Portable terminal and USB device
View Patent ↗The present invention helps to develop a smaller sized portable terminal without reducing the functions available for the user. A USB device which is detachable from the portable terminal is provided with a USB connector which is inserted into a USB part of the portable terminal, a power source terminal which comes into contact with a power supply terminal of the portable terminal, when the USB connector is inserted into the USB port of the portable terminal, and a screw which is engaged with a screw hole of the portable terminal. When the screw is engaged with the screw hole of the portable terminal, a switch inside the screw hole is pushed down due to a contact with the screw. The portable terminal detects mounting of the USB device by an output from the switch, and initiates power supplying from the power supply terminal of the portable terminal to the power source terminal of the USB device. The USB device is started up by this power, and establishes connection with the portable terminal via the USB connector.
1. A portable terminal acting as a USB slave comprising,
a USB port into which a USB connector of a USB master device is inserted,
a power supply terminal which comes into contact with a power source terminal of said USB master device in a state that said USB connector is inserted in said USB port and which supplies power to said power source terminal, the power supply terminal of the portable terminal acting as the USB slave being separate from the USB port into which the USB connector of the USB master device is inserted, and
a switch arranged to detect attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal and which is turned on by attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal via a projection extending out of the USB master device and mating with the switch turning on the portable terminal, said power supply terminal initiating supplying power to said power source terminal when said switch is turned on so that the USB master device is supplied with power from the portable terminal acting as the USB slave.
2. A portable terminal according to claim 1 , operable to determine, from identification information transmitted by the USB master device, whether said USB master device comprises an internal power supply, and if so to not supply power to the USB master device.
3. A portable terminal according to claim 1 , wherein power is not supplied to the USB master device from the portable terminal via the USB port.
4. A portable terminal acting as a USB slave comprising,
a USB port into which a USB connector of a USB master device is inserted,
a power supply terminal which comes into contact with a power source terminal of said USB master device in a state that said USB connector is inserted in said USB port and which supplies power to said power source terminal so as to start up said USB master device, the power supply terminal of the portable terminal acting as the USB slave being separate from the USB port into which the USB connector of the USB master device is inserted,
a switch arranged to detect attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal and which is turned on by attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal via a projection extending out of the USB master device and mating with the switch turning on the portable terminal, said power supply terminal initiating supplying power to said power source terminal when said switch is turned on so that the USB master device is supplied with power from the portable terminal acting as the USB slave, and
a controller which initiates said power supplying from said power supply terminal when an application program for utilizing said USB master device is started.
5. The portable terminal according to claim 4 , wherein,
said controller establishes connection with said USB master device if said USB port accepts a connection establishment request within a predetermined period of time after said power supplying is initiated, and outputs a message for prompting a mounting of said USB master device if said USP port does not accept said connection establishment request within said predetermined period of time.
6. A system comprising,
a portable terminal acting as a USB slave comprising a USB port, a power supply terminal which supplies power to a USB master device being mounted on said portable terminal, the power supply terminal of the portable terminal acting as the USB slave being separate from the USB port into which a USB connector of the USB master device is inserted, and a switch arranged to detect attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal and which is turned on by attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal via a projection extending out of the USB master device and mating with the switch turning on the portable terminal so that the USB master device is supplied with power from the portable terminal acting as the USB slave; and
said USB master device comprising the USB connector which is inserted into said USB port, a power source terminal which comes into contact with said power supply terminal in a state that said USB connector is inserted in said USB port and which is to accept power supplying from said power supply terminal, in which;
when said switch is turned on, said power supply terminal initiates power supplying to said power source terminal, and
said USB master device is started up when said power supplying from said power supply terminal to said power source terminal is initiated, and establishes connection with said portable terminal.
7. A system comprising,
a portable terminal acting as a USB slave comprising a USB port, a power supply terminal which supplies power to start up a USB master device being mounted on said portable terminal, the power supply terminal of the portable terminal acting as the USB slave being separate from the USB port into which a USB connector of the USB master device is inserted, a switch arranged to detect attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal and which is turned on by attachment of the USB master device to the portable terminal via a projection extending out of the USB master device and mating with the switch turning on the portable terminal, said power supply terminal initiating supplying power to a power source terminal when said switch is turned on so that the USB master device is supplied with power from the portable terminal acting as the USB slave, and a first controller which initiates said power supplying from said power supply terminal when an application program is started which utilizes said USB master device; and
said USB master device comprising the USB connector which is inserted into said USB port, a power source terminal which comes into contact with said power supply terminal in a state that said USB connector is inserted into said USB port to receive said power supplying from said power supply terminal, and a second controller which outputs a connection establishment request from said USB connector, when said power supplying from said power supply terminal to said power source terminal is initiated.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein,
when said USB master device is started up after said power supplying from said power supply terminal to said power source terminal is initiated, said second controller outputs said connection establishment request from said USB connector, and
said first controller establishes connection with said USB master device if said USB port accepts said connection establishment request within a predetermined period of time after said power supplying is initiated, and outputs a message for prompting a mounting of said USB master device if said USB port does not accept said connection establishment request within said predetermined period of time.