Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7912668?dq=6,418,462
Timestamp: 2015-05-29 18:59:57
Document Index: 456744384

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 03761308', 'Application No. 05759775', 'Application No. 05760317', 'Application No. 200580016297', 'Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 2007', 'Application No. 03761308', 'Application No. 05759775', 'Application No. 05760317']

Patent US7912668 - System for determining the true electrical characteristics of a device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA system and method for determining the true electrical characteristics of a device. A codec is configured to measure at least one electrical characteristic of a device connected to a jack and to identify the device based on the measured electrical characteristics. An updateable database is populated...http://www.google.com/patents/US7912668?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7912668 - System for determining the true electrical characteristics of a deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7912668 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/865,458Publication dateMar 22, 2011Filing dateJun 10, 2004Priority dateJun 24, 2002Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN100590572C, CN101107583A, CN101794170A, EP1754287A2, EP1754287A4, US20040259435, US20100112875, WO2005124939A2, WO2005124939A3Publication number10865458, 865458, US 7912668 B2, US 7912668B2, US-B2-7912668, US7912668 B2, US7912668B2InventorsGeorge Stephan, Frederick Loeb, John Howley, Ludgero Leonardo, Stuart PattersonOriginal AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (49), Non-Patent Citations (22), Classifications (13), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSystem for determining the true electrical characteristics of a device
US 7912668 B2Abstract
A system and method for determining the true electrical characteristics of a device. A codec is configured to measure at least one electrical characteristic of a device connected to a jack and to identify the device based on the measured electrical characteristics. An updateable database is populated with application circuit information and a software routine is responsive to the measured electrical characteristic and configured to adjust the electrical characteristics measured by the codec based on the application circuit information in the database.
1. A system for determining the true electrical characteristic of a device, the system comprising:
a codec circuitry that measures at least one electrical characteristic of a device connected to a jack and identifies the device based on the measured electrical characteristic;
an updateable database stored on a non-transitory computer readable memory and populated with application circuit information regarding the current configuration of one or more application circuits coupled between the jack and the codec circuitry; and
a processing module including a processor and a memory storing computer readable and executable instructions that enable the processing module to receive the measured electrical characteristic from the codec circuitry, adjust the electrical characteristic measured by the codec circuitry based on the application circuit information in the updatable database, and update the application circuit information populating the updatable database if the configuration of an application circuit changes such that upon updating the updatable database the codec circuitry correctly identifies a device plugged into a jack.
2. The system of claim 1 in which the updateable database is populated with resistance and capacitance values for the resistors and capacitors in the application circuit information.
3. The system of claim 2 in which the updateable database is initially populated with default design resistance and capacitance values.
4. The system of claim 3 further including a routine for changing the default design resistance and capacitance values to reflect changes thereto.
5. The system of claim 1 in which the software routine is implemented in a codec driver responsive to the register of the codec containing the measured electrical characteristic and the identification of the device.
6. The system of claim 5 further including a middleware application responsive to the codec driver configured to more accurately identify the device based on the adjusted electrical characteristic.
7. The system of claim 6 further including a database populated with devices and their electrical characteristics, the database accessible by the middleware application.
8. The system of claim 7 further including a reconfiguration circuit connected to the jack.
9. The system of claim 8 in which the middleware application is further configured to query the user whether the identified device is correct and if so to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the identified device and if not to access the database of devices allowing the user to choose a said device.
10. The system of claim 9 in which the middleware application is further configured to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the device chosen by the user.
11. The system of claim 1 in which the software routine is implemented in a middleware layer responsive to a codec driver itself responsive to the register of the codec containing the measured electrical characteristic and the identification of the device.
12. The system of claim 11 further including a reconfiguration circuit connected to the jack.
13. The system of claim 12 in which the middleware application is further configured to query the user whether the identified device is correct and if so to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the identified device and if not to access a database of standard devices allowing the user to choose a said device.
14. The system of claim 13 in which the middleware application is further configured to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the device chosen by the user.
15. The system of claim 1 further including:
a second updateable database populated with at least the electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices whose electrical characteristics were measured by the codec circuitry but did not correspond to the device identified by the codec circuitry, and
a second processing module responsive to the measured electrical characteristic and configured to adjust the identification of the device based on the electrical characteristics stored in the database.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second processing modules comprise software routines implemented in a middleware application disposed between a driver for the codec circuitry and a user interface.
17. A method of identifying a device plugged into a jack connected to an application circuit coupling the jack to an identification circuit, the method comprising:
measuring at least one electrical characteristic of the device connected to a jack;
adjusting the measured electrical characteristic based on the configuration of the application circuit coupling the jack to the identification circuit, including referencing an updateable database populated with application circuit information regarding the current configuration of one or more application circuits coupled to the jack; and
identifying the device based on the adjusted measured electrical characteristic, including updating the application circuit information if the configuration of an application circuit changes such that the system can identify a device plugged into a jack even if the configuration of an application circuit changes.
18. The method of claim 17 in which measuring is carried out by a codec connected to the application circuit.
19. The system of claim 17 in which adjusting includes referencing a database populated with application circuit component values.
20. The system of claim 17 further including outputting a query to determine whether the identification is correct and if not populating a database with the correct identification.
21. A system for determining the true electrical characteristic of a device, the system comprising:
an updateable database stored on a non-transitory computer readable memory and populated with application circuit information of one or more application circuits coupled between the jack and the codec circuitry; and
a processing module including a processor and a memory storing computer readable and executable instructions that enable the processing module to receive the measured electrical characteristic from the code circuitry and adjust the electrical characteristic measured by the codec circuitry based on the application circuit information populating the updatable database. Description
This application is a Continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 10/464,951 filed Jun. 19, 2003, which itself claimes priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/391,119, filed Jun. 24, 2002.
In the patent application filed Jun. 19, 2003 referenced above and hereby incorporated herein by this reference, the applicant hereof discloses codec circuitry which uniquely measures the electrical characteristics of a device plugged into a jack as a way to identify the device. Then, a reconfigurable circuit is activated to make sure the identified device is correctly supported. The Intel Corporation, in the specification entitled “Audio Codec '97” (Rev 2.3, April 2002), also incorporated herein by this reference, calls the device identification data the “sensed bits.” Another Intel specification incorporated herein by this reference is entitled “First Generation Intel� Audio PnP User Model and Methodologies” (Rev 1.1, Aug. 12, 2002). That specification discloses, inter alia, the idea of prompting the user to verify that the identification of the device output by the codec is correct.
It would be possible to provide logic in the codec which compensates for the electrical characteristics of the application circuit when the electrical characteristics of a device plugged into the jack are measured by the codec to identify the device. But, as between different manufacturers and as between different production runs, the specific components of an application circuit can change and/or change in value. Accordingly programming the codec to compensate for a set of electrical characteristics subject to change is not a reliable solution. And, the Intel specification fails to teach or suggest an alternative solution: in fact it does not even identify the problem posed by the application circuit in making a device identification.
This invention features a system for determining the true electrical characteristic of a device, the system comprising a codec configured to measure at least one electrical characteristic of a device connected to a jack and to identify the device based on the measured electrical characteristic, an updateable database populated with at least application circuit information, and a software routine responsive to the measured electrical characteristic and configured to adjust the electrical characteristic measured by the codec based on the application circuit information in the database.
In one example, the updateable database is populated with resistance and capacitance values for the resistors and capacitors in the application circuit information. Typically, the updateable database is initially populated with default design resistance and capacitance values. Further included may be a routine for changing the default design resistance and capacitance values to reflect changes thereto.
In one embodiment, the software routine is implemented in a codes driver responsive to the register of the codec containing the measured electrical characteristic and the identification of the device. A middleware application may be responsive to the codec driver configured to more accurately identify the device based on the adjusted electrical characteristic. Also a database may be populated with devices and their electrical characteristics, the database accessible by the middleware application. Typically, a reconfiguration circuit is connected to the jack and the middleware application is further configured to query the user whether the identified device is correct and if so to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the identified device and if not to access the database of devices allowing the user to choose a said device. The middleware application may be further configured to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the device chosen by the user.
In another example, the software routine is implemented in a middleware layer responsive to a codec driver itself responsive to the register of the codec containing the measured electrical characteristic and the identification of the device. A reconfiguration circuit may be connected to the jack. Then, the middleware application is further configured to query the user whether the identified device is correct and if so to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the identified device and if not to access a database of standard devices allowing the user to choose a said device. The middleware application may be further configured to activate the reconfiguration circuit based on the device chosen by the user.
In the preferred embodiment, there is an updateable database populated with the electrical characteristics of a plurality of devices whose electrical characteristics were measured by the codec but did not correspond to the device identified by the codec and a software routine responsive to the measured electrical characteristic and configured to adjust the identification of the device based on the electrical characteristics stored in the database. Typically, both software routines are implemented in a middleware application disposed between a driver for the codec and a user interface.
This invention also features a method of identifying a device plugged into a jack connected to an application circuit for the jack, the method comprising measuring at least one electrical characteristic of the device connected to a jack, adjusting the measured electrical characteristic based on the configuration of the applicant circuit, and identifying the device based on the adjusted measured electrical characteristic. In one example, measuring is carried out by a codec connected to the application circuit and adjusting includes referencing a database populated with application circuit component values. Further included may be the step of outputting a query to determine whether the identification is correct and if not populating a database with the correct identification.
Middleware application 56 in connection with user interface 54 typically also provides the functionality associated with steps 26, 28, 32, and 34 of FIG. 1. So, middleware application 56 accesses database 24 populated with standard devices that are typically plugged into jacks 40 a-40 c and their electrical characteristics. Middleware application 56 activates user interface 54, FIG. 2 to query a user a monitor whether the identified device is correct and if so activates the reconfiguration circuit as set forth in steps 28 and 30, FIG. 1. If the device identified is not correct, database 22 is accessed by middleware application 56 to provide, through user interface 54, a list of standard devices which can be chosen by the user. After the user selects a given device, middleware application 56 activates the reconfiguration circuit in accordance with the user's selection.
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702/118International ClassificationG06F3/00, H01R13/648Cooperative ClassificationG06F3/162, G06F9/44505, H04R29/001, H04S7/00, H04R5/04European ClassificationH04S7/00, H04R29/00LLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionAug 27, 2014FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jun 10, 2004ASAssignmentOwner name: ANALOG DEVICES, INC., MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STEPHAN, GEORGE;LOEB, FREDERICK;HOWLEY, JOHN;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:015467/0742Effective date: 20040602Owner name: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.,MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STEPHAN, GEORGE;LOEB, FREDERICK;HOWLEY, JOHN AND OTHERS;US-ASSIGNMENT DATABASE UPDATED:20100513;REEL/FRAME:15467/742Owner name: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.,MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STEPHAN, GEORGE;LOEB, FREDERICK;HOWLEY, JOHN AND OTHERS;US-ASSIGNMENT DATABASE UPDATED:20100513;REEL/FRAME:15467/742Effective date: 20040602Owner name: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.,MASSACHUSETTSFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:STEPHAN, GEORGE;LOEB, FREDERICK;HOWLEY, JOHN;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:015467/0742Effective date: 20040602RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services