Patent Publication Number: US-11025020-B2

Title: Peripheral device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 107147189, filed on Dec. 26, 2018. The entire content of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a peripheral device, and more particularly to a peripheral device having a connector receptacle capable of identifying a master-slave mode. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     With the increasing number of electronic devices, the corresponding increase of transmission cables is inevitable. However, the most convenient way for users to obtain cables, e.g., USB cables, is through the manufacturer. 
     When the mobile phone or tablet computer needs to control peripheral devices in a master mode, a specific OTG (On the Go) cable is required, which contains five core wires corresponding to five output terminals of a connector port. Aside from a power positive terminal, a power negative terminal, a signal positive terminal, and a signal negative terminal, one signal terminal is further provided. In light of the foregoing, the purchase and storage of cables can greatly inconvenience users thereof. 
     Therefore, providing a peripheral device that reduces the purchase cost of cables for users is an important issue in the industry. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present disclosure provides a peripheral device having a connector receptacle that is capable of identifying a master-slave relationship. The peripheral device having a connector receptacle that is capable of identifying a master-slave relationship includes a body and a connector module disposed on the peripheral device body. The connector module includes a processing unit, an energy storage unit electrically connected to the processing unit to provide power to the processing unit, and a connector receptacle electrically connected to the processing unit. The connector receptacle is a Type-A universal serial bus connection receptacle. The connector receptacle includes a power positive terminal, a power negative terminal, a signal positive terminal, and a signal negative terminal. When the connector module is connected to an electronic device through the power positive terminal, the power negative terminal, the signal positive terminal, the signal negative terminal, and a transmission cable, the processing unit transmits a notification signal to the electronic device through the positive terminal of the signal and the negative terminal of the signal to notify the electronic device that the electronic device does not need to provide power to the peripheral device. 
     In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a peripheral device having a connector module capable of identifying a master-slave mode. The peripheral device having a connector module capable of identifying a master-slave mode includes a body, and a connector module disposed on the peripheral device body. The connector module includes: a processing unit; an energy storage unit electrically connected to the processing unit to provide power to the processing unit; and a connector receptacle electrically connected to the processing unit. The connector receptacle is a Type-A universal serial bus receptacle. The connector receptacle includes a power positive terminal, and a power negative terminal, a signal positive terminal, and a signal negative terminal. When the connector module is connected to an electronic device through the power positive terminal, the power negative terminal, the signal positive terminal, the signal negative terminal of the connector receptacle, and a transmission cable, the processing unit transmits a notification signal to the electronic device through the signal positive terminal and the signal negative terminal to notify the electronic device to switch from a slave mode to a master mode. 
     Therefore, the peripheral device of the embodiment of the present disclosure can achieve the OTG (On the Go) function by using the connector module capable of identifying a master-slave mode and the common four-core transmission cable. The purchase cost can therefore be greatly reduced for a user. 
     These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a peripheral device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a peripheral device electrically connected to an electronic device through a transmission cable according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of another peripheral device electrically connected to an electronic device through a transmission cable according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure. 
     The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. 
     Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first”, “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a peripheral device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a peripheral device electrically connected to an electronic device through a transmission cable according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     In the embodiment, a peripheral device  1  includes a body  10  and a connector module  11 . The connector module  11  is disposed on the body  10 . 
     In the embodiment, the body  10  is a mouse pad. In other embodiments, the body  10  may be other peripheral devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch pad, or a tablet. 
     The connector module  11  includes a processing unit  111 , a connector receptacle  112 , and an energy storage unit  113 . 
     The energy storage unit  113  is electrically connected to the processing unit  111  for supplying power to the processing unit  111 . The connector receptacle  112  is electrically connected to the processing unit  111 . 
     In the embodiment, the connector receptacle  112  is a Type-A universal serial bus receptacle (USB receptacle). The connector receptacle  112  includes a power positive terminal (not shown), a power negative terminal (not shown), a signal positive terminal (not shown), and a signal negative terminal (not shown). 
     When the connector module  11  is connected to an electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown) of the connector receptacle  112 , the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal (not shown), the processing unit  111  detects whether the electronic device  3  is in a master mode or a slave mode. In the embodiment, the signal negative terminal (not shown) is a ground terminal. 
     When the connector module  11  is connected to the electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown), the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal (not shown) of the connector receptacle  112 , and the electronic device  3  is in the slave mode, the processing unit  111  transmits a notification signal to the electronic device  3  through the signal positive terminal (not shown) and the signal negative terminal (not shown). Therefore, the electronic device  3  is notified to switch from the slave mode to the master mode. Furthermore, the electronic device  3  is also notified that it is not necessary to provide power to the peripheral device  1 . 
     In other words, when the connector module  11  is connected to the electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown), the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal (not shown) of the connector receptacle  112 , and the transmission cable  2 , the electronic device  3  is in a master mode. 
     In the embodiment, the processing unit  111  transmits a notification signal to the electronic device  3  through the signal positive terminal (not shown) and the signal negative terminal (not shown) of the connector receptacle  112  by a first custom protocol. 
     In the embodiment, the peripheral device  1  includes a keyboard, a mouse, a mouse pad, a touch pad, a tablet, and a wearable electronic device, but is not limited thereto in the present disclosure. The electronic device  3  includes a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch, and a wearable electronic device, but is not limited thereto in the present disclosure. 
     In the master mode, the user can read a data of the peripheral device  1  through the electronic device  3 . A control signal can be transmitted to the electronic device  3  by the user through the peripheral device  1 . For example, in the embodiment, when the peripheral device  1  is a mouse or a keyboard, and the electronic device  3  is electrically connected to the peripheral device  1 , the peripheral device  1  can transmit a control signal to the electronic device  3  to move the cursor or input a message. 
     The transmission cable  2  includes a first connection module  2 A, a cable body  20  and a second connection module  2 B. The first connection module  2 A is a male connector, In other words, the first connection module  2 A is a male connector corresponding to the connector receptacle  112 . In the embodiment, the first connection module  2 A is a Type-A universal serial bus connector. 
     The second connection module  2 B includes: a Type-A universal serial bus connector, a lightning connector, and a micro universal serial bus connector (Micro USB). 
     In the embodiment, the connector receptacle  112  is a Type-A universal serial bus bar receptacle. The transmission cable  2  is a four-core cable. At present, the transmission cable of a mobile phone or a tablet computer on the market generally includes a four-core cable or a five-core cable, which includes four wires or five wires. However, one of the wires of the five-core cable is used for electromagnetic shielding. In other words, the additional wire is wound around the outside of the four wires and electrically connected to the power negative terminal (not shown), namely, the additional wire is electrically connected to the ground. In other words, even if the five-core cable includes five wires, the output of the five-core cable only includes four terminals. 
     However, an OTG (On the Go) transmission cable includes five wires and five terminals, which is different from the common four-core transmission cable. 
     In the embodiment, the energy storage unit  113  includes a battery, a super capacitor, or a DC-DC transformer module, but can be adjusted according to actual requirements, and is not limited in the present disclosure. 
     Reference is made to  FIG. 3 , which is a schematic diagram of another peripheral device electrically connected to an electronic device through a transmission cable according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     In the embodiment, the peripheral device  1 ′ of  FIG. 3  is similar to the peripheral device  1  of  FIG. 2 , however, the difference is that the body  10 ′ of the peripheral device  1 ′ is a keyboard. Therefore, the peripheral device  1 ′ can be electrically connected to the electronic device  3  through the connector module  11 ′ and the transmission cable  2 . 
     In other words, when the connector module  11 ′ is connected to an electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown), the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal of the connector receptacle  112 ′ and the transmission cable  2 , the processing unit  111 ′ detects whether the electronic device  3  is in a master mode or a slave mode. 
     When the connector module  11 ′ is connected to the electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown), the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal of the connector receptacle  112 ′ and the transmission cable  2 , and the electronic device  3  is in the slave mode, the processing unit  111 ′ transmits a notification signal to the electronic device through the signal positive terminal (not shown) and the signal negative terminal (not shown) such that the electronic device  3  is switched from the slave mode to the master mode. Furthermore, the electronic device  3  is notified that it is not necessary to provide power to the peripheral device  1 . 
     In other words, when the connector module  11 ′ is connected to the electronic device  3  through the power positive terminal (not shown), the power negative terminal (not shown), the signal positive terminal (not shown), and the signal negative terminal of the connector receptacle  112 ′ and the transmission cable  2 , the electronic device  3  is in the master mode. 
     In the master mode, the user can transmit a control signal to the electronic device  3  through the peripheral device  1 ′. In the embodiment, the peripheral device  1 ′ can transmit a control signal to the electronic device  3  to input a message. 
     For example, when the peripheral device  1  is a mouse, and is connected to a mobile phone through the connector module  11  or the connector module  11 ′ of the previous embodiment, the peripheral device  1  (i.e., the mouse) transmits a notification signal to the mobile phone through the signal positive terminal (not shown) and the signal negative terminal (not shown) to notify the mobile phone to be switched from the slave mode to the master mode. Furthermore, the mobile phone is also notified that it is not necessary to provide power to the peripheral device  1  (mouse). 
     In conclusion, the peripheral device of the embodiment of the present disclosure can achieve the OTG (On the Go) function by using the connector module capable of identifying a master-slave mode and the common four-core transmission cable. The purchase cost can therefore be greatly reduced for a user. 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.