Adaptive prioritization of USB traffic

One or more computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a computing device implement a filter driver and a service;

• wherein the filter driver is configured to:
• register with a USB controller driver to be notified when bandwidth consumption of a connection between the computing device and the USB dock has reached one or more thresholds when USB devices are connected to the USB dock such that the computing device uses the connection to communicate with each of the USB devices;
• and
• notify the service upon receiving a notification that the bandwidth consumption of the connection between the computing device and the USB dock has reached the one or more thresholds;
• wherein the service is configured to:
• monitor applications that are accessing the USB devices that are connected to the USB dock;
• set a device priority for each of the USB devices based on the applications;
• and
• provide the device priority for each of the USB devices to the filter driver;
• wherein the filter driver is further configured to:
• adaptively prioritize traffic of at least one of the USB devices based on the device priority for each of the USB devices by selecting a different alternate mode for the at least one of the USB devices, wherein selecting the different alternate mode comprises changing from a first alternate setting for an interface of the at least one USB device to a second alternate setting for the interface, the first alternate setting defining a first type of endpoint that requires more bandwidth and the second alternate setting defining a second type of endpoint that requires less bandwidth.

A computing device comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed implement a method for adaptively prioritizing traffic of USB devices that are connected to a USB-C dock, the method comprising:
• detecting, by a filter driver, that bandwidth consumption of a connection between the computing device and the USB-C dock has exceeded a threshold when USB devices are connected to the USB dock such that the computing device uses the connection to communicate with each of the USB devices;
• sending, by the filter driver and to a service, a notification that the bandwidth consumption of the connection between the computing device and the USB-C dock has exceeded the threshold;
• in response to the notification and in conjunction with monitoring applications that are accessing the USB devices that are connected to the USB-C dock, identifying, by the service, a device priority for each of the USB devices;
• and
• in response to receiving the device priority for each of the USB devices from the service, changing, by the filter driver, an alternate mode of at least one of the USB devices, wherein selecting the different alternate mode comprises changing from a first alternate setting for an interface of the at least one USB device to a second alternate setting for the interface, the first alternate setting defining a first type of endpoint that requires more bandwidth and the second alternate setting defining a second type of endpoint that requires less bandwidth.