IP Library Granted Patent US 12,206,931
Granted Patent B2
US 12,206,931 · App. 18/447,105 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Cable, method of controlling cable, connection device, electronic device, and method of controlling electronic device

Inventors: Hiroshi Morita (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuaki Toba (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuo Yamamoto (Chiba, JP); Masanari Yamamoto (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
H04N21/436
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,206,931
App. No.
18/447,105
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cable may be satisfactorily used that has a specific function such as a register that holds specification data and a current consumption unit such as an element for adjusting signal quality. The cable is connected between a first electronic device and a second electronic device. A determination unit determines whether or not the first electronic device is a compatible electronic device. A control unit performs control to operate in a compatible mode when the first electronic device is a compatible electronic device and operate in a non-compatible mode when the first electronic device is not a compatible electronic device on the basis of the determination result by the determination unit. Furthermore, an electronic device is connected to an external device via the cable. The determination unit determines whether or not the cable is a compatible cable. The control unit performs control to operate in the compatible mode when the cable is a compatible cable and operate in the non-compatible mode when the cable is not a compatible cable on the basis of the determination result by the determination unit.

Claims (59)

1. A device for connection to a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the device comprising:

a register including specification data of the device, and

processing circuitry configured to:

determine whether or not the first electronic device is a compatible electronic device; and

control the device to:

operate in a compatible mode based on the determination that the first electronic device is the compatible electronic device;

operate in a non-compatible mode based on the determination that the first electronic device is not the compatible electronic device; and

receive, in the compatible mode, information from the first electronic device,

wherein the received information is written in the register by the first electronic device in the compatible mode.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is for the connection to the first electronic device via a plurality of lines of a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the device to receive the information to the register via a Display Data Channel (DDC) line of the HDMI cable.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein communication between the device and the first electronic device is based on the information written in the register by the first electronic device.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the information written in the register by the first electronic device includes a supply capability of the first electronic device.

6. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the information written in the register by the first electronic device includes a transmittable data rate.

7. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the device to control current used for conversion of transmission data between electricity and light for optical communication.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the HDMI cable is an optical cable for the optical communication.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein an amount of the current for the conversion is different in the compatible mode and the non-compatible mode.

10. The device according to claim 7 , further comprising a regulator configured to provide electric power for the conversion of the transmission data between electricity and light for the optical communication.

11. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the information written in the register by the first electronic device includes a current supply capability of the first electronic device.

12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the information written in the register by the first electronic device includes a transmittable data rate.

13. The device according to claim 7 , wherein a signal from the first electronic device via the DDC line includes High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP).

14. The device according to claim 7 , wherein

the first electronic device is a data transmission device for transmission of content data, and

the second electronic device is a data reproduction device for reproduction of the content data.

15. The device according to claim 8 , wherein

an amount of the current for the conversion is different in the compatible mode and the non-compatible mode,

the information written in the register by the first electronic device includes a transmittable data rate,

a signal from the first electronic device via the DDC line includes High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP),

the first electronic device is a data transmission device for transmission of content data, and

the second electronic device is a data reproduction device for reproduction of the content data.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein

the device is configured to be provided on a cable, and

the cable is configured to be connected between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

17. An electronic device for connection to an external device via a connection device, the electronic device comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

determine whether or not the connection device is a compatible connection device; and

control the electronic device to:

operate in a compatible mode based on the determination that the connection device is the compatible connection device;

operate in a non-compatible mode based on the determination that the connection device is not the compatible connection device; and

output current used for conversion of transmission data between electricity and light for optical communication.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein the electronic device is further configured to be connected to the connection device via a plurality of lines of a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein the HDMI cable is an optical cable for the optical communication.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to output the current used for the conversion to the optical cable.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20 , wherein an amount of the current used for the conversion is different in the compatible mode and the non-compatible mode.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the electronic device to perform High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) communication through a Display Data Channel (DDC) line of the HDMI cable.

23. The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein

the processing circuitry is further configured to control the electronic device to write information to a register of the connection device in the compatible mode, and

the register includes specification data of the connection device.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the electronic device to write the information to the register via a Display Data Channel (DDC) line of the HDMI cable.

25. The electronic device according to claim 24 , wherein communication between the electronic device and the connection device is based on the information written in the register by the electronic device.

26. The electronic device according to claim 25 , wherein the information written in the register by the electronic device includes a supply capability of the electronic device.

27. The electronic device according to claim 25 , wherein the information written in the register by the electronic device includes a transmittable data rate.

28. The electronic device according to claim 25 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the electronic device to perform High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) communication through the DDC line.

29. The electronic device according to claim 25 , wherein

the electronic device is a data transmission device for transmission of content data, and

the external device is a data reproduction device for reproduction of the content data.

30. The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein

the connection device is configured to be provided on a cable, and

the cable is configured to be connected between the electronic device and the external device.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 23, 2024
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068507/0540 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY TYPE OF APPLICATION NUMBERS 11146851, 11743531, AND 11375270 TO PATENT NUMBERS 11146851, 11743531, AND 11375270 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 67821 FRAME: 395. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 26, 2024
From: MORITA, HIROSHI; TOBA, KAZUAKI; YAMAMOTO, KAZUO; YAMAMOTO, MASANARI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068052/0696 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2024
From: MORITA, HIROSHI; TOBA, KAZUAKI; YAMAMOTO, KAZUO; YAMAMOTO, MASANARI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067821/0395 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2017-184226 · Sep 25, 2017 · national
JP 2017-193119 · Oct 2, 2017 · national
JP 2017-212305 · Nov 1, 2017 · national
JP 2018-026030 · Feb 16, 2018 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17829744 · Jun 1, 2022
Continuation 17482738 · Sep 23, 2021
Continuation 16647567
Related Publication 20240040188A1 · Feb 1, 2024
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