Connection authentication system, power adapter, electronic equipment, and method for determining connection suitability.

Abstract

This tool accurately determines whether the connection between the power adapter and the electronic device is appropriate. [Solution] A connection authentication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a power adapter that converts AC power to DC power, and an electronic device powered by the DC power cable of the power adapter, wherein the electronic device has a first controller that performs serial communication using the DC power cable as a transmission path, the power adapter has a second controller that performs serial communication with the second controller, the second controller transmits authentication information to the first controller, and the first controller determines whether the power adapter is compatible with its own device based on the received authentication information.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , ,

[0005]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connection authentication system, a power adapter, an electronic device, and a method for determining connection suitability.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a power adapter (also referred to as an "AC adapter") including a determination means for determining whether an electronic device to be connected is suitable for itself, a stop means for stopping power supply to the electronic device in case of unsuitability, and a warning means for warning of unsuitability. The above determination means is constituted by a discrimination circuit that discriminates the suitability of the electronic device based on the frequency of a noise component including the clock component of the microcomputer of the electronic device.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes an electronic device powered by a power adapter having an adapter determination circuit for determining whether a power adapter to be connected is suitable for itself. The above adapter determination circuit is constituted by a monitoring circuit that monitors the input voltage, noise level, and noise frequency of the DC input of the power adapter, and a logic circuit that determines suitability based on the comparison result between the measured values of these parameters and the threshold values.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0006] A system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a connection authentication system comprising a power adapter that converts AC power to DC power, and an electronic device powered by a DC power cable of the power adapter, wherein the electronic device has a first controller that performs serial communication using the DC power cable as a transmission path, the power adapter has a second controller that performs serial communication with the first controller, the second controller transmits authentication information to the first controller, and the first controller determines whether the power adapter is compatible with its device based on the received authentication information.

[0007] This disclosure can be implemented not only as a system and apparatus having the characteristic configuration described above, but also as a program for causing a computer to execute such characteristic configuration. Furthermore, this disclosure can be implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit that implements part or all of the system and apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to accurately determine whether the connection between the power adapter and the electronic device is appropriate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of a connection authentication system. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a power adapter circuit configuration. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration for electronic equipment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a graph showing the change in the output voltage of the power adapter after it has been connected to an electronic device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a successful connection authentication example. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a connection authentication failure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing other examples of connection authentication failures. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a network connection diagram showing an example of a communication system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <Summary of the embodiments of this disclosure> The embodiments of this disclosure are outlined below. (1) The system of this embodiment is a connection authentication system comprising a power adapter that converts AC power to DC power, and an electronic device powered by the DC power cable of the power adapter, wherein the electronic device has a first controller that performs serial communication using the DC power cable as a transmission path, the power adapter has a second controller that performs serial communication with the first controller, the second controller transmits authentication information to the first controller, and the first controller determines whether the power adapter is compatible with its own device based on the received authentication information.

[0011] According to the connection authentication system of this embodiment, the second controller transmits authentication information to the first controller via serial communication, and the first controller determines whether the power adapter is compatible with its own device based on the received authentication information. Therefore, the accuracy of the suitability determination is improved as compared with the case of using the characteristics of the noise components inevitably generated from electronic devices and power adapters. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately determine the suitability of the connection between the power adapter and the electronic device.

[0012] (2) In the connection authentication system of (1) above, the electronic device further has an internal circuit that performs the main functions of the device itself, and the first controller may allow power supply to the internal circuit when the authentication result is suitable, and cut off the power supply to the internal circuit when the authentication result is not suitable. In this way, when the authentication result is not suitable, the user cannot use the original functions of the electronic device, so it is possible to suppress the connection of an incompatible power adapter to the electronic device.

[0013] (3) In the connection authentication system of (2) above, the internal circuit has a communication circuit that is responsible for the communication function with an external device, and the first controller may transmit the fact that the authentication result is not suitable to the communication circuit. In this way, it becomes possible to notify an external device that an unauthorized power adapter has been connected.

[0014] (4) In the connection authentication system of (1) to (3) above, the power adapter further has a drive circuit capable of adjusting the output of the power adapter, and the second controller instructs the drive circuit to output the following preliminary output in the initial state, and instructs the drive circuit to output the following rated output in response to a request made by the first controller on the condition that the authentication result is suitable. Rated output: Output capable of generating a rated current with a rated voltage Preliminary output: Output that does not operate the internal circuit of the electronic device but operates the first controller by restricting at least one of the output voltage and current to be lower than the rated value.

[0015] In this case, since the second controller instructs the drive circuit to output the rated output in response to the request made by the first controller on the condition that the authentication result is compliant, the standby output is maintained unless the request is received. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the power adapter from outputting the rated output to an electronic device that can be regarded as a non-genuine product that does not make the above request.

[0016] (5) In the connection authentication system of (4) above, the power adapter further has a temperature sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the device itself, and the second controller may execute at least one of the following processes when the state where the internal temperature is at or above a predetermined temperature lasts for a predetermined time or more. Degradation process: A process of changing the rated output to a standby output Alarm process: A process of notifying the first controller of the occurrence of an abnormality in the power adapter

[0017] By performing the above degradation process, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise of the power adapter. By performing the above alarm process, it is possible to notify the electronic device of the occurrence of an abnormality due to the temperature rise of the power adapter.

[0018] (6) In the connection authentication system of (5) above, when the first controller receives the notification of the occurrence of the abnormality from the second controller, the first controller may cut off the power supply to the internal circuit. In this way, for example, even when the output voltage of the power adapter becomes excessive due to a temperature rise, it is possible to protect the internal circuit of the electronic device.

[0019] (7) In the connection authentication system of (1) to (6) above, the communication standard of the serial communication may be 1-Wire. The above 1-Wire can be implemented with a relatively small-scale integrated circuit. Therefore, by adopting such a communication standard, there is an advantage that the manufacturing costs of the electronic device that requires the first controller and the power adapter that requires the second controller can be suppressed.

[0020] (8) The power adapter of this embodiment is one of the devices that constitute the subcombination of the connection authentication system described in (1) to (7) above. Therefore, the power adapter of this embodiment has the same effects as the connection authentication systems described in (1) to (7) above.

[0021] (9) The electronic device of this embodiment is the other device that constitutes the subcombination of the connection authentication system described in (1) to (7) above. Therefore, the electronic device of this embodiment provides the same effects as the connection authentication systems described in (1) to (7) above.

[0022] (10) The method of this embodiment is a method for determining whether a connection is suitable or not, which is performed by the power adapter and electronic device of the connection authentication system described in (1) to (7) above. Therefore, the determination method of this embodiment has the same effects as the connection authentication systems described in (1) to (7) above.

[0023] <Details of the embodiments of this disclosure> The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. At least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any way.

[0024] [Example of a connection authentication system configuration] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of the connection authentication system 100. As shown in Figure 1, the connection authentication system 100 of this embodiment includes a power adapter 1 and an electronic device 2 that receives DC power from the power adapter 1. The power adapter 1 has a housing 10 with an AC plug 5 (see Figure 2) protruding from it, which can be connected to a commercial AC power outlet 4. However, the power adapter 1 may also be connected to the outlet 4 via an AC power cable (not shown) having the AC plug 5.

[0025] A DC power cable 6 (hereinafter abbreviated as "cable 6") is inseparably connected to the housing 10 of the power adapter 1. However, the DC plug (not shown) of cable 6 may be detachably connected to an inlet (not shown) provided on the housing 10. Cable 6 is an insulated wire containing at least two conductors 6p and 6n. A DC plug 6dc is provided at the end of cable 6. The DC plug 6dc is, for example, a coaxial 2-pole pin that connects to the inlet 2in of the electronic device 2.

[0026] Electronic device 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a device that uses DC as a power source, but in this embodiment, electronic device 2 is, as an example, a home-side optical network terminal (also called "ONU" or "home-side device") used for optical communication. The ONU2 has a chassis 20, for example, with an inlet 2in on its rear wall. In the case of the ONU2, the rear wall of the chassis 20 is provided with a connection port 8 for an optical fiber cable 7 and a LAN port 9 for connecting a LAN (Local Area Network) cable.

[0027] [Power adapter circuit configuration] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of power adapter 1. As shown in Figure 2, the power adapter 1 comprises a rectifier circuit 11, a smoothing capacitor 12, a high-frequency transformer 13, a switching element 14, a rectifier circuit 15, a smoothing capacitor 16, a power supply unit 17, a drive circuit 18, and a controller 19, a current sensor 34, and a detection circuit 35.

[0028] The above electronic components are connected inside the housing 10 as shown in the diagram, thereby functionally forming the following two types of functional units 1A and 1B. AC / DC conversion unit 1A: This is a functional unit that converts alternating current to direct current. The AC / DC conversion unit 1A in the illustrated example includes a rectifier circuit 11, a smoothing capacitor 12, a high-frequency transformer 13, a switching element 14, a rectifier circuit 15, and a smoothing capacitor 16.

[0029] Output control unit 1B: This is a functional unit that switches the output of the AC / DC converter unit 1A. In the illustrated example, the output control unit 1B includes a power supply unit 17, a drive circuit 18, a controller 19, a current sensor 34, and a detection circuit 35. The switching element 14 is, for example, a semiconductor device such as a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor) or an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor).

[0030] The power supply unit 17 is a converter that converts the DC voltage of the conductors 6p and 6n into a predetermined control voltage (for example, 5V) for the controller 19. If the voltage across conductors 6p and 6n is the auxiliary voltage described later (e.g., 3.3V), the power supply unit 17 boosts the auxiliary voltage and outputs a control voltage. If the voltage across conductors 6p and 6n is the rated voltage described later (e.g., 12V), the power supply unit 17 steps down the rated voltage and outputs a control voltage.

[0031] The current sensor 34 is, for example, a Hall element or a low-resistance shunt resistor, which is installed on the conductor 6p. The detection circuit 35 detects the current value C0 flowing through the conductor 6p based on the resistance value of the current sensor 34 and outputs the detected current value C0 to the drive circuit 18. The drive circuit 18 is, for example, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller. The drive circuit 18 switches the switching element 14 at a high frequency.

[0032] The drive circuit 18 is capable of performing overcurrent protection (OCP) operation, which stops switching when the current value C0 of the conductor 6p exceeds a predetermined threshold. Controller 19 is a communication IC (Integrated Circuit) for serial communication with electronic device 2. The serial communication standard adopted is one that allows communication using two wires: a ground wire and a signal wire that also serves as a power supply wire.

[0033] One example of the above communication standards is "1-Wire" (registered trademark). By adopting such a communication standard, the conductors 6p and 6n of the DC power cable 6 can be reused as transmission paths for serial communication, making it possible to communicate with the electronic device 2 without adding signal lines. A coil 30, which functions as an inductive reactance, is provided on the conductor 6p, and current is supplied to the power supply unit 17 from the portion of the conductor 6p between the coil 30 and the smoothing capacitor 16. Therefore, a DC voltage from which the communication signal has been removed is applied to the power supply unit 17.

[0034] The controller 19 has a power port P1 to which the control voltage of the power supply unit 17 is applied, and a communication port P2. The communication port P2 is, for example, a serial I / O port. A communication signal transmission line 31 is connected to the conductor 6p. A capacitor 32, which functions as a capacitive reactance, is provided on the transmission line 31. One end of the transmission line 31 is connected to the downstream side of the coil 30 on the conductor 6p (right side in Figure 2), and the other end of the transmission line 31 is connected to the communication port P2.

[0035] The controller 19 has a memory 19A in which authentication information for its own device (e.g., product number or symbol) is stored. The authentication information is used for the authentication process of the power adapter 1. The controller 19 of the power adapter 1 is a serial communication slave node, and the controller 24 of the electronic device 2 (described later) is a serial communication master node. Therefore, the controller 18 of the power adapter 1 can perform various slave operations in response to instructions from the controller 24 of the electronic device 2.

[0036] [Power adapter output switching operation] The following describes the output switching operation of power adapter 1 in Figure 2. However, the voltage values ​​described are merely examples and are not limited to those listed. When the AC plug 5 is connected to the outlet 4, the rectifier circuit 11 outputs a pulsating voltage obtained by full-wave rectifying the AC voltage (for example, 100V). The pulsating voltage is smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 12 to become a DC voltage (approximately 120V).

[0037] The DC voltage is applied to the series connection between the primary winding of the high-frequency transformer 13 (the coil on the left in the diagram) and the switching element 14. This induces a stepped-down pulsed voltage in the secondary winding of the high-frequency transformer 13 (the coil on the right in the diagram). The induced voltage is rectified by the rectifier circuit 15 and then smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 16. A low DC voltage is generated across the smoothing capacitor 16. This low voltage becomes the output voltage between the conductors 6p and 6n.

[0038] The drive circuit 18 can change the duty cycle of the PWM control in multiple stages (for example, two stages) according to the control signal S0 from the controller 19. Specifically, when the control signal S0 is off, the drive circuit 17 sets the duty cycle to a "low level" so that the output of the power adapter 1 becomes a "backup output". A backup output is an output that limits at least one of the output voltage and current to below the rated value, thereby preventing the internal circuit 21 of the electronic device 2 from operating, but activating the first controller 24. In this case, a backup voltage (e.g., 3.3V) is output between the conductors 6p and 6n.

[0039] Furthermore, when the control signal S0 is on, the drive circuit 18 sets the duty cycle to a high level so that the output of the power adapter 1 becomes the "rated output". The rated output is the output that can generate the rated current at the rated voltage. In this case, the rated voltage (for example, 12V) is output between the conductors 6p and 6n.

[0040] The above-mentioned auxiliary output can be set to, for example, one-tenth of the power required by electronic device 2. In this case, if the auxiliary output is implemented by voltage limitation, the output voltage can be limited to the square root of 0.1 of the rated voltage. Alternatively, the overcurrent protection function of the drive circuit 18 may be applied to reduce the output voltage so that the current does not exceed a predetermined value.

[0041] [Circuit configuration of electronic equipment] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the electronic device (ONU) 2. As shown in Figure 3, the electronic device 2 includes DC wires 2p and 2n leading to the inlet 2i, an internal circuit 21, a first power supply unit 22, a second power supply unit 23, and a controller 24. When the DC plug 6dc of power adapter 1 is connected to inlet 2in, each DC wire 2p and 2n is connected to the conductors 6p and 6n respectively, and a DC voltage is applied from power adapter 1 to electronic device 2.

[0042] The internal circuit 21 is composed of a group of electronic components that realize the original functions of the electronic device 2. In the case of the ONU2, the internal circuit 21 is composed of a group of electronic components that perform the communication function with the central office's optical line termination equipment (also called "OLT" or "central office equipment"). The internal circuit 21 can turn on or off all or some of its functional units in response to a control signal S2 from the controller 24.

[0043] The first power supply unit 22 is a switch that toggles whether or not to supply DC voltage from DC wires 2p and 2n to the internal circuit 21. The first power supply unit 22 turns the power supply on or off in response to the control signal S1 from the controller 24. The first power supply unit 22 may also have the function of a converter that converts the DC voltage of the DC wires 2p and 2n into a power supply voltage for the internal circuit 21.

[0044] The second power supply unit 23 is a converter that converts the DC voltage of the DC wires 2p and 2n into a control voltage (for example, 5V) for the controller 24. The second power supply unit 23, when the voltage of the DC wires 2p and 2n is the reserve voltage (e.g., 3.3V), boosts the reserve voltage to the control voltage and applies it to the controller 24. When the voltage of the DC wires 2p and 2n is the rated voltage (e.g., 12V), it lowers the rated voltage to the control voltage and applies it to the controller 24.

[0045] Controller 24 is a communication IC for serial communication with power adapter 1. As mentioned above, controller 24 communicates serially with controller 19 of power adapter 1 using the DC power cable 6 as the transmission path. A coil 40, which functions as an inductive reactance, is provided on the DC wire 2p. Current is supplied to the second power supply unit 23 from the portion of the DC wire 2p between the coil 40 and the first power supply unit 22. Therefore, a DC voltage from which the communication signal has been removed is applied to the second power supply unit 23.

[0046] The controller 24 has a power port P1 to which the control voltage of the first power supply unit 22 is applied, and a communication port P2. The communication port P2 is, for example, a serial I / O port. A communication signal transmission line 41 is connected to the DC power line 2p. A capacitor 42, which functions as a capacitive reactance, is provided on the transmission line 41. One end of the transmission line 41 is connected to the upstream side (left side in Figure 3) of the coil 40 on the DC power line 2p, and the other end of the transmission line 41 is connected to the communication port P2.

[0047] The controller 24 has a memory 24A in which authentication information for the power adapter 1 (e.g., product number or symbol) is stored. The controller 24 of the electronic device 2 is the master node for serial communication, and the controller 18 of the power adapter 1 is the slave node. Therefore, the controller 24 of the electronic device 2 can instruct the controller 18 of the power adapter 1 to perform various slave operations.

[0048] [Details of connection authentication] Figure 4 is a graph showing the change in the output voltage of power adapter 1 after it is connected to electronic device 2. The horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents voltage [V]. Referring to Figure 4, the connection authentication process will be explained below. In the following, the controller 19 of power adapter 1 will be referred to as "slave 19," and the controller 24 of electronic device 2 will be referred to as "master 24."

[0049] At time t1, the AC plug 5 of power adapter 1 is connected to outlet 4, and the DC plug 6dc is connected to electronic device 2. When the AC plug 5 of power adapter 1 is connected to outlet 4, slave 19 starts up. In its initial state (default), slave 19 has the control signal S0 set to off, and a backup voltage (3.3V) is supplied to electronic device 2.

[0050] When backup voltage is supplied to electronic device 2, master 24 also starts up. This enables serial communication between master 24 and slave 19. In its initial state, the master 24 has the control signal S1 set to OFF, and no DC voltage is supplied to the internal circuit 21.

[0051] Master 24 and slave 19, having established serial communication, perform an "authentication process" using the authentication information held in their respective memories 24A and 19A. This authentication process includes, for example, the following: Process 1: Master 24 requests slave 19 to send authentication information. Process 2: Slave 19 sends the authentication information of memory 19A to master 24. Process 3: Master 24 compares the received authentication information with the authentication information in memory 24A.

[0052] Process 4: Master 24 determines the certification result as "compliant" if the comparison results are identical, and as "non-compliant" if they are not identical. Alternatively, the protocol may stipulate that the slave 19 will transmit information immediately after communication is established, and process 1 may be omitted.

[0053] If the certification result is satisfactory, the master 24 sends a voltage change request message to the slave 19. Upon receiving the above message, the slave 19 switches the control signal S0 to the drive circuit 18 to ON at time t2. As a result, the drive circuit 18 switches its duty cycle to a high level, so that, for example, at time t3, the power adapter 1 outputs the rated voltage (12V).

[0054] When the slave 19 switches the control signal S0 on, it sends a voltage change response message to the master 24. When the master 24 receives the above response message from the slave 19, it switches the control signal S1 to the first power supply unit 22 to ON. This causes the first power supply unit 22 to supply the rated voltage (12V) to the internal circuit 21, allowing the internal circuit 21 to start operating.

[0055] On the other hand, if the certification result is non-compliant, the power adapter 1 is presumed to be a counterfeit product. Therefore, the master 24 does not request a voltage change from the slave 19 and keeps the control signal S1 to the first power supply unit 22 in the off state. From time t3 onward, the internal circuit 21 operates using the continuously supplied rated voltage. At time t4, if any of the following events occur, the load current flowing through the electronic device 2 will suddenly decrease, resulting in a no-load state.

[0056] Situation 1: If electronic device 2 has a power switch, and this switch is turned off... Event 2: When the DC plug 6dc of power adapter 1 is removed from electronic device 2. Situation 3: When the AC plug 5 of power adapter 1 is unplugged from outlet 4. When any of events 1 through 3 occur, serial communication between master 24 and slave 19 is interrupted. Slave 19 turns off control signal S0 in response to the communication interruption, and master 24 also turns off control signal S1 in response to the communication interruption.

[0057] [Specific examples of connection authentication (successful and unsuccessful examples)] The following explains successful and unsuccessful examples of connection authentication, referring to Figures 5 through 7. (Example of successful connection authentication) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a successful connection authentication example when both the power adapter 1 and the electronic device 2 are genuine products.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, first, the AC plug 5 of the power adapter 1 is connected to the outlet 4, and the DC plug 6dc of the power adapter 1 is connected to the inlet 2in of the electronic device 2 (step S11). As a result, the power adapter 1 outputs a backup voltage (step S12), and the backup voltage is input to the electronic device 2 (step S13).

[0059] Next, the electronic device 2 and the power adapter 1 (specifically, the master 24 and the slave 19) perform the aforementioned authentication process via serial communication using the DC power cable 6 as the transmission path (step S14). In the example shown in Figure 5, since both the power adapter 1 and the electronic device 2 are genuine products, the master 24 of the electronic device 2 determines the certification result to be compliant.

[0060] In this case, the master 24 of the electronic device 2 requests a voltage change from the power adapter 1 (step S15). The slave 19 of the power adapter 1 outputs the rated voltage in response to the request (step S16) and sends a response of the voltage change to the electronic device 2 (step S17). Upon receiving the response, the master 24 of the electronic device 2 switches the first power supply unit 22 to ON (step S18). This activates the internal circuit 21 and starts the original functions of the electronic device 2 (such as communication with the OLT in the case of an ONU).

[0061] (Example of connection authentication failure 1) Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a connection authentication failure. This failure example is a case where electronic device 2 is a genuine product, but power adapter 1 is a non-genuine product (hereinafter referred to as "power adapter 1NG").

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, first, the AC plug 5 of the power adapter 1NG is connected to the outlet 4, and the DC plug 6dc is connected to the inlet 2in of the electronic device 2 (step S21). As a result, the power adapter 1NG outputs a predetermined voltage (step S22), and the predetermined voltage is input to the electronic device 2 (step S23).

[0063] Note that the specified voltage mentioned above may be the same as the backup voltage (e.g., 3.3V), but it is more often different. Also, since the power adapter 1NG does not have a function to switch the output voltage in stages according to the request obtained via serial communication, it continues to output the specified voltage (step S26).

[0064] Next, electronic device 2 (specifically master 24) attempts the aforementioned authentication process via serial communication using the DC power cable 6 as the transmission path (step S24), but serial communication fails to be established because the power adapter 1NG is a counterfeit product. Alternatively, even if communication is established, the authentication information received from power adapter 1 and the authentication information held by electronic device 2 will not match. Therefore, the master 24 of the electronic device 2 determines that it is unsuitable and keeps the first power supply unit 22 off (step S25). As a result, the internal circuit 21 remains inactive, and the electronic device 2 cannot start its intended functions (such as communication with the OLT in the case of an ONU).

[0065] (Example of connection authentication failure 2) Figure 7 is a flowchart showing other examples of connection authentication failures. This failure example is a case where power adapter 1 is a genuine product, but electronic device 2 is a counterfeit product (hereinafter referred to as "electronic device 2NG").

[0066] As shown in Figure 7, first, the AC plug 5 of the power adapter 1 is connected to the outlet 4, and the DC plug 6dc of the power adapter 1 is connected to the inlet 2in of the electronic device 2NG (step S21). As a result, the power adapter 1 outputs a backup voltage (step S32), and the backup voltage is input to the electronic device 2NG (step S33).

[0067] The genuine power adapter 1 (specifically slave 19) is capable of serial communication using the DC power cable 6 as the transmission path. However, in the example in Figure 7, since the electronic device 2NG is a counterfeit product, serial communication does not start (step S34), and the slave 19 cannot receive a request for a voltage change (step S35). Therefore, the power adapter 1 continues to output the backup voltage (step S36).

[0068] Meanwhile, the electronic device 2NG remains inoperable because it does not reach the rated voltage of the internal circuit 21 (step S37). In other words, even in the case of non-genuine electronic equipment 2NG, the rated voltage of the internal circuit 21 is usually significantly higher than the backup voltage, so the internal circuit 21 remains unactivated. Consequently, the electronic equipment 2NG cannot start its intended functions (such as communication with the OLT in the case of an ONU). The specific reasons are as follows, for example.

[0069] If the rated voltage is 12V and the backup voltage is 3.3V, the ratio is 3.6 times. Also, the power supply voltage for logic circuits is typically +5V or +3.3V. Furthermore, when creating a power supply voltage for logic circuits from the rated voltage, for example, a standard 3-terminal regulator requires an input / output voltage difference (dropout voltage) of about 2V. Therefore, assuming a +3.3V for the logic circuit and a 2V for the dropout, if the voltage is less than the sum of the two, which is 5.3V, the operation of the internal circuit 21 will usually be difficult.

[0070] [Example of a communication system configuration] Figure 8 is a network connection diagram showing an example of the communication system 200. The communication system 200 in Figure 8 is a Passive Optical Network (PON) system in which multiple ONUs 50 are connected to an ODN (Optical Distribution Network) 60 in a P2MP (Point To Multi Point) configuration.

[0071] Since PON conforms to Ethernet (registered trademark), the OLT70 can manage and control the ONU50 under its control based on Ethernet OAM (Operations, Administration, Maintenance), etc. Specifically, the OLT70 can, for example, communicate OAM frames with the MAC (Media Access Control) chip of the PON included in the internal circuit 21 of the subordinate ONU50, thereby enabling the ONU50 to perform fault diagnosis within the device.

[0072] The ONU50 includes the aforementioned electronic device (ONU) 2, which is capable of serial communication with the power adapter 1. The controller 24 of the electronic device 2 transmits a message to the MAC chip (communication circuit) of the internal circuit 21 if the certification result is non-compliant. In this case, if the MAC chip notifies the external device OLT70 via an OAM frame or similar means that the authentication result is non-compliant, it will be able to inform the telecommunications carrier that a non-genuine power adapter has been connected.

[0073] As shown in Figure 8, the power adapter 1 connected to the ONU 2 has a temperature sensor 33 connected to the controller 19. When the controller 19 of the power adapter 1 has been at or above a predetermined temperature threshold (e.g., 60 degrees Celsius) for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or longer, it executes the following process.

[0074] Degradation process: Switch the control signal S0 to off, changing the rated output to a backup output. Alarm processing: Notifies the controller 24 of ONU2 of the occurrence of an abnormality. Performing the above degradation process will suppress the temperature rise of the power adapter 1. By performing the above alarm processing, the ONU2 can be notified of an abnormality caused by a temperature rise in the power adapter 1. In this case, the user can be notified of the abnormality in the power adapter 1, for example, by flashing an LED of a predetermined color.

[0075] Alternatively, the MAC chip in the internal circuit 21 may generate an OAM frame indicating an abnormality in the power adapter 1 and transmit the generated OAM frame to the OLT 70. In this way, if the power adapter 1 notifies the ONU2 of its own malfunction via serial communication, the scope of OAM management by the OLT70 can be extended to include the power adapter 1 connected to the ONU2.

[0076] [Other variations] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims.

[0077] In the embodiment described above, the output of the power adapter 1 may be only the rated output, rather than having two stages: rated output and backup output. In this case, the genuine power adapter 1 can also supply power to the non-genuine electronic device 2NG that operates at the rated output.

[0078] In the embodiments described above, the controller 19 of the power adapter 1 and the controller 25 of the electronic device 2 are not limited to a single-chip communication IC. Specifically, the controllers 19 and 24 may be programmable communication units, for example, consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and storage for storing computer programs, authentication information, and the like.

[0079] In the embodiments described above, the electronic device 2 is not limited to the ONU2, but may be a communication device other than optical communication, such as a home gateway or a wireless LAN router. Furthermore, the electronic device 2 may be a home appliance or the like, whose primary function is not communication. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1 Power adapter 1A AC / DC converter 1B Output Control Unit 2 Electronic equipment (ONU, home equipment) 2i Inlet 2p,2n DC wire 3 AC power supply 4 outlets 5 AC plug 6 Power Cable 6p,6n conductor 7 Fiber optic cable 8 connection ports 9 LAN ports 10 cabinets 11 Rectifier circuit 12 Smoothing Capacitors 13 High-frequency transformer 14 Switching elements 15 Rectifier circuit 16 Smoothing Capacitor 17 Power supply section 18 Drive Circuit 19. Controller (Slave, Second Controller) 19A Memory 20 cabinets 21 Internal circuit 22 1st power supply section 23 2nd power supply section 24 Controllers (Master, Controller 1) 24A memory 30 coils 31 Transmission lines 32 Capacitors 33 Temperature Sensor 40 coils 41 Transmission lines 42 Capacitors 50 ONU 60 ODN 70 OLT (station side device, external device) 100 Connection Authentication System 200 Communication Systems

Claims

1. A power adapter that converts AC power to DC, A connection authentication system comprising an electronic device powered by the DC power cable of the aforementioned power adapter, The aforementioned electronic device is It has a first controller that performs serial communication using the DC power cable as the transmission path, The aforementioned power adapter is The system includes the first controller and a second controller that performs serial communication. The second controller is, The authentication information is transmitted to the first controller. The first controller is, A connection authentication system that determines whether the power adapter is compatible with the device based on the received authentication information.

2. The aforementioned electronic device further, It has internal circuits that perform the basic functions of the aircraft, The first controller is, The connection authentication system according to claim 1, wherein if the authentication result is compliant, power supply to the internal circuit is permitted, and if the authentication result is non-compliant, power supply to the internal circuit is cut off.

3. The aforementioned internal circuit is It has a communication circuit that is responsible for communication with external devices, The first controller is, The connection authentication system according to claim 2, wherein if the authentication result is non-compliant, a message to that effect is transmitted to the communication circuit.

4. The aforementioned power adapter further, The power adapter has a drive circuit that allows adjustment of the output, The second controller is, The connection authentication system according to claim 1, wherein in the initial state, the following auxiliary output is instructed to the drive circuit, and in response to a request made by the first controller on the condition that the authentication result is satisfactory, the following rated output is instructed to the drive circuit. Rated output: Output capable of generating the rated current at the rated voltage. Reserve output: An output that limits at least one of the output voltage and current to below the rated value, thereby activating the first controller but not the internal circuitry of the electronic device.

5. The aforementioned power adapter further, It has a temperature sensor to measure the internal temperature of the machine, The second controller is, The connection authentication system according to claim 4, wherein if the internal temperature remains above a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time or longer, at least one of the following processes is performed. Degradation process: A process that changes the rated output to a backup output. Alarm processing: Processing to notify the first controller of a power adapter malfunction.

6. The first controller is, The connection authentication system according to claim 5, wherein when the second controller notifies the system of the occurrence of the abnormality, the power supply to the internal circuit is cut off.

7. The connection authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the communication standard for the serial communication is 1-Wire.

8. A power adapter that converts AC power to DC power, A DC power cable for supplying the converted DC to an external power source, A controller that operates using the converted DC and performs serial communication using the DC power cable as the transmission path, The aforementioned controller, A power adapter that transmits authentication information via the aforementioned serial communication.

9. Electronic equipment powered by a DC power cable of a power adapter that converts AC power to DC power, A DC power cable connected to the conductor of the aforementioned DC power cable, The system includes a controller that operates by power supplied from the DC power line and performs serial communication using the DC power cable as the transmission path, The aforementioned controller, An electronic device that determines whether the power adapter is compatible with the device based on authentication information received via the serial communication.

10. A method for determining the suitability of a connection between a power adapter that converts AC power to DC power and an electronic device powered by the DC power cable of the power adapter, The aforementioned electronic device is It has a first controller that performs serial communication using the DC power cable as the transmission path, The aforementioned power adapter is The system includes the first controller and a second controller that performs serial communication. The aforementioned method, The second controller transmits authentication information to the first controller, A method for determining connection suitability, comprising the step of the first controller determining whether the power adapter is compatible with the device based on the received authentication information.

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