USING USB SUSPEND/RESUME TO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION THROUGH A USB DEVICE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of transmitting a message to a device using suspend and active states of the device, the method comprising:
- pausing a communication signal from a host to a device for a time period sufficient to trigger the device into a suspend state, the host being operatively connected to the device;
restarting the communications signal from the host to the device for a time period sufficient to trigger the device into an active state; and
repeating the pausing and restarting operations according to a predetermined pattern corresponding to a message, a timing between each of the suspend and active states of the device corresponding to a respective portion of the message and enabling the device to determine the message.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for communicating information through a USB device using suspend/resume states are presented. A USB host stops transmitting Start-of-Frame (SOF) packets to a USB device, causing the USB device to enter a sleep/suspend state. The USB host then restarts the transmission of SOF packets to trigger the USB device back into a normal/resume state. The USB host repeats this process in a temporal pattern corresponding to a message, such that a circuit monitoring the USB device can determine the message.
20 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of transmitting a message to a device using suspend and active states of the device, the method comprising:
-
pausing a communication signal from a host to a device for a time period sufficient to trigger the device into a suspend state, the host being operatively connected to the device; restarting the communications signal from the host to the device for a time period sufficient to trigger the device into an active state; and repeating the pausing and restarting operations according to a predetermined pattern corresponding to a message, a timing between each of the suspend and active states of the device corresponding to a respective portion of the message and enabling the device to determine the message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of transmitting a message through a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-compatible integrated circuit (IC) using USB suspend and resume states, the method comprising:
-
sending a communication signal to a USB interface on an integrated circuit (IC); pausing the communication signal for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into a USB suspend state; restarting the communication signal for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into a USB resume state; and repeating the pausing and restarting steps according to a predetermined pattern corresponding to a message, a timing of a variation between USB suspend and resume states enabling a circuit monitoring the IC to determine the message. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A circuit for transmitting a message through a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-compatible integrated circuit (IC) using USB suspend and resume states, comprising a transmitting circuit operable to send start-of-frame (SOF) packets to a USB-compatible IC, pause the SOF packets for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into a suspend state, restart the SOF packets for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into a resume state, and repeat the pausing and restarting in a predetermined pattern corresponding to a message, a timing of a variation between suspend and resume states enabling a circuit monitoring the IC to determine the message.
-
16. A method of receiving a message through a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-compatible integrated circuit (IC) using USB suspend and resume states, the method comprising:
-
receiving a communication signal to a USB interface on an IC; suspending the IC into a suspend state upon detecting a pause in the communication signal for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into the suspend state; resuming the IC into an active state upon detecting a restarting of the communication signal for a time period sufficient to trigger the IC into the active state; and determining a message encoded using a relative timing between the suspend states and the resume states.
-
-
17. A two-way communication device, comprising:
-
a bus interface having a suspend state and a resume state, the bus interface operative to enter the suspend state after a communication signal is suspended for at least a predetermined time period, the bus interface operative to enter the resume state after the communication signal is received; an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to provide digital data to the bus interface; an active component configured to provide an analog signal to the A/D converter; and a circuit operatively connected to the bus interface and to the active component, the circuit configured to determine a first message from a series of bus interface suspend and resume states, the circuit configured to repeatedly power down the active component in a predetermined pattern such that a series of spikes is generated in the digital data, the series of spikes corresponding to a second message. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification