U.S. patent application number 13/210648 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-08 for method of line-switching and connection for a connector with a combo port.
This patent application is currently assigned to ARCADYAN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to WEI-RONG CHIANG, CHIH-FANG LEE.
Application Number | 20120057694 13/210648 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44764569 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120057694 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; CHIH-FANG ; et
al. |
March 8, 2012 |
METHOD OF LINE-SWITCHING AND CONNECTION FOR A CONNECTOR WITH A
COMBO PORT
Abstract
Provided is a method of line-switching and connection for a
connector with a combo port. The method is particularly adapted to
the connector compatible with two or more link types. The method is
to switch the wires to connect a specific link based on the
detection of connector type. The step is firstly to initialize the
system with the connector. A detecting circuit is configured to
detect the type of connector which is plugged into the combo port.
The detection covers the physical layer and protocol related to the
plugged connector. An automatic switching process is then performed
to establish a connection in compliance with the connector type
chosen by a controller. In one embodiment, the connector with combo
port particularly meets the requirements of connections to RJ-45
connector and RJ-11 connector. After the switching process, the
adapted connection is implemented with required configurations.
Inventors: |
LEE; CHIH-FANG; (TAINAN
CITY, TW) ; CHIANG; WEI-RONG; (HSINCHU COUNTY,
TW) |
Assignee: |
ARCADYAN TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATION
HSINCHU
TW
|
Family ID: |
44764569 |
Appl. No.: |
13/210648 |
Filed: |
August 16, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61380805 |
Sep 8, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
379/423 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 2213/0038 20130101;
H04L 25/0272 20130101; H04L 12/413 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
379/423 |
International
Class: |
H04M 9/00 20060101
H04M009/00 |
Claims
1. A line switching method for a connecting apparatus with a combo
port, comprising: initializing the connecting apparatus with a
combo port, including an initial configuration of connection of the
connecting apparatus with a combo port; detecting a type of
connection plugged into the connecting apparatus with a combo port
according to a physical layer and communication protocol of the
connection; and performing an automatic switching process by a
connector controller to switch one of the line combinations
corresponding to the connection type.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic switching process
is to switch a plurality of connectors with various numbers of
electrical contacts corresponding to the connecting apparatus with
a combo port.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the every connector includes at
least one RJ-45 connector and one RJ-11 connector.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the connecting apparatus with a
combo port is a connector with eight pins, and the switching
process is to switch route of the eight pins correspondingly
connected to the RJ-45 connector, or to switch route of the six
pins correspondingly connected to the RJ-11 connector.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic switching process
is performed by a relay circuit, which generates a switching signal
for the switching in response to detection result.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of line
combinations comprise: unshared lines, in which the connectors with
various numbers of electrical contacts do not have shared
electrical contacts; and shared lines, in which the connectors with
various numbers of electrical contacts have the shared electrical
contacts.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein, an RJ-45 connector in compliance
with 10/100 BASE and an RJ-11 connector form the unshared lines;
the RJ-45 connector for 1000 BASE standard has shared lines with
the RJ-11 connector.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein port of the connecting apparatus
with a combo port has a plurality of electrical contacts linked
with a plurality of metal wires, and the metal wires are divided
into several line combinations, which are respectively linked to a
first connection module and a second connection module.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first connection module is
circuit module for Digital subscriber line, and the second
connection module is circuit module for Ethernet network.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the switching process is to
switch one of the line combinations, and the combinations are
applied to: an RJ-11 connector, in compliance with standard of an
Digital subscriber line, connected to circuit module of the Digital
subscriber line; an RJ-45 connector, in compliance with 10 BASE-T
or 100 BASE-TX standard, connected to circuit module of an Ethernet
network; and wherein, the RJ-45 connector corresponds to a 1000
BASE-T standard circuit and connects to the circuit module of the
Ethernet network.
11. A connecting method for a connecting apparatus with a combo
port, comprising: initializing the connecting apparatus with a
combo port, including configuration of connection of the connecting
apparatus with a combo port; detecting type of a connection plugged
into the connecting apparatus with a combo port, in which the
connection type is determined according to physical layer and
communication protocol of the connection; performing an automatic
switching process, by a connector controller, to switch a line
combination corresponding to the detected connection type; and
initiating a connecting process, wherein the connector controller
performs the connecting process according to the detected
connecting type.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the automatic switching process
is performed to switch the lines of connecting apparatus with a
combo port with corresponding an RJ-45 connector or an RJ-11
connector, in which the RJ-45 connector and the RJ-11 connector
have different numbers of electrical contacts.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the connecting apparatus with a
combo port is a connector with eight pins, and the automatic
switching process is performed to switch the pins to
correspondingly connect the RJ-45 connector having eight pins, or
to connect the RJ-11 connector having six pins.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching process is
implemented as a relay circuit, which generates a switching signal
for performing the switching according to a detection result from
the detecting process.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the line combinations include:
unshared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of
electrical contacts do not have shared electrical contacts; and
shared lines, in which the connectors with various numbers of
electrical contacts have the shared electrical contacts.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein, an RJ-45 connector in
compliance with 10/100 BASE and an RJ-11 connector form the
unshared lines; the RJ-45 connector for 1000 BASE standard has
shared lines with the RJ-11 connector.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of switching the line
combinations is to switch the circuit modules including: an RJ-45
connector, in compliance with 10 BASE-T or 100 BASE-TX standard,
connected to circuit module of an Ethernet network; the RJ-45
connector, in compliance with 1000 BASE-T standard, connected to
circuit module of the Ethernet network; and an RJ-11 connector, in
compliance with standard of a Digital subscriber line, connected to
circuit module of the Digital subscriber line.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating
connecting process including initiating the connection modes
including: configuring connection of Digital subscriber line
according to connection parameters provided by a service provider
of Digital subscriber line; and configuring Ethernet network
according to a LAN configuration of the Ethernet network.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the configuration includes: a
setting of dynamic host configuration protocol; a setting of
point-to-point protocol of the Ethernet network; and a setting of a
static network address.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the connecting apparatus with a
combo port includes a memory unit for storing the connection
configuration.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application is based on Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 61/380805, filed 8 Sep. 2010, currently pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The instant disclosure relates to a connecting apparatus
with a combo port and its line switching method, more particularly,
to the method for the network connecting apparatus with pin-shared
mechanism.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] With regard to the network arrangement, at least two types
of connecting ports are employed. RJ-45 serial port and RJ-11
telecommunication terminal are the general types of connectors.
8-pin RJ-45 connector is the preferred type used for bridging the
network devices including Switch, Router, Repeater, Hub, and
Bridge. The male connector is shown in FIG. 1(A), and the
corresponding female connector is such as shown in FIG. 1(B). The
pins of RJ-45 connector are indicated by numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7 and 8. Table 1 shows an example illustrating the definitions of
pins of the RJ-45 stranded wire with 10M/100M transmission rate
connector.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 pin Functionality Pin Indication 1 Data
transmission Tx+ 2 Data transmission Tx- 3 Data reception Rx+ 4 n/a
n/a 5 n/a n/a 6 Data reception Rx- 7 n/a n/a 8 n/a n/a
[0006] The table 1 shows some unused pins 4, 5, 7, 8 at 10/100
BASE, and these pins may be used for 1000M data rate. The stranded
wire with data transmission rate at 1000M may employ all pins. The
pin definitions are exemplarily illustrated in Table 2.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 pin Functionality Pin Indication 1 Duplex
data transmission and BI_DA+ reception (A+) 2 Duplex data
transmission and BI_DA- reception (A-) 3 Duplex data transmission
and BI_DB+ reception (B+) 4 Duplex data transmission and BI_DC+
reception (C+) 5 Duplex data transmission and BI_DC- reception (C-)
6 Duplex data transmission and BI_DB- reception (B-) 7 Duplex data
transmission and BI_DD+ reception (D+) 8 Duplex data transmission
and BI_DD- reception (D-)
[0007] Reference is made to the RJ-11 connector shown in FIG. 2. In
general application, RJ-11 includes 6 pins with definitions. Table
3 shows an exemplary example showing the definitions. The RJ-11
telecommunication port is generally used for the telephone line,
and also for application of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). xDSL
indicates that the telephone line is made of copper stranded wires.
The telephone line is thereby implemented as a network line through
the data transformation by a DSL modem. A multifunctional personal
computer may be equipped with both RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 pin Functionality Pin Indication 1 Data
transmission (-) E_TX- 2 Data reception (+) E_RX+ 3 Vocal telephone
(ground) Tip 4 Vocal telephone (electric) Ring 5 Data reception (-)
E_RX- 6 Data transmission (+) E_TX+
[0008] Thus the detailed description directed to the invention is
disclosed to provide a solution therefor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Based on the understand of the conventional eight pins of
the standard RJ-45 serial connector and the six pins RJ-11
telecommunication connector, they have a certain similarity.
Especially, the plugs and inside tenons of both conventional
connectors are interchangeable. The instant disclosure discloses a
combo-type connecting port integrating at least two standards of
connection. The combo-type connecting port includes a connecting
terminal compatible with an RJ-45 serial connector and an RJ-11
telecommunication connector.
[0010] According to one of the embodiments, the connecting
apparatus of the combo-type connecting port includes a connector
module, especially to the connecting terminal compatible with two
or more standards of connection. The connecting terminal includes a
plurality of electrical contacts and the extended metal wires. A
corresponding line switching method for this connecting apparatus
includes a first step of initializing process. Next, a detecting
circuit detects a connection type as a connection is plugged into
the connecting apparatus. For instance, the detection is configured
to determine the physical layer and communication protocol of the
connection. After that, a connector controller performs an
automatic switching process to switch one of the line combinations
according to the detected connecting type.
[0011] Since the connecting apparatus with a combo port may
supports various connectors with different numbers of electrical
contacts, the automatic switching process may switch the routes
based on the detection result. The connecting apparatus may
adequately conform to the RJ-45 connector having eight pins and the
RJ-45 connector with six pins.
[0012] In accordance with needs of the pins, the lines may be
categorized into several line combinations. The line combinations
include unshared lines and the shared lines. The connectors with
different numbers of electrical contacts may not have any
electrical contact shared with each other. For example, the 10/100
BASE lines and the lines for RJ-11 connector may not share any
contact. Furthermore, the connectors with the different numbers of
electrical contacts may have the shared electrical contacts. For
example, the 1000 BASE-enabled RJ-45 connector may have the
contacts shared with the RJ-11 connector in the current case.
[0013] According another aspect of the invention, the line
combinations in the switching process may include the lines of the
RJ-11 connector for Digital subscriber line, the lines of RJ-45
connector for 10 BASE-T or 100 BASE-TX standard of connection, and
the lines of RJ-45 connector for 1000 BASE-T standard of
connection.
[0014] After performing the line switching, a connecting process is
initiated. A connector controller in the connecting apparatus may
perform a connecting process based on a connecting type. The
connecting process includes configuring the connection according to
the connection parameters provided by the service provider of
Digital subscriber line (xDSL). Alternatively, the connecting
process is also for configuring the Ethernet network according to
the LAN configuration.
[0015] In one further aspect of the invention, a pin-shared
mechanism is introduced to both the RJ-45 connector and the RJ-11
connector. The line switching process is therefore conducted for
the connecting apparatus with a combo port for supporting 10
BASE-T, 100 BASE-TX, 1000 BASE-T and even the RJ-11 standards of
connection. A relay circuit, in one embodiment, is used to
implement the switching when it receives a switching signal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIGS. 1(A)(B) shows the schematic diagrams regarding a
conventional RJ-45 serial connector;
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional RJ-11
telecom connector;
[0018] FIG. 3 schematically shows a connecting apparatus with a
combo port applicable to a computer system in one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow of automatic connection adapted to
the connecting apparatus with a combo port in one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the connecting apparatus
with a combo port in one of the embodiments of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the connecting apparatus
in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 7 still shows a schematic diagram of the connecting
apparatus with a combo port in third embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 8 next shows a schematic diagram of the connecting
apparatus with a combo port in fourth embodiment of the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 9 is a first flow chart illustrating a connecting
method for the connecting apparatus with a combo port in accordance
with the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a second flow chart illustrating a connecting
method for the connecting apparatus with a combo port in accordance
with the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 11 illustrates a comprehensive process in accordance
with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art.
[0028] Network registered Jack includes some types, such as RJ-45
and RJ-11. The RJ-45 connector is a terminal of cable for data
transmission over a network. The types of connections are generally
made for the household network devices, such as router and hub, or
prepared between the network device and a computer system. Further,
the RJ-11 connector is usually adapted to the telephone line,
including the connection between the telephone line and the indoor
Digital subscriber line modem, such as the ADSL modem. The RJ-11
connector is also used for connecting the personal computer and the
modem for dialing up to the network.
[0029] One of the objectives in the instant disclosure is to
integrate the mentioned two standards of connection. A connecting
apparatus with a combo port is accordingly disclosed. In
particular, a combo-type connecting port is provided for
integrating the types of connections, especially to a female
connector therefor. The combo-type connecting port is electrically
connected with a detecting unit and a control circuit. The
detecting unit is used to detect a connection signal there-between.
The connection signal is made for confirming a connection mode, and
accordingly switching one of the connection modules for the various
types of connections.
[0030] Reference is made to FIG. 3, which describes a schematic
diagram of a connecting apparatus with a combo port in a computer
system in one embodiment. This connecting apparatus with a combo
port is particularly implemented in a main board 30 of a computer
system 3. One of the primary components is a connector module 303
on the main board 30. This connector module 303 is a combo-type
connecting port in compliance with two or more standards of
connection. The port is equipped with a plurality of electrical
contacts and the connected metal wires. The structure of connector
module 303 has a female connector housing, metal-made electrical
contacts, and the lines (not shown) connected to the main board 30.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, the combo-type connecting port
integrates the female connectors for the mentioned RJ-45 and RJ-11
connections. The related connector module 303 mostly has eight
pins.
[0031] The connecting apparatus with a combo port is exemplarily a
combo-type connecting port supporting various standards of
connection. An automatic detecting means is introduced to detecting
the connection standard as any connection plugged into the
combo-type connecting port automatically, especially through a
detecting circuit. Next, according to the detection result, a
switching means is introduced to conducting a line switching. The
related detection regards the electrical signals measured from the
state of the plugging physical layer. In other words, a specific
communication protocol for the contacts to be detected is
acquired.
[0032] In one of the embodiments of the disclosure, the mentioned
automatic detecting and switching means may be respectively
implemented as a connector control unit 305 and a detecting unit
307 as shown in the diagram of the connecting apparatus with a
combo port. For the purpose of supporting various standards of
connection, the connector module 303 is electrically connected with
the connector control unit 305 and the detecting unit 307. The
detecting unit 307 is to automatically detect the electrical
signals of the connecting terminal 301 plugged into the port of
connector module 303. Through the connecting relationship with
regard to the electrical signals of the electrical contacts, it is
able to acquire the property of connecting terminal 301 and also to
determine the standard of the connection source.
[0033] According to the embodiment, the detecting unit 307 is
electrically with a data processing unit 309. The data processing
unit 309 receives the signal property from the detecting unit 307,
and the process the signaling among the connections and data
processing. The data processing unit 309 also handles the network
packets forwarding and transmitting. In response to the detection
result, a control signal is generated. This control signal will be
transmitted to the connector control unit 305 for controlling the
line combination of the connector module 303 so as to comply a
specific standard of connection. The connector control unit 305 is
electrically connected with the data processing unit 309, and
functioned to receive the control signal from the data processing
unit 309. According to the control signal, a specific line
combination is allowed to implement the pin definition for the
RJ-45 serial connector or the 6-pin RJ-11 connector.
[0034] The connecting apparatus with a combo port includes a memory
unit 311, according to one of the embodiments, electrically
connected to the data processing unit 309 for storing user's
configurations to the apparatus. Or, the memory unit 311 is also
for storing the configurations which are ever detected. Thereby,
the connecting apparatus with a combo port may be configured to
control the line combination of the connector module 303 by
referring to the configurations stored in the memory unit 311 in
the future.
[0035] According to one further embodiment in accordance with the
present invention, the connector module 303 shown in FIG. 3 may be
a standalone device, but not installed on the main board. For
instance, the shown connector module (303) may be the device
connected to a handheld device or other systems through an adapter
such as a USB or other types of adapters.
[0036] To adapt to the connecting apparatus with a combo port, the
description of flow shown in FIG. 4 is as follows:
[0037] In the beginning of the method, such as step S401, the
system employing the connecting apparatus with a combo port is
initialized. The system is able to perform detection, controlling,
and data processing for the various connections. The initializing
process includes setting an initial connection. For example, a
switching state is confirmed to serve an RJ-45 connection mode, or
an RJ-11 connection mode.
[0038] Next, the system then detects the electrical property of the
connection plugged into the connecting apparatus with combo port
through a detecting circuit. The electrical property of the
connection includes a state of physical layer 41, linking with the
electrical contacts, and electrical signal of the electrical
contacts. The detection of the electrical property is allowed to
determine a communication protocol 42, and thereby to detect a
connecting type (step sS403).
[0039] In response to the detection result, the connector
controller performs a switching process (step S405). In an
exemplary example, the connector controller, according to the
result, switches the lines to a line combination corresponding to
the specified connecting type. The connecting apparatus with a
combo port is configured to correspond to the lines for the
connectors with various numbers of electrical contacts in the
automatic switching process. The exemplified connectors include an
RJ-45 connector and an RJ-11 connector, which are respectively
corresponding to eight and six pins. The mentioned switching
process serves to switching these pins.
[0040] Next, in step S407, a connecting process with corresponding
switched lines is performed. In an exemplary example, the types of
connection include Digital subscriber line (xDSL) 43 and Ethernet
network 44. The types respectively are adapted to different
connecting processes and the relevant parameters. After the
process, an automatic connection is achieved (step S411). For
speeding up the future setting, the related configuration of
connection is stored in the memory unit of the connecting apparatus
with a combo port. The related step S409 is thus described.
[0041] Following description is related to the several embodiments
for the connection switching.
First Embodiment
[0042] Table 4 shows a first embodiment of the specification
regarding 8-pin RJ-45 connector.
[0043] In the present embodiment, the connector may have a
plurality of electrical contacts, preferably eight pins and
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. This format is especially
applicable to the RJ-45 standard. The numbered pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
and 7 correspond to the format for RJ-11 connector, whose pins
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. In other words, there are six pins of
the eight pins of RJ-45 connector being shared with RJ-11
connector.
[0044] Regarding functionalities to the connecting apparatus, four
pins numbered 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the eight pins of RJ-45 connector
are adapted to the connection for Ethernet network. In one
embodiment, the pins of the mentioned standards in compliance with
10 BASE-T and 100 BASE-TX may be indicated as E_TX+, E_TX-, E_RX+,
and E_RX-. The pins 3 and 4 respectively indicate Tip and Ring,
which are applicable to xDSL connection. The general telephone line
is a 2-pin stranded wire.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 RJ-45 pins RJ-11 pins Functionality
Indication 1 Ethernet network E_TX+ 2 1 Ethernet network E_TX- 3 2
Ethernet network E_RX+ 4 3 xDSL Tip 5 4 xDSL Ring 6 5 Ethernet
network E_RX- 7 6 8
[0045] Further reference is made to FIG. 5, where a connecting
apparatus with a combo port 50 embodying an RJ-45 connector 501 is
shown. Eight pins and corresponding eight metal wires are provided.
The pins and the wires, in accordance with a specific standard of
connection, are shared with both first connection module 505 and
second connection module 506.
[0046] The metal wires may be divided into several line
combinations. The practical implementation for the 10 BASE-T or 100
BASE-TX standard adopts pins 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the eight pins. As
shown in the diagram, the line combination 502 having pins 1, 2, 3
and 6 is linked to the second connection module 506, which may be
the circuit module of Ethernet network. The line combination 503
having the pins 4 and 5 is linked to the first connection module
505, such as the circuit module of Digital subscriber line.
[0047] Reference is made to FIG. 4 showing a circuit arrangement.
The connecting apparatus 50 is configured to connect to the first
connection module 505 and the second connection module 506. This
apparatus 50 integrates at least two terminals with two standards
of connection. By referring to FIG. 3, the detecting unit is used
to detect the electrical signal as in connection to one of the
modules (505, 506). Then a suitable line combination (502 or 503)
may be selected. By means of automatically detecting the signal for
each pin, a certain line combination can be exactly switched rather
than the conventional configuration which needs to be reset firstly
before the connection.
Second Embodiment
[0048] Table 5 shows another embodiment related to the connecting
apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The pins of
RJ-45 connector are indicated as pins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
The pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are corresponding to the pins 1, 2, 3,
4, 5 and 6 of RJ-11 connector. The pins 2, 3, 6 and 7 of RJ-45
connector are adapted to connection of Ethernet network, and
indicated as E_TX-, E_RX+, E_RX- and E_TX+ correspondingly. The
pins 3 and 4 of RJ-11 connector are applicable to the network
connection of Digital subscriber line, and they are Tip and
Ring.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 RJ-45 pin RJ-11 pin Functionality Indication
1 2 1 Ethernet network E_TX- 3 2 Ethernet network E_RX+ 4 3 xDSL
Tip 5 4 xDSL Ring 6 5 Ethernet network E_RX- 7 6 Ethernet network
E_TX+ 8
[0049] The applications with respect to the pin definitions in
Table 5 may be referred to the embodiment described in FIG. 6.
[0050] The shown 8-pin RJ-45 connector 601 embodies the connecting
apparatus with a combo port 60 according to the invention. The pins
1 and 8 are disabled, and the pins 2, 3, 6 and 7 assemble a line
combination 602, especially applicable to the RJ-45 connector. This
line combination 602 is linked with the second connection module
606 exemplarily for the wiring of Ethernet network. The pins 4 and
5 form a line combination 603, which is linked with the first
connection module 605, applicable to wiring the RJ-11 connector.
RJ-11 connector may be used for the circuit module of Digital
subscriber line.
[0051] The detecting circuit is used to detect the electrical
signal as the connecting apparatus 60 is plugged with the RJ-45
connector 601. The associated connection format can therefore be
determined. A control circuit is used to switch the connection to
the first connection module 605 or to the second connection module
606 in response to the detected electrical signal.
Third Embodiment
[0052] The next Table 6 shows one further embodiment of the
connecting apparatus in accordance with the present invention. The
shown pins are exemplarily served for 10 BASE-T, 100 BASE-TX, 1000
BASE-T (the RJ-45), and RJ-11 standards of connection at one time.
The pins for RJ-45 connector are indicated by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
and 8. The pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 correspond to the pins 1, 2, 3,
4, 5 and 6 for RJ-11 connector. The connecting apparatus still
supports the transmission rate with 1000M (1000 BASE-T). When the
pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 of RJ-45 connector are adapted to
connection for Ethernet network, the pins may be identified by
E_AP, E_AN, E_BP, E_CP, E_CN, E_BN, E_DP, and E_DN. The pins 3 and
4 of RJ-11 connector are applicable to the connection of Digital
subscriber line. Meanwhile, the two pins can be identified by Tip
and Ring respectively. These two shared pins are also identified by
Tip/E_CP and Ring/E_CN.
TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 RJ-45 pin RJ-11 pin Functionality Indication
1 Ethernet network E_AP 2 1 Ethernet network E_AN 3 2 Ethernet
network E_BP 4 3 xDSL/Ethernet network Tip/E_CP 5 4 xDSL/Ethernet
network Ring/E_CN 6 5 Ethernet network E_BN 7 6 Ethernet network
E_DP 8 Ethernet network E_DN
[0053] FIG. 7 shows the embodiment associated with the Table 6.
[0054] RJ-45 connector 701 embodies the connector module of the
shown connecting apparatus with a combo port. The pins 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7 and 8 include at least two definitions of line
combinations. In which, the pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 form a line
combination 70, and the pins 4 and 5 assemble a line combination
702. The function of the line combination 702 may be switched by a
switching means. Therefore, the connecting apparatus can be adapted
to both xDSL and Ethernet network connections.
[0055] In the exemplary example, the switching means may be
implemented by a relay circuit 710 connected to the processing unit
709. The relay circuit 710 switches the line combinations in
response to a switching signal generated from the processing unit
709. The switching means is served in the midst of the line
combination 703 or of the line combination 704. The line
combination 703 is exemplarily connected to the first connection
module 707, and the line combination 704 is to the second
connection module 708. In one embodiment, the line combination 705
for the RJ-45 connector 701 is extended to assemble the line
combination 706 connected to the second connection module 708.
[0056] According to the embodiment described in FIG. 7, the
mentioned switching means, in response to the switching signal,
performs the switching between the first connection module 707 for
xDSL line and the second connection module 708 for Ethernet
network. Therefore, the connecting apparatus with a combo port is
allowed to supports at least two standards of connection. In the
preferred embodiment, the connecting apparatus can be served for 10
BASE-T, 100 BASE-TX, 1000 BASE-T, and RJ-11 standards. In
particular, the 1000 BASE-T connection uses the full eight pins of
RJ-45 connector. When the eight pins need to be shared with the
RJ-11 connector, the switching means may generate the switching
signal through the relay circuit 710, or other equivalent switching
mechanisms.
[0057] The described processing unit 709 may be implemented as the
connector control unit 305 shown in FIG. 3, or other processing
chip integrated with controlling, detection, and data
processing.
Fourth Embodiment
[0058] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment for standards including 10
BASE-T, 100 BASE-TX, 1000 BASE-T, and RJ-11 connections. An RJ-45
connector 801 embodies the connector module. Pins 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7 of 8 of the RJ-45 connector 801 are connected with a switching
module 810. The switching module 810 implements a switching action
among the standards of connection. In an exemplary example, the
switching module 810 performs the switching according to the
switching signal generated from the processing unit 809. The
switching module 810 then uses the different line combinations
(802, 803, 804, and 805) to link with a first connection module 807
and a second connection module 808.
[0059] The connector module supports 10 BASE-T, 100 BASE-TX, 1000
BASE-T, and RJ-11 connections. The switching module 810 shall
provide various switching modes for supporting the various
standards. When the detecting circuit checks any connection by 10
BASE-T or 100 BASE-TX, four pins of the connecting apparatus are
switched to the cline combination connected to the second
connection module 808, exemplarily for Ethernet network. Since the
detecting circuit detects the connection of 1000 BASE-T is
connected, eight pins thereof can be assembled for linking to the
same line combination of second connection module 808. Further, if
the RJ-11 connection is detected, only two pins of the port need to
be switched to conduct the connection to the first connection
module 807. The above-mentioned line combinations shall be
adequately configured to fit in with the specific connection,
including the user's configuration stored in the memory unit
(referred to FIG. 3) as required.
[0060] Furthermore, the 1000 BASE-T connection uses eight pins of
the port. Two pins, such as the shown pins 4 and 5, thereof are
shared with RJ-11 connector. The pins 4 and 5 may be switched to
serve the first connection module 807, for example the line
combination 802, by the switching module 810. Alternatively, the
second connection module 808, namely the line combination 803, may
be served by the pins 4 and 5 in the example. The line combination
803 may be assembled with the line combination 804 so as to form a
line combination 805, in which the eight pins are jointly serving
the second connection module 808.
[0061] The above-mentioned processing unit 809 can also be achieved
by the connector control unit 305 shown in FIG. 3, or the other
processing chip for performing controlling, detection, and data
processing.
[0062] In an exemplary embodiment of the connecting apparatus with
a combo port in accordance with the present invention, part of or
all associated connector module, detecting unit, connector control
unit and the data processing unit may be integrated into a chip in
a computer system. For example, a chip integrated with a detecting
circuit and a control circuit may be provided. The mentioned
functions may also be implemented in an IC to integrate the
Ethernet network circuits and the Digital subscriber line circuits.
The IC has capability of automatically detecting the connected
signal, and well providing a suitable line switching.
[0063] The relay circuit applicable to the automatic switching
process in accordance with the invention is configured to be a
default state in the initialization. FIG. 9 describes the
embodiment of the connecting method using the automation switching
process.
[0064] While the power supply is initiated (step S901), the system
with the exemplified connecting apparatus with a combo port is
firstly configured to be an xDSL connection mode (step S903). The
mentioned relay circuit is used to set the initial connection mode.
The other connection for Ethernet network is then specified to a
10/100 BASE connection mode (step S905).
[0065] After the xDSL connection mode is specified, such as S907,
the related xDSL connecting process is initiated, and
simultaneously detecting whether or not a connection for the
Ethernet network is connected (step S909). If there is not Ethernet
network being plugged into the port (no), the method goes to step
S911 in order to continue the xDSL connecting process. If there is
an Ethernet network connection existed (yes), the process may be
turned to step S915. In step S915, the connection is configured to
be the Ethernet network connection mode.
[0066] When the xDSL connecting process is processed in step S911,
the method goes to determine whether or not the xDSL connection is
accomplished (step S913). The present connection for Digital
subscriber line requires the parametric allocation provided by a
service provider (ISP). In the description of the figure, if the
xDSL connecting process is not yet finished (no), the process may
goes back to step S909. Otherwise, if the xDSL connection is
accomplished (yes), such as step S919, the related system can be
connected via xDSL connection (step S923).
[0067] In the step S909, when the connection for Ethernet network
is confirmed (yes), such as step S915, the system is configured to
be the Ethernet network connection mode, and simultaneously
canceling the initial xDSL connecting process. The present Ethernet
network connection is completed according to a LAN configuration
specified for the system. In an exemplary example for the
connection configuration, one of the possible embodiments may
perform a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). The DHCP
configuration is preferably conducted by a DHCP server.
Alternatively, the connection configuration for Ethernet network
employs a point-to-point protocol (PPPoE). The related service
provider is required to provide the connection parameters, such as
user account and password. Further, a specific server within the
local area network or the user himself may set a static network
address for the connection.
[0068] After the process of configuring the Ethernet network
connection, the method goes to step S917 for detecting whether or
not the Ethernet network is connection. If the connection for
Ethernet network is not yet connection (no), the method goes to
step S903 and repeats the above-described steps thereto. Otherwise,
if the connection for Ethernet network is accomplished (yes), the
system is processed with the Ethernet network (step S921), and the
connection is accomplished (step S923).
[0069] Reference is made to FIG. 10, which describes one further
flow related to the embodiment of the connecting method for the
connecting apparatus with a combo port.
[0070] In step S101, the connecting apparatus with a combo port is
powered on. In step S103, the related system initializes the
connecting apparatus in the beginning, in which the apparatus is
firstly configured to be an Ethernet network connection mode. Next,
the method for the apparatus goes to detect if any Ethernet network
is connected (step S105).
[0071] In response to the detection, if the system detects the
Ethernet network is connected (yes), such as step S111, the
relevant Ethernet network configuration is stored to be reference
for speeding up the future configuration. On the other hand, if
there is no Ethernet network connected (no), the system may be
configured to be an xDSL connection mode (step S107). Meanwhile, an
xDSL connecting process is initiated and also incorporating the
connection parameters provided by the service provider to
allocating the connection.
[0072] In next step S109, the system determines whether or not the
xDSL is connected. If the xDSL connection is not yet connected
(no), the system may perform the process as described in step S103,
and repeat the related steps. If the connection is accomplished
(yes), such as step S113, the configuration of xDSL connection is
stored (step S115).
[0073] References are made to the descriptions in FIG. 9 and FIG.
10. An initial connection mode is specified in the beginning of the
connecting method. During the process for establishing the
connection, if any connection is changed, an automatic switching
process is performed. The switching process, by means of switching,
switches the lines for the connecting apparatus with a combo port.
A relay circuit is preferably the solution to implement the
switching. The relay circuit generates a switching signal according
to the detection result. The switching signal may also be generated
by a processor of the system. The connecting apparatus with a combo
port employs the relay circuit to configure the shared lines, which
conduct the connectors with various numbers of electrical
contacts.
[0074] The embodiments described in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are the
exemplary examples. The shown RJ-45 connector supports 1000 BASE
standard and includes the lines shared with the RJ-11 connector.
Furthermore, the RJ-45 connector in compliance with 10/100 BASE
standard may not have the lines shared with the RJ-11 connector;
however, the RJ-45 connector and the RJ-11 connector still share
the port. The unshared lines are exemplified in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.
The RJ-11 connector and RJ-45 connector have different numbers of
electrical contacts. The combo-type connecting port available to
both RJ-11 and RJ-45 may not provide shared electrical contacts to
each other. Meantime, the relay circuit still implements the line
switching.
[0075] In particular, the line combinations adapted to the
embodiments of the invention are provided in the invention. The
line combination may be:
[0076] (1) lines of RJ-11 connector in compliance with the standard
of Digital subscriber line, and the lines are connected to a
circuit module for Digital subscriber line;
[0077] (2) lines of RJ-45 connector in compliance with 10 BASE-T or
100 BASE-TX standard of connection, and the lines are connected to
the circuit module for Ethernet network; or
[0078] (3) lines of RJ-45 connector in compliance with 1000 BASE-T
standard of connection, and the lines are connected to the circuit
module for Ethernet network.
[0079] FIG. 11 shows a comprehensive flow chart illustrating the
invention.
[0080] While the system with the connecting apparatus is powered on
(step S201), a detecting circuit is used to detect if any network
configuration and the related connection are existed (step S203),
especially in a memory. During the detection, if the network
configuration and connection exist (yes), the step S205 is
performed to configure a WLAN connection (step S219).
[0081] If there is no network configuration and related connection
existed in the default setting (no), an automatic connection
detection process is executed (step S207). The system particularly
generates an automatic detection instruction for the detection of
the various types of connections to the connecting apparatus with a
combo port.
[0082] According to the detection result made in step S207, the
system may create a report if no any connection is detected. The
report may be displayed to users through a screen or light signals.
If the connection is under the Ethernet network mode, such as step
S209, the connecting apparatus is configured to be a WLAN mode, and
the system acquires network-related parameters from a DHCP server.
The configuration of connection is then stored in a storage medium
(step S215). Alternatively, if the detection result shows the xDSL
is in connection, such as step S211, a scheme with VPI (Virtual
Path Identifier)/VCI (Virtual Circuit Identifier) automatic
detection may be exemplarily introduced. Through VPI/VCI detection,
the xDSL modem is able to recognize the operation for CO (Central
Office) end or CPE (Customer Premise Equipment). If the operation
is unrecognizable, the automatic detection fails (step S217), and
the system may then report the unrecognizable event. If the
recognition is successful, the method goes to step S213 for
performing LLC (Logical Link Control)/VCMUX (Virtual Circuit
Multiplexing).times.PPPoE/OA detection. In an exemplary embodiment,
the detection process is always performed to detect the xDSL
connection. Further, if the recognition fails, such a step S217,
the system generates report. If the recognition is successful, the
related configuration is stored (step S215), and the connection is
accomplished (step S219).
[0083] Since the provision of the described line switching,
detection, and connection is applicable to the combo-type
connector, the system with the connecting apparatus provides a
scheme integrating the various automatic connection detecting
methods. In the summation of the above description, the described
connecting apparatus with a combo port introduces the pin-sharing
mechanism to be in compliance with various standards of connection.
The connection detection and automatic switch-controlling means are
exemplarily incorporated into the invention for the purpose of
pin-sharing scheme.
[0084] It is intended that the specification and depicted
embodiment be considered exemplary only, with a true scope and
spirit of the invention being indicated by the broad meaning of the
following claims.
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