Data sharing and transfer systems and methods

• US 7,921,244 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ours Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ours Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Ming-Te, Fang, Chung-Chih
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mamo; Elias
• Application Number:
  US12/109,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 710/36, 710/62, 710/105
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4295 using an embedded synchronisation

Abstract

A communication system may include one or more communication interfaces, a controller, and a storage unit. The communication interface(s) may be configured to be coupled to first and second computing devices. The controller is configured to establish a communication channel between the first and second computing devices. The first and second communication interfaces are coupled with the controller, and the controller is further configured to receive from at least one of the first and second computing devices a communication command communicated in a first format consistent with an external storage device protocol. The storage unit is coupled with the controller and contains a set of instructions recognizable and executable by the first and second computing devices for converting communication requests from at least one of the first and second computing devices to the communication command. The controller is configured to be recognizable by at least one of the first and second computing devices as a storage device controller.

Claims

1. A data communication system comprising:

a first computing device coupled to a first communication interface compatible with a first protocol;

a second computing device coupled to a second communication interface compatible with the first protocol;

a controller couple to the first and the second communication interfaces; and

a storage unit coupled to the controller, the storage unit containing instructions for establishing a data communication channel compatible with the first protocol between the first and second computing devices via the controller, and converting a first command in a first format, recognizable and executable by the first and second computing devices, to a second command in a second format, recognizable and executable by the controller, wherein

the controller is further configured to send the instructions to the first and second computing devices,

the first and second computing devices are further configured to execute the received instructions to establish the data communication channel compatible with the first protocol between the first and second computing devices via the controller.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are part of a software application recognizable and executable by the first and second computing devices.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is a multi-control unit (MCU).

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to be recognizable by at least one of the first and second computing devices as at least one of a customized controller with customized instructions and as a storage device controller for receiving at least one of data read and write commands and perform at least one of data read and write operations.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second command directs to at least one of a memory partition, a logical unit number, a folder, an address, and an identifier being part of the storage unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second command comprises at least one of a read command, a write command, a network communication command, a protocol command, and a resource sharing command.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communication interfaces comprises an interface compatible with at least one of Universal Serial Bus (USB), USB On-The-Go (OTG), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), ATA, Peripheral Control Interface (PCI), and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) 1394 protocols.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is a built-in controller of at least one of the first and second computing devices.

9. A communication system comprising:

a first and second computing devices coupled to at least one communication interface compatible with a first protocol;

a controller coupled to the at least one communication interface; and

a storage unit coupled to the controller, the storage unit containing a set of instructions for establishing a communication channel compatible with a first protocol between the first and second computing devices via the controller, and converting a first command in a first format, recognizable and executable by the first and second computing devices, to a second command, recognizable and executable by the controller, wherein

the controller is further configured to send the instructions to the first and second computing devices, and

the first and second computing devices are further configured to execute the received instructions to establish the communication channel compatible with the first protocol between the first and second computing devices via the controller.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the instructions are part of a software application recognizable and executable by the first and second computing devices.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first protocol is consistent with a mass storage device protocol.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second command comprises a command directing to at least one of a memory partition, a logical unit number, a folder, an address, and an identifier being part of the storage unit.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second command comprises at least one of a read command, a write command, a network communication command, a protocol command, and a resource sharing command.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one communication interface comprises an interface compatible with at least one of Universal Serial Bus (USB), USB On-The-Go (OTG), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), ATA, Peripheral Control Interface (PCI), and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) 1394 protocols.

21. The system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to be recognizable by at least one of the first and second computing devices as a storage device controller.

15. A method for providing a communication channel between computing devices coupled to at least one communication interface compatible with a first protocol, the method comprising:

sending, by a controller coupled to the at least one communication interface, instructions stored in a storage unit to the computing devices, the instructions are for establishing the communication channel compatible with the first protocol between the computing devices via the controller, and converting a first command in a first format, recognizable and executable by the computing devices, to a second command, recognizable and executable by the controller,

receiving and executing, by the computing devices, the instructions to establish the communication channel compatible with the first protocol between the computing devices via the controller.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the instructions are part of a software application recognizable and executable by at least one the computing devices.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first protocol comprises one of a customized communication protocol and an existing communication protocol recognizable by at least one of the computing devices.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second command comprises a command directing to at least one of a memory partition, a logical unit number, a folder, an address, and an identifier being part of the storage unit.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second command comprises at least one of a read command, a write command, a network communication command, a protocol command, and a resource sharing command.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first protocol includes at least one of Universal Serial Bus (USB), USB On-The-Go (OTG), Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), ATA, Peripheral Control Interface (PCI), and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) 1394 protocols.