Universal Serial Bus (USB) remote wakeup

• US 8,078,768 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Manor, Liron, Kolor, Sergio, Rimoni, Yoram, Malamant, Igor, Lansky, Dedy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez, David E
• Application Number:
  US12/196,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 710/14, 710/15, 710/18
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A universal serial bus (USB) device communicates with a USB host over a USB to remotely wake up the USB host over the USB when the USB host is in a low power (e.g. deep sleep) mode. The USB device performs an activity to wake up the USB host. The USB host performs a remote wake up process in response to detecting the activity by the USB device. The USB host performs a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process by the USB host. The USB device wakes up in response to the USB host performing the resume process.

Claims

1. A universal serial bus (USB) host comprising:

a processor unit comprising tangible electronic circuitry; and

a memory unit coupled to the processor unit and having stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause the processor unit to perform operations comprising;

communicating with a USB device over a USB;

detecting activity by the USB device requesting a service to be performed by the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting activity by the USB device, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host; and

performing a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process, the resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested activity with the requested service by the USB host.

2. A USB host according to claim 1, wherein the memory unit has stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause the processor unit to perform operations further comprising:

placing the USB host and the USB device in a suspended state of operation; and

placing place the USB host in a low power mode in response to an idle time period of no communications between the USB host and the USB device.

3. A USB host according to claim 1, wherein the memory unit has stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause the processor unit to perform operations further comprising:

entering a normal state of operation in response to the resume process.

4. A USB host according to claim 1, wherein the memory unit has stored thereon processor executable instructions configured to cause the processor unit to perform operations further comprising:

performing the resume process in response to the remote wake up process exceeding a wait time period for the USB device to receive a communication from the USB host.

5. A USB host according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile station modem.

6. A USB host according to claim 5, wherein the mobile station modem comprises:

a radio frequency interface.

7. A USB host according to claim 6, wherein the mobile station modem comprises:

an integrated circuit.

8. A USB host according to claim 1, further comprising:

a portable power supply configured to provide power to the USB host.

9. A universal serial bus (USB) device configured with executable software, comprising:

a USB interface configured to cause the USB device to communicate with a USB host over a USB; and

a USB logical device configured to communicate with the USB interface and-to cause the USB device to perform operations comprising;

performing an activity to wake up the USB device, the activity requesting that a service be performed by the USB host and initiating a remote wake up process for the USB host;

storing the activity in memory;

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process;

retrieving the activity stored in memory in response to the USB device waking up; and

sending the retrieved activity stored in memory to the USB host.

10. A USB device according to claim 9, wherein the USB logical device is further configured to cause the USB device to:

place the USB host and the USB device in a suspended state of operation in response to an idle time period of no communications between the USB host and the USB device.

11. A USB device according to claim 9, wherein the USB logical device is further configured to cause the USB device to:

enter a normal state of operation in response to the resume process.

12. A USB device according to claim 9, wherein the USB logical device is further configured to cause the USB device to:

place the USB host in a low power mode in response to the remote wake up process exceeding a wait time period for the USB device to receive a communication from the USB host.

13. A USB device according to claim 9, wherein the USB logical device is further configured to cause the USB device to:

perform activities in response to the USB device waking up.

14. A USB device according to claim 9, wherein the USB device is configured to receive power from the USB host over the USB to power the USB device.

15. A universal serial bus (USB) system, comprising:

a USB device comprising a USB logical device; and

a USB host configured with executable software comprising a USB host controller configured to cause the USB host to communicate with the USB device over a USB, and USB system software configured to communicate with the USB host controller and to cause the USB host to perform operations comprising;

detecting activity by the USB device requesting that a service be performed by the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting the activity by the USB device, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host; and

performing a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process, the resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested the activity with the requested service by the USB host,

wherein the USB logical device is configured with executable software to cause the USB device to perform operations comprising;

performing the activity to wake up the USB device, the activity initiating the remote wake up process for the USB host;

storing the activity in memory;

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the resume process;

retrieving the activity stored in memory in response to waking up the USB device; and

sending the retrieved activity stored in memory to the USB host.

16. A method for operating a universal serial bus (USB) host, comprising:

detecting activity by a USB device coupled to the USB host, the activity requesting that a service be performed by the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting activity by the USB device the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host; and

performing a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process, the resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested the activity with the requested service by the host.

17. A method for operating a universal serial bus (USB) device, comprising:

performing an activity to wake up the USB device, the activity requesting a service be performed by a USB host coupled to the USB device and initiating a remote wake up process for the USB host, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host;

storing the activity in memory;

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process;

retrieving the activity stored in memory in response to waking up the USB device; and

sending the retrieved activity stored in memory to the USB host.

18. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a tangible electronic device processor comprising electronic circuitry to perform operations comprising:

establishing a communication channel between a universal serial bus (USB) host and a USB device;

performing an activity by the USB device, the activity requesting that a service be performed by the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process by the USB host in response to detecting the activity by the USB device, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host;

performing a resume process by the USB host in response to performing the remote wake up process by the USB host, the resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested the activity with the requested service by the USB host; and

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the resume process.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a universal serial bus (USB) host to perform operations comprising:

detecting activity of a USB device coupled to the USB host requesting that a service be performed by the USB host;

performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting activity by the USB device, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host; and

performing a resume process in response to performing the remote wake up process, the resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested the activity with the requested service by the USB host.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a universal serial bus (USB) device to perform operations comprising:

performing an activity to wake up the USB device, the activity requesting a service be performed by a USB host coupled to the USB device and initiating a remote wake up process for the USB host, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host;

storing the activity in memory;

waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process, the resume process performing the service requested by the USB device;

retrieving the activity stored in memory in response to waking up the USB device; and

sending the retrieved activity stored in memory to the USB host.

21. A USB host comprising:

means for detecting activity by a USB device coupled to the USB host, the activity requesting that a service be performed by the USB host;

means for performing a remote wake up process in response to detecting the activity by the USB device, the remote wake up process changing an activity mode of the USB host; and

means for performing a resume process initiating a wake up process on the USB device enabling the USB device to perform the requested the activity with the requested service by the USB host.

22. A USB comprising:

means for performing an activity on the USB device requesting a service be performed by a USB host and initiating a remote wake up process on the USB host;

means for storing the activity performed to wake up the USB device;

means for waking up the USB device in response to the USB host performing the remote wake up process and a resume process;

means for retrieving the activity in response to waking up the USB device; and

means for sending the retrieved activity to the USB host.