Computing Module with Serial Data Connectivity

• US 20100100650A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shamrock Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tao Logic Systems LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Doss, Jeff, Rhoden, Desi, Mollo, Charles, Ahern, Frank W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1642 with request queuing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1673 using buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4013 with data re-ordering, e.g. Endian conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4045 where the bus bridge performs an extender function
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247

Abstract

A computing module includes an interface to asynchronously, serially exchange parallel system bus data with one or more other modules of a computer system that includes the computing module. The computing module can asynchronously, serially transfer first parallel bus data to another module of the computer system, and can asynchronously, serially receive second parallel bus data from another module of the computer system.

Claims

1. A computing module comprising:

a processor;

a parallel system bus; and

an interface configured to asynchronously, serially exchange parallel system bus data with one or more other modules of a computer system that includes the computing module.

2. The computing module as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a bridge.

3. The computing module as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface is further configured to asynchronously, serially exchange the parallel system bus data without requiring handshaking.

4. The computing module as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing module is separated from each of the one or more other modules of the computer system by a distance of at least a meter.

5. The computing module as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more other modules comprises a module selected from a group including:

a disk drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a printer, an Internet connection, a wireless accessory, and a storage module.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first module, first parallel bus data;

asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data to a second module via a serial link;

receiving, at the second module, second parallel bus data; and

asynchronously, serially transferring the second parallel bus data to the first module via the serial link.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data comprises asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data without requiring handshaking.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first module comprises a processor module including a CPU and memory, and wherein the second module comprises a peripheral device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a hard drive.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first module is separated from the second module by a distance of at least a meter.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first module and the second module each comprises a portable computing device.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first module comprises one of:

a disk drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a printer, an Internet connection, a wireless accessory, and a storage module.

13. A method in a first module of a computer system including the first module and a second module coupled together via a serial link, the method comprising:

receiving first parallel bus data;

asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data to the second module via the serial link; and

asynchronously, serially receiving second parallel bus data from the second module via the serial link.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data comprises asynchronously, serially transferring the first parallel bus data without requiring handshaking.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first module is separated from the second module by a distance of at least several meters.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first module and the second module each comprises a portable computing device.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the second module comprises one of:

a disk drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, a printer, an Internet connection, a wireless accessory, and a storage module.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first module comprises a processor module including a CPU and memory, and wherein the second module comprises a peripheral device.

19. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first module comprises a hard drive.

20. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first module comprises a memory device.