Universal serial bus host controller driver over a network

• US 8,813,098 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bunger, Nils, Orady, Aly E., Debski, Matthew B., Garg, Pankaj, Kilani, Dali, Khubchandani, Teju, Choudhury, Himadri
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, PHUONG N
• Application Number:
  US12/082,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/321
• 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 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method to interact with a local USB device is disclosed. Messages are transmitted to a remote host controller driver from a host controller associated with the local USB device. Messages are received from the remote host controller driver for the host controller. In some embodiments, a transfer descriptor prototype is received from the remote host controller driver. A completed transfer descriptor is received from the remote host controller driver. The completed transfer descriptor and the transfer descriptor prototype are transformed into a modified transfer descriptor in part by using a collection of rules. The modified transfer descriptor is submitted to the local host controller without intervention from the remote host controller driver.

Claims

1. A client configured to interact with a local USB device comprising:

a memory;

a local host controller configured to;

receive from a remote host controller driver of a server a transfer descriptor prototype; and

receive from the remote host controller driver a completed transfer descriptor;

wherein the local host controller is a standard USB host controller;

an outbound interface to transmit messages to the remote host controller driver from the local host controller;

an inbound interface to receive messages from the remote host controller driver for the local host controller;

an assistance engine, coupled to the local host controller, the outbound interface and the inbound interface, and configured to;

transform the completed transfer descriptor and the transfer descriptor prototype into a modified transfer descriptor in part by using a collection of rules; and

submit the modified transfer descriptor to the local host controller without intervention from the remote host controller driver,

wherein the client is a thin client that interacts with and is connected to the local USB device and wherein the local USB device is controlled by the remote host controller driver of the server via the local host controller of the thin client,

wherein the server is connected to the thin client via a network, and

wherein the remote host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements and transmits the transferred messages to the thin client.

2. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote host controller driver transfers the messages to the hardware in the manner that is sufficient with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements.

3. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a transfer descriptor.

4. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the assistance engine is further configured to:

receive a first transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

determine a subsequent transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor; and

resubmit the subsequent transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device without intervention from the remote host controller driver.

5. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the assistance engine is further configured to:

determine a transfer descriptor based at least in part on the transfer descriptor prototype; and

resubmit the transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device without intervention from the remote host controller driver.

6. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with an assistance engine, wherein the memory is configured to store a transfer descriptor configuration received from the remote host controller driver;

and

wherein the assistance engine is further configured to;

receive a first transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

determine a second transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor and based at least in part on the transfer descriptor configuration; and

resubmit the second transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device without intervention from the remote host controller driver.

7. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the assistance engine is further configured to:

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

detect an error based at least in part on the received transfer descriptor; and

stop automatically resubmitting transfer descriptors to the local USB device.

8. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the assistance engine is further configured to:

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

detect an error based at least in part on the received transfer descriptor; and

transmit the transfer descriptor to the remote host controller driver.

9. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein the assistance engine receives a transfer descriptor to determine the transfer descriptor prototype.

10. A client as recited in claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with an assistance engine, wherein the memory is configured to store a transfer descriptor configuration received from the remote host controller driver;

and

wherein the assistance engine is further configured to;

receive a transfer descriptor from the local host controller; and

adapt the transfer descriptor configuration based at least in part on the transfer descriptor.

11. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a USB enumeration sequence.

12. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a USB transfer.

13. A client as recited in claim 1, wherein a message comprises a USB transaction that is part of a USB device unplug sequence.

14. The client as recited in claim 1, wherein a server comprising the remote host controller driver is connected to the thin client via a network and wherein the thin client is connected to the local USB device controlled by the remote host controller of the server driver in combination with the host controller of the thin client.

15. A server configured to interact with a remote USB device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory;

a host controller driver for the remote USB device connected to a remote thin client configured to;

transmit to the remote thin client comprising a remote host controller, that is associated with the remote USB device, a transfer descriptor prototype; and

transmit to the remote host controller of the remote thin client a completed transfer descriptor;

wherein a remote assistance engine coupled to the remote host controller is configured to;

transform the completed transfer descriptor and the transfer descriptor prototype into a modified transfer descriptor in part by using a collection of rules; and

submit the modified transfer descriptor to the remote host controller without intervention from the host controller driver;

wherein the remote host controller is a standard USB host controller;

an outbound interface to transmit messages from the host controller driver to the remote host controller; and

an inbound interface to receive messages from the remote host controller for the host controller driver,

wherein the server is connected to the remote thin client via a network, and

wherein the host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements and transmits the transferred messages to the thin client.

16. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a transfer descriptor.

17. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message transmitted from the host controller driver to the host controller include a transfer descriptor automatically submitted on the host controller.

18. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein messages transmitted from the host controller driver to the host controller include a transfer descriptor, wherein an error is detected associated with the transfer descriptor.

19. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein the host controller driver is further configured to transmit a transfer descriptor configuration to the remote assistance engine.

20. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB enumeration message.

21. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB device initialization message.

22. A server as recited in claim 15, wherein a message comprises a USB device teardown message.

23. A method to interact with a local USB device comprising:

transmitting messages to a remote server comprising a remote host controller driver from a local host controller of a thin client connected to the local USB device, wherein the remote server is connected to the thin client via a network and wherein the local host controller is a standard USB host controller;

receiving messages from the remote host controller driver for the local host controller;

receiving from the remote host controller driver a transfer descriptor prototype;

receiving from the remote host controller driver a completed transfer descriptor;

transforming the completed transfer descriptor and the transfer descriptor prototype into a modified transfer descriptor in part by using a collection of rules; and

submitting the modified transfer descriptor to the local host controller without intervention from the remote host controller driver

wherein the remote host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements and transmits the transferred messages to the thin client.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a first transfer descriptor from the local host controller;

determining a subsequent transfer descriptor based at least in part on the first transfer descriptor; and

resubmitting the subsequent transfer descriptor automatically to the local USB device.

25. A method to interact with a remote USB device comprising:

transmitting messages from a local host controller driver of a server to a remote host controller of a thin client that is connected to the remote USB device, wherein the thin client and the server are connected via a network;

wherein the remote host controller is a standard USB host controller;

receiving messages from the remote host controller for the local host controller driver transmitting to the remote host controller a transfer descriptor prototype;

transmitting to the remote host controller a completed transfer descriptor; and

wherein a remote assistance engine;

transforms the completed transfer descriptor and the transfer descriptor prototype into a modified transfer descriptor in part by using a collection of rules; and

submits the modified transfer descriptor to the remote host controller without intervention from the local host controller driver

wherein the local host controller driver is a driver that takes messages from other drivers in a system and transfers them to hardware in a manner that is consistent with the hardware'"'"'s communication requirements and transmits the transferred messages to the thin client.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising transmitting a transfer descriptor configuration to the remote assistance engine.