USB connector cover and electronic device using the same

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, and particularly, to a USB electronic device including an interface cover.

2. Description of Related Art

Many electronic devices have an interface, like an USB interface, which uses an interface cover to protect the interface. However, the interface cover can only be used to keep the USB interface free from dust and water. Therefore, what is needed is an interface cover to overcome the problems mentioned above.

The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of an electronic device with an interface cover. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, isometric view showing a cover on a partial view of a USB electronic device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic, perspective view showing an inside of the cover on the partial view of the USB electronic device of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic, isometric view showing a USB connector of a USB electronic device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic, isometric view showing a cover in accordance with one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the USB electronic device of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a circuit of the USB electronic device of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , a Universal Serial Bus (USB) electronic device 100 includes a shell 10 and a cover 20 attached to the shell 10 .

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , an USB connector 11 is covered by the cover 20 attached to the shell 10 . A projection 24 is mounted on a main body 26 of the cover 20 , and a convex edge 241 is positioned on the end part of the projection 24 to fix the cover 20 to the shell 10 . A hook 25 is mounted on the main body 26 , when the cover 20 covers the USB connector 11 , the hook 25 can fix the other end of the cover 20 to the shell 10 . The hook 25 can be detached from the shell 10 to expose the USB connector 11 when a user wants to connect a peripheral device (not shown) to the USB electronic device 100 through the USB connector 11 . A space (not shown) is reserved between the shell 10 and the end with the hook 25 to allow the user to detach the hook 25 and dig out the cover 20 from the shell 10 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the USB connector 11 includes a number of pins 111 , the pins 111 include a GND pin and an ID pin.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an elastomeric push button 21 is set on the cover 20 . A recess 22 is formed on the corresponding inner side surface of the elastomeric push button 21 to allow the user to push the elastomeric push button 21 toward the inner side of the elastomeric push button 21 . Two metal pins 23 are connected together and mounted on the recess 22 . When the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed, the two metal pins 23 contact to the GND pin and the ID pin of the pins 111 of the USB connector 11 respectively to short-circuit the ID pin to the GND pin; when the elastomeric push button 21 is released, the two metal pins 23 are detached from the pins 111 . In the present embodiment, the two metal pins 23 may be H-shaped or U-shaped.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the USB electronic device 100 includes a power switch circuit 30 , a delay circuit 40 , a reset circuit 50 , and a processor 60 . The ID pin of the USB connector 11 is connected to a voltage input pin (VIN) of the processor 60 through the power switch circuit 30 ; when the user presses the elastomeric push button 21 , the ID pin is grounded through the GND pin and at a low voltage level, and the power switch circuit 30 generates a power-on signal or a power-off signal to the VIN of the processor 60 to enable the processor 60 to switch the power of the USB electronic device 100 .

The ID pin of the USB connector 11 is further connected to a RESET pin of the processor 60 through the delay circuit 40 and the reset circuit 50 . When the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed, the delay circuit 40 begins to charge and outputs a voltage to the reset circuit 50 ; when the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed for over a period of time, the reset circuit 50 generates a RESET control signal to the processor 60 through the RESET pin to allow the processor 60 to restart the USB electronic device 100 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the ID pin of the USB connector 11 is connected with a +5V standby voltage output terminal (VEXT) through a resistor R 1 and a switch Q 1 . In the present embodiment, the switch Q 1 is a pnp transistor; a base of the switch Q 1 is connected with the ID pin of the USB connector 11 through the resistor R 1 ; an emitter of the Q 1 is connected with the VEXT.

The power switch circuit 30 includes a switch Q 2 , a switch Q 3 , and a switch Q 4 . In the present embodiment, the switch Q 2 and the switch Q 3 are npn transistors, and the switch Q 4 is a pMOSFET. A base of the switch Q 2 is connected with a collector of the switch Q 1 through a resistor R 3 and a resistor R 2 , and a voltage detection node P 1 between the resistor R 2 and the resistor R 3 is connected with a general purpose I/O 0 (GPIO 0 ); an emitter of the switch Q 2 is grounded and connected to the base of the switch Q 2 through a resistor R 4 and a resistor R 3 . A base of the switch Q 3 is connected to an emitter of the switch Q 3 through a resistor R 5 and a resistor R 6 , and a voltage input node P 2 between the resistor R 5 and the resistor R 6 is connected with a general purpose I/O 1 (GPIO 1 ). The emitter of the switch Q 3 is grounded, and collectors of the switch Q 2 and the switch Q 3 are connected to a source of the switch Q 4 through a resistor R 7 , a resistor R 8 , and a parallel branch of a capacitor C 1 ; the collectors of the switch Q 2 and the switch Q 3 are further connected with a gate of the switch Q 4 through the resistor R 7 . A drain of the switch Q 4 is connected with the VIN of the processor 60 , and the source of the switch Q 4 is further connected to the VEXT.

When the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed, the ID pin and the GND pin of the USB connector 11 is connected through the two metal pins 23 of the cover 20 ; the ID pin of the USB connector 11 is grounded through the GND pin and at a low voltage level, and thus the base of the switch Q 1 obtains a low voltage level. When the base of the switch Q 1 is at a low voltage level, the switch Q 1 is closed, and the base of the switch Q 2 and the voltage input node P 2 are connected to the VEXT to be at a high voltage level; when base of the switch Q 2 is at a high voltage level, the switch Q 2 is closed. The GPIO 1 outputs a 3.3V power-on voltage to the voltage input node P 2 when the high voltage level of the voltage detection node P 1 is detected by the GPIO 0 , and the base of the switch Q 3 obtains a high voltage level to close the switch Q 3 . When the switch Q 3 is closed, the switch Q 4 is closed to allow the VEXT to connect to the VIN of the processor 60 . The VIN obtains a +5V voltage from the VEXT and the USB electronic device 100 is booted when the switch Q 4 is closed. When the elastomeric push button 21 is released, the ID pin is disconnected from the GND pin and opens the switch Q 1 ; the voltage detection node P 1 is at a low voltage level to open the switch Q 2 ; the GPIO 1 outputs a 3.3V sustained voltage to maintain the power of the USB electronic device 100 .

When the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed while the USB electronic device 100 is on, the GPIO 0 detects the high voltage level of the voltage detection node P 1 , and the GPIO 1 outputs a 0V power-off voltage to the voltage input node P 2 to open the switch Q 3 . When the elastomeric push button 21 is released, the switch Q 2 is open to open the switch Q 4 . The +5V voltage from the VEXT to the VIN is cut off and the USB electronic device 100 is shutdown.

The delay circuit 40 includes a capacitor C 2 ; a negative electrode of the capacitor C 2 is grounded and a positive electrode of the capacitor C 2 is connected with the collector of the switch Q 1 through a resistor R 9 ; the positive electrode further connects to the negative electrode through the resistor R 9 and the resistor R 10 . A voltage output terminal P 3 is formed between the positive electrode and the resistor R 9 .

The reset circuit 50 includes a switch Q 5 ; in the present embodiment, the switch Q 5 is an nMOSFET. A gate of the switch Q 5 is connected with the voltage output terminal P 3 of the delay circuit 40 ; a source of the switch Q 5 is grounded; a drain of the Q 5 is connected with a power terminal VCC through a pull-up resistor R 11 . A voltage output terminal P 4 formed between the drain and the resistor R 11 is connected with the RESET pin of the processor 60 , and grounded through a capacitor C 3 or a zener diode D 1 . The processor 60 restarts the system when the RESET pin is at a low voltage level.

When the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed, the switch Q 1 is closed and the capacitor C 2 is connected to the VEXT to be charged through the resistor R 9 and the switch Q 1 ; the voltage output terminal P 3 reaches a pre-determined threshold of voltage when the elastomeric push button 21 is pressed for over a period of time, and the switch Q 5 is closed when the voltage output terminal P 3 reaches a pre-determined threshold of voltage; when the switch Q 5 is closed, the voltage output terminal P 4 is grounded to allow the RESET pin of the processor 60 to obtain a low voltage level, and the processor 60 restarts the USB electronic device 100 . When the elastomeric push button 21 is released, the ID pin is disconnected from the GND pin and the capacitor C 2 discharges through the resistor R 9 and the resistor R 10 to lower the voltage of the voltage output terminal P 3 , and the switch Q 5 is open; the voltage output terminal P 4 obtains a high voltage level from the power terminal VCC through the resistor R 11 , and the RESET pin of the processor 60 obtains a high voltage level from the voltage output terminal P 4 .

Therefore, the elastomeric push button 21 is capable of switching the power of the USB electronic device 100 as well as protecting the USB connector 11 . The user can switch the power of the USB electronic device 100 when pressing the elastomeric push button 21 , and restart the USB electronic device 100 when long pressing the elastomeric push button 21 .

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.