# US 11,307,645 B2 · Instruction updates via side channels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,645 B2 - Document ID: US11307645B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/758,133 - Filed: 2018-02-01 - Published: 2021-11-25 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-01 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Chun Yen Hu; Hengchang Hsu; Roger D Benson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307645B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - G06F 1/3278: {Power saving in modem or I/O interface} - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 13/102: {where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver (G06F13/105 takes precedence; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52)} - G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An example device includes a data port to provide a data channel to a host and a processor coupled to the data port. The processor includes an operational mode and a low-power mode in which the processor is to perform fewer operations than in the operational mode. The processor is to execute instructions in the operational mode and to update the instructions with updated instructions received via the data channel in the operational mode. The device further includes a side channel to receive a signal from the host to trigger the processor to switch from the low-power mode to the operational mode and to initiate update of the instructions with the updated instructions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a data port to provide a data channel to a host that is separate from the device; a second port to connect to an external device; a processor coupled to the data port and the second port, the processor including an operational mode and a low-power mode in which the processor is to perform fewer operations than in the operational mode, the processor to execute instructions in the operational mode and to update the instructions with updated instructions received via the data channel in the operational mode, the processor to switch to the low-power mode when the second port is unconnected to the external device; and a side channel to receive a signal from the host to trigger the processor to switch from the low-power mode to the operational mode and to initiate update of the instructions with the updated instructions, while the second port is unconnected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the second port is a video port, the processor to control data communication between the data port and the video port, the processor further to switch to the low-power mode when the video port is not connected to a display device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a display device hub. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the data channel and the side channel comprise separate conductors within a common port. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the data channel and the side channel comprise separate conductors at separate ports. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller coupled to the processor, the microcontroller in the side channel to receive the signal and trigger the processor to exit the low-power mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6, further comprising a dock housing containing the processor and the microcontroller. ### Claim 8 A device comprising: a data port to provide a data channel to a host; a plurality of video ports to connect to a plurality of display devices; a processor coupled to the data port and the plurality of video ports, the processor to execute instructions and to update the instructions with updated instructions received via the data channel, the processor including a low-power mode in which the instructions are immutable, the processor to switch to the low-power mode when the plurality of video ports is unconnected; and a side channel to receive a signal from the host to trigger the processor to exit the low-power mode while the plurality of video ports is unconnected to allow update of the instructions with the updated instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the data channel of the data port includes a video data bus to communicate video data and an auxiliary channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the updated instructions are to be received via the auxiliary channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, further comprising electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory to store the instructions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, further comprising a microcontroller coupled to the processor, the microcontroller in the side channel to receive the signal and trigger the processor to exit the low-power mode. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising host instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer device, trigger output of a signal by the computer device to an accessory device connected to the computer device, wherein the accessory device is connectable to an external device and is to operate in a low-power mode when unconnected to the external device, the signal to trigger the accessory device to exit the low-power mode when unconnected to the external device, and the host instructions further to communicate updated instructions from the computer device to the accessory device after triggering output of the signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the host instructions are to trigger the computer device to communicate the updated instructions to the accessory device in response to an acknowledgement of the signal received from the accessory device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the host instructions are to trigger the computer device to communicate the updated instructions to the accessory device after a duration after output of the signal.