Apple's Dock interface will support USB 3.0 DisplayPort

Given Apple's size, it applies for a large number of technical patents every year, most of which are for future development. It may take many years before they are applied to actual products, and many may never be applied. Therefore, we rarely report on the strange new patents of Apple. But the new patent published today is quite eye-catching. It shows that the Dock interface that Apple has insisted on for many years will be upgraded to support new generation interfaces such as USB 3.0 and DisplayPort.

Apple started using the 30-pin dedicated Dock interface with the iPod 10 years ago, and almost all data synchronization and peripherals rely on this interface. The original Dock interface provided USB and FireWire data interfaces, and could provide some device control and audio output signals. With the upgrade of iPod, although the physical specifications of the Dock interface have not changed, the internal data interface has also been evolving, with video output capabilities added and the FieWire interface deleted. Although there have been a lot of voices in the industry questioning Apple's closed approach of using a dedicated Dock interface, in fact, the entire Dock interface product has formed its own ecosystem, with a large number of third-party peripherals supporting it. Even if Apple wants to give it up, it will bear a heavy compatibility burden. Therefore, it is almost necessary to continue to improve the Dock interface.

According to Apple's new patent that has been approved by the US Trademark and Patent Office, the new Dock interface will once again upgrade the internal interface definition. On the basis of the current USB 2.0, high-speed USB 3.0 and dual-channel DisplayPort will be added. Once the iPhone 5 or future iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch products use the new version of the interface, the data synchronization speed will be doubled on the USB 3.0 system. Based on the DisplayPort interface, various standard video output cables can be transferred. In addition to the

USB 3.0 and DisplayPort functions described in the patent, we can also imagine whether the Thunderbolt interface, which shares the same physical appearance as DisplayPort, will also be integrated into the Dock interface system in the future. In addition, the patent information description also shows that the Dock interface will not only be used on iOS mobile devices, but may also be introduced to the Mac platform.