End-point sharing of communication bus interface

• US 20040205280A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeansonne, Jeffrey K., Zhang, Tim L.
• Application Number:
  US10/411,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205280A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A computer peripheral comprises a bus interface to a communication bus, a first component-bus bridge communicable with the bus interface and a first endpoint adapted for communication with a first component, a second component-bus bridge different from the first component-bus bridge and communicable with the bus interface and a second endpoint adapted for communication with a second component, and an automatic endpoint selector responsive to a control signal and adapted to enable one and disable the other of the first and second component-bus bridges for sharing the bus interface.

Claims

1. A computer peripheral, comprising:

a bus interface to a communication bus;

a first component-bus bridge communicable with the bus interface and a first endpoint adapted for communication with a first component;

a second component-bus bridge different from the first component-bus bridge and communicable with the bus interface and a second endpoint adapted for communication with a second component; and

an automatic endpoint selector responsive to a control signal and adapted to enable one and disable the other of the first and second component-bus bridges for sharing the bus interface.

2. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the communication bus comprises a universal serial bus.

3. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the communication bus comprises an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-1394 bus.

4. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the bus interface, the first and second component-bus bridges, and the automatic endpoint selector are disposed in a multi-component housing.

5. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the bus interface, the first and second component-bus bridges, and the automatic endpoint selector are disposed in a device bay.

6. The computer peripheral of claim 1, comprising a selected one of the first and second components disposed mutually exclusively in a device bay.

7. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second component-bus bridges comprises a chip having logic translating between a floppy disk interface and the bus interface.

8. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second component-bus bridges comprises a chip having logic translating between an integrated device electronics (IDE) interface and the bus interface.

9. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the automatic endpoint selector comprises a switch responsive to the control signal.

10. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the automatic endpoint selector comprises a first enablement control responsive to the control signal and a second enablement control responsive to the control signal subject to an inverter, wherein the first and second enablement controls are associated with the first and second component-bus bridges, respectively.

11. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the automatic endpoint selector comprises a hubless switch.

12. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the automatic endpoint selector comprises a hardware switch.

13. The computer peripheral of claim 1, wherein the automatic endpoint selector is adapted to provide one of the first and second component-bus bridges mutually exclusive access to the bus interface.

14. A system, comprising:

a peripheral device communicatively coupled to a processor-based device via a communication bus, comprising;

an interface to the communication bus;

a housing adapted to receive at least one selected component of a plurality of components;

a first component-bus bridge communicable with the interface;

a second component-bus bridge different from the first component-bus bridge and communicable with the interface; and

an automatic selector responsive to insertion of the at least one selected component and adapted to enable one and disable the other of the first and second component-bus bridges.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the automatic selector comprises a hubless switch.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the automatic selector comprises a hardware switch.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the housing comprises a multi-component connector having a first and second connector section coupled with the first and second component-bus bridges, respectively.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the automatic selector comprises a multi-component connector having a control signal connector.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control signal connector has grounded and ungrounded positions corresponding to first and second control signals.

20. A multi-component device, comprising:

means for communicatively bridging a first component interface with an externally hosted communication bus;

means for communicatively bridging a second component interface different from the first component interface with the externally hosted communication bus; and

means for mutually exclusively engaging one of the means for communicatively bridging the first and second components in response to a triggering event.

21. The multi-component device of claim 20, wherein each of the means for communicatively bridging comprises a component-bus bridge chip.

22. The multi-component device of claim 20, wherein the means for mutually exclusively engaging comprises an enable/disable switch for at least one of the means for communicatively bridging the first and second component interfaces.

23. The multi-component device of claim 20, wherein the means for mutually exclusively engaging comprises an event-activated control for at least one of the means for communicatively bridging the first and second component interfaces.

24. The multi-component device of claim 20, wherein the means for mutually exclusively engaging comprises a hubless switch.

25. The multi-component device of claim 20, wherein the means for mutually exclusively engaging comprises a hardware switch.

26. A method of forming a multi-component device, comprising:

providing a plurality of communication bridges between a communication bus interface and different component interfaces;

coupling the different component interfaces to an automatic selector able to enable one and disable others of the different component interfaces in response to a component event associated with the specific interface.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein providing a plurality of communication bridges comprises communicatively bridging a universal serial bus interface to different computer component interfaces.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein providing a plurality of communication bridges comprises communicatively bridging an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)-1394 interface to different computer component interfaces.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein providing a plurality of communication bridges comprises communicatively bridging a computer bus interface to an integrated electronics interface.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein providing a plurality of communication bridges comprises communicatively bridging a computer bus interface to a floppy disk interface.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein coupling the different component interfaces to the automatic selector comprises coupling an enable/disable switch to at least one of the different component interfaces.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein coupling the different component interfaces to the automatic selector comprises coupling a hubless switch to at least one of the different component interfaces.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein coupling the different component interfaces to the automatic selector comprises coupling a hardware switch to at least one of the different component interfaces.

34. The method of claim 26, comprising mutually exclusively housing at least one selected component from a plurality of components in the multi-component device.

35. A method of communicating with a multi-component device, comprising:

engaging one interface of different component interfaces upon a component event; and

switchably bridging the one interface between the different component interfaces with a communication bus interface in response to the component event.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein engaging one interface comprises mutually exclusively receiving a selected component of a plurality of different components into a bay of the multi-component device.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein switchably bridging comprises activating a bridge between the one interface and the communication bus interface.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein switchably bridging comprises deactivating bridges with the remaining interfaces of the different component interfaces.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein switchably bridging comprises switching without a hub.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein switchably bridging comprises switch with a hardware switch.