JPH08103009A - Interface cable and interface cable relay - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To confirm the connection of an interface cable and information processors while the cable remains connected to the processor. CONSTITUTION: Since a battery 7 is connected to the battery connection ports 6, 9 of the other end operation panel 6 provided at a connector 3 and the LED 5 of a connector 1 flashes when a switch 4 is pressed, the type of the device connected to the other end can be confirmed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interface cable and an interface cable repeater for connecting information processing devices to each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, FA has been used in offices and homes.
The spread of office automation equipment such as X, copiers and personal computers is becoming more and more popular. Personal computer centered on the network especially in the office
The spread of multimedia and workstations has become active due to the wave of multimedia. In addition, various network services have been enhanced. In such a situation, from the usage as a conventional stand-alone machine, it is premised to connect with various machines,
The usage pattern is changing to the usage method as a network machine. Most of these machines are connected to each other via interface cables.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] As a result, I
/ F cables are becoming longer and more numerous, and new problems such as aesthetic problems and mistakes in inserting and removing cables are emerging. In recent offices, in order to give priority to aesthetic issues, the floor is made free-accessible, a cable is placed under the floor, and there are not a few places between floors through walls or pillars. Therefore, as a problem relating to the insertion / removal of the cable, there is a case where the cable of another machine is mistakenly removed when the device is moved.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has a power supply means near an interface connection end of an interface cable, and a light emitting section which emits light by the power supplied by the power supply means. It is a thing.

In addition, a power supply means and a sounding section which emits sound by the power supplied by the power supply means may be provided near the interface connection end. Furthermore, the interface cable repeater may include a power supply unit and a light emitting unit that emits light by the power supplied by the power supply unit.

Also, an interface cable repeater having a power supply means and a sounding section which sounds by the power supplied by the power supply means may be used.

The light emitting portion emits light in the vicinity of the connector at the other end by the electric power supplied through the power supply means of the cable according to the present invention. Therefore, it is easy to determine which device the cable is connected to. Can be confirmed.

Further, since the sounding section emits a sound in the vicinity of the connector at the other end by the electric power supplied through the power supply means of the cable according to the present invention, which device is connected to the cable? Can be easily confirmed.

Furthermore, since the electric power supplied through the power supply means of the cable repeater according to the present invention causes the cable repeater connected to the connector at the other end to emit light, the cable emits light. -You can easily check which device the bull is connected to.

Further, since the sound generator emits a sound in the cable repeater connected to the connector at the other end by the electric power supplied through the power supply means of the cable repeater according to the present invention, that cable is used. -You can easily check which device the bull is connected to.

Kl

EXAMPLE A first example will be described with reference to FIG. The interface cable shown in FIG. 1 is cable 2
It has a connector 1 and a connector 3 at both ends thereof.
The interface port 12 provided in the connector 1 and the interface port 13 provided in the connector 3 are respectively connected to the interface of the information processing apparatus. The interface cable of the present embodiment has connectors 1 and 3 provided at both ends of the cable 2, another end confirmation panel 6 for performing an operation for confirming the other end of the cable 2, and confirmation at the other end side. When the operation for the other end is performed on the other end confirmation panel 6, the LED 4 emits light to inform that it is a connection destination, the switch 5 that is pressed down to emit the LED 4 during the operation for confirming the other end, and the LED
4 is provided with a battery connection port 9 and 10 provided to supply electric power required to emit light.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the other end confirmation panel 6 provided in the interface cable of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, electric power for causing the LED 4 to emit light is supplied from the external battery 7. The battery 7 and the battery connection ports 9 and 10 are connected via the battery connector 8.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the interface cable of the first embodiment. Connector 1
The circuits provided in the connector 3 and the connector 3 have the same structure. It should be noted that the portion of the electric transmission path for transmitting the original interface signal is not shown. Based on FIG.
The operation of this embodiment will be described. Here, when the switch 5 is pushed down while the battery 7 is connected to the battery connection ports 9 and 10 of the other end operation panel 6 on the connector 1 side, the battery 7, the switch 4, the LED 4, and the resistor 1 are connected.
A closed circuit consisting of 1 and 1 is formed. When the switch 4 is pushed down, a current flows in the LED 4 in the forward direction to emit light.
The resistor 4 is provided so that a constant voltage is applied to the entire closed circuit. Even when the positive and negative of the battery 7 are plugged in reversely, the current flowing in the opposite direction from the voltage of the battery 7 and the value of the resistor 4 can be set to a value below which the LED 4 is not destroyed. Here, the LED 4 on the connector 3 side emits light because it can be energized in the forward direction. Similarly, when the switch 4 on the connector 3 side is pushed down, the LED 4 on the connector 1 side emits light.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the other end confirmation panel 6 has a first
Buzzer 1 instead of the LED 4 provided in the embodiment
4 is provided. The other structure and operation method of the other end confirmation panel 6 are the same as those described in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the interface cable of the second embodiment. The circuits provided in the connector 1 and the connector 3 have the same structure. Figure 5
The operation of this embodiment will be described based on FIG. Here, when the switch 5 is pushed down while the battery 7 is connected to the battery connection ports 9 and 10 of the other end operation panel 6 on the connector 1 side, the battery 7, the switch 4, the buzzer 14, and the resistor 11 are removed. A closed circuit is formed.
At this time, a voltage drop occurs across the resistor 4 and the connector 3
Sounds because the buzzer 14 on the side is in the energizable state. Similarly, when the switch 4 on the connector 3 side is pushed down, the buzzer 14 on the connector 1 side sounds.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the interface cable 2 is not provided with the other end confirmation panel. In this embodiment, the interface relays 15 are connected to the connectors 1 and 3 of the interface cable 2, respectively, and the interface relays are connected to the interface port of the information processing apparatus. The other end confirmation panel 6 of this embodiment has the same structure as the other end confirmation panel 6 of the first embodiment. When this embodiment is operated, it operates in the same way as the circuit described in FIG.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Interface repeater 16 of the present embodiment
The LED 4 of the other end confirmation panel 6 of the interface repeater 15 of the third embodiment is replaced with the buzzer 14. When this embodiment is operated, it operates in the same way as the circuit described in FIG.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the method of connecting the battery 7 to the battery connection ports 9 and 10 provided in the respective other end confirmation panels 6 as the power supply means has been described. The battery connection ports 9 and 10 may be provided only on the other end confirmation panel. An example of this case is shown in FIG.

The battery 7 may be embedded in the connector 3 instead of being supplied from the outside. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram when the connector 3 is provided with a power supply means. In the case of the present embodiment, the battery holder 21 is embedded inside the connector 3 and the battery 22 is installed.

Furthermore, depending on the type of the interface, the power supply signal may be included in the signal line, so that it is possible to receive the power supply from the power supply signal. An example of this case is shown as a seventh example in FIG.
Shows the circuit diagram. In the circuit of FIG. 10, the power supply signal 17 and the GND signal 18 which are part of the interface signal are drawn into the connectors 1 and 3, and the unused signal lines 19 and 20 of the cable 2 are connected to the power supply signal 17 and the GND signal 18. Then, the operation circuit shown in FIG. 3 or 5 is formed. Here, the power supply signal 17 has a positive voltage with respect to the GND signal 18, and it is desirable that the power supply signal 17 always has a constant level.

[0019]

According to the interface cable and the interface repeater of the present invention, it is possible to reliably know which information processing device is connected to the interface cable connected to one end of the information processing device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an interface cable showing a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the other end confirmation panel showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an operation circuit diagram showing a first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the other end confirmation panel showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an operation circuit diagram showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an interface cable repeater showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an interface cable repeater showing a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an operation circuit diagram showing a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an operation circuit diagram showing a seventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Connector 2 ... Cable 3 ... Connector 4 ... LED 5 ... Switch 6 ... Other end confirmation panel 7 ... Battery 8 ... Battery connector 9, 10 ... Battery connection port 11 ... Resistance 12, 13 Interface port 14 ... Buzzer 15, 16 Interface relay 17 ... Power signal 18 ... GND signal 19, 20 / Unused signal line

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An interface cable comprising: a power supply means near the interface connection end; and a light emitting section that emits light by the power supplied by the power supply means. 2. An interface cable, comprising: a power supply means near the interface connection end; and a sounding section which produces a sound by the power supplied by the power supply means. 3. An interface cable repeater, comprising: a power supply means; and a light emitting section that emits light by the electric power supplied by the power supply means. 4. An interface cable repeater, comprising: a power supply means; and a sounding section that produces a sound by the power supplied by the power supply means.