Methods and apparatus for ensuring compatibility on a high performance serial bus

• US 9,215,097 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hauck, Jerrold V., Whitby-Strevens, Colin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kao, Wei-Po
• Application Number:
  US13/657,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/402
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40071 Packet processing; Packet format adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific network H04N21/2381, H04N21/4363, H04N21/4381; packet switches H04L49/00; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A data communications system is disclosed having at least one Legacy cloud coupled to at least one Beta cloud. The system further having at least one BOSS node and at least one border node. A method for ensuring compatibility is disclosed comprising determining when the BOSS node is idle, determining whether the last packet transmitted by any border node was an Alpha format packet if the BOSS node is idle, and unlocking the Legacy cloud if the last packet transmitted by the border node was not an Alpha format packet.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring compatibility in a data communications system between at least one first legacy cloud of devices having a first legacy device type, the at least one first legacy cloud being coupled to at least one second cloud of devices having a second device type via at least one border node, the method comprising:

listening for one or more data packets;

responsive to receiving the one or more data packets, transmitting a lock indication to the at least one first legacy cloud, the lock indication configured to lock the at least one first legacy cloud; and

transacting the one or more data packets within the at least one second cloud, where the one or more data packets do not affect the locked at least one first legacy cloud.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

listening for one or more legacy packets; and

responsive to receiving the one or more legacy packets, transmitting an unlock indication to the at least one first legacy cloud;

where the unlock indication is configured to unlock the at least one first legacy cloud.

3. The method of claim 2, where the at least one first legacy cloud of devices is compliant with an IEEE 1394-1995 standard, and the at least one second cloud of devices is compliant with an IEEE 1394b standard.

4. The method of claim 3, where at least one node of the at least one second cloud of devices comprises a BOSS (bus owner supervisor selector) node.

5. The method of claim 4, where the one or more legacy packets is transmitted by the BOSS node.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that ensures compatibility in a data communications system between at least one first legacy cloud of devices having a first legacy device type, the at least one first legacy cloud being coupled to at least one second cloud of devices having a second device type, the computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

listen for one or more data packets;

responsive to reception of the one or more data packets, transmit a lock indication to the at least one first legacy cloud;

where the lock indication is configured to lock the at least one first legacy cloud; and

transact the one or more data packets within the at least one second cloud such that the one or more data packets do not affect the locked at least one first legacy cloud.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions which when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

listen for one or more legacy packets; and

responsive to reception of the one or more legacy packets, transmit an unlock indication to the at least one first legacy cloud;

where the unlock indication is configured to unlock the at least one first legacy cloud.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, where the one or more legacy packets comprise a null packet.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, where the one or more data packets comprises a non-legacy data packet.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, where the computer comprises a border node.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the border node is further configured to arbitrate for control of the at least one first legacy cloud.