IP Library Granted Patent US 10,676,358
Granted Patent B2
US 10,676,358 · App. 16/213,632 · Granted Jun 9, 2020

Systems and methods for enabling communication between USB type-C connections and legacy connections over an extension medium

Inventors: Sukhdeep Singh Hundal (Surrey, CA); Remco van Steeden (Vancouver, CA)
Assignee: Icron Technologies Corporation
C01B32/05C04B35/524C04B35/6269C04B35/63452C08G59/687G06F13/385G06F13/4081G06F13/4247H04N21/43632C04B2235/602C04B2235/6022C04B2235/6025C04B2235/6027C04B2235/658C04B2235/6562C04B2235/662
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,676,358
App. No.
16/213,632
Granted
Jun 9, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for supporting USB and video communication over an extension medium are provided. In some embodiments, an upstream facing port device (UFP device) is coupled to legacy connectors of a host device, and a downstream facing port device (DFP device) is coupled to a USB Type-C receptacle of the sink device that may provide both USB and DisplayPort information. The UFP device and DFP device communicate to properly configure the USB Type-C connection for use in the extension environment. In some embodiments, a source device is coupled to the UFP device via a USB Type-C connection, and legacy video and USB devices are coupled to the DFP device. The UFP device and DFP device again communicate to cause the source device to properly configure the USB Type-C connection for use in the extension environment.

Claims (47)

1. A method of enabling a host device that includes a USB Type-C receptacle to communicate with a DisplayPort sink device and a USB device over an extension medium, the method comprising:

detecting, by a downstream facing port device (DFP device), communication capabilities of a video sink device communicatively coupled to the DFP device via a video receptacle that is not a USB Type-C port;

transmitting, by the DFP device via the extension medium to an upstream facing port device (UFP device), a capabilities message indicating the communication capabilities of the video sink device; and

negotiating, by the UFP device with the USB Type-C receptacle of the host device, a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by the DFP device, a connection between the DFP device and a video sink device;

transmitting, by the DFP device via the extension medium to the UFP device, an attachment message associated with the connection of the video sink device; and

transmitting, by the UFP device to a host device via the USB Type-C receptacle, a structured vendor defined message that represents a hot plug detect (HPD) signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the DFP device, DisplayPort video information generated by the host device and transmitted over the extension medium by the UFP device; and

transmitting a video signal to the video sink device based on the DisplayPort video information.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the video sink device is not a DisplayPort sink, and wherein transmitting the video signal based on the DisplayPort video information includes converting the DisplayPort video information to a format supported by the video sink device to generate the video signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein negotiating a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device includes establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for video information and establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for USB information.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising establishing an extended USB communication connection between the host device and the USB device.

7. A system, comprising:

an upstream facing port device (UFP device) that includes a USB Type-C upstream facing port; and

a downstream facing port device (DFP device) that includes:

a video receptacle, wherein the video receptacle is not a USB Type-C port; and

a USB downstream facing port, wherein the USB downstream facing port is not a USB Type-C port;

wherein the UFP device and the DFP device are configured to enable a host device that includes a USB Type-C receptacle to communicate with a DisplayPort sink device and a USB device over an extension medium;

wherein the DFP device is further configured to:

detect communication capabilities of a video sink device communicatively coupled to the DFP device via the video receptacle; and

transmit via the extension medium to the UFP device a capabilities message indicating the communication capabilities of the video sink device; and

wherein the UFP device is further configured to:

negotiate with the USB Type-C receptacle of the host device a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the DFP device is further configured to:

detect a connection between the DFP device and a video sink device; and

transmit via the extension medium to the UFP device an attachment message associated with the connection of the video sink device; and

wherein the UFP device is further configured to transmit to the host device via the USB Type-C receptacle a structured vendor defined message that represents a hot plug detect (HPD) signal.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the DFP device is further configured to:

receive DisplayPort video information generated by the host device and transmitted over the extension medium by the UFP device; and

transmit a video signal to the video sink device based on the DisplayPort video information.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the video sink device is not a DisplayPort sink, and wherein transmitting the video signal based on the DisplayPort video information includes converting the DisplayPort video information to a format supported by the video sink device to generate the video signal.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein negotiating a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device includes establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for video information and establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for USB information.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising establishing an extended USB communication connection between the host device and the USB device.

13. An upstream facing port device (UFP device) comprising a USB Type-C upstream facing port; wherein the UFP device is configured to:

receive, from a downstream facing port device (DFP device) via an extension medium, a capabilities message indicating communication capabilities of a video sink device communicatively coupled to the DFP device via a video receptacle that is not a USB Type-C port; and

negotiate, with a USB Type-C receptacle of a host device coupled to the USB Type-C upstream facing port, a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device.

14. The UFP device of claim 13 , further configured to:

receive, via the extension medium from the DFP device, an attachment message associated with a connection between the DFP device and the video sink device; and

transmit, to the host device via the USB Type-C receptacle, a structured vendor defined message that represents a hot plug detect (HPD) signal.

15. The UFP device of claim 13 , further configured to:

receive DisplayPort video information generated by the host device; and

transmit the DisplayPort video information over the extension medium to the DFP device for transmitting a video signal to the video sink device based on the DisplayPort video information.

16. The UFP device of claim 15 , wherein the video sink device is not a DisplayPort sink, and wherein transmitting the video signal based on the DisplayPort video information includes converting the DisplayPort video information to a format supported by the video sink device to generate the video signal.

17. The UFP device of claim 13 , wherein negotiating a configuration of conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle based on the communication capabilities of the video sink device includes establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for video information and establishing conductors of the USB Type-C receptacle to be used for USB information.

18. The UFP device of claim 17 , further configured to establish an extended USB communication connection between the host device and the USB device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2026
From: ICRON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: SYNCBRIDGE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 075756/0495 →
Continuity (4)
Division 15714851 · Sep 25, 2017
Division 14931734 · Nov 3, 2015
Provisional Application 62074516 · Nov 3, 2014
Related Publication 20190185324A1 · Jun 20, 2019