Methods and apparatus for bridged data transmission and protocol translation in a high-speed serialized data system
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsColin Whitby-Strevens, Micheal D. Johas Teener
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for transmitting data across a high-speed serial bus includes an IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY having a GMII interface; an IEEE 1394-compliant PHY in communication with the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY via a switch; the switch determining whether data transmission is be routed to the WEE 802.3-compliant PHY or the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY; a first connection, the first connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY; and a second connection, the second connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY.
Claims18
-28. (canceled)
An apparatus comprising:
- a first interface operating according to a first protocol;
- a second interface, the second interface configured to operate according to at least a second protocol;
- a translation apparatus in signal communication with both the first and second interfaces, the translation apparatus configured to translate between the first and second protocols;
- a bridging apparatus configured to provide logical network addressing for devices connected to the first interface and the second interface, where the bridging apparatus is further configured to implement one or more subnets to facilitate the logical network addressing;
- and
- apparatus enabling, responsive to a negotiation, the translation apparatus or the bridging apparatus.
A method for providing data communication between a first and a second device, the method comprising:
- performing a negotiation process;
- and
- responsive to the performed negotiation process, determining a routing method that data should be routed over, the routing method selected from at least a first routing method and a second routing method;
- wherein the first routing method comprises:
- translating data sent from a first interface having a first protocol to a second interface having a second protocol and/or translating data sent from the second interface having the second protocol to the first interface having the first protocol;
- and
- arbitrating accesses from the first interface to the second interface;
- and
- wherein the second routing method comprises:
- establishing data communication between the first interface and the second interface via a bridge apparatus, wherein the bridge apparatus manages separate first and a second subnets for the respective first and second interfaces to facilitate network addressing capabilities for the first and second devices.)
A method for providing data communication between first and second devices, the method comprising:
- performing a negotiation process;
- and
- responsive to the performed negotiation process, determining a routing method that data should be routed over, the routing method selected from at least a first routing method and a second routing method;
- wherein the first routing method comprises:
- translating data sent from a first interface having a first protocol to a second interface having a second protocol and/or translating data sent from the second interface having the second protocol to the first interface having the first protocol;
- and
- arbitrating accesses from the first interface to the second interface;
- and
- wherein the second routing method comprises:
- establishing data communication between the first and second interface via a bridge apparatus, wherein the bridge apparatus manages a common subnet between the first and second interfaces to provide network addressing capabilities for the first and second devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.