Data communication systems and bridges

• US 8,095,719 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ours Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ours Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Shen-Rui, Hsiao, Chiaming
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorrell, Eron J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Dean
• Application Number:
  US12/505,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4059 where the synchronisation uses buffers, e.g. for speed matching between buses

Abstract

The present invention may be related to a bridge for communications between a first computing device and a second computing device in a data communication system. The bridge may include a first interface, a second interface and a control module. The first interface may be adapted to couple with the first computing device. The second interface may be adapted to couple with the second computing device. The control module may be configured to process a file input/output (I/O) command from the first computing device so as to allow the first computing device to have access to at least one of data or resource of the second computing device via the first and second interfaces. Moreover, the control module may further include a parser, a decoder and a micro processor. The parser may be configured to identify whether the file I/O command includes an encoded controller command and retrieve the encoded controller command from the file I/O command if the file I/O command includes an encoded controller command. The decoder may be configured to decode the encoded controller command so as to retrieve a controller command if the file I/O command includes the encoded controller command. The micro processor may be configured to respond to a first polling signal from the first computing device and a second polling signal from the second computing device when the controller command is retrieved.

Claims

1. A bridge for communications between a first computing device and a second computing device in a data communication system, the bridge comprising:

a first interface to couple with the first computing device;

a second interface to couple with the second computing device; and

a control module configured to process a file input/output (I/O) command from the first computing device so as to allow the first computing device to have an access to at least one of data or resource of the second computing device via the first and second interfaces, the control module further comprising;

a parser configured to identify whether the file I/O command includes an encoded controller command and to retrieve the encoded controller command from the file I/O command if the file I/O command includes an encoded controller command and configured to identify whether the encoded controller command includes a resource command to allow the first computing device to have access to the resource of the second computing device;

a decoder configured to decode the encoded controller command so as to retrieve a controller command if the file I/O command includes the encoded controller command;

a microprocessor configured to respond to a first polling signal from the first computing device and a second polling signal from the second computing device;

a storage device to buffer the controller command and store at least one of the data of the second computing device or parameters regarding the resource of the second computing device to be accessed by the first computing device; and

wherein the microprocessor configured to respond to the second polling signal to request the second computing device to send the parameters regarding the resource or a function device of the second computing device to the storage device and to respond to the first polling signal to request the first computing device to read the parameters stored in the storage device when the controller command is retrieved.

2. The bridge of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second interfaces includes one of a USB interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, a PCI Express interface and a SATA interface.

3. The bridge of claim 1, wherein the parser is configured to identify whether the encoded controller command includes a data command to allow the first computing device to have access to the data of the second computing device.

4. The bridge of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor requests the second computing device to write data to the storage device in response to the second polling signal and requests the first computing device to read the data stored in the storage device in response to the first polling signal.

5. The bridge of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor requests the first computing device to write data to the storage device in response to the first polling signal and requests the second computing device to read the data stored in the storage device in response to the second polling signal.

6. The bridge of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor requests the first computing device to send to the storage device predetermined parameters regarding a function device of the second computing device in response to the first polling signal and requests the second computing device to read the predetermined parameters stored in the storage device in response to the second polling signal.

7. The bridge of claim 1, wherein the parser is configured to identify whether the encoded controller command includes a control command to allow the first computing device to control at least a hardware function of the bridge.

8. The bridge of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is allowed to read data from the storage device if the file I/O command includes no encoded controller command.

9. The bridge of claim 1, wherein the first computing device is allowed to write data to the storage device if the file I/O command includes no encoded controller command.

10. A bridge for communications between a first computing device and a second computing device in a data communication system, the bridge comprising:

a parser configured to identify whether a file input/output (I/O) command from the first computing device includes an encoded controller command, and to recognize the type of the encoded controller command as one of a data command, a resource command and a control command,

wherein the data command allows the first computing device to have access to data of the second computing device, the resource command allows the first computing device to have access to a resource of the second computing device, and the control command to allow the first computing device to control at least a hardware function of the bridge;

a decoder configured to decode the encoded controller command so as to retrieve a controller command if the file I/O command includes the encoded controller command;

a storage device to buffer the controller command and to store at least one of the data of the second computing device or parameters regarding the resource of the second computing device to be accessed by the first computing device; and

a microprocessor coupled to the parser to receive the file I/O command, coupled to the decoder to receive the controller command, and configured to respond to a first polling signal from the first computing device and a second polling signal from the second computing device,

wherein the microprocessor is further configured to request the second computing device to send the parameters regarding the resource or a function device thereof to the storage device in response to the second polling signal and requests the first computing device to read the parameters stored in the storage device in response to the first polling signal device when the controller command is retrieved.

11. The bridge of claim 10, wherein the microprocessor requests the second computing device to write data to the storage device in response to the second polling signal and requests the first computing device to read the data stored in the storage device in response to the first polling signal.

12. The bridge of claim 10, wherein the microprocessor requests the first computing device to write data to the storage device in response to the first polling signal and requests the second computing device to read the data stored in the storage device in response to the second polling signal.

13. The bridge of claim 10, wherein the microprocessor requests the first computing device to send predetermined parameters regarding a function device of the second computing device to the storage device in response to the first polling signal and requests the second computing device to read the predetermined parameters stored in the storage device in response to the second polling signal.

14. The bridge of claim 10, wherein the first computing device is allowed to read data from the storage device if the file I/O command includes no encoded controller command.

15. The bridge of claim 10, wherein the first computing device is allowed to write data to the storage device if the file I/O command includes no encoded controller command.