Patent ID: 8144635

Claim:
A first device comprising: a pin interface having a plurality of pins; a data signal transmitter configured to respectively transmit, to a second device, a first plurality of data signals over a first set of pins of the plurality of pins of the pin interface; an encoder configured to generate a first encoded control signal based on having encoded a first plurality of control signals; a control signal transmitter configured to transmit, to the second device, the first encoded control signal over a first pin of the plurality of pins of the pin interface, wherein the first pin is not of the first set of pins; a data signal receiver configured to respectively receive, from the second device, a second plurality of data signals over a second set of pins of the plurality of pins of the pin interface; a control signal receiver configured to receive, from the second device, a second encoded control signal over a second pin of the plurality of pins of the pin interface, wherein the second pin is not of the first set of pins or the second set of pins; and a decoder configured to generate a second plurality of control signals based on having decoded the second encoded control signal.