Systems and methods for remote and local host-accessible management controller tunneled audio capability

• US 9,811,305 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rahardjo, Johan, Lambert, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US14/825,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor and a management controller for providing out-of-band management facilities for management of the information handling system, the management controller configured to emulate a physical audio controller device for interfacing with an operating system executing on the processor such that the management controller proxies audio data between the operating system and one or more audio devices.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor; and

a management controller for providing out-of-band management facilities for management of the information handling system, the out-of-band management facilities including management of the information handling system while the information handling system is in a physically powered-off state, wherein the management controller is configured to emulate a physical audio controller device for interfacing with an operating system executing on the processor such that the management controller is configured to proxy audio data between the operating system and one or more audio devices.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is configured to capture audio output data of the operating system and communicate the audio output data to a remote information handling system.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the remote information handling system is configured to play sounds associated with the audio output data to a speaker local to the remote information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the management controller is configured to communicate the audio output data to the remote information handling system by merging the audio output data with keyboard-video-mouse data communicated to the remote information handling system.

5. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the management controller is configured to output the audio output data to a speaker local to the information handling system and coupled to the management controller via a port of the management controller.

6. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the management controller is configured to, in response to a mute command from the remote information handling system, cease capturing audio output data of the operating system and cease communicating the audio output data to the remote information handling system.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is configured to receive audio input data from a remote information handling system and communicate the audio input data to the operating system for use by the operating system or an application program executing on the operating system.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the audio input data is derived from sound incident upon a microphone local to the remote information handling system.

9. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the audio input data is integral to keyboard-video-mouse data communicated from the remote information handling system.

10. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the management controller is configured to merge audio data associated with a microphone local to the information handling system with the audio input data.

11. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

filter the audio input data for a voice command to enter a control mode of the management controller;

enter the control mode in response to receipt of the voice command; and

perform management actions upon the management controller in response to additional voice commands received during the control mode.

12. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein the management controller is further configured to:

in the control mode, filter the audio input data for a second voice command to exit the control mode; and

exit the control mode in response to receipt of the second voice command.

13. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein the management controller is further configured to, in response to a mute command received at the remote information handling system, cease communicating the audio input data to the information handling system.

14. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is configured to emulate a plurality of physical audio controller devices, each emulated physical audio controller device for interfacing with a respective guest operating system executing on the processor such that the management controller is configured to proxy audio data between each guest operating system and one or more audio devices.

15. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is configured to:

detect a presence of an audio device externally coupled to an external port of the information handling system;

communicate an indication to the operating system of the presence of the audio device externally coupled to the external port; and

proxy audio data between the operating system and the audio device externally coupled to the external port.

16. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is further configured to, in response to a volume command received at the remote information handling system, control a volume of the proxied audio data.

17. A method comprising:

emulating, by a management controller for providing out-of-band management facilities for management of an information handling system, a physical audio controller device for interfacing with an operating system executing on a processor of the information handling system, wherein the out-of-band management facilities include management of the information handling system while the information handling system is in a physically powered-off state; and

proxying, by the management controller, audio data between the operating system and one or more audio devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

capturing, by the management controller, audio output data of the operating system; and

communicating, by the management controller, the audio output data to a remote information handling system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote information handling system is configured to play sounds associated with the audio output data to a speaker local to the remote information handling system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein communicating the audio output data to the remote information handling system further comprises merging the audio output data with keyboard-video-mouse data communicated to the remote information handling system.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising outputting, by the management controller, the audio output data to a speaker local to the information handling system and coupled to the management controller via a port of the management controller.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising in response to a mute command from the remote information handling system, ceasing capture of audio output data of the operating system and ceasing communication of the audio output data to the remote information handling system.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, by the management controller, audio input data from a remote information handling system and communicating the audio input data to the operating system for use by the operating system or an application program executing on the operating system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the audio input data is derived from sound incident upon a microphone local to the remote information handling system.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the audio input data is integral to keyboard-video-mouse data communicated from the remote information handling system.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising merging, by the management controller, audio data associated with a microphone local to the information handling system with the audio input data.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

filtering, by the management controller, the audio input data for a voice command to enter a control mode of the management controller;

entering, by the management controller, the control mode in response to receipt of the voice command; and

performing management actions within the management controller in response to additional voice commands received during the control mode.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

in the control mode, filtering, by the management controller, the audio input data for a second voice command to exit the control mode; and

exiting the control mode in response to receipt of the second voice command.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the management controller is further configured to, in response to a mute command received at the remote information handling system, cease forwarding the audio input data to the information handling system.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein emulating comprises emulating a plurality of physical audio controller devices, each emulated physical audio controller device for interfacing with a respective guest operating system executing on the processor such that the management controller proxies audio data between each guest operating system and one or more audio devices.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, by the management controller, a presence of an audio device externally coupled to an external port of the information handling system;

communicating, by the management controller, an indication to the operating system of the presence of the audio device externally coupled to the external port; and

proxying, by the management controller, audio data between the operating system and the audio device externally coupled to the external port.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in response to a volume command received at the remote information handling system, controlling, by the management controller, a volume of the proxied audio data.