Enabling access to peripheral resources at a processor

• US 8,463,957 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Stedman, Roy W., Sultenfuss, Andrew T., Loadman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Alrobaye, Idriss N
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US13/557,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor

Abstract

A method of enabling access to resources includes detecting an input to access a resource of a multi-mode processing module coupled to a host processor and a control module. The method can further include detecting an operating mode of the host processor and the control module and an availability of independent peripheral resources of the multi-mode processing module. Additionally, the method can enable the multi-mode processing module in response to the detecting the operating mode and the availability of the independent peripheral resources.

Claims

1. A method of enabling access to resources, comprising:

detecting an input to access a resource of a multi-mode processing module coupled to a host processor and to a control module, wherein the multi-mode processing module includes a plurality of independent peripheral resources;

detecting an operating mode of the host processor and of the control module;

detecting an availability of independent peripheral resources of the multi-mode processing module;

enabling the multi-mode processing module in response to the detecting the operating mode and to the availability of the independent peripheral resources; and

receiving an input from an extended state services module accessible to the control module, wherein the input is received during a run-time operating mode of the host processor;

enabling access to an independent peripheral resource of independent peripheral resources; and

disabling access to the extended services module during a reduced operating state of the host processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the host processor access to the plurality of independent peripheral resources during a run-time of the host processor;

disabling access of the host processor to the plurality of independent peripheral resources during a reduced operating state of the host processor; and

enabling local access to the plurality of independent peripheral resources during the reduced operating state of the host processor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an operating state listing from the control module;

enabling access to the plurality of independent peripheral resources in response to an entry within the operating state listing; and

updating the operating state listing to include an alternate peripheral function accessible to the host processor via a peripheral interface of the multi-mode processing module.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

updating at a local processor the plurality of independent peripheral resources.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the host processor and a local processor access to shared resources, the shared resources accessed at the host processor access during a run-time operating mode of the host processor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

accessing the shared resources at the local processor during a run-time operating mode of the local processor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

disabling access to the shared resources by the host processor during the run-time operating mode of the local processor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a plurality of peripheral functions in response to coupling the host processor to a peripheral interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

updating a listing of peripheral functions to include an alternate peripheral function accessible to the host processor via the peripheral interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at a local processor an operating state listing from the control module.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling the multi-mode processing module in response to an entry within the operating state listing.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of independent peripheral resources includes a resource selected from the group consisting of an encryption application, a global positioning system (GPS) application, a camera application, and a Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) application.

13. A method, comprising:

accessing at a host processor a plurality of independent resources during a run-time operating mode of the host processor;

enabling a peripheral interface in response to a peripheral device access request of the host processor;

enabling a local processor to use the independent peripheral resources in response to the peripheral device access request, wherein the independent peripheral resources are individually accessible to the host processor via the peripheral interface;

enabling access of the host processor to the independent peripheral resources during a run-time of the host processor;

disabling access of the host processor to the independent peripheral resources during a run-time of the local processor;

maintaining an operating state listing of the host processor and the multi-mode processing module; and

enabling access to the independent peripheral resources in response to an entry within the operating state listing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling access to shared resources by the host processor during a run-time operating mode of the host processor;

enabling access to the shared resources by the local processor during a run-time operating mode of the local processor; and

enabling access to the shared resources that are not accessible to the host processor during the run-time operating module of the local processor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent peripheral resource comprises an encryption application.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent peripheral resource comprises a global positioning system (GPS) application.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent peripheral resource comprises a Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) application.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent peripheral resource comprises a camera application.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent peripheral resource comprises a biometric application.

20. A method of enabling access to resources, comprising:

detecting an input to access a resource of a multi-mode processing module coupled to a host processor and to a control module, wherein the multi-mode processing module includes a plurality of independent peripheral resources;

detecting an operating mode of the host processor and of the control module;

detecting an availability of independent peripheral resources of the multi-mode processing module;

enabling the multi-mode processing module in response to the detecting the operating mode and to the availability of the independent peripheral resources;

receiving an operating state listing from the control module;

enabling access to the independent peripheral resources in response to an entry within the operating state listing; and

updating the operating state listing to include an alternate peripheral function accessible to the host processor via a peripheral interface of the multi-mode processing module.