainly used for connecting computers and display devices, projectors, and the like.

[0105] In the related art, since the television, audio playback device, display, and the like are generally provided with an HDMI connector, and the standard interface of the mobile device is a Type-C connector. The user generally needs to send data of the mobile device to the television, audio playback device, display, and the like to obtain a better viewing effect. At the same time, since the data encoding and decoding modes corresponding to the DP communication protocol and the HDMI communication protocol are not the same, converting data corresponding to the DP communication protocol to data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol and converting data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol to data corresponding to the DP communication protocol are completely different logics, and a single logic chip cannot simultaneously implement the above two data conversion modes. Therefore, there is no docking station on the market that can support both converting data corresponding to the DP communication protocol to data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol and converting data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol to data corresponding to the DP communication protocol. Therefore, in the related art, especially in the display field, most docking stations implement conversion of data corresponding to the DP communication protocol to data corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol to meet the needs of most users.

[0106] However, the Type-C connector supports a DP ALT (DisplayPort Alternate) mode, so that the Type-C connector supports video signal access in addition to supporting a storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) disk. At present, a first electronic device (such as a television) mostly uses an HDMI connector 350 to receive multimedia data. The first electronic device does not have a Type-C connector, or even if the first electronic device has a Type-C connector, the first electronic device does not support receiving multimedia data through the Type-C connector, that is, the Type-C connector supported by the first electronic device only includes basic functions such as supporting a USB disk and charging. With the development of the first electronic device, the first electronic device can already support converting data corresponding to a DP communication protocol into data that can be displayed by a display screen and displaying the data. Based on the above analysis, the present inventors believe that, with the popularity of the Type-C connector solution and the powerful compatibility of the Type-C connector, the first electronic device can use the Type-C connector as a standard connector. In this embodiment, the interface expansion apparatus 300 includes multiple HDMI connectors 350 and a Type-C connector, and can convert data corresponding to an HDMI communication protocol into data corresponding to a DP communication protocol, and can switch multiple HDMI signal sources. The interface expansion apparatus 300 has high practicability.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can include a fourth connector, a display screen, and a processor. The fourth connector is connected to the first connector 310 of the interface expansion apparatus 300 through a cable. The fourth connector is configured to receive first multimedia data output by the first end of the first connector 310 through the first end of the fourth connector. The processor of the first electronic device can convert the first multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol into data that can be displayed by the display screen, that is, the processor can directly identify and process data corresponding to the DP communication protocol. Optionally, the processor can include an SoC (System on a Chip).

[0108] In other embodiments, the first electronic device can further include a DP conversion chip connected to the processor. The DP conversion chip is configured to convert the first multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol into data corresponding to a data communication protocol that can be identified by the processor, so that the first electronic device can control the display screen to display the first multimedia data.

[0109] In the embodiment, the interface expansion device is provided with the first conversion module 330, the first switching module 320, the plurality of HDMI connectors 350 and the Type-C connector, and the Type-C connector is used as an output connector (a connector for outputting multimedia data). Compared with using the HDMI connector 350 as the output connector, the interface expansion device 300 can realize output of a plurality of signal types of data (interface data and first multimedia data), and the expandability of the interface expansion device 300 is improved. The first conversion module 330 can convert the received HDMI data into first multimedia data corresponding to a DP communication protocol. The first multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol supports a higher resolution and refresh rate than multimedia data corresponding to an HDMI communication protocol, so that the first multimedia data can exhibit finer image details and smoother picture performance, and the user experience is improved.

[0110] Meanwhile, since the volume of the Type-C cable is smaller than that of the HDMI cable, by providing the Type-C connector on the first electronic device, multimedia data transmission with the interface expansion device 300 can be realized, the volume reserved for inserting the cable can be reduced, and the layout limitation of the first electronic device is reduced, especially for embedded first electronic devices (such as embedding the first electronic device in the wall).

[0111] In some embodiments, the second connector 340 comprises a USB connector, the first selection instruction received by the first end of the first connector 310 is a differential signal. For example, the first connector 310 can comprise a first D+ (Data Positive, positive voltage data) pin and a first D- (Data Negative, negative voltage data) pin. The first end of the first connector 310 comprises a first end of the first D+ pin and a first end of the first D- pin, the control module 360 is connected to a second end of the first D+ pin and a second end of the first D- pin, and the control module 360 is further configured to receive the first selection instruction output by the first D+ pin and the first D- pin. For example, the control module 360 is further configured to determine the first selection instruction according to the voltage difference of the first D+ pin and the first D- pin. It should be noted that the second data communication protocol comprises a USB communication protocol, and the USB adopts differential signal transmission in design to achieve higher anti-interference and more stable transmission effect. The first D+ pin and the first D- pin form a differential pair to realize the transmission of the first selection instruction. The control module 360 can detect the voltage difference between the first D+ pin and the first D- pin to obtain the first selection instruction. Since external noise interference usually affects D+ and D- at the same time, the signal difference is not affected, so the accuracy of the first selection instruction received by the control module 360 can be ensured. For example, the first end of the first connector 310 comprises a first end connected to the first D+ pin and a first end connected to the first D- pin. For example, when the first data transmission protocol is a DP communication protocol, the first end of the first connector 310 further comprises a first end of a TX+ (Transmit Positive, positive transmission) pin and a first end of a TX- (Transmit Negative, negative transmission) pin, and the third end of the first connector 310 comprises a second end of the TX+ pin and a second end of the TX- pin. The TX+ pin and the TX- pin form a differential signal pair for transmitting data.

[0112] In the embodiment, the transmission of the first selection instruction is realized by the second end corresponding to the USB in the first connector 310, which can ensure the accuracy of the first selection instruction received by the first switching module 320. At the same time, since the transmission of the first selection instruction and the first multimedia data adopts different ends of the first connector 310, the first switching module 320 can switch different HDMI signal sources while ensuring the reliability of the transmission of the first multimedia data.

[0113] Please refer to Figure 4 which shows a structure diagram of an interface expansion device provided by some embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 4As shown, the interface expansion device 400 includes a plurality of HDMI connectors 350, a first connector 310, a first conversion module 330, a first switching module 320, a second connector 340, a control module 360, and a second conversion module 410, the second conversion module 410 being connected with the second end of the first connector 310 and the control module 360 respectively.

[0114] Specifically, the control module 360 supports a first serial communication protocol, and the first selection instruction corresponds to a second serial communication protocol, where the second serial communication protocol is different from the first serial communication protocol, the first connector 310 is configured to send the first selection instruction received from the first end of the first connector 310 to the second conversion module 410 through the second end of the first connector 310, and the second conversion module 410 is configured to convert the received first selection instruction corresponding to the second serial communication protocol into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol, and send the serial communication signal to the control module 360. It should be noted that the first connector 310 also supports the second serial communication protocol, and the first connector 310 is also used to receive the first selection instruction based on the second serial communication protocol. For descriptions of the HDMI connector 350, the first connector 310, the first conversion module 330, the second connector 340, the control module 360, and the first switching module 320, please refer to the related descriptions in the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0115] In some embodiments, the first serial communication protocol can include but is not limited to an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication protocol, a UART (Universal Synchronous / Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) communication protocol, a USB communication protocol, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication protocol, etc.

[0116] In some embodiments, the second serial communication protocol can include but is not limited to an I2C communication protocol, a UART communication protocol, a USB communication protocol, a CAN communication protocol, etc.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can generate a first selection instruction corresponding to a second serial communication protocol in response to a first interface switching operation, and send the first selection instruction corresponding to the second serial communication protocol to the first connector 310 through a fourth connector.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first connector 310 can include a Type-C connector, the first serial communication protocol is a UART communication protocol, and the second serial communication protocol is a USB communication protocol, that is, the second conversion module 410 can convert data corresponding to the USB communication protocol into data corresponding to the UART communication protocol.

[0119] In the present embodiment, by setting the second conversion module 410, it can use the existing standard protocol (such as Modbus) to realize the communication between the control module 360 and the first electronic device, so that the control module 360 can control the first switching module 320 to switch. This design can significantly reduce the complexity and risk of software development, because the use of standardized communication protocols reduces the need for customized protocols, thereby improving the compatibility and development efficiency of the system. In addition, the use of standard protocols can simplify the process of data transmission and device interaction, and improve the stability and reliability of the system.

[0120] In some other embodiments, the control module 360 supports the first serial communication protocol, and the first connector 310 is further configured to receive the first selection instruction based on the first serial communication protocol and transmit the first selection instruction to the control module 360, that is, the control module 360, the first connector 310 and the first electronic device all support the second serial communication protocol. It should be noted that, compared with the interface expansion device shown in Figure 4 The control module 360 of the present embodiment can be directly connected with the first connector 310, and the control module 360 can directly receive the first selection instruction through the first connector 310 without the need for data conversion, thereby improving the switching speed of the signal source.

[0121] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can generate a first selection instruction corresponding to the first serial communication protocol in response to a first interface switching operation.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first serial communication protocol is a USB communication protocol, and the first connector 310 includes a Type-C connector. It should be noted that the Type-C connector supports the USB communication protocol, and the first switching module 320 also supports the USB communication protocol. By selecting the Type-C connector as the first connector 310, the first selection instruction can be directly sent to the first switching module 320 through the first connector 310, that is, the switching of the signal source can be realized, thereby improving the switching efficiency of the signal source.

[0123] In the embodiment, the first connector 310 is selected to support the same serial communication protocol as the first electronic device, the first selection instruction corresponding to the first serial communication protocol is received through the first connector 310, so that the first switch module 320 can directly receive the first selection instruction transmitted by the first connector 310 and analyze the first selection instruction, so that the interface expansion device does not need to perform data format conversion processing on the first selection instruction, the first switch module 320 can also realize HDMI signal source switching, and the signal source switching efficiency of the interface expansion device is improved.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first connector 310 is further configured to receive the first selection instruction through the first end of the first connector 310 in the first time slice, and the second connector 340 is further configured to receive the interface data through the second end of the second connector 340 in the second time slice. It should be noted that the first selection instruction is transmitted to the control module 360 through the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310, and the interface data is output, such as output to the first electronic device connected to the first connector 310, through the second end of the second connector 340, the first end of the second connector 340, the second end of the first connector 310 and the first end of the first connector 310. As can be seen, the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310 need to transmit the first selection instruction and the interface data, by making the first connector 310 transmit the first selection instruction and the interface data in different time slices, that is, the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310 realize the transmission of the first selection instruction and the interface data in different time slices, avoiding the occupation of other hardware resources, improving the utilization efficiency of resources, and at the same time ensuring the transmission reliability of the first selection instruction and the interface data.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first electronic device is configured to send the first selection instruction to the first end of the first connector 310 through the first end of the fourth connector in the first time slice, so that the first connector 310 receives the first selection instruction through the first end of the first connector 310 in the first time slice. The second electronic device is configured to send the interface data to the second end of the second connector 340 in the second time slice, so that the second connector 340 receives the interface data through the second end of the second connector 340 in the second time slice. It should be noted that different time slices are alternately allocated to the first electronic device and the second electronic device, so that the first connector can alternately transmit the first selection instruction and the interface data, so that the first connector 310 can receive corresponding data in different time slices.

[0126] Figure 5 A structure schematic diagram of an interface expansion device provided by an embodiment of the application is shown. As shown in Figure 5 the interface expansion device 500 is relativeFigure 3 The interface expansion apparatus 300 shown increases a forwarding module 510. The forwarding module 510 is connected with the second end of the first connector 310, the first end of the second connector 340, and the control module 360 respectively.

[0127] Specifically, the control module 360 is further configured to determine a first time slice in which the first electronic device transmits the first selection instruction and a second time slice in which the second electronic device transmits the interface data, in a case that the first connector 310 accesses the first electronic device and the second connector 340 accesses the second electronic device. The forwarding module 510 is configured to transmit the first selection instruction to the control module 360 when receiving the first selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector 310 in the first time slice, and transmit the interface data to the second end of the first connector 310 when receiving the interface data in the second time slice. It should be noted that the control module can allocate reasonable time slices to the first electronic device and the second electronic device, so that the first electronic device and the second electronic device transmit in different time slices to realize time division multiplexing. It can be understood that the first electronic device can transmit the first selection instruction or not when the first time slice arrives, for example, the first electronic device does not transmit the first selection instruction in the first time slice when there is no first selection instruction to be transmitted. Similarly, the second electronic device can transmit the interface data or not when the second time slice arrives.

[0128] In some embodiments, the forwarding module 510 is configured to acquire transmission information corresponding to the first electronic device in a case that the first connector 310 accesses the first electronic device, and acquire transmission information corresponding to the second electronic device in a case that the second connector 340 accesses the second electronic device. The control module 360 is further configured to determine the first time slice in which the first electronic device transmits the first selection instruction and the second time slice in which the second electronic device transmits the interface data according to the transmission information corresponding to the first electronic device and the transmission information corresponding to the second electronic device. It should be noted that the transmission information corresponding to the first electronic device can represent the transmission demand of the first electronic device transmitting the first selection instruction, and the transmission information corresponding to the second electronic device can represent the transmission demand of the second electronic device transmitting the interface data. The transmission information can include but is not limited to data length of transmission data and data flow demand. The control module 360 can allocate reasonable time slices to the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the transmission demands of the first electronic device and the second electronic device. It can be understood that the lengths of the first time slice and the second time slice can be the same or different.

[0129] In some embodiments, the second connector 340 can include a USB connector, and the forwarding module 510 can include a USB HUB. The interface expansion device can include at least one USB connector. The first connector 310 also supports the USB communication protocol, and the USB connector can be used to connect a USB device. The USB device can include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, a U disk, an external hard disk, and the like. In some embodiments, the USB connector can include a USB-A socket, a USB-B socket, a USB-C socket, and the like.

[0130] In the present embodiment, the control module 360 and each USB connector are connected to the second end of the first connector 310 through the USB HUB, so that the interface expansion device 500 can transmit the first selection instruction based on the USB communication protocol, and at the same time, data interaction with the USB device connected to the USB connector can be realized, thereby improving the expansibility of the interface expansion device 500.

[0131] It should be noted that in the related art, the USB function does not support the first electronic device to send a first selection instruction to the interface expansion device 500. In some embodiments, the format of the first selection instruction is a custom USB data packet format. In the present embodiment, a private protocol is set to realize the interaction between the first electronic device and the control module 360, without the need to set a conversion module, thereby reducing the size and circuit design complexity of the interface expansion device 500.

[0132] In the present embodiment, the forwarding module 510 is arranged in the expansion interface device, and different time slices are allocated to the first electronic device and the second electronic device through the first conversion module 330, and a plurality of second connectors can also be arranged to ensure the reliability of time division multiplexing and improve the expansibility of the interface expansion device.

[0133] In the present embodiment, the forwarding module 510 is arranged in the expansion interface device, and the first selection instruction and the interface data are transmitted by using the second end of the first connector 310 and the first end of the first connector 310 through time division multiplexing. Compared with transmitting the first selection instruction and the interface data by using different hardware resources, the utilization efficiency of the hardware resources of the interface expansion device can be improved, the size of the interface expansion device can be reduced, and the cost of the interface expansion device can be reduced.

[0134] It should be noted that the above embodiments provide a way of transmitting the first selection instruction and the interface data by using the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310 through time division multiplexing, but other ways of multiplexing the first end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the first connector 310 can also be used, and the present embodiment does not limit this.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first electronic device is further configured to output a first interrupt instruction to the first end of the first connector 310 when it is required to output the first selection instruction, and the second electronic device is further configured to output a second interrupt instruction to the second end of the second connector 340 when it is required to output the interface data, and the control module 360 can control the first electronic device to output the first selection instruction or the second electronic device to output the interface data according to the first interrupt instruction and the second interrupt instruction.

[0136] For example, the priority of the first electronic device is higher than that of the second electronic device, and the control module 360 controls the first electronic device to output the first selection instruction when the first interrupt instruction is received. The control module 360 controls the second electronic device to output the interface data when the first interrupt instruction is received, and the first electronic device does not output the first selection instruction, or controls the second electronic device to output the interface data when the first selection instruction is transmitted completely, if the first electronic device outputs the first selection instruction. For example, the first electronic device outputs the first interrupt instruction to the first end of the first connector 310 when the first selection instruction is generated. In this embodiment, the transmission of the first selection instruction is realized preferentially, the switching speed of the HDMI signal source is improved, and the user experience is improved.

[0137] In this embodiment, the control module 360 flexibly controls the first electronic device to output the first selection instruction and the second electronic device to output the interface data according to the first interrupt instruction and the second interrupt instruction, and optimizes the time utilization.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first switching module supports a first serial communication protocol, the first connector is further configured to receive the first selection instruction based on the first data communication protocol, and the first conversion module is further configured to convert the first selection instruction into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol and send the serial communication signal to the control module.

[0139] For example, the communication protocols supported by the control module and the first electronic device can be different, the communication protocols supported by the first conversion module can partially overlap with the communication protocols supported by the control module, and the communication protocols supported by the first conversion module can also partially overlap with the communication protocols supported by the first electronic device. Therefore, the first selection instruction corresponding to the first data communication protocol supported by the first electronic device is converted into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol supported by the control module by the first conversion module, so that the control module can control the first switching module to turn on the first conversion module and the target HDMI connector based on the serial communication signal. The description of the first serial communication protocol and the first data communication protocol can refer to the above embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first electronic device generates a first selection instruction corresponding to the first data communication protocol in response to a first interface switching operation. For example, the first interface switching operation is used to instruct to select a target HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector as a signal source. In this embodiment, the user can make the first electronic device send the first selection instruction to the first connector by performing the first interface switching operation, so as to select the required first electronic device as the signal source, thereby improving the convenience of the user to switch the signal source.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first connector includes a Type-C connector. The Type-C connector supports the DP communication protocol, and an AUX (Auxiliary) channel is a channel in the DP protocol for transmitting auxiliary information of the first electronic device, which can include EDID (Extended display identification data) information, DP configuration information, etc. For example, the first connector is further configured to receive the first selection instruction through the AUX channel. In one working cycle, the AUX channel is only partially occupied to transmit the auxiliary information, and the first electronic device can occupy the AUX channel to send the first selection instruction to the first connector when the AUX channel is idle, so as to transmit the first selection instruction without affecting the original function of the AUX channel. By multiplexing the Type-C connector, the docking station can be made smaller.

[0142] In this embodiment, the AUX channel is used to receive the first selection instruction, which can avoid the conflict between the transmission of the first selection instruction and the transmission of the first multimedia data, thereby ensuring the reliability of the HDMI signal source switching.

[0143] In this embodiment, the first conversion module is used to convert the first selection instruction corresponding to the first data communication protocol into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol, so that the control module can determine the target HDMI device selected by the user and connected to the target HDMI connector, and then switch the signal source. At the same time, the first conversion module can realize data format conversion without additional data conversion chip, so that the interface expansion device can be made smaller.

[0144] It should be noted that CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is a function in the HDMI specification, and CEC is used to realize the control and communication between multiple devices through specific pins of the HDMI interface.

[0145] In the related art, only the device using the HDMI connector to realize data transmission can use the CEC function. For the interface expansion device, since the HDMI connector is rarely connected with the HDMI connector directly, that is, one HDMI connector is used as the input interface and one HDMI connector is used as the output interface, there is no interface expansion device capable of realizing the CEC function on the market.

[0146] In some embodiments, the third ends of the plurality of HDMI connectors are connected with the same control channel. The first conversion module is further connected with the fourth end of the first connector. The first connector is further configured to receive the first control information through the first end of the first connector, wherein the first control information encapsulates the first CEC instruction. The first conversion module is further configured to receive the first control information transmitted by the fourth end of the first connector, analyze the received first control information to obtain the first CEC instruction encapsulated in the first control information, and send the first CEC instruction to the third end of each HDMI connector through the control channel.

[0147] It should be noted that the first control information is used to instruct the HDMI device connected to the HDMI connector 221 to perform the first control operation in response to the first CEC instruction. In some embodiments, the first control operation includes, but is not limited to, turning on or off the first electronic device, adjusting the volume of the first electronic device, controlling the first electronic device to play multimedia data, etc. For example, the third end of the HDMI connector includes the CEC pin of the HDMI connector, which can realize the transmission of the CEC instruction.

[0148] In the present embodiment, the plurality of HDMI connectors are connected with the same control channel, so that in the case that the first control information is received by the control channel, the HDMI device connected to the HDMI connector will perform the corresponding first control operation, reducing the complexity of manual operation of the user.

[0149] In some embodiments, the first electronic device is further configured to generate the first control information corresponding to the first data communication protocol in response to the first trigger operation corresponding to the first control operation, and send the first control information to the first connector through the fourth connector. It should be noted that the first trigger operation corresponds to the first control operation. For example, in the case that the first electronic device detects the first trigger operation and the first trigger operation is used to instruct the first electronic device to turn off, the first control information generated by the first electronic device is also used to instruct the HDMI device to turn off. In the present embodiment, the HDMI device connected with the interface expansion device can be controlled by controlling the first electronic device, reducing the complexity of manual operation of the user and improving the experience of the user.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first control information encapsulates the first CEC instruction. The first conversion module is further configured to parse the first control information to obtain the first CEC instruction encapsulated in the first control information, and send the first CEC instruction to the third end of the HDMI connector.

[0151] It should be noted that the first CEC instruction refers to a CEC instruction corresponding to the first control operation, and the CEC instruction is a command formulated according to the HDMI-CEC standard, which ensures that the HDMI device connected with the HDMI connector can correctly receive and respond to the CEC instruction.

[0152] In some embodiments, the HDMI connector includes a CEC pin, and the CEC pins of the plurality of HDMI connectors are connected with the same control path, so that the plurality of HDMI connectors are connected with the same control path, and the user performs an operation once, and the first electronic device sends the first control information once, so as to control the plurality of first electronic devices connected to the HDMI connector to be turned off.

[0153] In the embodiment, the first electronic device can directly encapsulate the first CEC instruction in the first control information, parse the first CEC instruction in the first control information through the first conversion module, and directly send the first CEC instruction to the HDMI connector, and then directly send the first CEC instruction to the HDMI device supporting the HDMI communication protocol through the HDMI connector. The interface expansion device can realize the transmission of the CEC instruction, and the practicability of the interface expansion device is improved.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first connector includes a Type-C connector, the fourth end of the first connector includes a second end of a sideband used SBU (Sideband Used) pin, and the first end of the first connector includes a first end of the SBU pin, that is, the transmission of the first control information is realized through the SBU pin. The Type-C connector supports the DP communication protocol, and the AUX channel is a channel in the DP communication protocol for transmitting auxiliary information of the first electronic device, which can include EDID (Extended display identification data) information, DP configuration information, etc. For example, the first connector is further configured to receive the first control information sent by the first electronic device through the AUX channel. In one working cycle, only part of the time of the AUX channel is occupied to transmit auxiliary information, and when the AUX channel is idle, the first electronic device can occupy the AUX channel to send the first control information to the first connector, so that the first control information can be transmitted without affecting the original function of the AUX channel, and by multiplexing the first end and the fourth end of the Type-C connector, that is, the SBU pin, the size of the docking station can be smaller.

[0155] In this embodiment, the interface expansion device receives a first selection command through the SBU pin of the first connector, or in other words, the interface expansion device receives an AUX data packet encapsulated with a first CEC command through the SBU pin of the first connector. By designing a proprietary protocol, the Type-C connector can support CEC commands, thereby improving the practicality of the interface expansion device.

[0156] In some embodiments, the HDMI connector is further configured to receive a second CEC command through a first end of the HDMI connector, and the first conversion module is further configured to receive the second CEC command output from a third end of any HDMI connector through a control path, encapsulate the second CEC command to generate second control information corresponding to a first data communication protocol, and send the second control information to a fourth end of the first connector to output the second control information through the first connector. It should be noted that the second CEC command can be a CEC command output by an HDMI device connected to any HDMI connector, and the second control information can be used to instruct a first electronic device connected to the first connector to perform a second control operation according to the second CEC command. The second control operation corresponds to the second CEC command, allowing the user to control the first electronic device to perform corresponding operations by controlling any HDMI device. For example, if the user controls the HDMI device to turn off, the first electronic device can be turned off simultaneously, reducing the complexity of user operation.

[0157] In some embodiments, the second control operation includes, but is not limited to, turning the first electronic device on / off, adjusting the volume of the first electronic device, and controlling the first electronic device to play multimedia data.

[0158] In some embodiments, the HDMI device may generate a second CEC instruction in response to a second trigger operation corresponding to the second CEC instruction. It should be noted that the second trigger operation corresponds to a second control operation. For example, when the HDMI device detects the second trigger operation, and the second trigger operation is used to instruct the HDMI device to increase the playback volume, the second control information encapsulating the second CEC instruction is also used to instruct the first electronic device to increase the playback volume.

[0159] For example, since each HDMI connector is connected to the same control path, the second CEC command sent by the HDMI device connected to any HDMI connector will also be received by the HDMI device connected to other HDMI connectors, and the HDMI device connected to the other HDMI connectors will respond to the second CEC command and perform a second control operation.

[0160] In some embodiments, the first connector comprises a Type-C connector, and the first connector sends the second control information to the first electronic device through an AUX channel. In some embodiments, the first conversion module can encapsulate the second CEC instruction into an AUX data packet based on an AUX data format in the DP communication protocol, and send the AUX data packet to the fourth end of the first connector.

[0161] In some embodiments, the fourth connector comprises a Type-C connector, and the controller of the first electronic device can receive the AUX data packet through an AUX channel of the fourth connector, and parse the AUX data packet to obtain the second CEC instruction.

[0162] In the present embodiment, the first conversion module can encapsulate the second CEC instruction to generate second control information corresponding to the first communication protocol, so that the first electronic device can receive and recognize the second control information, and execute the second control operation corresponding to the second CEC instruction. By controlling the HDMI device connected to the interface expansion device, the first electronic device connected to the first connector can be controlled, reducing the complexity of manual operation of the user and improving the experience of the user.

[0163] In some embodiments, the first conversion module is further configured to parse the received first control information to obtain a first CEC instruction encapsulated in the first control information, and send the first CEC instruction to the third end of each HDMI connector through the control channel, and the first conversion module is further configured to receive a second CEC instruction output by the third end of any HDMI connector through the control channel, encapsulate the second CEC instruction to generate second control information, and output the second control information through the first connector. In the present embodiment, the interface expansion device can realize the bidirectional CEC function, further improving the practicability of the interface expansion device.

[0164] Please refer to Figure 6 which shows a fourth structural diagram of an interface expansion device 600 provided by some embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 6As shown, the interface expansion apparatus 600 further comprises a first register 610. The first conversion module 330 is further connected with the fourth end of the first connector 310, and is configured to receive the first EDID information sent by the first electronic device through the fourth end of the first connector 310 when the first connector 310 is connected with the first electronic device and receives the power provided by the first electronic device, and store the first EDID information in the first register 610. It should be noted that when the HDMI device establishes a communication connection with the first electronic device, the HDMI device needs to determine the EDID information corresponding to the first electronic device, so as to output the first multimedia data matched with the EDID information of the first electronic device. The first EDID information contains the performance corresponding to the first electronic device, such as the refresh rate supported by the first electronic device, the resolution supported by the first electronic device, and the serial number of the first electronic device, etc.

[0165] For example, the first conversion module 330 can send a first EDID request to the first electronic device when receiving the power provided by the first electronic device. The first electronic device sends the first EDID signal to the first conversion module 330 through the first end of the first connector 310 and the fourth end of the first connector 310 in response to the first EDID request.

[0166] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can comprise a memory which can store the first EDID information. The first electronic device reads the first EDID information stored in the memory when receiving the first EDID request, and sends the first EDID signal to the first conversion module 330 through the first connector 310.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first connector 310 can comprise a Type-C connector, and the first electronic device can send the first EDID information to the first conversion module 330 through the AUX channel of the first connector 310. The fourth end of the first connector 310 comprises the second end of the SBU pin. It should be noted that the first connector 310 comprises a Type-C connector, the fourth connector comprises a Type-C connector, and the first conversion module 330 receives the power provided by the first electronic device through the VBUS (Voltage Bus) pin of the first connector 310 and the VBUS pin of the fourth connector.

[0168] In some embodiments, the first EDID stored in the first register 610 will disappear after the current is turned off. The first conversion module 330 will read the first EDID information again and write it into the first register 610 at each power-on.

[0169] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 is further configured to, in the case that the first switching module 320 selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330, acquire the first EDID information in the first register 610, and send the first EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector, so that the target HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector sends a first HDMI signal to the first end of the target HDMI connector based on the first EDID information. The target HDMI device is an HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector, and the parameters of the first HDMI signal match the first EDID information, so that the first electronic device can display the first HDMI signal after format conversion at its highest resolution, ensuring that the first electronic device can display the first multimedia data with high quality.

[0170] For example, the fourth end of the HDMI connector includes the second end of the DDC (Display Data Channel) pin, and the first end of the HDMI connector includes the first end of the DDC pin, that is, the transmission of the first EDID information is realized through the DDC pin.

[0171] For example, in the case that the first switching module 320 selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330, the target HDMI device sends a second EDID request to the first conversion module 330. The first conversion module 330 is configured to acquire the first EDID information in the first register 610 in response to the second EDID request, and send the first EDID information to the target HDMI device through the fourth end of the target HDMI connector.

[0172] In this embodiment, since the first conversion module 330 stores the first EDID information corresponding to the first electronic device in the first register 610 in the case that it receives the power provided by the first electronic device, in the case that the first switching module 320 selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330, the first conversion module 330 can directly send the first EDID information stored in the first register 610 to the target HDMI device without communicating with the first electronic device, reducing the acquisition time of the first EDID information, thereby reducing the time for the target HDMI device to output the first HDMI signal, and further reducing the black screen time caused by switching the signal source, improving the user experience. At the same time, since the first EDID information is acquired from the first electronic device, that is, the first EDID information matches the first electronic device, the display effect of the first electronic device displaying the first multimedia data can be ensured.

[0173] The above embodiment provides a manner that the first conversion module 330 acquires the first EDID stored by the first electronic device at power-on, so as to reduce the black screen time length in the process of switching the signal source. The following embodiment will provide another manner of reducing the black screen time length in the process of switching the signal source.

[0174] Please refer to Figure 7 which shows a structure diagram of the fifth interface expansion device provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 7 shown, the interface expansion device 700 can further include a non-volatile memory 710 and a first register 720. The first conversion module 330 is further connected to the fourth end of the first connector 310, and the first conversion module 330 is further configured to acquire the second EDID information stored by the non-volatile memory 710 when the first conversion module 330 is powered on, and store the second EDID information in the first register 720. It can be understood that the non-volatile memory 710 refers to a memory in which the stored data will not disappear after the current is turned off, so as to ensure that the second EDID is reliably stored in the non-volatile memory 710.

[0175] For example, in the case that the first connector accesses the first electronic device, the first conversion module 330 can receive the power provided by the first electronic device to realize power-on. For example, the first connector 310 includes a Type-C connector, and the fourth connector includes a Type-C connector. The first conversion module 330 receives the power provided by the first electronic device through the VBUS pin of the first connector 310 and the VBUS pin of the fourth connector to realize power-on.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 is further configured to, in the case that the first switching module 320 selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330, acquire the second EDID information in the first register 720, and send the second EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector, so as to send the second EDID information to the target HDMI device through the target HDMI connector, so that the target HDMI device accessed to the target HDMI connector sends the first HDMI signal to the first end of the target HDMI connector based on the second EDID information. For example, the second EDID information matches the performance of the first electronic device. In this embodiment, the second EDID stored by the non-volatile memory 710 matches the performance of the first electronic device, so as to ensure the display effect of the first electronic device in displaying the second multimedia data.

[0177] In the embodiment, by storing the second EDID information in the non-volatile memory 710, the first conversion module 330 can store the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 to the first register 720 at power-on. In the case that the first switching module 320 selectively opens the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330, the interface expansion device 700 can directly send the second EDID information stored in the first register 720 to the target HDMI device without the need of communicating with the first electronic device, thereby reducing the acquisition time of the second EDID information, and further reducing the time for the target HDMI device to provide the first HDMI signal, and thus reducing the black screen time caused by switching the signal source, and improving the user experience. At the same time, since the second EDID information is stored in the non-volatile memory 710, the acquisition time of the EDID can be greatly shortened.

[0178] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device 700 can determine the EDID acquisition strategy to be performed when the first connector 310 is connected to the first electronic device and receives power provided by the first electronic device in response to the EDID selection operation performed by the user. The EDID acquisition strategy includes receiving the first EDID information sent by the first electronic device through the first connector 310 and storing the first EDID information in the first register 720, and acquiring the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 and storing the second EDID information in the first register 720.

[0179] It should be noted that the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 is fixed, and when the first electronic device accessed by the interface expansion device does not match the second EDID information, data transmission based on the second EDID information may result in poor display effect of the first electronic device, or even the first multimedia data cannot be displayed. In the case that the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 does not match the first EDID information stored in the first electronic device, the first conversion module 330 can receive the first EDID information sent by the first electronic device through the first connector 310 and store the first EDID information in the first register 720, so as to ensure the display effect of the first electronic device. In the case that the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 matches the first EDID information stored in the first electronic device, the first conversion module 330 can acquire the second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory 710 and store the second EDID information in the first register 720, so as to further shorten the acquisition time of the EDID information and shorten the black screen time of the first electronic device.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can store a plurality of first EDID information, and the number of the first EDID information stored by the first electronic device can be greater than or equal to 2. A user can select one of the plurality of first EDID information, and the first electronic device sends the first EDID information selected by the user to the interface expansion device 700, so that the interface expansion device 700 stores the first EDID information selected by the user in the first register 720.

[0181] Please refer to Figure 8 which shows an interface schematic diagram of an EDID selection interface provided by some embodiments of the present application. The EDID selection interface 800 includes a plurality of first EDID information stored by the first electronic device. As shown in Figure 8 , the first electronic device stores three first EDID information, which are EDID information 1, EDID information 2 and EDID information 3 respectively.

[0182] In some embodiments, the display screen of the first electronic device can be a touch display screen, and the user can click the position corresponding to the desired first EDID information. The first electronic device sends the first EDID information to the interface expansion device 700, so that the interface expansion device 700 can obtain the first EDID information selected by the user to update the EDID information stored in the first register 720.

[0183] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can receive an auxiliary selection signal sent by a remote controller, determine the first EDID information selected by the user according to the auxiliary selection signal, and send the first EDID information selected by the user to the interface expansion device 700, so that the interface expansion device 700 can obtain the first EDID information selected by the user to update the EDID information stored in the first register 720.

[0184] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device 700 will obtain the first EDID information in the first register when the EDID information stored in the first register 720 is updated, and send the first EDID information to the target HDMI device through the fourth end of the target HDMI connector, so that the HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector transmits the first multimedia data to the target HDMI connector based on the updated first EDID information. In this embodiment, the interface expansion device 700 updates the EDID information stored in the first register 720 when obtaining the first EDID information, so that the HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector can provide the first HDMI signal to the target HDMI connector based on the updated first EDID information in real time, and ensure the display effect of the first electronic device.

[0185] In the embodiment, the EDID selection interface is displayed in the first electronic device, so that the user can quickly select the required first EDID information, and the user experience is improved.

[0186] In the embodiment, the interface expansion apparatus 700 provides two EDID information acquisition modes, and performs a corresponding EDID acquisition strategy according to the EDID selection operation performed by the user, so that the display effect of the first electronic device is ensured, and the black screen time caused by the connection between the first electronic device and the new HDMI device is as short as possible.

[0187] The above embodiment reduces the black screen time by reducing the time for the target HDMI device to acquire EDID information. The following embodiment will provide a scheme for reducing the black screen time by reducing the time for detecting the integrity of the link.

[0188] It should be noted that, in the process of establishing a communication connection between two devices, hardware link detection is an important step to ensure normal communication between the two devices. Only when the hardware link meets the integrity requirement, the two devices can perform data transmission. Therefore, the detection time of the hardware link will affect the black screen time of the first electronic device when the signal source is switched.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first conversion module is further configured to, in the case of power-on of the first conversion module, if at least two HDMI connectors are first connected to the HDMI device, detect the integrity of the link corresponding to the data transmission path between the first connected HDMI device and the first electronic device connected to the first connector according to the first detection rule.

[0190] Among them, the first connected HDMI device can refer to the HDMI device that is first connected as a signal source when the interface expansion apparatus is powered on. For the case that multiple HDMI connectors are first connected to the HDMI device, since no link integrity detection has been performed after the interface expansion apparatus is powered on, it is necessary to detect the integrity of the link corresponding to the data transmission path between the first connected HDMI device and the first electronic device according to the complete detection rule, so as to ensure the reliable communication between the first electronic device and the HDMI device.

[0191] For example, the first detection rule includes detecting the first hardware link, detecting the second hardware link, and detecting the third hardware link. Among them, the first hardware link includes the hardware link between the HDMI device connected to the HDMI connector and the HDMI connector, the second hardware link includes the hardware link between the HDMI connector and the first connector, and the third hardware link includes the hardware link between the first connector and the first electronic device.

[0192] The first detection rule further includes a detection number of the first hardware link, a detection number of the second hardware link, and a detection number of the third hardware link. It should be noted that the detection result is ensured to be reliable by detecting the hardware link for multiple times.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first conversion module is further configured to detect, in a case that the first switching module turns on the HDMI connector connected with the other HDMI device and the first conversion module, a link integrity corresponding to a data transmission path between the other HDMI device and the first electronic device according to a second detection rule. It should be noted that the other HDMI device is different from the first HDMI device, the detection complexity of the first detection rule is higher than that of the second detection rule, and / or the detection time length of the first detection rule is longer than that of the second detection rule, and / or the detection steps of the first detection rule are more than those of the second detection rule.

[0194] The number of hardware links required to be detected in the second detection rule is less than that in the first detection rule. It should be noted that the hardware link required to be detected in the second detection rule includes the first hardware link. Since the second hardware link and the third hardware link are used in the process of data transmission between the other HDMI device and the first electronic device, and the second hardware link and the third hardware link are used in the process of data transmission between the first HDMI device and the first electronic device. Since the link integrity corresponding to the data transmission path between the first HDMI device and the first electronic device has been detected, in a case that the first switching module turns on the HDMI connector connected with the other HDMI device and the first conversion module, only the integrity of the first hardware link can be detected, and the integrity of the second hardware link and the third hardware link is not detected, thereby the black screen time of the first electronic device when switching the signal source can be shortened.

[0195] In another example, the detection number of the target hardware link of the second detection rule can be less than that of the first detection rule. In some embodiments, the target hardware link can include at least one of the second hardware link and the third hardware link. For example, the first detection rule stipulates that 10 detection results of the second hardware link are all link integrity, and the second hardware link is considered to have link integrity. Then, the second detection rule can be that 2 detection results of the second hardware link are all link integrity, and the second hardware link is considered to have link integrity. The detection number of the second hardware link is reduced from 10 to 2, which can reduce the time length of hardware link detection, thereby reducing the black screen time when switching the signal source.

[0196] In the embodiment, when the plurality of HDMI connectors are connected to the HDMI device for the first time, the second simplified detection rule can be used to detect the link integrity corresponding to the data transmission path between the other HDMI device and the first electronic device when the other HDMI device is connected. Compared with using the fixed detection rule, the hardware link detection time can be shortened, and the black screen time of the first electronic device during the process of switching the signal source can be shortened, and the user experience can be improved.

[0197] Please refer to Figure 9 which shows a structure diagram of a sixth interface expansion device provided by some embodiments of the present application. The interface expansion device 900 can further include a second switching module 910 and a third connector 920. The second switching module 910 is connected with the first conversion module 330, the second end of the third connector 920 and the third end of the first connector 310 respectively. The control module 360 is further connected with the second switching module 910. The third connector 920 is configured to receive the second multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol through the first end of the third connector 920. The first connector 310 is further configured to receive the second selection instruction or the third selection instruction through the first end of the first connector 310. The control module 360 is configured to control the second switching module 910 to turn on the data transmission path between the first conversion module 330 and the third end of the first connector 310 according to the second selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector 310, and / or the control module 360 is configured to control the second switching module 910 to turn on the data transmission path between the third end of the first connector 310 and the second end of the third connector 920 according to the third selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector 310.

[0198] For example, the third connector 920 can be connected to a third electronic device. The third connector 920 supports the first data communication protocol, and the third connector 920 performs data interaction with the third electronic device based on the first data communication protocol. It should be noted that the third electronic device can refer to a device supporting the first data communication protocol. In some embodiments, the third electronic device can include but is not limited to a computer, a notebook computer, etc.

[0199] Exemplarily, the third connector 920 can include a DP connector, and the first data communication protocol can be a DP communication protocol. In this embodiment, the interface expansion apparatus 900 can receive the first HDMI signal corresponding to the HDMI communication protocol provided by the HDMI device, and perform format conversion on the first HDMI signal to obtain the first multimedia data corresponding to the first communication protocol, and transmit the first multimedia data to the first electronic device through the first connector 310. The interface expansion apparatus 900 can also receive the second multimedia data corresponding to the DP communication protocol provided by the third electronic device, and directly transmit the second multimedia data to the first electronic device through the first connector 310. That is, the interface expansion apparatus 900 can enable the first electronic device to interact with the HDMI device and the third electronic device respectively, thereby improving the practicability of the interface expansion apparatus.

[0200] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can generate a second selection instruction in response to the first interface switching operation, and transmit the second selection instruction to the control module 360 through the first connector 310. The second selection instruction is generated by the first electronic device in response to the first interface switching operation. It should be noted that the generation manner and the transmission manner of the second selection instruction can refer to the generation manner and the transmission manner of the first selection instruction, which will not be described herein again.

[0201] It should be noted that the first electronic device generates the first selection instruction and the second selection instruction in response to the first interface switching, and transmits the first selection instruction and the second selection instruction to the interface expansion apparatus through the first connector 310. The control module 360 controls the first switching module 320 to selectively conduct the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 330 according to the first selection instruction. The control module 360 controls the second switching module 910 to selectively conduct the data transmission path between the first conversion module 330 and the third end of the first connector 310 according to the second selection instruction transmitted by the first connector 310, so that the first electronic device can receive the second multimedia data.

[0202] In this embodiment, the first electronic device generates the first selection instruction and the second selection instruction in response to the first interface switching, so that the second end of the target HDMI connector is conducted with the first conversion module 330, and the first conversion module 330 is conducted with the third end of the first connector 310, thereby enabling the first electronic device to display the first HDMI signal provided by the target HDMI device connected to the target HDMI connector, and meeting the requirement of the user.

[0203] In some embodiments, the third selection instruction is generated by the first electronic device in response to a second interface switching operation, and the second interface switching operation is used to indicate that the third electronic device is selected as a signal source. It should be noted that the generation and the transmission of the third selection instruction can refer to the description of the generation and the transmission of the first selection instruction, which will not be described herein again.

[0204] It should be noted that, by setting the second switching module 910, the multimedia data transmitted by the first connector 310 is the multimedia data transmitted by the third connector 920, so that the first electronic device can also display the multimedia data provided by the third electronic device, thereby improving the practicability of the interface expansion apparatus 900.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can generate a fourth selection instruction in response to a second interface switching operation. The control module 360 is further configured to control the first switching module 320 to not turn on the data transmission path between any HDMI connector 350 and the first connector 310 according to the fourth selection instruction. It should be noted that the generation and transmission of the fourth selection instruction can refer to the description of the generation and transmission of the first selection instruction, which will not be described here.

[0206] Please refer to Figure 10 , which shows a structure schematic diagram of an interface expansion apparatus provided by some embodiments of the present application. As Figure 10 shown, the interface expansion apparatus 1000 can further include a CC (Configuration Channel) logic chip 1010, the first connector includes a Type-C connector 1020, and the CC logic chip 1010 is connected with the third end of the third connector 920 and the second switching module 910.

[0207] It should be noted that the CC logic chip 1010 can be used to detect whether the third connector 920 is connected to the third electronic device, and send the detection result to the first electronic device through the CC pin of the Type-C connector 1020, so that the first electronic device can know the access state corresponding to the third connector 920. The access state can include but is not limited to whether there is a third electronic device connected, the positive and negative insertion state corresponding to the connected third electronic device, and the serial number of the connected third electronic device, etc. For example, the CC logic chip 1010 can determine whether the third connector 920 is connected to the third electronic device by determining the level signal corresponding to the third end of the third connector 920, and the level signal includes a high level signal and a low level signal.

[0208] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can control the display screen to display the third electronic device connection information according to the detection result. The third electronic device connection information is used to represent whether there is a third electronic device connected. It should be noted that the first electronic device can display the connection information of the third electronic device, so that the user can determine whether there is a third electronic device connected to the third connector 920. In this embodiment, by setting the CC logic chip 1010 in the interface expansion apparatus 1000, the first electronic device can know the access state of the third connector 920.

[0209] In some embodiments, the CC logic chip 1010 is also connected with the second end of the third connector 920, and the CC logic chip 1010 is further configured to send the second multimedia data received by the third connector to the second switching module 910, so as to send the second multimedia data to the third end of the Type-C connector 1020 through the second switching module 910.

[0210] In some embodiments, the CC logic chip 1010 can send the first access information to the first conversion module 330 when detecting that the third connector 920 is connected with a third electronic device. It should be noted that the first access information is used to represent that the third electronic device is connected with the third connector 920.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 further comprises a GPIO (General-purpose input / output) port connected with the CC logic chip 1010, and the GPIO port is configured to receive the first access information sent by the CC logic chip 1010.

[0212] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 can enter the sleep state when receiving the first access information, so as to reduce the power consumption of the interface expansion device 1000. It should be noted that if it is considered that the user will not select the HDMI device as the signal source when the third electronic device is connected with the third connector 920, in this case, the first conversion module 330 enters the sleep state when receiving the first access information, so as to reduce the power consumption of the interface expansion device 1000.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 can send the second access information to the CC logic chip 1010 in response to the first interrupt signal sent by the control module 360. The first interrupt signal is generated by the control module 360 when detecting that the HDMI connector 350 is connected with the HDMI device.

[0214] In some embodiments, the first conversion module 330 further comprises a UART port, and the first conversion module 330 can receive the first interrupt signal sent by the control module 360 through the UART port.

[0215] In some embodiments, the CC logic chip 1010 can enter the sleep state when receiving the second access information, so as to reduce the power consumption of the interface expansion device 1000. It should be noted that if it is considered that the user will not select the third electronic device as the signal source when the HDMI device is connected with the HDMI connector 350, in this case, the CC logic chip 1010 enters the sleep state when receiving the second access information, so as to reduce the power consumption of the interface expansion device 1000.

[0216] In the embodiment, the interface expansion device 1000 can obtain multimedia data from different signal sources, convert the multimedia data into multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol, and transmit the multimedia data to the first electronic device through the first connector 310. Compared with the prior art which can only receive multimedia data corresponding to a single communication protocol, the interface expansion device 1000 provided in the embodiment has high practicability.

[0217] It should be noted that most docking stations currently transmit data at a low rate, such as 120 Hz. However, low-rate transmission can cause poor display effects when the first electronic device displays multimedia data received from the docking station, such as ghosting. The following embodiments will provide an interface expansion device capable of supporting high-rate data transmission.

[0218] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device uses a differential transmission technology to transmit the first HDMI signal and the first multimedia data. The signal line spacing between the differential pairs is greater than or equal to 19 mil (millimeters), the signal line spacing within the same differential pair is less than or equal to 5 mil, and the signal line is not punched. This can effectively reduce signal interference and parasitic effects, which helps to maintain signal integrity and reduce signal quality degradation problems caused by high rates.

[0219] In some embodiments, the signal line spacing between the differential pairs can be 19 mil, 20 mil, or 21 mil. It should be noted that the signal line spacing between the differential pairs is relatively small, which can effectively reduce electromagnetic interference and crosstalk between adjacent differential pairs, and reduce signal quality degradation problems caused by high rates.

[0220] In some embodiments, the signal line spacing within the same differential pair is 3 mil, 4 mil, or 5 mil. It should be noted that a smaller line spacing enhances the degree of signal coupling, so that the mutual cancellation effect between differential signals is better, and the ability to resist common-mode interference is enhanced, thereby improving signal integrity and reducing signal quality degradation problems caused by high rates.

[0221] For example, the interface expansion device can further include a signal driving chip. The signal driving chip adjusts the signal gain value to ensure that the eye diagram of the adjusted signal meets the standard, thereby meeting the requirements of high-frequency transmission.

[0222] For example, using DSC (Display Stream Compression) technology, the first multimedia data obtained by the first conversion module or the multimedia data provided by the third connector is compressed, which can reduce the required bandwidth, such as reducing the bandwidth from 12.8 Gbps to 6.4 Gbps or lower. This can effectively reduce the transmission bandwidth requirement on the premise of maintaining the image quality, thereby reducing the signal loss problem at high rates.

[0223] It should be noted that by adopting the above scheme, the interface expansion device can support HDMI2.1 12Gbps (gigabit per second) and DP1.4 8Gbps high-speed signal transmission. Among them, HDMI2.1 is a version of HDMI interface standard, and DP1.4 is a version of DP interface standard.

[0224] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device can support a resolution of up to 4K, that is, the horizontal display pixels reach or are close to 4000, usually referring to a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.

[0225] In some embodiments, the refresh rate of the interface expansion device can reach 165Hz, that is, the number of pictures refreshed per second can reach 165 times. High refresh rate can bring smoother image display and reduce picture tearing and lag phenomenon.

[0226] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device can support a color depth of up to 10-bit. Among them, 10-bit color depth refers to using 10-bit binary number to represent color information in each color channel of the image.

[0227] In the embodiment, by optimizing the wiring, increasing the driving chip, and adopting the compression technology and other means, the signal quality can be ensured to be not poor in the case of supporting high-speed transmission, and the display effect of the first electronic device is ensured.

[0228] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device has a current limiting protection function and an electrostatic protection function. For example, the interface expansion device includes an overcurrent protection module, which is used to disconnect the power supply path between the interface expansion device and the access device when it is detected that the current of the interface expansion device is greater than or equal to a preset current. The access device can include an HDMI device connected to the HDMI connector, a second electronic device connected to the second connector, and a third electronic device connected to the third connector, etc.

[0229] In some embodiments, when the current of the interface expansion device is greater than or equal to the preset current, the power supply path between the interface expansion circuit and the access device is disconnected, then the power supply path between the interface expansion device and the access device is turned on and maintained for a second preset time period, then the power supply path between the interface expansion device and the access device is disconnected, and then the operation of turning on the power supply path between the interface expansion device and the access device and maintaining it for a second preset time period is continuously performed until the operation time period reaches a first preset time period. The current of the interface expansion circuit is detected. If the current of the interface expansion device is greater than or equal to the preset current, the power supply path between the interface expansion circuit and the access device is disconnected. If the current of the interface expansion device is less than the preset current, the power supply path between the interface expansion circuit and the access device is maintained.

[0230] In some embodiments, the first preset time period can range from 350 ms to 450 ms. In some embodiments, the first preset time period can be 350 ms, 400 ms, or 450 ms.

[0231] In some embodiments, the second preset time period is less than the first preset time period. By reasonably selecting the second preset time period, the capacitor of the access device can be charged, and in the case of a short circuit of the access device, the damage to the access device and the interface expansion device can be avoided due to the short on time and the small energy even if the current is large.

[0232] In the present embodiment, in order to avoid false protection caused by charging of a large capacitor inside the access device, the interface expansion device cyclically performs the operation of turning on and disconnecting the power supply path between the interface expansion circuit and the access device within the first preset time period, and when the first preset time period is reached, the current of the interface expansion device is re-detected to determine whether it is greater than or equal to the preset current, i.e., whether the access device has a short circuit. If no short circuit is detected, the interface expansion circuit supplies power to the access device. In the present embodiment, the safety of the access device and the interface expansion device is ensured, and unnecessary power supply interruption (interruption of power supply of the access device with a large capacitor) is avoided.

[0233] In some embodiments, the first conversion module supports HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) function. When the first HDMI signal is HDCP encrypted data, the first conversion module can decrypt the first HDMI signal to obtain a decrypted first HDMI signal, and perform format conversion and encryption on the decrypted first HDMI signal to obtain first multimedia data, thereby ensuring that the transmission process between the target HDMI device and the first electronic device is secure and improving the reliability of the transmission.

[0234] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 11a to Figure 11d , the interface expansion device can include a plurality of HDMI connectors 1101, a first switching module 1102, a first conversion module 1103, a USB-to-serial module 1104, a USB HUB 1105, a second switching module 1106, a Type-C connector 1107, a DP connector 1108, a CC logic chip 1109, at least one USB connector 1110, and a control module 1111.

[0235] The HDMI connector 1101 is configured to connect an HDMI device, the Type-C connector 1107 is configured to connect a first electronic device, the DP connector 1108 is configured to connect a third electronic device, and the USB-to-serial module 1104 is configured to convert data corresponding to a USB communication protocol into data corresponding to a serial communication protocol.

[0236] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 11a , the control module 1111 includes a first logic control unit, the first logic control unit includes a UART port, the USB-to-serial module 1104 is configured to convert data corresponding to a USB communication protocol into data corresponding to a UART communication protocol, and the first selection instruction sent by the first electronic device corresponds to a USB data communication protocol.

[0237] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 11a , the control module 1111 further includes a timing control and compensation module. After the first HDMI signal passes through the first switching module 1102, the signal quality of the first HDMI signal will be degraded. The timing control and compensation module is configured to compensate the first HDMI signal, so that the compensated first HDMI signal is similar to the first HDMI signal before the input switching unit.

[0238] In some embodiments, the first logic control unit is configured to control the first switching module 1102 to selectively turn on a data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module 1103 according to the first selection instruction received by the Type-C connector 1107. For example, the first switching module 1102 can include a multiplexer.

[0239] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 11b , the first conversion module 1103 further includes an I2C port, and the first conversion module 1103 can send the HDID information (first EDID information or second EDID information) in the first register to the HDMI device through the I2C port.

[0240] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 11bThe first conversion module 1103 further includes a TMDS (Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling) signal processing module and an Alignment & De-skew TMDS Decoder & De-scrambler module. HDMI uses TMDS (Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling) as a signal transmission mode, and the TMDS data stream in the HDMI signal is decoded through the TMDS signal processing module and the Alignment & De-skew TMDS Decoder & De-scrambler module.

[0241] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to Figure 11b The first conversion module 1103 further includes a signal conversion protocol module configured to convert the data output by the TMDS signal processing module to obtain data corresponding to the DP communication protocol, and transmit the data to the first electronic device through a DP physical layer (PHY).

[0242] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 11b to Figure 11c The second switching module 1106 is connected with the first conversion module 1130, the CC logic chip 1109, and the Type-C connector 1107 respectively. The second switching module 1106 can transmit multimedia data output by the first conversion module 1130 or the CC logic chip 1109 to the Type-C connector 1107. The CC logic chip 1109 is connected with the DP connector 1108.

[0243] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 11a and Figure 11d The USB HUB 1105 is connected with each USB connector 1110, the USB-to-serial module 1104, and the Type-C connector 1107 respectively, so that the interface expansion device can support transmission of the first selection instruction in the USB data format, and support at least one USB connector 1110.

[0244] Please refer to Figure 12 which shows a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 12 The electronic device 1200 can include a fourth connector 1210, a display screen 1220, and a processor 1230. The processor 1230 is connected with a second end of the fourth connector 1210. For ease of description, the electronic device is referred to as a first electronic device in the following embodiments.

[0245] In some embodiments, the fourth connector 1210 is configured to connect the first connector of the interface expansion device through a cable, the fourth connector 1210 is configured to receive the interface data output by the first end of the first connector through the first end of the fourth connector 1210. The display screen 1220 is configured to display a signal source selection interface. The processor 1230 is configured to receive the interface data transmitted by the second end of the fourth connector 1210 and process the interface data. The processor 1230 is further configured to generate a first selection instruction in response to a first interface switching operation on the signal source selection interface, and send the first selection instruction to the second end of the fourth connector 1210 to send the first selection instruction to the first end of the first connector through the first end of the fourth connector 1210, and transmit to the second end of the first connector. Wherein, the fourth connector 1210 supports a first data communication protocol and a second data communication protocol, the signal source selection interface includes at least two HDMI connectors of the interface expansion device, and the first interface switching operation is used to indicate that a target HDMI device of a target HDMI connector is selected as a signal source.

[0246] Please refer to Figure 13 , which shows a signal source selection interface provided by some embodiments of the present application. As Figure 13 shown, the signal source selection interface can include HDMI connectors corresponding to a plurality of HDMI devices connected to the interface expansion device.

[0247] As Figure 13 shown, the interface expansion device can include four HDMI connectors, namely HDMI connector a, HDMI connector b, HDMI connector c and HDMI connector d, wherein only HDMI connector a, HDMI connector b and HDMI connector c are connected to the first electronic device, therefore, the signal source selection interface can only display HDMI connector a, HDMI connector b and HDMI connector c, so that the user can determine which HDMI connector is connected to the HDMI device, and the user can avoid selecting the HDMI connector without connecting to the HDMI device, thereby improving the reliability of signal source switching.

[0248] In some embodiments, the target HDMI connector is rendered in a first rendering mode, so that the user can determine the HDMI connector currently connected to the signal source. Exemplarily, the first rendering mode includes but is not limited to texture, mapping, enlargement, reduction, rotation, material, etc. Exemplarily, as Figure 13 shown, the first rendering mode is mapping.

[0249] Optionally, the second rendering manner can include, but is not limited to, texture, mapping, magnification, reduction, rotation, material, and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the second rendering manner is magnification. Figure 13

[0250] Optionally, the user can click the first button to change the currently selected HDMI connector to the next HDMI connector in the signal source selection interface (as shown in FIG. 6A, from HDMI connector b to HDMI connector c). In the case that the currently selected HDMI connector is the target HDMI connector connected to the target HDMI device, the user can double-click the first button. The first electronic device generates a corresponding first selection instruction in response to the double-click operation. Figure 14

[0251] In some embodiments, the display screen is further configured to display the first multimedia data. It should be noted that the first electronic device can display the first multimedia data on the display screen, so that the user can watch the first multimedia data, and the user demand is met.

[0252] In some embodiments, the processor can include a System on a Chip (SoC).

[0253] In some embodiments, the fourth connector can include a Type-C connector. In this embodiment, the Type-C connector is used as the input interface of the multimedia data of the first electronic device, which can reduce the space occupation of the input interface on the first electronic device, and the interface expansion device can be powered by the Type-C connector, so that the interface expansion device can work normally without a power supply device.

[0254] In this embodiment, the display screen displays the signal source selection interface, so that the user can switch the signal source by performing the first interface switching operation. The processor generates a first selection instruction in response to the first interface switching operation on the signal source selection interface, and transmits the first selection instruction to the first connector of the interface expansion device through the fourth connector. The interface expansion device can receive the first selection instruction through the first connector, so that the mechanical switch of the button is not needed, and the data transmission channel between the first conversion module and the target HDMI connector can be connected. The signal source switching function is met, and the size of the interface expansion device is small. Moreover, the user can directly perform the first interface switching operation on the first electronic device to switch the signal source, and the user operation convenience is improved.

[0255] ​​In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to receive a remote control selection signal sent by a remote control corresponding to the first electronic device to the processor, and generate the first selection instruction according to the remote control selection signal. The remote control selection signal is generated by the remote control in response to a first interface switching operation. For example, the remote control is connected to the first electronic device through a wireless connection mode such as infrared or Bluetooth. For example, the first interface switching operation can include but is not limited to single-click, double-click, or long-pressing a key on the remote control. In this embodiment, the user can realize the switching of the signal source through the remote control, without the user being close to the first electronic device or the user being close to the docking station, thereby greatly reducing the space limitation on the user.

[0256] In some embodiments, the data format of the first selection instruction corresponds to a first data communication protocol. For example, the fourth connector includes a Type-C connector, and the data format of the first selection instruction corresponds to a DP communication protocol. For example, the first electronic device can generate the first selection instruction in response to the remote control selection signal and send it to the interface expansion device through the AUX channel of the fourth connector.

[0257] In some embodiments, the data format of the first selection instruction corresponds to a second serial communication protocol. For example, the fourth connector includes a Type-C connector, and the processor is further configured to generate a first selection instruction corresponding to a USB communication protocol in response to the first interface switching operation.

[0258] For example, the fourth connector includes a second D+ pin and a second D- pin, the data format of the first selection instruction corresponds to a USB communication protocol, and the processor is further configured to generate a first selection instruction corresponding to a USB communication protocol in response to the first interface switching operation and send it to the second end of the second D+ pin and the second end of the second D- pin to send the first selection instruction to the first connector.

[0259] In this embodiment, by using a Type-C connector as the fourth connector and using a USB communication protocol to realize the transmission of the first selection instruction, the accuracy of the first selection instruction received by the first switching module can be ensured. At the same time, since the transmission of the first selection instruction and the first multimedia data uses different ends of the first connector and the fourth connector, the control of the first switching module to switch different HDMI signal sources can be realized while ensuring that the first electronic device can reliably transmit the first multimedia data. At the same time, by transmitting the interface data and the first switching instruction through the first end and the second end of the fourth connector, the occupation of the hardware resources of the first electronic device can be reduced, and the cost of the first electronic device can be reduced.

[0260] In the embodiment, the remote control selection signal is processed by the first electronic device to generate a first selection instruction recognizable by the interface expansion device, so that the control module of the interface expansion device can control the first switching module to selectively conduct the data transmission path between the target HDMI connector and the first connector based on the first selection instruction. In the embodiment, the user can use the remote controller corresponding to the first electronic device to switch the signal source, without the need to approach the first electronic device, so that the switching of the signal source is as convenient as the switching of the received electromagnetic wave frequency, and the interface expansion device and the first electronic device are like a whole, improving the convenience of user operation.

[0261] The above embodiment provides a method for switching the signal source by the remote controller of the first electronic device. The following embodiment will provide another embodiment for switching the signal source.

[0262] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to detect a screen selection signal acting on the display screen, and generate a first selection instruction according to the screen selection signal, wherein the screen selection signal is generated according to a first interface switching operation acting on the display screen. It should be noted that the user can touch the display screen to select the required HDMI connector.

[0263] For example, the first electronic device can include a touch sensor, and the processor determines the touch position of the user according to the screen selection signal collected by the touch sensor, and then determines the target HDMI connector and generates the first selection instruction. For example, the touch sensor can include a capacitive sensor, which can be used to convert a physical touch into an electrical signal, so that the processor can determine the touch position of the user based on the electrical signal output by the capacitive sensor.

[0264] In the embodiment, the processor detects a screen selection signal acting on the display screen, and generates a first selection instruction according to the screen selection signal, so that the user can manually touch the display to switch the target HDMI connector, that is, to switch the signal source, without the need to perform the plugging operation, thereby facilitating the user to switch the signal source.

[0265] In the above embodiment, the user can switch the signal source by pressing and / or touching the remote controller, and at the same time, the signal source selection interface displayed by the television will also change. The display screen of the first electronic device can display the change of the UI (User Interface), to provide intuitive feedback to the user, so that the user can determine the currently selected signal source.

[0266] It can be understood that in addition to the above-mentioned implementation manners, other manners such as voice can also be used, and the embodiment does not make specific limitation on this.

[0267] In some embodiments, the fourth connector comprises a Type-C connector. The processor is further configured to, in response to the first interface switching operation, generate a first selection instruction corresponding to a USB communication protocol, and transmit the first selection instruction to the interface expansion device via a second D+ pin and a second D- pin of the fourth connector. In this embodiment, the first electronic device, in response to the first interface switching operation, generates a first selection instruction corresponding to a USB communication protocol, so that the first switching module can selectively conduct a data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module based on the first selection instruction.

[0268] In some embodiments, the fourth connector comprises a Type-C connector. The processor is further configured to, in response to the first interface switching operation, generate a first selection instruction corresponding to a DP communication protocol, and transmit the first selection instruction to the interface expansion device via an AUX channel (SBU pin) of the fourth connector. In this embodiment, the first electronic device, in response to the HDMI connector switching operation, generates a first selection instruction corresponding to a DP communication protocol, so that the first switching module can selectively conduct a data transmission path between the target HDMI connector and the first connector based on the first selection instruction.

[0269] In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to, in a case where the AUX channel of the fourth connector is in an idle state, transmit the first selection instruction to the interface expansion device via the AUX channel of the fourth connector. In this embodiment, the first electronic device determines whether the AUX channel is in an idle state before transmitting the first selection instruction via the AUX channel of the fourth connector, and only occupies the AUX channel to transmit the first selection instruction when it is determined that the AUX channel is in an idle state, so as to ensure that the original function of the AUX channel is not affected and the display is effective.

[0270] In some embodiments, the interface expansion device can further comprise a second register, and the processor 1230 is further configured to obtain interface state data corresponding to at least one HDMI connector in the interface expansion device in the second register. The processor is further configured to control the display screen 1220 to display the connection state of the at least one HDMI connector according to the interface state data corresponding to the at least one HDMI connector.

[0271] It should be noted that the control module updates the interface state data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register in a case where an HDMI device is connected to an HDMI connector or an HDMI device is disconnected from an HDMI connector, so that the interface state data stored in the second register can reflect the interface states corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors, respectively.

[0272] In some embodiments, the first electronic device can access the second register in a polling manner to determine the interface state data respectively corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors.

[0273] In some other embodiments, the first electronic device reads the interface state data respectively corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors of the interface expansion device in the second register in a case that the first electronic device receives the second interrupt signal sent by the control module.

[0274] For example, the first switching module sends the second interrupt signal to the first electronic device through the first connector in a case that the first switching module detects that an HDMI device is connected to an HDMI connector or an HDMI device is disconnected from an HDMI connector.

[0275] For example, the interface state data can include, but is not limited to, at least one of whether an HDMI connector is connected to an HDMI device, whether the signal of the HDMI connector connected to the HDMI device is valid, the default HDMI connector of the first switching module, and the device serial number corresponding to the first switching module.

[0276] Please refer to Figure 15 which shows a display interface of a display screen provided by some embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 15 , the display interface includes a plurality of HDMI connectors, and the HDMI connector connected to the HDMI device is highlighted. The user can determine which HDMI connector(s) is highlighted according to the display interface, and then determine the HDMI connector connected to the HDMI device. As shown in Figure 15 , the HDMI connector b is connected to the HDMI device, and the HDMI connector a is not connected to the HDMI device.

[0277] In some embodiments, the HDMI device connection information can be displayed below the display interface to display the interface state corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors, while avoiding affecting the user to watch the first multimedia data.

[0278] In the related art, since the connection of the plurality of HDMI devices cannot be implemented, i.e., the user does not need to implement the switching operation, there is no need to display the connection state of the HDMI connector of the interface expansion device. In the present embodiment, the first electronic device can obtain the interface state data respectively corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors, and display the connection state of at least one HDMI connector through the display screen, so that the user can know which HDMI connector is connected to the HDMI device, and the user experience is improved.

[0279] In some embodiments, the fourth connector includes a Type-C connector, the processor is further configured to be connected with a third end of the fourth connector, and the processor is further configured to, in response to a first trigger operation triggering the first electronic device to perform a first control operation, generate first control information and send the first control information to the first connector through an AUX channel of the fourth connector. The first control information encapsulates a first CEC instruction corresponding to the first control operation, and the first control information is used to instruct an HDMI device connected with the interface expansion apparatus to perform the first control operation. The fourth connector includes an SBU pin of the fourth connector, and the transmission of the first control information is implemented through the SBU pin.

[0280] In this embodiment, the processor can generate the first control information in response to the first trigger operation, and process the first control information through the first conversion module of the interface expansion apparatus to obtain a first control instruction corresponding to a first data communication protocol, and send the first control instruction to each HDMI connector through a control channel, so that the HDMI device performs the first control operation according to the first control instruction. The user can control the HDMI device connected with the interface expansion apparatus through the first electronic device, which reduces the complexity of manual operation of the user and improves the experience of the user.

[0281] In some embodiments, the fourth connector includes a Type-C connector, the processor is further configured to be connected with a third end of the fourth connector, and the processor is further configured to receive second control information through an AUX channel of the fourth connector, and analyze the second control information to obtain a second CEC instruction encapsulated in the second control information, and perform a second control operation based on the second CEC instruction. The second control information encapsulates the second CEC instruction, and the second CEC instruction is generated in response to a second trigger operation corresponding to the second CEC instruction by any HDMI device connected with the HDMI connector. The third end of the fourth connector includes an SBU pin of the fourth connector.

[0282] In this embodiment, the second CEC instruction sent by the HDMI device is encapsulated by the first conversion module to generate second control information corresponding to a first communication protocol, the processor receives the second control information and analyzes the second control information to obtain the second CEC instruction encapsulated in the second control information, and performs a second control operation corresponding to the second CEC instruction. The user can control the first electronic device by controlling the HDMI device connected with the interface expansion apparatus, which reduces the complexity of manual operation of the user and improves the experience of the user.

[0283] Please refer to Figure 16FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a device identification method according to some embodiments of the present application. The method is applied to a display system, which can include an interface expansion device and a first electronic device. The software architecture of the first electronic device can include an application layer, a middleware layer, and a driver layer from top to bottom. The application layer is used for corresponding user input and demand. The middleware is a software layer between the operating system and the application program. The driver layer includes hardware drivers, which directly communicate with the hardware and provide an interface for the application layer to access the hardware. The interface expansion device can include a docking station, and the first electronic device can include a television.

[0284] As shown in FIG. 1, the method includes steps 1602-1616. Figure 16

[0285] In some embodiments, the first switching module updates the interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register when detecting that the HDMI device is connected to the HDMI connector, and sends an insertion message to the middleware layer. The middleware layer sends the insertion message to the application layer, so that the application layer updates the display interface, such as updating the highlight state of each HDMI connector. The insertion message can include the updated interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register.

[0286] In some embodiments, the first switching module updates the interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register when detecting that the HDMI device is connected to the HDMI connector, and sends an insertion message to the middleware layer. The middleware layer sends the insertion message to the application layer, so that the application layer updates the display interface, such as updating the highlight state of each HDMI connector. The insertion message can include the updated interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register.

[0287] Step 1604, the interface expansion device sends an insertion message to the middleware layer through the first connector when identifying that the HDMI connector has an HDMI device connected.

[0288] Step 1606, the middleware layer sends the insertion message to the application layer.

[0289] In some embodiments, the first switching module updates the interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register when detecting that the HDMI device is connected to the HDMI connector, and sends an insertion message to the middleware layer. The middleware layer sends the insertion message to the application layer, so that the application layer updates the display interface, such as updating the highlight state of each HDMI connector. The insertion message can include the updated interface status data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register.

[0290] Step 1608, the application layer sends a first selection instruction to the middleware layer.

[0291] Step 1610, the middleware layer sends the first selection instruction to the interface expansion device.

[0292] ​Step 1612, the interface expansion device turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module.

[0293] It should be noted that in the case of determining the target HDMI connector selected by the user, the application layer generates a first selection instruction and sends it to the interface expansion device through the middleware layer. The first switch of the interface expansion device selectively turns on the data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, so that the first HDMI signal received by the target HDMI connector is transmitted to the first conversion module through the data transmission path, and the first HDMI signal is format-converted by the first conversion module to obtain first multimedia data, which is sent to the fourth connector of the first electronic device through the first connector, and displayed through the display screen.

[0294] Step 1614, the docking station sends a pull-out message to the middleware layer through the first connector when it identifies that the HDMI connector has an HDMI device pulled out.

[0295] Step 1616, the middleware layer sends the pull-out message to the application layer.

[0296] In some embodiments, the first switch module updates the interface state data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register when it detects that an HDMI device has been pulled out of the HDMI connector, and sends a pull-out message to the middleware layer, which sends the pull-out message to the application layer to update the display interface, i.e., to update the highlight state of each HDMI connector. The pull-out message can include the updated interface state data corresponding to the plurality of HDMI connectors in the second register.

[0297] Step 1616, the middleware layer notifies the application layer when it identifies that the interface expansion device has pulled out the fourth connector.

[0298] For example, the middleware layer can detect whether the fourth connector has an interface expansion device connected to it through a polling mechanism. If it detects that the fourth connector does not have an interface expansion device connected to it, it can be considered that the interface expansion device has pulled out the fourth connector. When the application layer receives the notification from the middleware layer, it can determine that there is currently no interface expansion device connected to the fourth connector.

[0299] It should be understood that the term "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is

[0300] In various embodiments of the present application, it should be understood that the magnitude of the serial number of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the inevitable sequence of execution, and the execution sequence of the processes should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0301] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, i.e. they can be located in one place, or they can be distributed to multiple network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present application.

[0302] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in the form of hardware or in the form of a software functional unit.

[0303] The integrated unit described above, if realized in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a computer accessible memory. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application, essentially or the part that makes a contribution to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solutions, can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a memory and includes a number of steps for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server or a network device, etc., and specifically can be a processor in the computer device) to execute the methods of the embodiments of the present application described above.

[0304] Those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps of various methods in the above embodiments can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, including Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), One-time Programmable Read-Only Memory (OTPROM), Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, magnetic tape storage, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store data in a computer readable manner.

[0305] The interface expansion device disclosed in some embodiments of the present application is described in detail above, and specific examples are applied herein to describe the principles and implementation modes of the present application. The above description of the embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. Meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, the specific implementation mode and application range will be changed, and the above description should not be understood as a limitation of the present application.

Claims

1. An interface extension device, characterized by, The interface expansion device comprises a first connector, a second connector, a first switching module, a control module, a first conversion module and at least two HDMI connectors; Any of the HDMI connectors is configured to receive an HDMI signal through a first end of the HDMI connector; The first connector is configured to receive a first selection instruction through a first end of the first connector and output the first selection instruction through a second end of the first connector; The second connector is connected with the second end of the first connector, and the second connector is configured to receive interface data through a second end of the second connector; The first switching module is connected with the first conversion module and the second end of each of the at least two HDMI connectors respectively; The control module is connected with the first switching module and the second end of the first connector respectively, and is configured to control the second connector to stop receiving the interface data when the first selection instruction is received by the first connector, and control the first switching module to selectively turn on a data transmission path between the second end of a target HDMI connector and the first conversion module according to the first selection instruction, wherein the target HDMI connector is one of the at least two HDMI connectors; The first conversion module is connected with a third end of the first connector, and the first conversion module is configured to perform format conversion on a first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path to obtain first multimedia data, and send the first multimedia data to the third end of the first connector to output the first multimedia data through the first connector.

2. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The first connector comprises a Type-C connector. The first conversion module is further configured to perform format conversion on the first HDMI signal received through the data transmission path to obtain first multimedia data corresponding to a DP communication protocol.

3. The interface extension device of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The second connector comprises a USB connector, and the first selection instruction received through the first end of the first connector is a differential signal.

4. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The interface expansion device further comprises a forwarding module; The control module is further configured to determine a first time slice in which the first electronic device transmits the first selection instruction and a second time slice in which the second electronic device transmits the interface data when the first connector accesses the first electronic device and the second connector accesses the second electronic device; The forwarding module is connected with the second end of the first connector, the first end of the second connector and the control module respectively, and the forwarding module is further configured to send the first selection instruction to the control module when the first selection instruction sent by the second end of the first connector is received in the first time slice, and send the interface data to the second end of the first connector when the interface data is received in the second time slice.

5. The interface extension device of claim 4, wherein, The second connector comprises a USB connector, and the forwarding module comprises a USB hub.

6. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The control module supports a first serial communication protocol, and the first selection instruction corresponds to a second serial communication protocol; and the interface expansion device further comprises a second conversion module; The second conversion module is connected with the second end of the first connector and the control module respectively, and is configured to convert the received first selection instruction into a serial communication signal corresponding to the first serial communication protocol, and send the serial communication signal to the control module.

7. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The interface expansion device further comprises a first register; The first conversion module is connected with the fourth end of the first connector, and is further configured to, when the first connector is connected to a first electronic device and receives power provided by the first electronic device, receive first EDID information sent by the first electronic device through the first connector, and store the first EDID information in the first register; The first conversion module is further configured to, when the first switch module selectively turns on a data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, obtain the first EDID information in the first register, and send the first EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector.

8. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The interface expansion device further comprises a non-volatile memory and a first register; The first conversion module is further configured to, when the first conversion module is powered on, obtain second EDID information stored in the non-volatile memory, and store the second EDID information in the first register; The first conversion module is connected with the fourth end of the first connector, and is further configured to, when the first switch module selectively turns on a data transmission path between the second end of the target HDMI connector and the first conversion module, obtain the second EDID information in the first register, and send the second EDID information to the fourth end of the target HDMI connector.

9. The interface extension device of claim 1, wherein, The first multimedia data corresponds to a first data communication protocol, and the interface expansion device further comprises a second switch module and a third connector; The third connector is configured to receive second multimedia data corresponding to the first data communication protocol through the first end of the third connector; The first connector is further configured to receive a second selection instruction or a third selection instruction through the first end of the first connector; The second switch module is connected with the first conversion module, the second end of the third connector, and the third end of the first connector respectively; The control module is further connected with the second switch module, and the control module is further configured to control the second switch module to turn on a data transmission path between the first conversion module and the third end of the first connector according to the second selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector; and / or the control module is further configured to control the second switch module to turn on a data transmission path between the third end of the first connector and the second end of the third connector according to a third selection instruction transmitted by the second end of the first connector.

10. The interface extension device of claim 9, wherein, The first connector comprises a Type-C connector, and the third connector comprises a DP connector.

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