Method and system for tunneling messages between two or more devices using different communication protocols
First Claim
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1. A method for sending messages from a first device to a second device via an intermediate device, wherein the first and second devices communicate using first and second communication protocols respectively, the first and second communication protocols being different, the method comprising:
- initializing a first port at the intermediate device for communicating with the first device using the first communication protocol;
initializing a second port at the intermediate device for communicating with the second device using the second communication protocol;
sending any first messages received at the first port from the first device to the second port for translation into the second communication protocol and transmission to the second device; and
translating any second messages received at the second port from the second device from the second communication protocol to the first communication protocol and sending the translated messages to the first port for transmission to the first device,wherein the second communication protocol comprises the I2C communication protocol, andwherein to facilitate communication with the second device, the method further comprises providing a START bit at the intermediate device, wherein a previous start value of the START bit in a previous frame and a current start value of the START bit in a current frame are used together to indicate four states of functionality for an I2C bus.
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Abstract
Various embodiments are described herein for a multiformat communication protocol that may be used to tunnel messages suitable for a second communication protocol. The multiformat communication protocol may be used by an intermediate device to couple a bus that communicates according to the multiformat communication protocol with a bus that communicates according to the second communication protocol.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for sending messages from a first device to a second device via an intermediate device, wherein the first and second devices communicate using first and second communication protocols respectively, the first and second communication protocols being different, the method comprising:
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initializing a first port at the intermediate device for communicating with the first device using the first communication protocol; initializing a second port at the intermediate device for communicating with the second device using the second communication protocol; sending any first messages received at the first port from the first device to the second port for translation into the second communication protocol and transmission to the second device; and translating any second messages received at the second port from the second device from the second communication protocol to the first communication protocol and sending the translated messages to the first port for transmission to the first device, wherein the second communication protocol comprises the I2C communication protocol, and wherein to facilitate communication with the second device, the method further comprises providing a START bit at the intermediate device, wherein a previous start value of the START bit in a previous frame and a current start value of the START bit in a current frame are used together to indicate four states of functionality for an I2C bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that are executable on a microprocessor of an intermediate device for adapting the intermediate device to send messages between a first device and a second device wherein the first and second devices communicate using different first and second communication protocols, wherein the instructions result in:
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initializing a first port at the intermediate device for communicating with the first device; initializing a second port at the intermediate device for communicating with the second device; receiving at least one first message from the first device at the first port of the intermediate device using the first communication protocol, the at least one first message including information needed for communicating according to the second communication protocol; generating at least one second message incorporating the information at the second port according to the second communication protocol; and communicating the at least one second message via the second port between the intermediate device and the second device, wherein the second communication protocol comprises the I2C communication protocol, and wherein, to facilitate communication with the second device, a START bit is provided at the intermediate device, wherein a previous start value of the START bit in a previous frame and a current start value of the START bit in a current frame are used together to indicate four states of functionality for an I2C bus. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An intermediate electronic device for facilitating sending messages between a first device and a second device communicating using different first and second communication protocols respectively, wherein the intermediate electronic device comprises:
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a first port being configured to communicate with the first device using the first communication protocol, and a second port configured to communicate with the second device using the second communication protocol, wherein any first messages received by the first port according to the first communication protocol and including second information intended for the second device are sent to the second port for translation into translated second messages that include the second information and are formatted according to the second communication protocol for transmission to the second device, wherein any second messages received by the second port according to the second communication protocol and including first information intended for the first device are translated into translated first messages, formatted according to the first communication protocol, and sent to the first port for transmission to the first device, wherein the second communication protocol comprises the I2C communication protocol, and wherein, to facilitate communication with the second device, a START bit is provided, wherein a previous start value of the START bit in a previous frame and a current start value of the START bit in a current frame are used together to indicate four states of functionality for an I2C bus. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification