System for reconfiguring a peripheral device by downloading information from a host and electronically simulating a physical disconnection and reconnection to reconfigure the device

• US 6,493,770 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Sartore, Ronald H., Larky, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Du, Thuan
• Application Number:
  US09/878,488
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/8, 710/9, 710/10, 710/100, 709/220, 709/221, 709/250, 711/103, 711/104, 711/105, 320/21, 320/155, 703/21, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/10 Program control for peripheral devices G06F13/14 - G06F13/42 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for reconfiguring a peripheral device connected by a computer bus and port to a host from a first generic configuration to a second manufacturer specific configuration is provided in which the configuration of a peripheral device may be electronically reset. A peripheral interface device for a standardized computer peripheral device bus and port is also provided in which a physical disconnection and reconnection of the peripheral device is emulated to reconfigure the bus and port for a particular peripheral device.

Claims

1. A system for reconfiguring a peripheral device having a first configuration connected by a computer bus to a host computer, the system comprising:

a first circuit configured to download information for a second configuration from the host computer into the peripheral device over the computer bus; and

a second circuit configured to electronically simulate a physical disconnection and reconnection of the peripheral device to reconfigure the peripheral device to said second configuration while supplying electrical power to said peripheral device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first configuration is a generic configuration assigned to the peripheral device and said second configuration comprises any one of a plurality of unique manufacturer configurations.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first circuit is configured to (i) read an identification code from the peripheral device and (ii) select said second configuration based on said identification code.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a third circuit configured to select any one of one or more device drivers based on said information for said second configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer bus comprises a Universal Serial Bus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said first circuit further comprises a communication circuit configured to communicate said information for said second configuration to the peripheral device over the Universal Serial Bus.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said information for said second configuration comprises (i) configuration data and (ii) an executable code.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said peripheral device comprises a plurality of peripheral devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises a solid state switch.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said second circuit comprises a reset circuit configured to reset the first or second configuration of the peripheral device.

11. A method for reconfiguring a peripheral device having a first configuration connected by a computer bus to a host computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) downloading information for a second configuration from the host computer into the peripheral device over the computer bus; and

(B) electronically simulating a physical disconnection and reconnection of the peripheral device to reconfigure the peripheral device to said second configuration while supplying electrical power to said peripheral device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first configuration comprises a generic configuration assigned to the peripheral device and said second configuration comprises any one of a plurality of unique manufacturer configurations.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein step (A) comprises:

reading an identification code from the peripheral device, and

selecting said second configuration based on said identification code.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting any one of one or more device drivers based on said information for the second configuration.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein step (A) comprises communicating said information for the second configuration to the peripheral device over a Universal Serial Bus.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said information for the second configuration comprises (i) configuration data and (ii) an executable code.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein step (B) comprises electronically resetting the configuration of the peripheral device, controllable by the peripheral device.

18. A system for reconfiguring a peripheral device having a configuration connected by a computer bus to a host computer, the system comprising:

a first circuit configured to detect the peripheral device connected to the computer bus; and

a second circuit configured to electronically simulate a physical disconnection and reconnection of the peripheral device to reset said configuration of said peripheral device while supplying electrical power to said peripheral device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said computer bus comprises a Universal Serial Bus.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said second circuit comprises a solid state switch.