HID over Simple Peripheral Buses

• US 20120246377A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bhesania, Firdosh K., Aull, Randall E., Abzarian, David, Aiyar, Arvind R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling

Abstract

In embodiments of HID over simple peripheral buses, a peripheral sensor receives inputs from a peripheral device, and the peripheral sensor implements an HID SPB interface to interface the peripheral device with a computing system via a simple peripheral bus (SPB) in an HID data format. The peripheral sensor can also receive extensibility data for a proprietary function of the peripheral device, and communicate the inputs from the peripheral device and the extensibility data via the simple peripheral bus in the computing system. Alternatively or in addition, a peripheral sensor can generate sensor data and the HID SPB interface interfaces the peripheral sensor with the computing system via the simple peripheral bus. The peripheral sensor can then communicate the sensor data as well as extensibility data for a proprietary function of the peripheral sensor via the simple peripheral bus in the HID data format to the computing system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a simple peripheral bus (SPB) configured for data communication between components in a computing system; and

peripheral sensors implemented with an HID SPB interface, each of the peripheral sensors configured to interface a peripheral device with the computing system via the simple peripheral bus in an HID data format.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a peripheral sensor is further configured to communicate extensibility data for a proprietary function of the peripheral device in the computing system via the simple peripheral bus.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a peripheral sensor is further configured to indicate that the peripheral device is an HID compatible device to the computing system, and determine a configuration of the peripheral device.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a peripheral sensor is further configured for bi-directional data communication from the peripheral device to the computing system, and from the computing system to the peripheral device using HID reporting protocols.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein a peripheral sensor is further configured to maintain HID application compatibility with a peripheral device.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the peripheral sensors include at least one of a sensor or peripheral device controller.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the peripheral sensors are further configured to communicate data as HID data structures via the simple peripheral bus.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an SPB driver configured to communicate HID data between a peripheral sensor and an HID software stack.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving inputs from a peripheral device at a peripheral sensor that implements an HID SPB interface to interface the peripheral device with a computing system via a simple peripheral bus (SPB) in an HID data format;

receiving extensibility data for a proprietary function of the peripheral device at the peripheral sensor; and

communicating the inputs from the peripheral device and the extensibility data via the simple peripheral bus in the HID data format in the computing system.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising indicating that the peripheral device is an HID compatible device to the computing system.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising determining a configuration of the peripheral device.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising communicating configuration data from the computing system to the peripheral device.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising maintaining HID application compatibility with the peripheral device.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising communicating data as HID data structures via the simple peripheral bus.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising communicating HID data between the peripheral sensor and an HID software stack.

16. A method, comprising:

generating sensor data at a peripheral sensor that implements an HID SPB interface to interface the peripheral sensor with a computing system via a simple peripheral bus (SPB) in an HID data format;

communicating the sensor data via the simple peripheral bus in the HID data format to the computing system; and

communicating extensibility data for a proprietary function of the peripheral sensor to the computing system.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising indicating that the peripheral sensor is an HID compatible device to the computing system.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

communicating configuration information to the computing system; and

receiving configuration data from the computing system to configure the peripheral sensor.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the simple peripheral bus is at least one of an I²C data bus or a serial peripheral interface (SPI) data bus.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising communicating HID data between the peripheral sensor and an HID software stack.