USB DEVICE CONTROL USING ENDPOINT TYPE DETECTION DURING ENUMERATION

• US 20130346660A1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kwidzinski, Piotr, Zhu, Zhenyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/426 using an embedded synchronisation, e.g. Firewire bus, Fibre Channel bus, SSA bus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of USB device control using endpoint type detection during enumeration. An apparatus configured for USB device control using endpoint type detection during enumeration may include a host controller configured to selectively disable enumeration of a USB device based at least in part on an endpoint type of the USB device. The apparatus may include a management engine configured to store in the host controller a USB lock policy defining endpoint types disallowed to be enumerated by the apparatus. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a host controller configured to selectively disable enumeration of a universal serial bus (USB) device based at least in part on an endpoint type of the USB device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the endpoint type is included in a USB lock policy stored in the host controller and defining endpoint types disallowed to be enumerated by the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a management engine configured to store in the host controller a USB lock policy defining endpoint types disallowed to be enumerated by the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the management engine is configured to interface with a remote management device for management of the USB lock policy.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the management engine is configured to interface with the remote management device over an out-of-band communication channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an I/O controller, wherein the I/O controller includes the host controller and the management engine.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a chipset, wherein the chipset includes the host controller and the management engine.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the chipset comprises a platform control hub.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the host controller is configured to selectively allow enumeration of the USB device based at least in part on a product identification (ID) of the USB device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the product ID is included in a USB lock policy stored in the host controller and defining product identifications allowed to be enumerated by the apparatus.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a host controller operatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to selectively disable enumeration of a universal serial bus (USB) device based at least in part on an endpoint type of the USB device; and

a display device operatively coupled to the one or more processors and the host controller.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a network interface operatively coupled with the one or more processors, and configured to communicatively couple the system with a network.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is a selected one of a laptop, a netbook, a notebook, an ultrabook, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant, an ultra mobile PC, a mobile phone, a desktop computer, a server, a printer, a scanner, a monitor, a set-top box, an entertainment control unit, a digital camera, a portable music player, or a digital video reorder.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the display device is a touch screen.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are separate from the host controller.

16. A method comprising:

during enumeration of a universal serial bus (USB) device, determining an endpoint type of the USB device by a host controller; and

selectively disabling the enumeration by the host controller based at least in part on the endpoint type.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing in the host controller, by a management engine, a USB lock policy defining endpoint types disallowed to be enumerated.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, by the management engine, the USB lock policy from a remote management device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the storing is performed during a boot operation.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising, during the enumeration of the USB device, determining a port identification (ID) of a port coupled with the USB device, and selectively allowing the enumeration by the host controller based at least in part on the port identification.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising, during the enumeration of the USB device, determining a product identification (ID) of the USB device, and selectively allowing the enumeration of the USB device by the host controller based at least in part on the product ID.

22. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having associated instructions that, when executed by a apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

during enumeration of a universal serial bus (USB) device, determining an endpoint type of the USB device by a host controller; and

selectively disabling the enumeration by the host controller based at least in part on the endpoint type.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further include storing in the host controller, by a management engine, a USB lock policy defining endpoint types disallowed to be enumerated.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further include, during the enumeration of the USB device, determining a port identification (ID) of a port coupled with the USB device, and selectively allowing the enumeration by the host controller based at least in part on the port identification.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operations further include, during the enumeration of the USB device, determining a product identification (ID) of the USB device, and selectively allowing the enumeration of the USB device by the host controller based at least in part on the product ID.