# US 2019/0171600 A1 · Usb connections > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171600 A1 - Document ID: US20190171600A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/270,554 - Filed: 2019-02-07 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-27 - Assignees: Displayunk (UK) Limited - Applicants: Displayunk (UK) Limited - Inventors: Daniel Ellis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171600A1 ## CPC - G06F 13/385: {for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices} - G06F 5/065: {Partitioned buffers, e.g. allowing multiple independent queues, bidirectional FIFO's} - G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)} - G06F 2213/0042: Universal serial bus [USB] - 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 A method of configuring a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection between a first and second devices, the USB connection comprising a plurality of data channels, each having a pair of signal links, each signal link including a port at either end of the connection, and a signal wire formed of one or more physical wires extending between corresponding ports. Each of the signal links are configured with a first direction for transmission of data. The first direction is determined based on an initial required data transmission capacity in each direction between the first and second devices. Thereafter, depending on required capacity in the different directions, a selection is made which of the signal links should change their direction of transmission from the first direction to a second direction and a redirection signal is sent to each of the selected signal links to cause the change in direction of transmission. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of configuring a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection between a first device and a second device, the USB connection comprising a plurality of data channels, each data channel comprising a pair of signal links, each signal link comprising a port in the device at either end of the connection, a controller for the ports, and a signal wire extending between corresponding ports, each signal wire comprising one or more physical wires, the method comprising: configuring both of the signal links of at least one of the data channels to be capable of transmitting data bidirectionally; initially determining a first direction for transmission of data for each of the bidirectionally configured signal links based on an initial required data transmission capacity in each direction between the first and second devices; transmitting data along each of the bidirectionally configured signal links in the determined first direction; selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction; sending a re-direction signal to each of the selected bidirectionally configured signal links to cause the selected bidirectionally configured signal links to change their direction of transmission of data to a second direction; and transmitting data along each of the selected bidirectionally configured signal links in the second direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the USB connection comprises at least two high speed data channels and at least one low speed data channel, wherein the signal links of the high speed data channels are configured to be capable of transmitting data bidirectionally. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the first direction initially determined for all of the bidirectionally configured signal links is the same, with one of the signal links of the slow speed data channel being used in the second direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request signal requesting a particular data transmission capacity in a particular direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the request signal includes a request for a preferred number of signal links to be used for data transmission in the particular direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the request signal includes a request for a minimum number of signal links to be used for data transmission in the particular direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction is based on the request signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction is based on a priority of the data to be transmitted over the selected bidirectionally configured signal links and data to be transmitted over non-selected bidirectionally configured signal links. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the priorities of the data to be transmitted over the selected bidirectionally configured signal links and the data to be transmitted over non-selected bidirectionally configured signal links depend on priorities of processes using the data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the priorities of the processes are maintained in a look-up table. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a host device and the second device comprises a peripheral device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the first device and the second device initially negotiating to determine which controller will perform the initial determining, selecting and sending steps. ### Claim 13 A system comprising: a host device having a plurality of ports connected to a host controller; a peripheral device having a plurality of ports connected to a peripheral controller; and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable between the host device and the peripheral device, the system providing a USB connection comprising a plurality of data channels, each data channel comprising a pair of signal links, each signal link comprising a port in the host device, a port at the peripheral device and a signal wire extending between corresponding ports, together with the host and peripheral controllers, each signal wire comprising one or more physical wires, wherein the USB connection is configured by: configuring both of the signal links of at least one of the data channels to be capable of transmitting data bidirectionally; initially determining a first direction for transmission of data for each of the bidirectionally configured signal links based on an initial required data transmission capacity in each direction between the first and second devices; transmitting data along each of the bidirectionally configured signal links in the determined first direction; selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction; sending a re-direction signal to each of the selected bidirectionally configured signal links to cause the selected bidirectionally configured signal links to change their direction of transmission of data to a second direction; and transmitting data along each of the selected bidirectionally configured signal links in the second direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the USB connection comprises at least two high speed data channels and at least one low speed data channel, wherein the signal links of the high speed data channels are configured to be capable of transmitting data bidirectionally. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the first direction initially determined for all of the bidirectionally configured signal links is the same, with one of the signal links of the slow speed data channel being used in the second direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the USB connection is configured in response to receiving a request signal requesting a particular data transmission capacity in a particular direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the request signal includes a request for a preferred number of signal links to be used for data transmission in the particular direction, or wherein the request signal includes a request for a minimum number of signal links to be used for data transmission in the particular direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction is based on the request signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein selecting which of the bidirectionally configured signal links that are transmitting data in the first direction should change their direction of transmission to a second direction is based on a priority of the data to be transmitted over the selected bidirectionally configured signal links and data to be transmitted over non-selected bidirectionally configured signal links. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the priorities of the data to be transmitted over the selected bidirectionally configured signal links and the data to be transmitted over non-selected bidirectionally configured signal links depend on priorities of processes using the data.