Method and apparatus for supporting and presenting multiple serial bus nodes using distinct configuration ROM images
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorSteven Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for presenting a plurality of link devices as separate nodes within a single serial bus module by generating individual or a distinct configuration ROM image for each link device in the module. Each configuration ROM includes an entry for a distinct identifier representing the corresponding link device thereby creating a one to one mapping of link device to node via the distinct configuration ROM.
Claims57
-4. (canceled)
A computer-readable apparatus, comprising:
- a storage medium;
- and
- a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, create a separate configuration image for each node of a first plurality of nodes;
- wherein each node of said first plurality is associated with a first device.
Network apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- logic operative with said processor and adapted to create a configuration image for each of a plurality of link devices, each of said link devices residing within a first network module.
A method of operating a serial bus module, comprising:
- identifying each link device resident in said serial bus module;
- and
- for each said link device, creating a unique configuration image.
Network apparatus, comprising:
- a first device comprising a first module adapted to create an image for each of a plurality of link devices;
- wherein each link device of said plurality resides in a second device.
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of link layer apparatus;
- and
- for each link layer apparatus in said plurality, a distinct configuration image.
A communication system, comprising:
- a plurality of serial bus devices each comprising at least one link layer module;
- and
- a serial bus in data communication with each of said serial bus devices;
- wherein at least one of said serial bus devices comprises:
- a plurality of link layer modules;
- and
- a configuration image for each of said plurality of link layer modules, each of said images being at least partly different than the others of said images.
Network apparatus, comprising:
- a computerized host;
- a transaction layer process operative to run on said host;
- and
- one or more link devices operatively coupled to permit communication with the transaction layer process;
- wherein the process is configured to:
- discover the one or more link devices;
- create an individual configuration image for each link device;
- and
- present the created configuration images to at least one other devices on a bus in data communication with said network apparatus, and thereby present each link device in the network apparatus as a separate node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.