Connection cable identification mechanism

Details Connection cable identification mechanism Connection cable identification mechanism

2000-01-19

2003-11-25

Dharia, Rupal (Department: 2189)

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Intrasystem connection

Bus expansion or extension

C439S620040

Reexamination Certificate

active

06654840

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information-processing unit, a connection cable, and electrostatic-shielded connectors and plugs used for the information-processing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A video game players as information-processing units outputs video and audio data of video games to a display unit, wherein the console of the video game player body is connected to a display unit such as a television video receiver through a connection cable. In this case, a signaling system defines signals which can be input to the display unit, and the video game player console must output signals defined by the signaling system that is compatible with the display unit to be used.
For example, the NTSC signaling system and the PAL signaling system are available to the television video receiver. When the television video receiver to be used uses the NTSC signaling system, the video game player console must output signals that are compatible with the NTSC signaling system.
In addition, a television video receiver has its own unique signaling system, for example, the composite video signaling system or the RGB signaling system. The television video receiver has an RCA input terminal and an S input terminal, so the video game player console must output a video signal compatible with the signaling system and input terminals of the television video receiver.
With the recent increased diffusion of personal computers, there has been a gradual increase in the number of users who wish to have their video game players connected to the display units of their personal computers, when so they can use their video game players. However, the VGA signaling system as a signaling system of the display unit of personal computer is greatly different from the signaling system of television video receivers.
Therefore, when the video game player console is connected to the display unit of the personal computer, it must be set in advance so as to output signals compatible with the display unit of the personal computer.
In this case, when a video game player outputs a signal, which is not compatible with a display unit, a game screen is not normally displayed and guidance prompting a user to change setting cannot be displayed on the display unit. As a result, this event might cause the user to mistakenly believe that the video game player or display unit has malfunctioned, causing the user needless concerned.
On the other hand, considering connectors and plugs to be used for an information-processing unit to an external unit, as was mentioned above, an information-processing unit such as a video game player is connected to an external unit such as a display unit through a connection cable. Then, the information-processing unit transmits signals through the connection cable between a plug of the connection cable and a connector of the information-processing unit.
FIG. 19
shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional connector
180
to be used in an information-processing unit. The connector
180
is formed with a U-shaped section of an insulator, and has an open portion
182
and a vacuous portion
188
, into which a plug is inserted and fitted.
FIG. 19
shows the connector
180
of the surface-mounted type, which is mounted on the surface of a printed circuit board
185
.
An upper shield
190
is set on the lower surface of an upper surface member
181
of the connector
180
, and folded forward at the rear of the upper surface member
181
. The upper shield
190
is a metallic spring member and the folded portion is pressure-welded to one end of a chassis
189
, and the upper shield
190
bears the potential with respect to ground. Holes
191
are formed on the upper shield
190
, into which projections of the plug to be inserted into the vacuous portion
188
are fitted, and function as a half lock for the plug.
Under the vacuous portion
188
, a plate member
183
is positioned toward an open portion
182
in parallel with a printed circuit board
185
, and a contact pin
186
is mounted on the upper surface of the plate member
183
. The contact pin
186
pierces through a rear wall
187
of the connector
180
, and is connected to conductive patterns mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board
185
by soldering.
When the plug is inserted into the connector
180
, the conductive pin connected to the signal cable within the plug comes into contact with the contact pin
186
elastically, enabling transmission of the signal. A slit portion
184
between the plate member
183
and a lower surface member
192
is a guide for inserting the plug into the connector
180
.
In this way, the ,information-processing unit is connected to multiple external units by means of connectors and plugs. However, not all the connectable external units are necessarily connected and the information-processing unit is frequently used with some plugs not inserted into the connectors.
In this case, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from coming into contact with any contact pin by covering all unused connectors. However, the provision of covers for all the unused connectors in an information-processing unit increases the production cost of the information-processing unit. Even if covers are provided for all the connectors, the user may not necessarily use the provided covers to cover all the unused connectors.
FIG. 20
shows a case where a foreign substance such as a bar
192
is mistakenly inserted into an open portion
182
of the connector
180
. The conventional connector
180
has a structure where the distance between the open portion
182
and the contact pin
186
is short and it is easy for the mistakenly inserted bar
192
to come into contact with the contact pin
186
.
If the bar
192
is charged with static electricity, when the bar
192
comes into contact with the contact pin
186
, static electricity may destroy the insulated state of semiconductor devices in the information-processing unit by passing through the contact pin
186
. This causes problems with the information-processing unit. The problems caused by static electricity can occur even when the fingertip of a person charged with static electricity comes into contact with the contact pin
186
.
The information-processing unit is subjected to a discharge test, which tests resistance to static electricity. Usually, this discharge test is executed wherein plugs are inserted into connectors. However, measures need to be taken against static electricity under the condition where the plugs are not inserted into the connectors and the connectors are left uncovered, in order to reinforce the resistance of the connectors against static electricity.
The first object of this invention is to enable an information-processing unit to automatically recognize the connection cable to transmit signals compatible with the external unit, which is connected to the connection cable, when the connection cable is connected to an information-processing unit such as the video game player, in order to solve the problems involving the compatibility of signals to be transmitted between the above-mentioned video game player and the display unit.
The second object of this invention is to enable a simple mechanism, which can change an arrangement of conductive connector pins of the connection cable used in the information-processing unit, to identify the connection cable type, and further to provide a connection cable to transmit the signals compatible with the connected external unit.
To solve the problems involving the structure of the connector in the above information-processing unit, in which it is easy for foreign substances to come into contact with the contact pin because of the connector's open shape, the third object of this invention is to provide a connector having a structure that makes it difficult for foreign substances to come into contact with the contact pin, even when no plug is inserted into the connector and the connector is uncovered.
Furthermore, the fourth object of this inventi

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