Network-USB (NUSB) communication system by which network applications communicate with USB devices over power-over-ethernet (PoE) connection
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- at a network device to enable an application program to communicate with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device through a USB adaptor device having a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection to a PoE port of the network device, and a USB connection to the USB device;
establishing a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection with the application program;
receiving downlink TCP/IP packets carrying USB transaction requests destined for the USB device from the application program over the TCP/IP connection;
converting the received downlink TCP/IP packets carrying the USB transaction requests to downlink bus-level USB transactions that are understandable to the USB device; and
sending, using a Reliable Message Protocol (RMP), the downlink bus-level USB transactions to the USB adaptor device over the PoE connection for forwarding by the USB adaptor device to the USB device over the USB connection, the sending including encapsulating each downlink bus-level USB transaction in an RMP message and sending the RMP message as an Ethernet packet formatted in accordance with a Network-USB (NUSB) protocol format that includes an Ethernet layer populated with Ethernet parameters, an RMP layer populated with RMP parameters, and a bus-level USB transaction layer populated by bus-level USB transactions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network device includes Power-over-Ethernet PoE ports to communicate with a communication network and Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices. The network device establishes an Internet Protocol (IP) related connection with an application program, and receives downlink IP packets carrying USB transaction requests destined for the USB device from the application program over the IP connection. The network device converts the received downlink IP packets carrying the USB transaction requests to downlink bus-level USB transactions that are understandable to the USB device. The network device sends the downlink bus-level USB transactions to the USB adaptor device over a PoE connection for forwarding by the USB adaptor device to the USB device.
22 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
at a network device to enable an application program to communicate with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device through a USB adaptor device having a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection to a PoE port of the network device, and a USB connection to the USB device; establishing a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection with the application program; receiving downlink TCP/IP packets carrying USB transaction requests destined for the USB device from the application program over the TCP/IP connection; converting the received downlink TCP/IP packets carrying the USB transaction requests to downlink bus-level USB transactions that are understandable to the USB device; and sending, using a Reliable Message Protocol (RMP), the downlink bus-level USB transactions to the USB adaptor device over the PoE connection for forwarding by the USB adaptor device to the USB device over the USB connection, the sending including encapsulating each downlink bus-level USB transaction in an RMP message and sending the RMP message as an Ethernet packet formatted in accordance with a Network-USB (NUSB) protocol format that includes an Ethernet layer populated with Ethernet parameters, an RMP layer populated with RMP parameters, and a bus-level USB transaction layer populated by bus-level USB transactions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 20)
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7. An apparatus comprising:
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one or more Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) enabled network ports to communicate with a communication network and Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices; and a processor coupled to the PoE network ports, to; establish a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection with an application program; receive downlink TCP/IP packets carrying USB transaction requests destined for the USB device from the application program over the TCP/IP connection; convert the received downlink TCP/IP packets carrying the USB transaction requests to downlink bus-level USB transactions that are understandable to the USB device; and send, using a Reliable Message Protocol (RMP), the downlink bus-level USB transactions to the USB adaptor device over the PoE connection for forwarding by the USB adaptor device to the USB device over the USB connection, wherein the send operation includes encapsulating each downlink bus-level USB transaction in an RMP message and sending the RMP message as an Ethernet packet formatted in accordance with a Network-USB (NUSB) protocol format that includes an Ethernet layer populated with Ethernet parameters, an RMP layer populated with RMP parameters, and a bus-level USB transaction layer populated by bus-level USB transactions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21, 22)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) interface to receive a PoE power voltage, and receive and transmit Ethernet packets formatted in accordance with a Network-Universal Serial Bus (NUSB) protocol format that defines (i) an Ethernet layer including fields populated with Ethernet parameters, (ii) a Reliable Message Protocol (RMP) layer including fields populated with RMP parameters, and (iii) a bus-level USB transaction layer including fields populated with bus-level USB transactions; a power converter to convert the PoE power voltage to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) power voltage; a USB connector to mate with a USB device and output the USB power voltage to the connected USB device; and a controller coupled to the PoE interface and the USB connector, to; receive, through the PoE interface using the RMP, downlink Ethernet packets carrying bus-level USB transaction intended for and understandable by the connected USB device; unwrap the bus-level USB transactions from the downlink Ethernet packets; and convert the unwrapped bus-level USB transactions to a downlink USB transaction sequence to be transmitted to the USB device; and send the downlink USB transaction sequence to the USB device through the USB connector. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24)
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Specification