Patent ID: 8724281

Claim:
A method for detecting decoupling of a first connector from a second connector, wherein the first connector is associated with an accessory and the second connector is associated with a host device, the first connector including a first contact for coupling a communication line between the accessory and the host device and a second contact for coupling a power line between the host device and the accessory, wherein the first contact is configured to carry commands and data between the accessory and the host device as part of a normal data communication process and the power line is configured to carry power from the accessory to the host device, the method comprising: while the first connector is coupled to the second connector and the first contact is physically coupled to a contact in the second connector, monitoring, by a detection circuitry in the accessory, the communication line, wherein the communication line is configured to be either in a first state or a second state; detecting, by the detection circuitry, that the communication line has changed from the first state to the second state; determining, by the detection circuitry in the accessory, a time duration for which the communication line is in the second state; determining, by the detection circuitry, that the time duration exceeds a threshold time; reducing, by a protection unit within the accessory, power on the second contact of the first connector.