UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB) REMOTE WAKEUP

• US 20100049881A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Malamant, Igor, Lansky, Dedy, Kolor, Sergio, Rimoni, Yoram, Manor, Liron
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A universal serial bus (USB) device communicates with a USB host over a USB to remotely wake up the USB host over the USB when the USB host is in a low power (e.g. deep sleep) mode. The USB device performs an activity to wake up the USB host. The USB host performs a remote wake up process in response to detecting the activity by the USB device. The USB host performs a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process by the USB host. The USB device wakes up in response to the USB host performing the resume process.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus (USB) host comprising:

a USB host controller adapted to communicate with a USB device over a USB;

client software; and

USB system software adapted to communicate with the USB host controller and the client software and adapted to;

perform a remote wake up process in response to detecting activity by the USB device; and

perform a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process.

2. A USB host according to claim 1 wherein the USB system software is adapted to:

place the USB host and the USB device in a suspended state of operation; and

place the USB host in a low power mode in response to an idle time period of no communications between the USB host and the USB device.

3. A USB host according to claim 1 wherein the USB system software is adapted to:

enter a normal state of operation in response to the resume process.

4. A USB host according to claim 1 wherein the USB system software is adapted to:

perform the resume process in response to the remote wake up process exceeding a wait time period for the USB device to receive a communication from the USB host.

5. A USB host according to claim 1 comprising:

a mobile station modem.

6. A USB host according to claim 5 wherein the mobile station modem, comprises:

a radio frequency interface.

7. A USB host according to claim 6, wherein the mobile station modem comprises:

an integrated circuit.

8. A USB host according to claim 1 comprising:

a portable power supply adapted to provide power to the USB host.

9. A universal serial bus (USB) device comprising:

a functional device;

a USB interface adapted to communicate with a USB host over a USB; and

a USB logical device adapted to communicate with the USB interface and the functional device and adapted to;

perform an activity to wake up the USB device including initiating a remote wake up process for the USB host;

wake up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process.

10. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

place the USB host and the USB device in a suspended state of operation in response to an idle time period of no communications between the USB host and the USB device.

11. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

enter a normal state of operation in response to the resume process.

12. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

place the USB host in a low power mode in response to the remote wake up process exceeding a wait time period for the USB device to receive a communication from the USB host.

13. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

store in memory the activity performed to wake up the USB device in response to performing the activity.

14. A USB device according to claim 13, wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

retrieve the activity stored in memory in response to the USB device waking up; and

send the retrieved activity stored in memory to the USB host.

15. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB logical device is adapted to:

perform activities in response to the USB device waking up.

16. A USB device according to claim 9 wherein the USB device is adapted to receive power from the USB host over the USB to power the USB device.

17. A universal serial bus (USB) system comprising:

a USB host including;

a USB host controller adapted to communicate with a USB device over a USB;

client software; and

USB system software adapted to communicate with the USB host controller and the client software and adapted to;

perform a remote wake up process in response to detecting an activity by the USB device; and

perform a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process; and

the USB device including;

a functional device;

a USB interface adapted to communicate with the USB host controller over the USB; and

a USB logical device adapted to communicate with the USB interface and the functional device and adapted to;

perform the activity to wake up the USB device including initiating the remote wake up process for the USB host;

wake up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the resume process.

18. A method for operating universal serial bus (USB) host comprising:

performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting activity by a USB device coupled to the USB host; and

performing a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process.

19. A method for operating universal serial bus (USB) device comprising:

performing an activity to wake up the USB device including initiating a remote wake up process for a USB host coupled to the USB device;

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process.

20. A signal interface protocol communicated between a universal serial bus (USB) host and a USB device comprising:

performing an activity by the USB device to wake up the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process by the USB host in response to detecting the activity by the USB device;

performing a resume process by the USB host in response to performing the remote wake up process by the USB host; and

waking up the USB device by the USB device in response to the USB host performing the resume process.