# US 10,372,660 B2 · Extensible host controller and an operation method thereof

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- Number: US 10,372,660 B2
- Document ID: US10372660B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/259,066
- Filed: 2016-09-08
- Published: 2018-03-08
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-08
- Assignees: eEver Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Etron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Chih-Hung Huang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372660B2

## CPC

- G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)}
- G06F 13/387: {for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system}
- G06F 13/4022: {using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network (G06F13/4009 takes precedence)}
- G06F 11/3051: {Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs (verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247)}
- G06F 13/36: for access to common bus or bus system
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

An extensible host controller (xHC) applied to a host includes universal serial bus (USB) module, a control circuit, an xHC interface circuit, a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) bus. The USB module includes a USB interface circuit and a predetermined interface circuit. The PCIE bus supports a USB mode and a predetermined data transmission mode. When a USB device is connected to the USB module, the control circuit issues first requests to the USB device to let the host utilize the USB mode and the USB interface circuit to communicate with the USB device; and when a USB host is connected to the USB module, the control circuit responds to second requests issued from the USB host to let the host utilize the predetermined data transmission mode and the predetermined interface circuit to communicate with the USB host.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An extensible host controller (xHC), wherein the extensible host controller is applied to a host, the extensible host controller comprising:
a universal serial bus (USB) module, wherein the USB module comprises a USB interface circuit, a debug capability unit and a USB physical layer, wherein the debug capability unit has a debug function and a network transmission function, and the USB interface circuit and the debug capability unit are connected to the USB physical layer;
a control circuit;
an xHC interface circuit coupled to the USB interface circuit; and
a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIE) bus coupled to the xHC interface circuit and the control circuit, wherein the PCIE bus supports a USB mode and a predetermined data transmission mode;
wherein when a USB device is connected to the USB module, the control circuit makes the host utilize the USB mode and the USB interface circuit to communicate with the USB device; and when a USB host is connected to the USB module, the control circuit makes the host utilize the predetermined data transmission mode and the debug capability unit to communicate with the USB host, rather than utilizing the USB mode and the USB interface circuit to communicate with the USB host.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The extensible host controller of claim 1, wherein the predetermined data transmission mode is a network mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The extensible host controller of claim 1, wherein the USB module supports USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB 3.1 standard specifications.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The extensible host controller of claim 1, wherein the debug capability unit is coupled to the xHC interface circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The extensible host controller of claim 1, wherein the debug capability unit is directly coupled to the PCIE bus.

### Claim 6

An operation method of an extensible host controller comprising:
when a USB device is connected to a USB module, a control circuit making a host utilize a USB mode and a USB interface circuit comprised in the USB module to communicate with the USB device; and
when a USB host is connected to the USB module, the control circuit making the host utilize a predetermined data transmission mode and a debug capability unit to communicate with the USB host, rather than utilizing the USB mode and the USB interface circuit to communicate with the USB host, wherein the debug capability unit has a debug function and a network transmission function;
wherein the extensible host controller is applied to the host and comprises the USB module, the control circuit, and a PCIE bus, the PCIE bus supports the USB mode and the predetermined data transmission mode, and the USB interface circuit and the debug capability unit are connected to a USB physical layer comprised in the USB module.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The operation method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined data transmission mode is a network mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The operation method of claim 6, wherein the USB module supports USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB 3.1 standard specifications.