USB HOST CONTROLLER

• US 20090172214A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: McGowan, Steve
• Application Number:
  US11/968,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4295 using an embedded synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In some embodiments, a USB host controller interface interfaces with a USB device at a device level by presenting a pipe of the USB device as a work queue to system software. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a USB host controller interface to interface with a USB device at a device level by presenting a pipe of the USB device as a work queue to system software.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more device slots in host memory, where the USB device is represented by one of the device slots.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more device slots include context and doorbells.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one of the device slots is used to present a root hub.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pipe defines communication flow between a buffer owned by software and an endpoint in the USB device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the USB host controller interface hides low-level USB packet, timing and protocol constraints of the individual USB protocols from system software.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the USB host controller interface supports virtualization of USB devices.

8. A method comprising:

interfacing with a USB device at a device level; and

presenting a pipe of the USB device as a work queue to system software.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing one or more device slots in host memory, where the USB device is represented by one of the device slots.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more device slots include context and doorbells.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising using one of the device slots present a root hub.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the pipe defines communication flow between a buffer owned by software and an endpoint in the USB device.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising hiding low-level USB packet, timing and protocol constraints of the individual USB protocols from system software.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising supporting virtualization of USB devices.