CN110046117B

CN110046117B - Foreign substance detection circuit and electronic device including the same

Info

Publication number: CN110046117B
Application number: CN201811502459.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 裵俊汉; 金济国; 吴亨锡; 金相范; 朴世棕; 千裕苏
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-12-13
Filing date: 2018-12-10
Publication date: 2024-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-10
Also published as: KR102521653B1; CN110046117A; KR20190070830A

Abstract

A foreign substance detection circuit, an electronic device including the same, and a method of detecting a foreign substance are provided. The electronic device includes: a connector connected to an external cable and including a plurality of pins; a foreign substance detection circuit configured to detect a resistance from a first pin set to an off state or connected to a pull-down resistor in a state where the cable is connected, and determine whether a foreign substance is present in the connector, when the cable is connected to the connector; and an application processor configured to control an operation for performing post-processing when the foreign substance is present in the connector in the electronic device, according to a detection result from the foreign substance detection circuit.

Description

Foreign substance detection circuit and electronic device including the same

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of korean patent application No. 10-2017-0171585 filed in the korean intellectual property office on 13 th 12 th 2017, korean patent application No. 10-2018-0062092 filed in 5 th 2018, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background

Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept relate to a foreign substance detection circuit. For example, at least some example embodiments relate to a foreign substance detection circuit and/or an electronic device that includes a foreign substance detection circuit.

In order to reduce (or alternatively, prevent) corrosion of the connector, it may be desirable to accurately determine whether foreign matter is introduced into the connector. When foreign substances are introduced, a plurality of pins in the connector may be short-circuited to each other, and when a pin transmitting a high voltage is short-circuited to other pins, there is a possibility that the pins break.

During an operation such as a charging operation, a power supply voltage may be supplied to a connector of the electronic device via a cable from the outside, and a boosting process of the power supply voltage supplied through the connector may be performed in order to improve charging efficiency. Here, when a short circuit occurs between pins due to the introduction of foreign substances, the risk of pin breakage further increases.

Disclosure of Invention

Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept provide a foreign matter detection circuit capable of relatively easily determining whether a foreign matter exists in a connector in a state of being connected to a cable, and/or an electronic apparatus including the same.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided an electronic device including: a connector configured to connect to an external cable, the connector comprising a plurality of pins; a foreign matter detection circuit configured to detect a resistance from a first pin of the plurality of pins, the first pin being one of the plurality of pins set to an open state or connected to a pull-down resistor, in response to the external cable being connected to the connector, and determine whether a foreign matter is present in the connector based on the resistance; and an application processor configured to perform post-processing in response to the foreign substance detection circuit determining that the foreign substance is present in the connector.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided a Configuration Channel Integrated Circuit (CCIC) connected to a configuration channel 1 (CC 1) pin and a configuration channel 2 (CC 2) pin of a connector according to a type C Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, the CCIC including: a processor configured to control internal operations in the CCIC; and at least one controller configured to control connection with the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin to perform data connection and control operation in a normal mode, control connection with a first pin in response to an external cable being connected to the connector in a foreign substance detection mode, the first pin being one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin set to an off state, set the first pin to a floating state after discharging the first pin in the foreign substance detection mode, and determine whether a foreign substance exists in the connector based on a resistance detected from the first pin.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, there is provided a method of detecting a foreign substance in an electronic device, the method including: the sensing external cable is connected to a connector, the connector comprising a plurality of pins; performing a discharging operation of a first pin of the plurality of pins, wherein the first pin is set to an off state or connected to a pull-down resistor in a state in which the external cable is connected to the connector; determining whether the foreign substance exists in the connector based on the resistance detected from the first pin after the discharging operation; and an indication display device displaying an indication that the foreign substance is present in the connector in response to determining that the foreign substance is present.

Drawings

Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a foreign substance according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

fig. 3 is a diagram of a C-type Universal Serial Bus (USB) receptacle structure as a connector applied to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the Configuration Channel Integrated Circuit (CCIC) of FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a state of a Configuration Channel (CC) pin when a cable is connected to a C-type USB connector;

fig. 6A and 6B are circuit diagrams showing an example of a circuit state when a short circuit occurs due to a connection state of the CC pin and a foreign substance;

fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a foreign substance according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation mode of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

fig. 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating a connection state of an electronic device according to a modified exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept;

fig. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating examples of detecting foreign substances by using various pins according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept; and is also provided with

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, one or more exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

Referring to fig. 1, the electronic device 100 may include a connector 110, the connector 110 being connected to an external cable to perform communication between the external device and the electronic device 100; and may further include a foreign substance detection circuit 120, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 being connected to at least one pin included in the connector 110. Further, the electronic device 100 may include a processor that controls overall operations therein, and as an example, the electronic device 100 may include an Application Processor (AP) 130. In addition, the electronic device 100 may further include a display control circuit 140 and a power supply controller 150.

Although fig. 1 shows the foreign substance detection circuit 120, the AP 130, the display control circuit 140, and the power supply controller 150 as separate elements, the exemplary embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may be implemented as an Integrated Circuit (IC), or may be provided in an IC that performs various functions. For example, in some example embodiments, the foreign material detection circuit 120, the AP 130, the display control circuit 140, and the power supply controller 150 may be provided in one or more Integrated Circuits (ICs) and/or the AP 130 may execute instructions to perform features of one or more of the integrated circuits.

As an example, the connector 110 may include a plurality of pins defined according to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) specification, and the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may include a circuit capable of detecting a resistance or voltage from one or more of the plurality of pins included in the connector 110. That is, when a foreign substance is introduced into the connector 110 (or a foreign substance is present in the connector 110), the resistance value detected from the pin may vary according to the foreign substance, and the foreign substance detection circuit 120 detects the varying resistance to detect or determine whether the foreign substance is present in the connector 110.

The connector 110 may have various structures. Various exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept provide a foreign material detection apparatus and method that reduce (or alternatively, prevent) corrosion or breakage of connectors by precisely determining a state in which various foreign materials including moisture are introduced into the connectors of various structures. Hereinafter, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) type C or a USB Power Delivery (PD) type C connector structure will be provided as the structure of the connector 110 in the exemplary embodiment. However, the exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept may be similarly or identically applied to other connectors of various structures. As an example, the exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept may be applied to another type of USB connector structure.

According to an exemplary embodiment, when a foreign substance such as moisture is introduced into the connector 110, the electronic device 100 may determine the foreign substance as a resistance (or impedance). When there is no foreign substance in the connector 110, a very large resistance or infinite resistance is displayed from the pin in an open or floating state, but when a foreign substance is introduced, a small resistance value may be displayed from the pin instead of infinite resistance. Hereinafter, a feature of determining whether a foreign substance is introduced by using one of pins or one of pins of the C-type USB connector structure will be described. According to detailed exemplary embodiments, an example of using a Configuration Channel (CC) pin among pins in a C-type USB connector structure will be described below. However, the inventive concept is not so limited, and other various pins may be used.

In addition, in describing the configuration and operation of an electronic device including a connector having a C-type USB structure according to an exemplary embodiment, the connector may represent a structure in which electrical connection is performed between two devices. According to an exemplary embodiment, the connector may represent a receptacle to which an external cable is coupled, and thus the terms "connector" and "receptacle" may be used interchangeably. Additionally, in some exemplary embodiments, the connector may be a concept further including a plug, and the cable may be referred to as a plug. Furthermore, the term "pin" may be replaced with a "terminal".

According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the resistance of the pin is changed due to the introduction of a foreign substance by using an area in the connector 110 that does not affect the operation of the C-type USB. When there is no foreign substance, infinite resistance is detected from the pin in a floating state, but when there is a foreign substance, a small resistance value (for example, several kΩ (ohm) to several mΩ (ohm)) may be detected instead of infinite resistance. Various methods of monitoring the resistance may exist, and the electronic device 100 may selectively detect a change in the resistance value using the various methods of monitoring the resistance.

The electronic device 100 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of the following: for example, smartphones, tablet Personal Computers (PCs), mobile phones, video phones, electronic book readers (E-book readers), desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbooks, workstations, servers, personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), portable Multimedia Players (PMPs), MPEG-1 audio layer-3 (MP 3) players, ambulatory medical devices, cameras, and wearable devices. According to various exemplary embodiments, the wearable device may include at least one of: accessory types (e.g., watches, rings, bracelets, foot chains, necklaces, eyeglasses, contact lenses, or head-mounted devices (HMDs)), fabric or garment integration types (e.g., electronic garments), body-mounted types (e.g., pads or tattoos), bioimplantable types (e.g., implantable circuits), and the like.

Hereinafter, an operation of detecting a foreign substance according to an exemplary embodiment will be described below.

In a state where the electronic device 100 is closed, an external cable may be connected to the connector 110 of the electronic device 100. As an example, the external cable may be a charging cable, and the power supply voltage may be provided to the electronic device 100 via the external cable. The foreign substance detection circuit 120 may perform an operation for detecting a foreign substance by using power from a battery provided in the electronic apparatus 100 or a power supply voltage supplied through an external cable.

In an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may be electrically connected to at least one pin (e.g., a first pin) of the connector 110, and may detect or determine whether a foreign substance exists by detecting a resistance from the first pin. For example, the voltage level measured from the first pin may vary according to the resistance of the first pin, and the resistance may be detected based on the voltage level. According to an exemplary embodiment, in a state where the cable is connected to the connector 110, some of the plurality of pins provided in the connector 110 may have an open state, and one of the pins having the open state may correspond to the first pin.

As an example, in the case where an external cable is connected to the connector 110, a voltage of a desired (or alternatively, a predetermined) level (e.g., a ground voltage level) may be detected from the first pin when no foreign substance is introduced. On the other hand, at least another pin of the connector 110 may receive a power supply voltage from an external cable, and when the first pin and a pin (e.g., a second pin) receiving the power supply voltage are shorted with each other due to a foreign substance, a voltage level detected from the first pin may vary. As an example, the voltage level detected from the first pin may vary according to a resistance value formed between the first pin and the second pin.

The foreign substance detection circuit 120 compares the detected voltage level with a desired (or alternatively, a predetermined) reference value, and determines whether a foreign substance is introduced or not based on the comparison result and generates a determination result Det.

According to an exemplary embodiment, when it is determined that a foreign substance is introduced, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may perform an internal control operation so as to perform additional processing corresponding to the above-described case. Further, the AP130 may control internal operations in the electronic device 100 based on the determination result Det.

For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the AP 130 may control the display control circuit 140 based on the determination result Det, so that a warning screen informing the user that a foreign substance is introduced may be output. Further, the power supply controller 150 may correspond to a power management IC that performs a function of controlling power supplied to the respective elements in the electronic apparatus 100. As an operation example, the power supply controller 150 may perform a boosting operation of a power supply voltage supplied through an external cable, and may perform a control operation based on control of the AP 130, which does not perform the boosting operation when a foreign substance is introduced.

According to the above exemplary embodiments, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may perform an operation of detecting a foreign substance in a state where an external cable is connected to the connector 110. For example, when an external cable is connected to the electronic device 100 in a state in which the electronic device 100 is in an off state, the electronic device 100 may be switched to an on state in order to perform a function such as a charging operation (or may enter a low power mode for activating only some functions). In addition, in order to reduce the possibility of damage to the pins due to the introduction of foreign substances, a warning screen for suggesting the user to remove the external cable may be output, or an internal power supply adjustment operation may be performed. As an example, the AP 130 may control the power controller 150 to inhibit (or alternatively, block) the flow of current to the connector 110 and inhibit (or alternatively, block) the operation using the connector 110, e.g., the charging operation.

According to an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of pins included in the connector 110 may perform a dedicated function for communication with an external device, and in a C-type USB structure, the connector 110 may include a Configuration Channel (CC) 1 pin and a CC2 pin for identifying the external device (see fig. 3). When an external cable is connected to the connector 110, one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may have an open state or may be connected to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) pull-down resistor (e.g., a 1k pull-down resistor in a C-type USB configuration). In the above exemplary embodiments, the first pin may correspond to one of a CC1 pin and a CC2 pin. Further, the electronic device 100 may include a Configuration Channel Integrated Circuit (CCIC) (see fig. 3), which may identify an external device according to voltages or resistances detected from the CC1 and CC2 pins, and the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may be included in the CCIC.

In addition, various modifications may be made to the electronic device 100 according to the exemplary embodiment in addition to the configuration of fig. 1. As an example, the power supply controller 150 or a portion of the power supply controller 150 may be implemented in the foreign substance detection circuit 120. For example, when it is determined that a foreign substance is introduced into the connector 110 according to a result of detecting the resistance from the first pin, the foreign substance detection circuit 120 may perform a control operation, such as lowering the level or current of the voltage supplied to the connector 110 or preventing the supply of the voltage or current.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a foreign substance according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

Referring to fig. 2, in operation S11, a system (e.g., a mobile device) including a C-type USB connector may be in a power-off state, and in operation S12, the system may switch an operation mode to a power-on state when a connection (S12) of an external cable (or plug) is sensed.

In operation S13, the system may perform a charging function and a communication function in response to switching to the power-on state. As an example, the system may normally operate some circuit configurations in the internal elements related to charging and communication functions in a powered-on state.

In operation S14, since the cable is already connected to the system, the system may detect whether foreign substances exist in a state of connecting the cable.

In operation S15, when the foreign substance detection circuit 120 determines that a foreign substance is not introduced as a detection result, the system may operate in the normal charge mode.

On the other hand, in operation S16, a warning may be notified to the user as a pop-up window based on the display control operation in order to guide the user to remove the cable when the system detects the introduction of the foreign substance.

In addition, an operation of raising the level of the power supply voltage (for example, VBUS voltage in a C-type connector structure) from the outside may be generally performed in the system in order to perform the charging operation.

However, when the introduction of the foreign substance is detected, in operation S17, the boost of VBUS may be limited or reduced by a power management operation in the system, or a control operation may be performed to reduce the voltage and/or current of VBUS through communication with an external device connected to the cable. As an example, an AP in the system may control the power management IC to prevent current from flowing to the connector or to prevent a charging operation from being performed.

In addition, the system may determine whether the user removes the cable in operation S18, and may switch to the power-off state when the external cable is removed in operation S19.

In addition, according to exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept, the system may detect the foreign substance by using the CC pin as described above, and various operations for detecting the foreign substance may be controlled via the CCIC connected to the CC pin, or may be controlled based on control operations of the AP in the system.

Fig. 3 is a diagram of a C-type USB socket structure as a connector applied to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

As shown in fig. 3, the C-type USB socket structure may have 12X12 pins in a symmetrical structure. Various terms shown in fig. 3 can be easily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art through the USB specification, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

Referring to fig. 3, the electronic device 200 may include a connector 210, CCIC 220, and AP 230, and the connector 210 may include twenty-four (24) pins that meet the specifications of the C-type USB socket structure. That is, due to the symmetrical structure, the cable may be connected to the connector 210 of the electronic device 200 without considering the directivity of the cable. As an example, a USB cable may be connected to connector 210 without matching the directionality of pins in connector 210.

The connector 210 with a C-type USB configuration may include two columns of pins. As an example, the connector 210 may include pins A1 to a12 in a first column and pins B1 to B12 in a second column. As an example, the connector 210 may support data communications at various speeds. As an example, connector 210 may include pins A2, A3, a10, a11, B2, B3, B10, and B11 that support high-speed data communications according to a first standard (e.g., USB 3.1), and pins A6, A7, B6, and B7 that support low-speed data communications according to a second standard (e.g., USB 2.0). In addition, pins A1 to a12 in the first column and pins B1 to B12 in the second column may each perform their own dedicated functions. For example, VBUS pins A4, A9, B4, and B9 correspond to power supply pins, GND pins A1, a12, B1, and B12 correspond to pins that transmit ground voltage, while sideband usage (SBU) pins A8 and B8 are pins for supporting standby (ALT) mode, and may be connected to a cable on which Thunderbolt, displayPort, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), and the like are loaded.

In addition, the electronic apparatus 200 employing the connector 210 having the C-type USB structure can perform bidirectional communication. As an example, when connected to an external device via a USB interface, the electronic device 200 may operate as a host (e.g., downstream Facing Port (DFP)) or as a slave (e.g., upstream Facing Port (UFP)). Alternatively, the electronic device 200 may operate as a Dual Role Port (DRP), and then the electronic device 200 may adaptively switch to the role of a host (DFP) or device (UFP).

When foreign substances are introduced into the connector 210, at least two pins in the connector 210 may be shorted to each other. As an example, a plurality of VBUS pins are arranged in the connector 210 of the C-type USB structure, and the VBUS pins and other pins adjacent to the VBUS pins may be short-circuited to each other due to foreign substances introduced into the connector 210. Thus, there is a possibility that current flows to the pin shorted from the VBUS pin, and thus the pin may be broken. In particular, because of the high requirements on charging efficiency, the supply voltage from the VBUS pin is boosted in the electronic device 200 from a voltage level of a minimum of 5V to a voltage level of a maximum of 20V. Therefore, when a short circuit occurs due to foreign substances, there may be a high risk of damaging other pins.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the introduction of the foreign matter may be determined by using only one pin or one pin in the C-type USB socket structure. Further, the determination of the foreign substance may be performed by measuring a resistance (or impedance) that varies due to the introduction of the foreign substance. Further, according to an exemplary embodiment, the resistance of the foreign substance may be measured by using the CC pin of the connector 210. As an example, the CC1 pin is used to detect a foreign substance when an external cable is connected to the connector 210 in a first direction (or normal direction), and the CC2 pin is used to detect a foreign substance when an external cable is connected to the connector 210 in a second direction (or opposite direction).

According to an exemplary embodiment, CCIC 220 may communicate with external devices via CC pins. According to an exemplary embodiment, the CCIC 220 may perform a foreign material detection operation by using the CC1 pin or the CC2 pin before performing the communication operation, and may selectively perform the communication operation according to a detection result of the foreign material. In addition, CCIC 220 may provide the detection result Det of the foreign substance to AP 230. In addition, the AP 230 may control various post-processes, such as output of a pop-up screen, based on the detection result Det of the foreign substance.

According to the exemplary embodiment, since foreign substances can be detected by using only one pin or one pin in the C-type USB socket, limitations of configuration hardware can be reduced. Further, according to the exemplary embodiment, since foreign substances are detected only by using the CC pin included in the C-type USB socket, the method may have a wide range of applications. Further, according to an exemplary embodiment, when the cable is connected to the connector 210 in a state in which the electronic apparatus 200 is in a closed state, a circuit structure for detecting a foreign substance may be activated by an internal power source or a power source voltage supplied through the cable, and then the electronic apparatus may detect the introduction of the foreign substance.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of CCIC 220 of fig. 3.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, in the above-described system including the C-type USB connector, the CCIC 220 may support various functions and communications through the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin. As an example, CCIC 220 may include a processor 221, a connection controller 222, a resistance detector 223, and a foreign substance determiner 224.

The processor 221 may control overall operations in the CCIC 220, and as an example, the CCIC 220 may perform data connection and control operations in a normal mode and may perform various control operations for detecting foreign substances in the lead-in cable in a foreign substance detection mode.

According to the above exemplary embodiments, the connection controller 222 may control the electrical connection state of the CC1 pin or the CC2 pin. As an example, the connection controller 222 may include one or more resistors and one or more switches for adjusting the connection state of the CC1 pin or the CC2 pin. According to an exemplary embodiment, the connection controller 222 may control an electrical connection state of the CC pin disconnected or connected to the pull-down resistor in a state where the cable is connected to the connector. For example, in order to detect or determine whether a foreign substance is introduced, the connection controller 222 may control a connection state of one CC pin (e.g., CC1 pin) so as to perform a discharging operation with respect to the CC1 pin, and then may detect a voltage level from the CC1 pin in a state that the CC1 pin is disconnected after the discharging operation is completed.

The voltage detected from the CC pin is supplied to the resistance detector 223, and the resistance detector 223 may output a result of detecting the resistance based on the voltage level. As an example, the resistance detector 223 may compare the voltage detected from the CC pin with a desired (or alternatively, a predetermined) reference voltage, and provide the comparison result as a result of detecting the resistance. That is, the resistance detector 223 may output a comparison result indicating whether the resistance value of the CC pin is a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) reference resistance value or less or a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) reference resistance value or more.

The foreign substance determiner 224 receives the result of detecting the resistance from the resistance detector 223, determines whether a foreign substance is introduced into the connector according to the detected resistance, and provides the determination result Det to the AP 230. According to the above-described embodiments, the AP 230 may perform various functions for reducing (or alternatively, preventing) damage and corrosion caused by foreign substances based on the determination result Det.

According to the apparatus and method of the above exemplary embodiments, the resistance of the CC pin in the C-type USB socket may be measured to determine whether a foreign substance is present, and then the boosting of the VBUS voltage may be limited or the voltage and/or current supplied to the connector may be reduced or prevented according to the result of determining the foreign substance. In addition, warning messages are provided to the user to reduce (or alternatively, prevent) damage to the device.

Furthermore, only the CC pin of the pins of the C-type USB socket can be used as an input for measuring resistance, and no additional hardware needs to be configured. Thus, the method according to the exemplary embodiments may be widely applied. Further, in a state where the cable is connected to the connector, a pin having an open state among the plurality of pins is used to detect the foreign substance. Accordingly, the cable has been coupled to the connector, and foreign substances can be detected.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 4, the resistance detector 223 and the foreign substance determiner 224 are described as separate elements, but exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto. As a modified example, the result of detecting the resistance supplied from the resistance detector 223 may be used as the result of determining the foreign substance. For example, in some example embodiments, the connection controller 222, the resistance detector 223, and the foreign substance determiner 224 may be provided in one or more Integrated Circuits (ICs) and/or the processor 221 may execute instructions to perform features of one or more of the integrated circuits.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the CC pin when the cable is connected to the C-type USB connector, and fig. 6A and 6B are circuit diagrams showing examples of circuits when a short circuit occurs due to the connection state of the CC pin and due to a foreign substance. The foreign substance may include various materials that generate electric resistance, and hereinafter, it will be assumed that the foreign substance is moisture.

As described above, a system employing a connector having a C-type USB structure can perform bidirectional communication. As an example, a system employing a connector having a C-type USB structure may operate as a host (e.g., DFP) or a slave (e.g., UFP) when connected to an external device via a USB interface. Fig. 5 shows such an example: the electronic device according to the exemplary embodiments operates as a slave device (UFP) and when the cable is connected to the connector of the electronic device, one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin is connected to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) power supply voltage and the other has an off state. Further, the connection states of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may be different from each other depending on whether the electronic device operates as a host (DFP) or a slave (UFP).

Referring to fig. 5, when connecting a cable, the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may have a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) connection state. For example, the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may be connected to desired (or alternatively, predetermined) resistors Rp and Rd defined in the type C USB, and when the cable is connected to the connector, the CC1 pin may be connected to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) power supply voltage (e.g., a power supply voltage of 5V), and the CC2 pin may have an off state. The CC1 pin may have an off state and the CC2 pin may be connected to a supply voltage when the cables are connected in opposite directions.

According to an exemplary embodiment, moisture detection may be performed by using a CC2 pin that is set to be disconnected when the cable is connected to the connector. As an example, in the connection state of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin as shown in fig. 5, a discharging operation is performed with respect to the CC2 pin having an off state, and after the discharging operation is completed, a resistance may be detected from the CC2 pin in order to determine whether moisture exists.

Referring to fig. 6A, a system employing a connector of a C-type USB structure may include a resistor and a switch connected to CC1 and CC2 pins, respectively. As an example, resistors Rp and Rd and switches SW1 and SW3 may be arranged to correspond to CC1 pins, and resistors Rp and Rd and switches SW2 and SW4 may be arranged to correspond to CC2 pins. In addition, a comparator COM1 for detecting a voltage from the CC1 pin and a comparator COM2 for detecting a voltage from the CC2 pin may be further provided, and each of the comparators COM1 and COM2 may receive the reference voltage Vref and output a result det_r of the detected voltage or resistance.

The system may communicate with the external device through the control switches SW1 to SW4, and as an example, one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may be connected to the resistor Rp or the resistor Rd according to a connection state with the external device. Further, the other of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may be set to an off (or floating) state.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6A, according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, the switches SW1 to SW4 may be controlled to perform a moisture detection operation before communicating with an external device. For example, when the CC2 pin has an off state according to a connection state, the CC2 pin may be discharged by controlling the switches SW2 and SW4 corresponding to the CC2 pin. Further, after the discharging operation is completed, the CC2 pin may be set to a floating state by controlling the switches SW2 and SW4, and the comparator COM2 may output a result of comparing the voltage level of the CC2 pin with the level of the reference voltage Vref.

When moisture is introduced into the connector, since moisture has low resistance, a voltage having a high level can be detected from the CC2 pin. For example, when it is determined that the voltage from the CC2 pin is greater than the level of the reference voltage Vref, the system may determine that moisture is being introduced into the connector. According to the resistance value of the CC2 pin in the off state, the resistance caused by the foreign substance can be detected in various ranges, and theoretically, the resistance of 20mΩ at the maximum can be detected.

When moisture is introduced, a short circuit may occur between the CC2 pin and a pin (e.g., VBUS pin) transmitting a power supply voltage, and a voltage level detected from the CC2 pin varies according to the power supply voltage of the VBUS pin. In a normal state, i.e., without introducing moisture, CC2 is maintained in the ground voltage GND state. However, when moisture is introduced in the connector, the voltage of the VBUS pin may flow into the CC2 pin via the moisture, and thus, the voltage level detected from the CC2 pin may vary. For example, as shown in fig. 6B, an undesired (or alternatively, a predetermined) resistance R is generated between the VBUS pin and the CC2 pin due to the introduction of moisture, and the voltage level detected from the CC2 pin may vary based on the resistance R value.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiments shown in fig. 6A and 6B, in the case where a short circuit occurs between the VBUS pin and the CC2 pin, it is assumed that a short circuit occurs between the CC2 pin and the VBUS pin because the resistance of moisture is 1mΩ as follows.

In a normal state where moisture is not introduced, when the CC2 pin is discharged and disconnected, and then the voltage value is measured from the CC2 pin, the ground voltage GND may be measured. However, in a state where moisture is introduced in the connector, a power supply voltage (for example, VBUS voltage) may be supplied to the CC2 pin via moisture having a resistance of 1mΩ, and when the VBUS voltage is 5V, a voltage of 2V or higher may be detected from the CC2 pin. That is, by using the above-described case, even in the case where the cable is connected to the connector, the foreign substance can be detected.

As described above, the unconnected CC2 pin is disconnected for detecting moisture, and the resistance in the disconnected state may be assumed to be 1mΩ to 9mΩ. Here, as the resistance in the off state increases, the detectable range of the resistance of moisture also increases. Assuming that the resistance in the off state is 1mΩ, i.e., the minimum value in the above range and the VBUS voltage is 5V, the voltage detected from the CC2 pin may correspond to 5Vx1mΩ/(moisture resistance +1mΩ). In the above formula, when the detected voltage is 200mV or more, moisture may be detected.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting a foreign substance according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to fig. 7, in operation S21, when a cable is connected to a connector of an electronic device, a connection state may be identified. In addition, according to the USB type specification, one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin may be in a connected state, and the other may have an disconnected state, and a foreign substance may be detected by using the CC pin having the disconnected state.

In operation S22, the electronic device may perform a discharging operation on the CC pin in the off state.

After the discharging operation is completed, the electronic device may disconnect the CC pin and may detect the voltage of the CC pin in operation S23.

In operation S24, the electronic device may determine a resistance value based on the detected voltage.

In operation S25, when the resistance is less than the desired (or alternatively, predetermined) reference value, the electronic device may determine that the resistance is caused by the foreign substance, and thus, may recognize that the foreign substance is introduced in the connector.

In contrast, in operation S26, when the resistance is greater than the desired (or alternatively, predetermined) reference value, the electronic device may determine that the cable is normally connected without introducing foreign substances, and thus, may perform a normal charging operation.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the resistance may be determined in a plurality of steps according to the resistance value thereof, and the kind of the foreign substance, for example, moisture may be determined based on the step of the detected resistance.

Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation mode of an electronic device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to fig. 8, when the electronic device is turned off, the off state of the electronic device may be maintained. When the external cable is connected to the connector of the electronic device, the electronic device may switch from the off state to the low power mode (a), and in the low power mode, the electronic device may enter the foreign substance (e.g., moisture) detection mode (B).

In the moisture detection mode, the moisture detection operation may be performed by using at least one pin of the connector according to the above exemplary embodiments. As an example, a voltage may be detected from a pin (e.g., CC pin) having a disconnected state in a state where the cable is connected to the connector, and when it is determined that the cable is normally connected without introducing moisture based on a result of detecting the voltage, the electronic device may switch from the moisture detection mode to the normal charging mode (C). On the other hand, when it is determined that moisture is introduced in the connector, post-processing such as displaying a pop-up notification to the user or controlling an internal power supply may be performed according to the above embodiments.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic device may switch from the moisture detection mode to the dry/cable removal detection mode (D) in a state where the cable is continuously connected to the connector. In the dry/cable removal detection mode, when a voltage is periodically or continuously detected from the CC pin and the detection result indicates that moisture has been dried, the electronic device may switch from the dry/cable removal detection mode to the normal charging mode (F). On the other hand, when moisture is not dried for a desired (or alternatively, a predetermined) period of time or the cable is detected to be removed, the electronic device may switch to the off state (E).

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 8, in the case of reducing the composition of a foreign substance (e.g., moisture) according to time, the electronic device may automatically enter the normal charge mode based on the drying detection operation. For example, when moisture is detected in the moisture detection mode, current flowing to the connector is prevented or a step-up operation is prevented, and when it is recognized that the moisture is dried, the electronic apparatus may enter a normal charging mode to normally perform a charging operation and a communication operation. As an example, according to the above exemplary embodiments, drying of moisture may be identified by comparing a voltage detected from the CC pin with an expected (or alternatively, predetermined) reference voltage.

Fig. 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating a connection state of an electronic device according to a modified exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept.

Fig. 9 shows such an example: when the cable is connected to the connector, one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin is connected to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) supply voltage, while the other is connected to a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) pull-down voltage. For example, such examples are shown: the CC1 pin is connected to a supply voltage corresponding to 5V and the CC2 pin is connected to a pull-down resistor Ra defined according to type C USB. Although not shown in fig. 9, the electronic device may further include one or more resistors and a plurality of switches for controlling the connection states of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin.

Referring to fig. 9, when an external cable is connected to the connector, a CCIC (not shown) performs a control operation on switches connected to the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin 2, performs discharging of the CC2 pin, disconnects the CC2 pin after the discharging operation is completed, and determines whether a foreign substance is introduced based on a result of detecting a voltage level from the CC2 pin. For example, the CC2 pin is connected to a ground voltage via a pull-down resistor Ra, and when no foreign substance is introduced, the ground voltage level may be detected from the CC2 that has been discharged.

However, when a foreign substance is introduced, a short circuit may occur between a pin (for example, VBUS pin) transmitting a power supply voltage and the CC2 pin, and thus, a voltage level detected from the CC2 pin may vary. That is, in the case where the CC2 pin is connected to the pull-down resistor when the cable is connected, it may be determined whether a foreign substance is introduced in the connector according to the above exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. Since the voltage level (or resistance value) detected by the same kind of foreign substance may vary depending on whether the CC2 pin is in an off state or connected to the pull-down resistor, the electronic device may be set such that a reference value (e.g., a reference voltage) for determining the introduction of the foreign substance may be changed depending on whether the CC2 pin is in an off state or connected to the pull-down resistor.

Fig. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating examples of detecting a foreign substance by using various pins according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to fig. 10, the electronic device 300 may include a connector 310 of a C-type USB structure, a foreign substance detection circuit 320, and an AP 330. The connector 310 may include various pins, for example, the connector 310 may include a sideband usage (SBU) 1 pin A8 and a SBU2 pin B8 in addition to the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin described with reference to the above embodiments. In addition, as shown in fig. 10, the connector 310 of the C-type USB structure may include four VBUS pins A4, A9, B4, and B9, and CC1/CC2 pins A5 and B5 and SBU1/SBU2 pins A8 and B8 may be disposed adjacent to the VBUS pins A4, A9, B4, and B9.

When the cable is connected to the connector 310, at least one of the SBU1 pin A8 and the SBU2 pin B8 may perform a function for supporting the ALT mode in the normal mode according to the kind of the cable. Further, depending on the kind of cable, one of the SBU1 pin A8 and the SBU2 pin B8 may have an off state, or both the SBU1 and SBU2 pins A8 and B8 may have an off state. Further, according to the above embodiment, the foreign substance detection circuit 320 may be provided in the CCIC, and the CCIC may support a function using at least one of the SBU1 pin A8 and the SBU2 pin B8 in the normal mode.

Depending on the connection state between connector 310 and the cable, CCIC may determine which of SBU1 pin A8 and SBU2 pin B8 has an off state (or is connected to a pull-down resistor). According to an exemplary embodiment, the foreign substance detection circuit 320 may detect a voltage having one of an off state or connected to a pull-down resistor in the SBU1 pin A8 and the SBU2 pin B8, and based on this, the foreign substance detection circuit 320 may determine whether a foreign substance is introduced. As in the above-described exemplary embodiments, the discharge operation may be performed on the SBU pin having the off state, and after the discharge operation is completed, a voltage is detected from the SBU pin, and then the introduction of the foreign substance may be determined based on the detected voltage level. When a foreign substance is introduced in the connector, the pin transmitting the desired (or alternatively, predetermined) power supply voltage and the SBU pin are short-circuited to each other, and thus, the voltage level detected from the SBU pin increases, and when the detected voltage level exceeds the desired (or alternatively, predetermined) reference value, it can be determined that the foreign substance is introduced.

In addition, when the SBU1/SBU2 pins A8 and B8 perform a desired (or alternatively, predetermined) function without disconnection according to the connection state between the connector 310 and the cable, the CCIC may determine the connection state of the SBU1 and SBU2 pins A8 and B8, and the foreign substance detection circuit 320 may not perform the foreign substance detection operation according to the above exemplary embodiments.

In addition, referring to fig. 11, the electronic device 400 may include a connector 410 of a C-type USB structure, a foreign substance detection circuit 420, and an AP 430, and as described above, the connector 410 may include various types of pins, and when an external cable is connected to the connector 410, at least one pin of the connector 410 may have a disconnected state or be connected to a pull-down resistor. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 11, it is assumed that one CC pin (e.g., CC2 pin) and one SBU pin (e.g., SBU2 pin) are in an off state or connected to a pull-down resistor when an external cable is connected to the connector 410.

The foreign substance detection circuit 420 may be included in the CCIC, and the CCIC may perform a communication operation by using the CC1 pin, the CC2 pin, the SBU1 pin, and the SBU2 pin. Further, the foreign substance detection circuit 420 may detect a voltage level from each of the CC2 pin and the SBU2 pin, and may determine whether a foreign substance is introduced according to the detected voltage level before performing a communication operation.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 11, the foreign substance detection circuit 420 determines whether a foreign substance is introduced by using the voltage levels detected from two or more pins. When a foreign substance such as moisture is introduced into the connector 410, the plurality of pins may be short-circuited to each other, and thus, when a voltage level detected from two or more pins is used, accuracy of identifying the foreign substance may be improved. For example, the foreign substance detection circuit 420 performs a discharging operation of the CC2 pin and the SBU2 pin, and detects a voltage from each pin after the discharging operation is completed, and then, it is possible to finally determine whether a foreign substance exists by combining results of detecting voltages from the CC2 pin and the SBU2 pin. As an example, when a foreign substance is detected from one of the CC2 pin and the SBU2 pin, or when a foreign substance is detected from both the CC2 pin and the SBU2 pin, the presence of the foreign substance may be finally determined.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram of an electronic device 500 according to an example embodiment.

Referring to fig. 12, the electronic device 500 may include Micro USB ICs (MUICs) 510 and CCICs 520, and each of the MUICs 510 and CCICs 520 may be connected to at least one pin of a connector (not shown) to perform its own dedicated function. For example, MUIC 510 may be connected to d+ pins A6 and B6 and D-pins A7 and B7 in the above C-type USB structure, and MUIC 510 may recognize that an external device is connected thereto via a sense cable and may communicate with the external device via d+ pins A6 and B6 and D-pins A7 and B7. In addition, the CCIC 520 may perform control operations for setting DFP, UFP, and DRP, as described above.

According to the exemplary embodiment, the MUIC 510 may provide a signal (det_c) sensing connection of an external device to the CCIC 520, and according to the above exemplary embodiment, the CCIC 520 may perform a foreign substance detection operation in response to reception of the sensing signal det_c. For example, CCIC 520 may determine whether a foreign substance is present based on a discharge operation and resistance detection of the CC1 pin or the CC2 pin, and when a foreign substance is present, CCIC 520 may control a corresponding post-process. In addition, when a foreign substance is present in the connector, the CCIC 520 may supply a control signal ctrl_p for reducing a power level supplied from an external device to the connector or turning off the power to the MUIC 510.

The MUIC 510 may communicate with an external device via at least one of the d+ pins A6 and B6 and the D-pins A7 and B7, and may provide a request to the external device to decrease a power supply voltage level or prevent supply of the power supply voltage based on a control signal ctrl_p from the CCIC 520. Accordingly, when a foreign substance is introduced into the connector of the electronic device, corrosion and damage of the pins due to the foreign substance may be inhibited (or alternatively, prevented).

In addition, exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept may be applied to various product groups, for example, product groups using a C-type USB PD (e.g., personal Computer (PC) using a C-type USB, laptop, smart phone, monitor, travel Adapter (TA), dongle, etc.).

The above-described units and/or devices, such as components of an electronic device (e.g., 100, 200, 300, 400), including a foreign substance detection circuit, a power supply controller, a display control circuit, an application processor, and a Configuration Channel IC (CCIC) (e.g., 220), as well as sub-components thereof (e.g., a processor, a resistance detector, a connection controller, and a foreign substance determiner), may be implemented using hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or a non-transitory storage medium storing software executable to perform its functions.

The hardware may be implemented using various hardware devices such as an Integrated Circuit (IC), an Application Specific IC (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), a system on a chip (SoC), or processing circuitry such as one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs), one or more controllers, one or more Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs), one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more microcomputers, or one or more any other devices capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner.

The software may include a computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, for individually or collectively instructing or configuring a hardware device to operate as necessary. The computer program and/or program code may comprise a program or computer readable instructions, software components, software modules, data files, data structures, etc. that are capable of being implemented by one or more hardware devices, such as one or more of the hardware devices described above. Examples of program code include machine code produced by a compiler and higher level program code executed using an interpreter.

For example, when the hardware device is a computer processing device (e.g., one or more processors, CPUs, controllers, ALUs, DSPs, microcomputers, microprocessors, etc.), the computer processing device may be configured to execute program code by performing arithmetic, logic, and input/output operations according to the program code. Once the program code is loaded into the computer processing device, the computer processing device can be programmed to execute the program code to transform the computer processing device into a special purpose computer processing device. In a more specific example, when the program code is loaded into a processor, the processor is programmed to execute the program code and the operations corresponding thereto, transforming the processor into a special purpose processor. In another example, the hardware device may be an integrated circuit that is customized into a dedicated processing circuit (e.g., ASIC).

A hardware device, such as a computer processing device, may run an Operating System (OS) and one or more software applications running on the OS. The computer processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and create data in response to execution of the software. For simplicity, one or more exemplary embodiments may be shown as a computer processing device; however, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a hardware device may include multiple processing elements and multiple types of processing elements. For example, a hardware device may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. In addition, other processing configurations are possible, such as parallel processors.

The software and/or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of storage medium including, but not limited to, any machine, component, physical or virtual equipment or computer storage medium or device capable of providing instructions or data to or being interpreted by a hardware device. The software may also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the software is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. In particular, for example, software and data may be stored by one or more computer-readable recording media, including tangible or non-transitory computer-readable storage media as discussed herein.

According to one or more exemplary embodiments, the storage medium may also include one or more storage devices at the unit and/or device. The one or more storage devices may be tangible or non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as Random Access Memory (RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), persistent mass storage devices (such as disk drives), and/or any other similar data storage mechanism capable of storing and recording data. The one or more storage devices may be configured to store computer programs, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof for one or more operating systems and/or for implementing the exemplary embodiments described herein.

The computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may also be loaded into the one or more storage devices and/or one or more computer processing devices from a separate computer readable storage medium using a drive mechanism. Such separate computer-readable storage media may include Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drives, memory sticks, blu-ray/DVD/CD-ROM drives, memory cards, and/or other similar computer-readable storage media. The computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may be loaded from a remote data storage device into one or more storage devices and/or one or more computer processing devices via a network interface, rather than via a computer readable storage medium. Additionally, the computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may be loaded into the one or more storage devices and/or the one or more processors from a remote computing system configured to transmit and/or distribute the computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof over a network. The remote computing system may transmit and/or distribute the computer program, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof via a wired interface, an air interface, and/or any other similar medium.

One or more hardware devices, storage media, computer programs, program code, instructions, or some combination thereof, may be specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the exemplary embodiments, or they may be devices that are known to be varied and/or modified for the purposes of the exemplary embodiments.

While the present inventive concept has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a connector configured to connect to an external cable, the connector comprising a plurality of pins;

a foreign matter detection circuit configured to,

in response to the external cable being connected to the connector, detecting a resistance from a first pin of the plurality of pins, the first pin being one of the plurality of pins set to an open state or connected to a pull-down resistor, and

determining whether a foreign substance is present in the connector based on the resistance; and

an application processor configured to perform post-processing in response to the foreign material detection circuitry determining that the foreign material is present in the connector,

Wherein the connector is configured to communicate with the external cable according to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface,

wherein the first pin comprises one of a configuration channel 1 (CC 1) pin and a configuration channel 2 (CC 2) pin defined by a C-type USB interface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the post-processing includes an indication display device displaying an indication that the foreign substance is present in the connector.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply controller configured to adjust a level or current of a voltage supplied to the connector, wherein

The post-processing includes instructing the power controller to prevent the supply of the voltage or the current to the connector.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the foreign substance detection circuit is configured to determine whether the foreign substance is present when the external cable is connected to the connector in a state in which the electronic device is in a closed state.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the foreign material detection circuit is a Configuration Channel Integrated Circuit (CCIC) configured to perform data connection and control operations via at least one of a CC1 pin and a CC2 pin in a normal mode.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the foreign material detection circuit is configured to,

in response to the external cable being connected to the connector, performing a discharging operation of the first pin,

setting the first pin to a floating state after the discharging operation, and

the resistance is detected based on a voltage measured from the first pin in the floating state.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein

The connector further comprises a VBUS pin defined by the C-type USB interface for transmitting a supply voltage, and the electronic device is configured such that,

when foreign matter is present, the VBUS pin and the first pin are shorted, and a voltage exceeding a reference level can be measured from the first pin,

when the foreign substance is not present, the VBUS pin and the first pin are not shorted to each other, and a voltage less than the reference level can be measured from the first pin.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first pin further comprises at least one of: a configuration channel 1 (CC 1) pin, a configuration channel 2 (CC 2) pin, a sideband usage 1 (SBU 1) pin, and a sideband usage 2 (SBU 2) pin defined by the C-type USB interface.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a micro-USB IC (MUIC) configured to sense a connection between the external cable and the connector and communicate with an external device via at least one second pin of the connector, wherein

The foreign matter detection circuit is configured to initiate detection of the resistance in response to the MUIC sensing the connection, and

the MUIC is configured to communicate with the external device to reduce a level of a power supply voltage provided from the external device in response to the foreign substance being present in the connection.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the foreign substance detection circuit is configured to detect moisture as the foreign substance introduced into the connector.

11. A Configuration Channel Integrated Circuit (CCIC) for connecting to configuration channel 1 (CC 1) pins and configuration channel 2 (CC 2) pins of a connector according to a type C Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, the CCIC comprising:

a processor configured to control internal operations in the CCIC; and

at least one controller configured to,

in the normal mode, the connections to the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin are controlled to perform data connection and control operations,

In a foreign matter detection mode, controlling connection with a first pin, which is one of the CC1 pin and the CC2 pin set to an off state, in response to an external cable being connected to the connector,

in the foreign matter detection mode, after discharging the first pin, the first pin is set to a floating state, and

determining whether a foreign substance is present in the connector based on the resistance detected from the first pin.

12. The CCIC of claim 11 wherein

The first pin corresponds to the CC1 pin when the external cable is connected to the connector in a first orientation, and

the first pin corresponds to the CC2 pin when the external cable is connected to the connector in a second orientation opposite the first orientation.

13. The CCIC of claim 11 wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine whether the foreign substance is present responsive to the external cable being connected to the connector in a state in which an electronic device including the CCIC is closed.

14. The CCIC of claim 11 wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine whether the foreign substance is present in the connector based on the resistance detected from the first pin in the floating state after discharging.

15. The CCIC of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is configured to skip determining whether the foreign substance is present responsive to the external cable being connected to the connector when neither the CC1 pin nor the CC2 pin is set to the disconnected state.

16. A method of detecting a foreign substance in an electronic device, the method comprising:

the sensing external cable is connected to a connector, the connector comprising a plurality of pins;

performing a discharging operation of a first pin of the plurality of pins, wherein the first pin is set to an off state or connected to a pull-down resistor in a state in which the external cable is connected to the connector;

determining whether the foreign substance exists in the connector based on the resistance detected from the first pin after the discharging operation; and

an indication display device displays an indication that the foreign substance is present in the connector in response to determining that the foreign substance is present,

the method further comprises the steps of: in response to the external cable being connected to the connector, performing a discharging operation of the first pin,

setting the first pin to a floating state after the discharging operation, and

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic device is in a closed state before the external cable is connected to the connector, and the determining determines whether the foreign substance is present in response to the external cable being connected to the connector in the closed state.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein

The connector is configured to communicate with the external cable according to a C-type Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and

the first pin corresponds to one of a configuration channel 1 (CC 1) pin and a configuration channel 2 (CC 2) pin defined according to the C-type USB interface.

19. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for performing the method of claim 16.