Transferring system information via universal serial bus (USB)

• US 7,433,990 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wurzburg, Henry, Fu, Mark Yi-Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Knoll; Clifford H
• Application Number:
  US11/338,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 710/5, 710/30, 710/313, 710/315, 710 18- 19, 710/62, 710/105, 710/11
• US Class Current: 710/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002

Abstract

In various embodiments, a system may include a processor, a host controller coupled to the processor, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device coupled to the host controller and a non-USB device coupled to the USB device. In some embodiments, the host controller may be configured to communicate with the non-USB device through a small computer system interface (SCSI) pass-through command. In some embodiments, a method may include a host controller sending a SCSI pass-through command to a USB device coupled to a non-USB device, the USB device receiving the SCSI pass-through command, and the USB device interacting with the non-USB device in response to the SCSI pass-through command.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a host controller coupled to the processor;

a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device coupled to the host controller, wherein the USB device comprises a first controller; and

a non-USB device coupled to the USB device, wherein the non-USB device comprises a second controller;

wherein the host controller is configured to communicate an embedded small computer system interface (SCSI) pass-through command to the first controller of the USB device;

wherein the first controller of the USB device is operable to pass the embedded SCSI pass-through command through to the second controller of the non-USB device without extracting the SCSI pass-through command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a native driver, accessible to the host controller, initiates the embedded SCSI pass-through command.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the native driver is a mass storage class driver, and wherein the USB device is a USB mass storage device.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the USB device comprises a USB card reader;

and

wherein the non-USB device comprises a monitor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the host controller is further configured to send information through the embedded SCSI pass-through command to the second controller of the non-USB device to affect operation of the non-USB device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first controller on the USB device is configured to send information, embedded in a SCSI pass-through command from the second controller of the non-USB device, to the host controller.

20. The system of claim 1;

wherein the first controller is a USB media controller and wherein the second controller is a non-USB microcontroller.

7. A method comprising:

a host controller sending an embedded SCSI pass-through command to a USB device coupled to a non-USB device;

the USB device receiving the embedded SCSI pass-through command;

the USB device extracting the embedded SCSI command; and

the USB device interacting with the non-USB device in response to the extracted SCSI pass-through command;

wherein the USB device is operable to extract the embedded SCSI command and interact with the non-USB device in response to the extracted SCSI command without passing the extracted SCSI command to the non-USB device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the USB device sending information to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command received from the host controller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the host controller sends the embedded SCSI pass-through command to poll the USB device for information relative to the non-USB device coupled to the USB device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-USB device is a monitor, and wherein the information comprises a status of at least one button on the monitor.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the USB device sending information to the host controller in response to the received embedded SCSI command; and

a computer system implementing a function in response to the information returned to the host controller.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising

the USB device monitoring at least one status relative to the non-USB device;

and

the USB device communicating the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command sent to the USB device from the host controller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein communicating the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command comprises sending a status stored on the USB device, wherein the communicated at least one status is not polled in response to the received embedded SCSI pass-through command.

19. The method of claim 7,

wherein the USB device comprises a USB card reader;

and

wherein the non-USB device comprises a monitor.

12. A system, comprising:

a computer system, comprising;

a processor;

a host controller coupled to the processor;

a USB device coupled to the computer system, comprising;

a USB controller;

one or more first general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins coupled to the USB controller;

wherein the USB controller is communicatively coupled to the host controller;

a non-USB device, comprising;

a microcontroller unit (MCU);

one or more second GPIO pins coupled to the MCU;

wherein the MCU is communicatively coupled to the USB controller through the first and second GPIO pins;

wherein the USB controller is configured to monitor a status of one or more components of the non-USB device through the first and second GPIO pins;

wherein the host controller is configured to send an embedded SCSI pass-through command, using a mass storage class driver, to the USB controller to poll the status of the one or more components; and

wherein the USB device is configured to periodically monitor at least one status relative to the non-USB device; and

wherein the USB device is configured to communicate the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command sent to the USB device from the host controller.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the non-USB device is a monitor, and wherein the status includes the status of at least one button on the monitor, wherein the at least one button comprises one or more of an on/off button and a brightness button.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to execute software that regularly polls the status of the one or more components.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the software is further operable to implement a function in response to the status of the one or more components.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the function is an on screen pop-up menu.