DEVICE FOR TAPPING USB POWER

• US 20120011379A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lantiq Deutschland GMBH (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Shi, Jia Xiang, Volkening, Ingo
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3253 Power saving in bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A device includes a universal serial bus (USB) port comprising a data terminal and a power terminal to receive power from a remote USB port. The device includes a controller coupled to the data terminal of the USB port to provide a USB initialization signal.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a universal serial bus (USB) port comprising a data terminal and a power terminal to receive power from a remote USB port; and

a controller coupled to the data terminal of the USB port to provide a USB initialization signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly transmit control signals to the data port of the USB port after providing the initialization signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the USB initialization signal is a remote network driver interface specification (RNDIS) signal.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the control signals are generated in predetermined, time intervals dependent on a predefined time out period.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to regularly determine whether a predefined control signal has been received at the data port.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the data port when it is determined that the predefined control signal has not been received at the data port.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the predefined control signal comprises a keep alive message.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises one of an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modem, an Ethernet ADSL modem, an internet protocol (IP) phone, an Ethernet IP phone, an analog telephone adaptor (ATA), and an Ethernet ATA.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a data communication port.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the data communication port comprises an Ethernet port.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the USB port is configured to provide up to 500 mA of current to the device.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein the control signals comprise keep alive signals provided to inform a remote device connected to the USB port to maintain power from the USB port.

13. A device comprising:

a controller configured to operate the device other than a network adaptor;

a universal serial bus (USB) cable configured to provide power for the device from a USB port of a computer; and

means for the device to obtain high power from the USB port without installing software for the device on the computer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device comprises one of an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modem, an Ethernet ADSL modem, an internet protocol (IP) phone, an Ethernet IP phone, an analog telephone adaptor (ATA), and an Ethernet ATA.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide keep alive signals to the computer through the USB cable to maintain the high power from the USB port.

16. A method for powering a device, the method comprising:

coupling a universal serial bus (USB) cable between a device and a USB port of a computer;

initializing the device such that the device receives a power higher than a predetermined power from the USB port over the USB cable;

initializing the device as a remote network driver interface specification (RNDIS) device; and

providing keep alive signals from the device to the computer through the USB cable to maintain the predetermined power from the USB port.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the device comprises one of an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modem, an Ethernet ADSL modem, an internet protocol (IP) phone, an Ethernet IP phone, an analog telephone adaptor (ATA), and an Ethernet ATA.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein initializing the device such that the device receives the power higher than the predetermined power from the USB port over the USB cable comprises initializing the device such that the device receives up to 500 mA current from the USB port over the USB cable.

19. A system comprising:

a device other than a network adaptor, the device including a universal serial bus (USB) slave port;

a computer including as USB host port; and

a USB cable coupled between the USB slave port and the USB host port,

wherein the device is configured to inform the computer through the USB cable that the device is a remote network driver interface specification (RNDIS) device such that the device obtains high power from the USB host port.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a data cable coupled between the computer and the device.