System and method of determining the power relationship among devices

• US 6,732,282 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Brelin, Jon Ebbe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US09/693,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/324, 713/340, 370/347
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the power type relationships of a unit or a subunit coupled to a high speed bus. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by a first device such as a controller sending a POWER TYPE command to a second device or target device such as a unit or a subunit. A response frame is returned from the second device to the first device indicating the power type relationships that exist.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

returning a response frame in response to receiving a first command from a first device, wherein the response frame provides at least one power type relationship between a second device and a third device and includes one of a number of subunits, a subunit type, a subunit identification, and subunit power information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device has a power type relationship that is dependent upon the third device, wherein the third device is one of a unit and a subunit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a power type relationship of the second device is independent of the third device, the third device is one of a unit and a subunit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third device has a power type relationship that depends upon the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a power type relationship of the third device is independent of the second device.

6. A system comprising:

a bus;

a first device coupled to the bus to send a first command through the bus; and

a second device coupled to the bus to receive the first command through the bus and to send a response frame to the first device through the bus, wherein the response frame provides a power type relationship between the second device and a third device, and includes a number of subunits, a subunit type, a subunit identification, and subunit power information.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first command comprises a POWER TYPE command.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second device has a power type relationship that is dependent upon the third device, wherein the third device is one of a unit and a subunit.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a power type relationship of the second device is independent of the third device, the third device is one of a unit and a subunit.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the third device has a power type relationship that depends upon the second device.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein a power type relationship of the third device is independent of the second device.

12. A method comprising:

notifying a first device of a response frame to a first command, the response frame providing a power type relationship between at least one of a first unit and a first subunit with one of a second unit and a second subunit, wherein the power type relationship is one of power dependency and power independency and the response frame includes a number of subunits, a subunit type, a subunit identification, and subunit power information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the first unit and the first subunit has a power type relationship that is dependent upon one of the second unit and the second subunit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a power type relationship of one of the first unit and the first subunit is independent of one of the second unit and the second subunit.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the second unit and the second subunit has a power type relationship that depends upon one of the first unit and the first subunit.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein a power type relationship of one of the second unit and the second subunit is independent of one of the first unit and the second subunit.