Direct secondary device interface by a host

• US 8,090,886 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Phan, Anson Ba, Beckmann, Jerrold Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhu, Kris
• Application Number:
  US12/765,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 710/72
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

A device has a controller and a function module configured to be in communication with the controller as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command. In some embodiments the controller may configured to strip data intended for the function module from the vendor specific command and send the stripped data to the function module.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a controller; and

a function module configured to be in communication with the controller only as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the pass-through vendor specific command from an application software module of a host through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the controller and the function module;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the pass-through vendor specific command is to be passed to the function module; and

wherein the controller is configured to pass the pass-through vendor specific command to the function module in response to determining that the pass-through vendor specific command is to be passed to the function module.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module comprises a sensor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a storage device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module is located physically externally to the controller.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module is configured to be physically connectably removable to and from the controller.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller and the function module are comprised in a storage device, and further comprising a host configured to communicate with the controller.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the host comprises an application software module configured to send the pass-through vendor specific command.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the host further comprises a driver module configured to allow the application software module to send the pass-through vendor specific command through the driver module and the interface to the controller.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the application software module is configured to send the pass-through vendor specific command to access the function module.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module comprises a first function device, and further comprising a second function device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the second function device is coupled to the first function device.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the second function device and the first function device are coupled to the controller in parallel.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module configured to be in communication with the controller as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command comprises the function module being configured to recognize the vendor specific command for acting thereupon.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit configured to store information received from the controller.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory unit comprises a non-volatile memory unit.

16. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a controller device.

18. The device of claim 6, wherein an endpoint for the controller is known to the host and wherein no endpoint is defined for the function module.

19. The device of claim 6, wherein the controller is mapped in the memory map of the host and the function module is not mapped.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module comprises one of another controller, a Light Emission Diode (LED), a fingerprint sensor, a processor, a camera, a decoder, or an encoder.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a USB controller.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the USB controller comprises a wireless USB controller.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) controller.

24. The device of claim 6, wherein the host does not include a driver module configured to communicate with the function module.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module comprises function device.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein the vendor specific command comprises an embedded command intended for the function module.

27. The device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to restrict access to the memory unit.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to strip data intended for the function module from the vendor specific command and send the stripped data to the function module.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the function module is configured to be activated upon receiving the stripped data from the controller.

30. The device of claim 10, wherein the first function device is a master to the second function device.

31. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the function device through a Universal Asynchronous Read Transmit (UART) interface.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the function device through a SPI interface.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein the function module comprises a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor.

34. A device comprising:

a controller;

a function module configured to be in communication with the controller only as a result of the controller receiving a pass-through vendor specific command; and

a memory unit configured to store information received from the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the pass-through vendor specific command from an application software module of a host through an interface that is configured in accordance with a standard that does not allow communication to occur between the controller and the function module;

wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the pass-through vendor specific command is to be passed to the function module; and

wherein the controller is configured to pass the pass-through vendor specific command to the function module in response to determining that the pass-through vendor specific command is to be passed to the function module.