Device enumeration current reduction

• US 6,963,986 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Briggs, Randall Don, Gilbert, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Anand B.
• Application Number:
  US10/177,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of enumerating a peripheral device preferably includes initiating operation of the device in a low-power mode. Power can be conserved, for instance, by slowing processor speed or by shutting off clocks to one or more unneeded blocks of the peripheral device during enumeration. During enumeration, a host computer preferably obtains enumeration information from the peripheral device and then uses that information to select a configuration state for operating the device following enumeration.

Claims

1. A method of enumerating a peripheral device, said method comprising:

initiating operation of a peripheral device in a low-power mode, wherein the peripheral device comprises a processor configured to be operated at a power-conserving operating frequency during enumeration and at an increased operating frequency after enumeration;

obtaining enumeration information from the peripheral device; and

authorizing the peripheral device to increase power consumption following enumeration.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-connected device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the low-power mode is obtained by configuring one or more operating parameters of the device to conserve power.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein one of the parameters includes an operating frequency of a processor of the device and wherein the low-power mode is obtained by operating the processor at less than its full operating frequency.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein one of the parameters includes a clock state or clock frequency of one or more blocks of the peripheral device.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein clocks to one or more blocks of the peripheral device are disabled or operated at a lower frequency during enumeration to conserve power.

7. A method of controlling power consumption by a plurality of peripheral devices enumerated according to claim 1, said method comprising:

determining power requirements of the plurality of peripheral devices; and

adjusting one or more operating parameters of one or more of the peripheral devices to accommodate the power requirements of other peripheral devices.

8. A method of controlling power consumption by a plurality of peripheral devices, said method comprising:

initiating operation of the peripheral devices in a low-power mode;

obtaining enumeration information from the peripheral devices;

authorizing the peripheral devices to increase power consumption following enumeration;

determining power requirements of the plurality of peripheral devices; and

adjusting one or more operating parameters of one or more of the peripheral devices to accommodate the power requirements of other peripheral devices, wherein the operational parameters comprise processor operating frequency and block status.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising reducing an operating frequency of a processor of one of the peripheral devices to reduce its power consumption.

10. A method of meeting current limits during device enumeration, said method comprising:

powering up a peripheral device in a low-power mode, wherein the peripheral device comprises a processor configured to be operated at a power-conserving operating frequency during enumeration and at an increased operating frequency after enumeration; and

increasing the power consumption of the peripheral device following enumeration.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the low-power mode is obtained by selecting a lowest enumeration operating speed available for a device processor.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein increasing the power consumption includes increasing an operating speed of the processor of the peripheral device to a full operating speed.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the peripheral device is a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-connected device.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising identifying power requirements for a plurality of peripheral devices and allocating power to each of the devices based on the power requirements.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a host; and

a peripheral device connected to the host, said peripheral device configured to power up in a low-power mode, wherein the peripheral device comprises a processor configured to be operated at a power-conserving operating frequency during enumeration and at an increased operating frequency after enumeration;

wherein the host is configured to retrieve enumeration information from the peripheral device during enumeration and to permit increased current consumption by the peripheral device following enumeration.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the host comprises a processor programmed to retrieve enumeration information from the peripheral device.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the peripheral device comprises circuitry configured to lower an operating speed of the peripheral device during enumeration.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the peripheral device comprises circuitry configured to disable one or more clocks to unnecessary blocks of the peripheral device during enumeration.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the peripheral device is a Universal Serial Bus (USB)-connected device.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the host is configured to communicate to the peripheral device when the peripheral device is permitted to increase current consumption.