USB Receptacle Liquid Detection Across Arbitrary Pin Pairs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid detection systems in USB interconnects, such as Type-C ports, are inadequate in detecting liquid presence between pins other than Side Band Use (SBU) pins and ground, and rely on imprecise interrupt mechanisms, which can miss instances of liquid exposure leading to potential electrical damage.
Innovation Solution
A data interconnect system with a switching network that couples each pin to a node, creating a current path with a resistor to ground, allowing for precise voltage measurement to detect liquid presence between any arbitrary pins, ground, or power supply, eliminating the need for interrupt-based detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If interrupt-based liquid detection is used, then the system can detect liquid between SBU pins and ground, but it cannot detect liquid between other pins and has imprecise detection
Solution Approach 1:
The switching network enables a single detection circuit to universally detect liquid between any pin pair by dynamically configuring which pins are connected to the detection node, transforming a specialized SBU-to-ground detector into a general-purpose pin-to-pin liquid detection system
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the detection circuit by closing different switching devices to connect various pin pairs to the detection node, allowing the detection target to change adaptively rather than being fixed to a specific pin configuration
2Adaptability or versatility
If a switching network with parallel switching devices is used, then liquid detection between any pins is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system is segmented into independent switching devices, each controlling connection to a specific pin, allowing modular configuration and independent control of each pin's connection state to the detection node
Solution Approach 2:
A detection node serves as an intermediary that receives connections from multiple pins through switching devices and provides a unified interface to the liquid detection circuit, simplifying the overall architecture by centralizing the detection function
3Measurement precision
If voltage measurement is used for liquid detection, then precise detection is achieved, but the system requires additional circuit components
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid detection circuit is merged with the existing USB Type-C protection circuitry, sharing common components such as the switching network, detection node, and processing logic, thereby achieving precise detection without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides robust liquid detection between any pins, ground, or power supply, reducing the risk of electrical damage by accurately identifying liquid presence and enabling timely protective actions, such as putting the receptacle in sink mode or reducing voltage.
Implementation Method 1
A data interconnect system with a switching network that couples each pin to a node, creating a current path with a resistor to ground, allowing for precise voltage measurement to detect liquid presence between any arbitrary pins
Data Source
AI summary
A data interconnect system includes: a plurality of pins arranged within a receptacle, a first one of the pins being a power pin, wherein the pins are electrically isolated from each other within the receptacle; a first switching network including a first plurality of parallel switching devices, each of the parallel switching devices of the first plurality of parallel switching devices coupling a respective one of the pins to a node; a first current path from the node to ground, the first current path including a current device; and a second current path, parallel to the first current path, the second current path including a resistor coupling the node to ground.