METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND A TARGET INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICE IN A SECURE DIGITAL INPUT/OUTPUT CARD THROUGH A SECURE DIGITAL INTERFACE, AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SAME

• US 20090300223A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Weltrend Semiconductor Inc.
• Original Assignee: Etrend Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Ming-Feng, Chiang, Hung-Chih, Liu, Yau-Wen, Cheng, Chi-Cheng, Hsiao, Shih-Ching
• Application Number:
  US12/472,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices

Abstract

A method for communication between an electronic device and a target input/output (I/O) device in a secure digital input/output (SDIO) card through a secure digital (SD) interface is provided. The SDIO card includes a SDIO controller. The method includes the steps of: configuring the electronic device to write an I/O command packet at a designated address accessible to both the electronic device and the SDIO controller, the I/O command packet including a command for controlling the operation of the target I/O device; and configuring the SDIO controller to control the operation of the target I/O device according to the I/O command packet written at the designated address.

Claims

1. A method for communication between an electronic device and a target input/output (I/0) device in a secure digital input/output (SDIO) card through a secure digital (SD) interface, the SDIO card including a SDIO controller, said method comprising the steps of:

a) configuring the electronic device to write an I/O command packet at a designated address accessible to both the electronic device and the SDIO controller, the I/O command packet including a command for controlling the operation of the target I/O device; and

b) configuring the SDIO controller to control the operation of the target I/O device according to the I/O command packet written at the designated address.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step b) includes the sub-steps of:

b-1) configuring the SDIO controller to translate the I/O command packet written at the designated address into a corresponding I/O command; and

b-2) configuring the SDIO controller to control the operation of the target I/O device according to the I/O command,

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step a), the electronic device is provided with an application program that configures the electronic device to use a mass storage driver when writing the I/O command packet at the designated address.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

c) configuring the SDIO controller to encode and store an I/O response packet at the designated address, the I/O response packet including a response of the target I/O device to control by the SDIO controller; and

d) configuring the electronic device to read the I/O response packet from the designated address for determining the response of the target I/O device to the I/O command packet.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein step c) includes the sub-step of configuring the SDIO controller to encode the response of the target I/O device into the I/O response packet for subsequent storage at the designated address.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in step d), the electronic device is provided with an application program that configures the electronic device to use a mass storage driver when reading the I/O response packet from the designated address.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the designated address is one of a file address and a memory address accessible to both the electronic device and the SDIO controller.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the I/O command packet includes an I/O command header for specifying that the I/O command packet is one directed to the target I/O device, and an I/O command parameter set for specifying information related to the target I/O device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the I/O command packet further includes data for the target I/O device, and the I/O command parameter set includes a field for specifying the target I/O device, a field for specifying a command for activating the target I/O device, a field for specifying a length of the data for the target I/O device, and a reserved field.

10. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the I/O response packet includes an I/O response header for specifying that the I/O response packet is one that originated from the target I/O device, and an I/O response parameter set for specifying information related to the response of the target I/O device to control by the SDIO controller.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the I/O response packet further includes data associated with the response of the target I/O device, and the I/O response parameter set includes a field for specifying an operation status of the target I/O device, a field for specifying a length of the data associated with the response of the target I/O device, and a reserved field.

12. A system for communication between an electronic device and a target input/output (I/O) device in the secure digital input/output (SDIO) card through a secure digital (SD) interface, said system comprising:

a secure digital input/output (SDIO) controller adapted to be coupled to the electronic device and the target I/O device; and

an application program module adapted to be installed in the electronic device, said application program module configuring the electronic device to write an I/O command packet at a designated address accessible to both the electronic device and said SDIO controller, the I/O command packet including a command for controlling the operation of the target I/O device;

said SDIO controller including a packet decoding unit configured to control the operation of the target I/O device according to the I/O command packet written at the designated address.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12. wherein said packet decoding unit is configured to translate the I/O command packet written at the designated address into a corresponding I/O command, and to control the operation of the target I/O device according to the I/O command.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said application program module configures the electronic device to use a mass storage driver when writing the I/O command packet at the designated address.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

said SDIO controller further includes a packet encoding unit configured to encode and store an I/O response packet at the designated address, the I/O response packet including a response of the target I/O device to control by said packet decoding unit; and

said application program module further configures the electronic device to read the I/O response packet from the designated address for determining the response of the target I/O device to the I/O command packet.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said packet encoding unit is configured to encode the response of the target I/O device into the I/O response packet for subsequent storage at the designated address.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said application program module configures the electronic device to use a mass storage driver when reading the I/O response packet from the designated address.

18. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the designated address is one of a file address and a memory address accessible to both the electronic device and said SDIO controller.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the I/O command packet includes an I/O command header for specifying that the I/O command packet is one directed to the target I/O device, and an I/O command parameter set for specifying information related to the target I/O device.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the I/O command packet further includes data for the target I/O device, and the I/O command parameter set includes a field for specifying the target I/O device, a field for specifying a command for activating the target I/O device, a field for specifying a length of the data for the target I/O device, and a reserved field.

21. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the I/O response packet includes an I/O response header for specifying that the I/O response packet is one that originated from the target I/O device, and an I/O response parameter set for specifying information related to the response of the target I/O device to control by said packet decoding unit.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the I/O response packet further includes data associated with the response of the target I/O device, and the I/O response parameter set includes a field for specifying an operation status of the target I/O device, a field for specifying a length of the data associated with the response of the target I/O device, and a reserved field.