Serial bus hub with low power devices

• US 7,882,297 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Forni, Charles, Sisto, John F., Winchester, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US12/389,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 710/313, 710305-306, 713/300, 713321-324, 713330-340
• US Class Current: 710/313
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4295 using an embedded synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Serial bus hub with one or more low power devices. The serial bus hub may include at least one upstream port for coupling to a host system. The serial bus hub may include one or more downstream ports for coupling to peripheral devices. The serial bus hub may include the low power devices which may have no functionality external to the serial bus hub. The presence of the low power devices may allow the serial bus hub to draw additional power from the host system and a substantial portion of the additional power may be usable by other devices. The serial bus hub may be configured to allow the host system and one or more peripheral devices coupled to the one or more downstream ports to communicate.

Claims

1. A serial bus hub, comprising:

an upstream port, wherein the upstream port is configured to couple to a host system;

one or more downstream ports coupled to the upstream port, wherein the one or more downstream ports is each configured to couple to a peripheral device;

one or more low power devices comprised in the serial bus hub and coupled to the upstream port, wherein the one or more low power devices have no functionality external to the serial bus hub, wherein the presence of the one or more low power devices allows the serial bus hub to draw additional power from the host system, and wherein a substantial portion of the additional power from the host system is usable by one or more peripheral devices coupled to the one or more downstream ports;

wherein the serial bus hub is configured to allow the host system and the one or more peripheral devices coupled to the one or more downstream ports to communicate.

2. The serial bus hub of claim 1, wherein the serial bus hub is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub.

3. The serial bus hub of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more non-removable devices coupled to the upstream port, wherein the one or more non-removable devices draw at least a portion of the additional power from the host system.

4. The serial bus hub of claim 3, wherein the number of the one or more low power devices is based on the power required by the one or more non removable devices.

5. The serial bus hub of claim 3, wherein the one or more non- removable devices comprise a network communication controller for communicating over a network.

6. The serial bus hub of claim 5, wherein the serial bus hub further comprises:

a network port coupled to the network communication controller, wherein the network port is configured to couple to the network.

7. The serial bus hub of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more low power devices allows the serial bus hub to draw an additional 100 mA.

8. The serial bus hub of claim 1, wherein the serial bus hub is comprised in a docking station.

9. The serial bus hub of claim 1, wherein the serial bus hub is comprised in a printer.

10. The serial bus hub of claim 1, wherein the serial bus hub is a passive serial bus hub.

11. A method, comprising:

enumerating one or more low power devices comprised in a serial bus hub with a host system, wherein the one or more low power devices have no functionality external to the serial bus hub, wherein the serial bus hub is coupled to the host system via an upstream port of the serial bus hub, wherein the enumeration of the one or more low power devices comprised in the serial bus hub allows the serial bus hub to draw additional power from the host system, and wherein a substantial portion of the additional power from the host system is usable by other devices;

receiving power from the host system based on the one or more low power devices;

providing at least a portion of the power to one or more non-removable devices in the serial bus hub instead of the one or more low power devices.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enumerating one or more peripheral devices coupled to corresponding downstream ports of the serial bus hub with the host system; and

performing communication between the one or more peripheral devices and the host system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a second portion of the power to the one or more peripheral devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the serial bus hub comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the number of the one or more low power devices is based on the power required by the one or more non-removable devices.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more non-removable devices comprise a network communication controller for communicating over a network.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein enumeration of each of the one or more low power devices allows the serial bus hub to draw an additional 100 mA.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the serial bus hub is comprised in a docking station.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the serial bus hub is comprised in a printer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the serial bus hub is a passive serial bus hub.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the low power devices are physical low power devices that are physically present in the serial bus hub.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the low power devices comprise virtual low power devices.

23. A serial bus hub, comprising:

an upstream port, wherein the upstream port is configured to couple to a host system;

one or more downstream ports coupled to the upstream port, wherein the one or more downstream ports are each configured to couple to a peripheral device;

first logic, wherein the first logic is configured to enumerate one or more virtual low power devices, wherein the one or more virtual low power devices are not physically present in the serial bus hub, wherein the one or more virtual low power devices have no functionality external to the serial bus hub, wherein the enumeration of the virtual one or more low power devices allows the serial bus hub to draw additional power from the host system, and wherein a substantial portion of the additional power from the host system is usable by one or more peripheral devices coupled to the one or more downstream ports;

wherein the serial bus hub is configured to allow the host system and the one or more peripheral devices coupled to the one or more downstream ports to communicate.