Universal serial bus host controller driver over a network

• US 20090094621A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pano Logic, Inc.
• Inventors: Garg, Pankaj, Debski, Matthew B., Kilani, Dali, Khubchandani, Teju, Choudhury, Himadri, Orady, Aly E., Bunger, Nils
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/327
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method to interact with a local USB device is disclosed. Messages are transmitted to a remote host controller driver from a host controller associated with the local USB device. Messages are received from the remote host controller driver for the host controller.

Claims

1. A client configured to interact with a local USB device comprising:

a local host controller;

an outbound interface to transmit messages to a remote host controller driver from the local host controller; and

an inbound interface to receive messages from the remote host controller driver for the local host controller.

2. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements.

3. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent and sufficient with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements.

4. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a transfer descriptor.

5. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising an assistance engine that is configured to:

receive a first transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

determine a subsequent transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor; and

resubmit the subsequent transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device.

6. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising an assistance engine that is configured to:

determine a transfer descriptor based at least in part on a transfer descriptor prototype; and

resubmit the transfer descriptor automatically to the local U.S.B device.

7. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with an assistance engine, wherein the memory is configured to store a transfer descriptor configuration received from the remote host controller driver;

and

further comprising the assistance engine, wherein the assistance engine is configured to;

receive a first transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

determine a second transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor and based at least in part on the transfer descriptor configuration; and

resubmit the second transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device.

8. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising an assistance engine that is configured to:

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

detect an error based at least in part on the received transfer descriptor; and

stop automatically resubmitting transfer descriptors to the local USB device.

9. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising an assistance engine that is configured to:

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

detect an error based at least in part on the received transfer descriptor; and

transmit the transfer descriptor to the remote host controller driver.

10. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising an assistance engine that receives a transfer descriptor to determine a transfer descriptor prototype.

11. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with an assistance engine, wherein the memory is configured to store a transfer descriptor configuration received from the remote host controller driver;

and

further comprising the assistance engine, wherein the assistance engine is configured to;

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller; and

adapt the transfer descriptor configuration based at least in part on the transfer descriptor.

12. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a USB enumeration sequence.

13. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a U.S.B transfer.

14. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a USB device unplug sequence.

15. A server configured to interact with a remote USB device comprising:

a host controller driver for the remote USB device;

an outbound interface to transmit messages from the host controller driver to a host controller that is associated with the remote USB device; and

an inbound interface to receive messages from the host controller for the host controller driver.

16. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a transfer descriptor.

17. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message transmitted from the host controller driver to the host controller include a transfer descriptor automatically submitted on the host controller.

18. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein messages transmitted from the host controller driver to the host controller include a transfer descriptor, wherein an error is detected associated with the transfer descriptor.

19. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein the remote host controller driver is further configured to transmit a transfer descriptor configuration to a remote assistance engine.

20. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB enumeration message.

21. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB device initialization message.

22. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB device teardown message.

23. A method to interact with a local USB device comprising:

transmitting messages to a remote host controller driver from a host controller associated with the local USB device; and

receiving messages from the remote host controller driver for the host controller.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a first transfer descriptor from the host controller;

determining a subsequent transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor; and

resubmitting the subsequent transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device.

25. A method to interact with a remote USB device comprising:

transmitting messages from a local host controller driver to a host controller that is associated with the remote USB device; and

receiving messages from the host controller for the local host controller driver.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising transmitting a transfer descriptor configuration to a remote assistance engine.