Wireless universal serial bus link for a computer system

• US 6,912,651 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamdi, Rabah S., Olkkola, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US09/052,744
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• Field of Search: 710/12, 710/104, 710/106, 710/73, 709/253, 455/6.3, 345/163, 345/158
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3814 Wireless link with a computer system port
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A computer system having transceivers coupled to USB ports so as to provide a wireless USB bus between a computer and one or more peripheral devices is disclosed. The transceivers allows the computer to be remotely located from the peripheral devices (e.g., USB devices) by distances substantially greater than five (5) meters, and thus overcomes the five (5) meter limitation on cable length for a USB bus that burdened the conventional wired USB buses. The power utilization of the transceiver is also managed so as to comply with the USB specifications. In one embodiment, the transceivers are radio frequency (RF) transceivers.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a computer including at least an upstream USB port;

a peripheral hub device including at least a USB host port;

a first transceiver coupled to the upstream USB port of said computer; and

a second transceiver coupled to the USB host port of said peripheral hub device, said first and second transceivers cooperate to form a wireless USB bus link between said computer and said peripheral hub device.

2. A computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer includes a bus controller that controls the wireless USB bus link formed between said computer and said peripheral device.

3. A computer system as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer has a housing, and

wherein said first transceiver is provided internal to the housing of said computer.

4. A computer system as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer has a housing, and

wherein said first transceiver is provided external to the housing of said computer, and said first transceiver couples to the USB host port of said computer.

5. A computer system as recited in claim 4,

wherein the peripheral hub device has a housing, and

wherein said second transceiver is provided internal to the housing of said peripheral hub device.

6. A computer system as recited in claim 4,

wherein the peripheral hub device has a housing, and

wherein said second transceiver is provided external to the housing of said peripheral hub device, and said second transceiver couples to the upstream USB port of said peripheral hub device.

7. A computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said peripheral hub device has a plurality of downstream USB ports.

8. A computer system as recited in claim 7, wherein said computer system further comprises

a printer, and wherein said printer is connected to one of the downstream USB ports of the peripheral hub device.

9. A computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer supplies a wired, internal USB bus to the USB host port of said computer, and wherein said first transceiver comprises:

a first antenna;

first transceiver circuitry for transmitting data at radio frequencies via said first antenna; and

a first bus interface that interfaces said first transceiver circuitry to the internal USB bus.

10. A computer system as recited in claim 9, wherein said first transceiver circuitry has a normal power mode and a low power mode, and the mode of said first transceiver circuitry is controlled by control signals supplied to said first transceiver via the internal USB bus.

11. A computer system as recited in claim 9, wherein said first transceiver circuitry comprises:

a first modulator that modulates and converts digital signals to be transmitted to produce analog signals of a first frequency;

a first up-converter operatively connected between said first modulator and said first antenna, said first up-converter converts the analog signals of the first frequency to analog signals of a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency, and supplies the signals of the second frequency to said first antenna;

a first down-converter that receives incoming analog signals of the second frequency from said first antenna and converts the incoming analog signals to incoming analog signals of the first frequency that is less than the second frequency; and

a first demodulator operatively connected to said first down-converter, said first demodulator demodulates the incoming analog signals to obtain incoming digital signals.

12. A computer system as recited in claim 9, wherein said second transceiver comprises:

a second antenna;

second transceiver circuitry for transmitting data at radio frequencies via said second antenna; and

a second bus interface that interfaces said second transceiver circuitry to the wireless USB bus.

13. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein said second transceiver circuitry has a normal power mode and a low power mode, and the mode of said second transceiver circuitry is controlled by control signals supplied to said second transceiver via the wireless USB bus.

14. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein said second transceiver circuitry comprises:

a second modulator that modulates and converts digital signals to be transmitted to produce analog signals of a first frequency;

a second up-converter operatively connected between said second modulator and said second antenna, said second up-converter converts the analog signals of the first frequency to analog signals of a second frequency that is greater than the first frequency, and supplies the signals of the second frequency to said second antenna;

a second down-converter that receives incoming analog signals of the second frequency from said second antenna and converts the incoming analog signals to incoming analog signals of the first frequency that is less than the second frequency; and

a second demodulator operatively connected to said second down-converter, said second demodulator demodulates the incoming analog signals to obtain incoming digital signals.

15. A method for transmitting data over a USB bus from a computer to a peripheral hub device, comprising:

providing a first transceiver at the computer, the first transceiver being coupled to a USB host controller that controls a USB bus for the computer;

providing a second transceiver at an upstream port of the peripheral hub device; and

establishing a wireless USB bus link between the first and second transceivers, the wireless USB bus link being part of the USB bus.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

managing power utilization of the first and second transceivers.