Computer communicates with two incompatible wireless peripherals using fewer transceivers

• US 6,151,645 A
• Filed: 08/07/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway 2000, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Young, Bruce A., Rapaich, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US09/131,252
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 710/63, 710/62, 710/1, 710/126, 710/129
• US Class Current: 710/63
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4086 Bus impedance matching, e.g. termination

Abstract

Computer systems provide separate ports for USB (Universal Serial Bus) and PS2 peripherals. Unfortunately, this arrangement requires the computer to have two separate wireless transmitters to communicate with wireless USB and PS2 peripherals. Accordingly, the present invention provides a device, a method, and a system for combining PS2 data and USB data into one serial data stream, thereby enabling one wireless transmitter to serve both a PS2 and a USB peripheral. Specifically, one embodiment includes a PS2 port for receiving PS2 data; a USB port for receiving USB data; a data combiner, coupled to the PS2 and USB ports, for combining the PS2 and the USB data; and a wireless transmitter, coupled to the data combiner, for broadcasting a wireless signal carrying combined PS2 and USB data. In one embodiment, the data combiner includes a processor and a memory that stores unique data-combining software.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a computer having PS2 and USB ports for respectively outputting or receiving PS2 and USB data;

a PS2-USB interface device, coupled to the PS2 and USB ports, for receiving PS2 and USB data and for outputting a combined PS2-USB data signal;

a wireless PS2 peripheral for receiving the combined PS2-USB data signal or outputting PS2 data; and

a wireless USB peripheral for receiving the combined PS2-USB data signal or outputting USB data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the PS2-USB interface device comprises:

a PS2 port coupled to the PS2 port of the computer for receiving PS2 data;

a USB port coupled to the USB port of the computer for receiving USB data;

a data combiner, coupled to the PS2 and USB ports, for combining the PS2 and the USB data; and

an output port, coupled to the data combiner, for outputting a signal carrying combined PS2 and USB data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data combiner includes:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium which stores software for causing the processor to combine the PS2 and USB data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the software includes instructions for:

tagging a PS2 identifier on the PS2 data to form tagged PS2 data;

tagging a USB identifier on the USB data to form tagged USB data; and

concatenating the tagged PS2 data and the tagged USB data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the PS2 peripheral includes one of a wireless pointing device and a keyboard, and the USB peripheral includes the other of the wireless pointing device and the keyboard.

6. A system comprising:

a computer having a non-virtual PS2 port, and a non-virtual USB port;

a first wireless device connected to the non-virtual PS2 port and the non-virtual USB port;

a PS2 peripheral having a PS2 port;

a USB peripheral having a USB port; and

a second wireless device connected to the PS2 port of the PS2 peripheral and to the USB port of the USB peripheral to enable wireless communications between the peripherals and the computer via the first wireless device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the PS2 peripheral includes one of a pointing device and a keyboard, and the USB peripheral includes the other of the pointing device and the keyboard.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device is external to a housing for the computer.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device comprises:

a first PS2 port coupled to the PS2 port of the computer for receiving PS2 data;

a first USB port coupled to the USB port of the computer for receiving USB data;

a first data combiner-demultiplexer, coupled to the PS2 and USB ports, for combining the PS2 and the USB data and to the first wireless; and

a first wireless transceiver, coupled to the first data combiner-demultiplexer, for outputting a signal carrying combined PS2 and USB data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second wireless device comprises:

a second wireless transceiver for receiving the signal carrying combined PS2 and USB data;

a second data combiner-demultiplexer coupled to the second wireless transceiver for demultiplexing the signal into PS2 and the USB data signals; and

a second PS2 port connected between the second data combiner-demultiplexer and the PS2 port of the PS2 peripheral to transfer the PS2 data signal to the PS2 peripheral; and

a second USB port connected between the second data combiner-demultiplexer and the USB port of the USB peripheral to transfer the USB data signal to the USB peripheral.

11. A computer system comprising:

a PS2 peripheral having a first wireless transmitter for outputting a wireless PS2 data signal;

a USB peripheral having a second wireless transmitter for outputting a wireless USB data signal; and

a single wireless receiver for receiving the wireless PS2 data signal and the wireless USB data signal.

12. A computer system comprising:

a wireless PS2 peripheral for receiving a wireless combined PS2-USB data signal or outputting a wireless PS2 data signal;

a wireless USB peripheral for receiving a wireless combined PS2-USB data signal or outputting a wireless USB data signal; and

a single wireless transceiver for receiving the wireless PS2 data signal and the wireless USB data signal and for outputting a wireless combined PS2-USB data signal.