Host interface crossbar for sensor hub

• US 9,542,347 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Trethewey, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Phong H
• Application Number:
  US13/844,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20140281113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,396 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence

Abstract

A microcontroller for a peripheral hub includes a plurality of host bus interface microdrivers and a corresponding plurality of host transports. A first manager client, associated with a supported peripheral device, processes messages from a first host. A host manager module routes asynchronous communications, including but not limited to HID input reports, from a client to a host via one of a plurality of supported transports via a targeted transport indicated in the communication. The host manager modules routes synchronous communications from a host to a client via a targeted transport selected from a plurality of transports.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a plurality of hosts including a first host comprising a processor and a first bus interface to a first transport bus;

a first peripheral device;

a hub microcontroller, comprising;

a first host bus interface microdriver associated with the first transport bus;

a plurality of manager clients including a first manager client associated with the first peripheral device;

a host manager module to;

detect a communication between the first host and the first peripheral device;

determine a recipient of the communication;

access registration information to identify a first callback handler associated with the recipient, the registration information stored in a first storage and a second storage of the hub microcontroller, the first storage to store a plurality of entries each for a host and to store the first callback handler, a second callback handler to determine host power state and a third callback handler to wake the host, wherein the first callback handler is to forward an asynchronous report, the second storage to store a plurality of entries each for a manager client and to store a first called back handler to forward device state power requests to a firmware of the host manager module and one or more fourth callback handlers each for a report request specified by a tuple; and

associate the communication with the first callback handler; and

initiate the first callback handler to forward the communication to the recipient, wherein the firmware is to coalesce a plurality of reports from a plurality of peripheral devices into a single instance report for each of the plurality of peripheral devices for communication to the first host.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the communication includes target host interface information to indicate the recipient;

the first host is the recipient;

the first callback handler comprises a first host bus interface callback handler;

to initiate the first callback handler includes to direct the first host bus interface microdriver to execute the first callback handler.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein:

the first peripheral device is a human interface device (HID).

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein:

the first transport bus is selected from;

USB, I2C, SPI, Bluetooth, and PCIe.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein:

the communication comprises an HID compliant input report.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein;

the computer system includes a second host comprising a second processor and a second bus interface to a second transport bus;

the hub microcontroller includes a second host bus interface microdriver associated with the second transport bus; and

the registration information includes;

first host bus interface microdriver registration information to identify;

the first transport bus; and

a corresponding first callback handler; and

second host bus interface microdriver registration information to identify the second bus transport bus.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the input report identifies a target host interface associated with a transport bus selected from the first transport bus and the second transport bus;

and

wherein the host manager module is operable to;

initiate the first callback handler, responsive to the target host interface identification of the first host, to forward the input report to the first host via the first bus transport;

initiate the second callback handler to determine the first host power state.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the host manager module is operable to:

receive the first host bus interface microdriver registration information from the first host bus interface microdriver in response to a registration request from a first host bus interface module; and

receive first manager client registration information from the first manager client in response to a registration request from the first manager client.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the registration requests initiate in response to a boot sequence following a system reset.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first peripheral device comprises a sensor selected from:

a compass, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS, and an ambient light sensor.

11. A microcontroller for a peripheral hub, the microcontroller comprising:

a plurality of host bus interface microdrivers, including a first host bus interface microdriver, associated with a corresponding plurality of host transports;

a first manager client, associated with a supported peripheral device, to process messages from a first host; and

a host manager module to;

access registration information to identify a first callback handler associated with a recipient of a communication, the registration information stored in a first storage and a second storage of the microcontroller, the first storage to store a plurality of entries each for a host and to store the first callback handler, a second callback handler to determine host power state and a third callback handler to wake the host, wherein the first callback handler is to forward an asynchronous report, the second storage to store a plurality of entries each for a manager client and to store a first called back handler to forward device state power requests to a firmware of the host manager module and one or more fourth callback handlers each for a report request specified by a tuple; and

associate the communication with the first callback handler; and

initiate the first callback handler to forward the communication to the recipient;

route an asynchronous communication from a client to a host via one of a plurality of supported transports via a targeted transport indicated in the communication; and

route a synchronous communication from the host to the client via a targeted transport selected from a plurality of transports, wherein the firmware is to coalesce a plurality of reports from a plurality of peripheral devices into a single instance report for each of the plurality of peripheral devices for communication to an operating system.

12. The microcontroller of claim 11, wherein:

the first host is the recipient;

the first callback handler comprises a first host bus interface callback handler;

to initiate the first callback handler includes to direct the first host bus interface microdriver to execute the callback handler.

13. The microcontroller of claim 12, wherein:

the first peripheral device is a human interface device (HID).

14. The microcontroller of claim 13, wherein:

the first transport bus is selected from;

USB, I2C, SPI, Bluetooth, and PCIe.

15. The microcontroller of claim 13, wherein:

the communication comprises an HID compliant input report.

16. A control method, comprising:

detecting a communication between a first host and a first peripheral device;

determining, in a hub microcontroller coupled between a plurality of hosts and a plurality of peripheral devices, a recipient of the communication;

accessing registration information to identify a first callback handler associated with the recipient, the registration information stored in a first storage and a second storage of the hub microcontroller, the first storage to store a plurality of entries each for a host and to store the first callback handler, a second callback handler to determine host power state and a third callback handler to wake the host, wherein the first callback handler is to forward an asynchronous report, the second storage to store a plurality of entries each for a manager client and to store a first called back handler to forward device state power requests to a firmware of a host manager module of the hub microcontroller and one or more fourth callback handlers each for a report request specified by a tuple;

and associating the communication with the first callback handler;

and initiating the first callback handler to forward the communication to the recipient; and

coalescing a plurality of reports from the plurality of peripheral devices into a single instance report for the plurality of peripheral devices for communication to the first host, via the firmware.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

initiating the callback handler includes directing a first host bus interface microdriver to execute the first callback handler.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the registration information from the first host bus interface microdriver responsive to a boot event.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the registration information from the first host bus interface microdriver responsive to a plug and play event.