Method and system for tunneling messages between two or more devices using different communication protocols

• US 9,473,876 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Poulsen, Jens Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US14/242,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/359, 370/419, 370/463, 370/395.5, 370/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40169 Flexible bus arrangements arrangements for maintenance or administration involving management of faults; events, alarms H04L41/06; automatic restoration of network faults H04L41/0654
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/46 Interconnection of networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels

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.

Claims

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, 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a general control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the control space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a dedicated control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the data space.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the dedicated control channel scheme is used for transmitting messages for use case scenarios requiring higher bandwidth than other use case scenarios.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises using a next transaction field for the first communication protocol to indicate what data is to be transferred in a next command for a next frame, thereby increasing transfer speed.

6. The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises using control bits for the first communication protocol to indicate the start, stop and acknowledgement of messages or status of devices and ports including additional devices that communicate according to the second communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises using status bits for the first communication protocol to indicate a delayed transfer or reception of messages between the intermediate device and the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises using message buffering at the first device or the intermediate device to accommodate different transfer speeds between the first and second communication protocols.

9. The method of claim 1, where the method further comprises using transmission message buffering for the first communication protocol so that messages is stored at a transmitting end before submitting.

10. The method of claim 1, where the first communication protocol comprises support for multiple different data formats at the same time comprising at least one of PDM, PCM and UART data and associated commands.

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:

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.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a general control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the control space.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a dedicated control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the data space.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the dedicated control channel scheme is used for transmitting messages for use case scenarios requiring higher bandwidth than other use case scenarios.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein a next transaction field is used for the first communication protocol to indicate what data is to be transferred in a next command for a next frame, thereby increasing transfer speed.

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:

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.

17. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a general control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the control space.

18. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first communication protocol communicates using frames comprising a control space and a data space and a given first message is communicated according to a dedicated control channel scheme in which information in the given first message for transmission using the second communication protocol is included in the data space.

19. The intermediate electronic device of claim 18, wherein the dedicated control channel scheme is used for transmitting messages for use case scenarios requiring higher bandwidth than other use case scenarios.

20. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein a next transaction field is used for the first communication protocol to indicate what data is to be transferred in a next command for a next frame, thereby increasing transfer speed.

21. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein control bits are used for the first communication protocol to indicate start, stop and acknowledgement of messages or status of devices and ports including additional devices that communicate according to the second communication protocol.

22. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein status bits are used for the first communication protocol to indicate a delayed transfer or reception of messages between the intermediate device and the second device.

23. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein message buffering is used at the first device or the intermediate device to accommodate different transfer speeds between the first and second communication protocols.

24. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein transmission message buffering is used for the first communication protocol so that messages are stored at a transmitting end before submitting.

25. The intermediate electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first communication protocol comprises support for multiple different data formats at the same time comprising at least one of PDM, PCM and UART data and associated commands.