Apparatus and method for dynamically providing hub or host operations

• US 7,765,344 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monterey Research, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Wright, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US11/983,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

An apparatus and method for coupling a host computer to one or more peripherals or for coupling peripherals to one another. In one example, the apparatus includes a hub having an upstream port for coupling with the host computer and one or more downstream ports for coupling with the one or more peripherals; and a local host dynamically coupled with the upstream port. In one example, when the host computer is not coupled with the upstream port, the local host communicates with the peripherals; and when the host computer is coupled with the upstream port, the local host disconnects from the upstream port so that the host computer communicates with the peripherals through the hub. In this manner, the apparatus may be used to couple peripherals to a host computer, or when a host computer is not present, the data from the peripherals may be communicated through the local host. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a hub having an upstream port for coupling with a host and one or more downstream ports for coupling with one or more peripheral devices; and

a local host configurable to be dynamically decoupled from said upstream port when the host is coupled to the upstream port, the local host further configurable to operate in a low-power mode and monitor the upstream port when the host is coupled to the upstream port,

the local host further configurable to allow data from at least one of the one or more peripheral devices to be transferred through the local host when the host is not coupled to the upstream port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said local host includes a detector to monitor the upstream port to determine whether the host is coupled with said upstream port, and wherein said local host is further configurable to communicate with the one or more peripheral devices when the host is not coupled with the upstream port.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the upstream port includes a Vbus line, and the detector includes a voltage detector configurable to detect a voltage level on the Vbus line.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the voltage detector detects a high signal voltage level as a condition indicating that the host is coupled with the upstream port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the host is coupled with the upstream port, the local host is configurable to communicate with the one or more peripheral devices through the hub.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a microcontroller coupled with the local host and the hub, said microcontroller configurable to control the hub when the host is not coupled with the upstream port.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the host is not coupled with the upstream port, the microcontroller performs one or more operations to permit the data from the at least one of the one or more peripheral devices to be transferred from the at least one of the one or more peripheral devices to another of said one or more peripheral devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the local host comprises a plurality of serial interface engines configurable to receive and process data from the one or more peripheral devices when the host is not coupled with the upstream port.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a hub having an upstream port for coupling with a host and one or more downstream ports for coupling with one or more peripherals;

a local host configurable to be dynamically coupled with said downstream ports when the host is not coupled with the upstream port and, dynamically decoupled from said upstream downstream ports when the host is coupled with the upstream port; and

a microcontroller coupled with the local host and coupled with the hub, the microcontroller configurable to control the hub when the host is not coupled with the upstream port.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the hub is configurable to determine and indicate whether the host is coupled with said upstream port, and wherein said local host is further configurable to receive an indication from the hub whether the host is coupled with said upstream port and, when the host is not coupled with the upstream port, communicate with at least one peripheral of the one or more peripherals.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the local host is further configurable to communicate with the at least one peripheral at least in part by utilizing a plurality of serial interface engines of the local host to receive and process data from the at least one peripheral.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the host is coupled with the upstream port, the local host is configurable to be in a low-power mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the host is not coupled with the upstream port, the microcontroller configurable to perform one or more operations to permit data to be transferred from a first of said one or more peripheral devices to a second of said one or more peripheral devices through the local host.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a host device coupled to an upstream port of a universal serial bus (USB) hub, wherein one or more peripheral devices are coupled to a plurality of downstream ports of the USB hub; and

responsive to detecting the host device coupled to the upstream port, dynamically configuring a local host so that the host device communicates with one or more peripheral devices through the USB hub, wherein said dynamically configuring comprises decoupling the local host from the upstream port or from the plurality of downstream ports; and

responsive to detecting the host device coupled to the upstream port, further dynamically configuring the local host to operate in a low-power mode and monitor the upstream port for a status change associated with the host device coupled to the upstream port.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting the host device is not coupled to the upstream port;

responsive to detecting the host device is not coupled to the upstream port, further dynamically configuring the local host so that the local host communicates with the one or more peripheral devices through the USB hub.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the local host communicates with the peripherals at least in part by utilizing a plurality of serial interface engines of the local host to receive and process data from the one or more peripheral devices.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a microcontroller coupled with the local host and the USB hub for controlling the hub when the host is not present.

18. The method of claim 14,

detecting the host device is not coupled to the upstream port;

responsive to detecting the host device is not coupled to the upstream port, transferring data from a first of said one or more peripheral devices to a second of said one or more peripheral devices through the local host.