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US 7,624,222 B2Granted
South bridge system and method
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAshwini K. Nanda, Krishnan Sugavanam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system including a south bridge, a first processor connected to the south bridge, and a second processor connected to the south bridge. The system further includes at least one device connected to the south bridge, and a resource manager coupled to the south bridge that allocates use of the at least one device between the first processor and the second processor.
Claims23
A system, comprising:
- a south bridge chip comprising at least one multiplexer;
- a first host connected by a first point-to-point connection to the south bridge chip;
- a second host connected by a second point-to-point connection to the south bridge chip;
- and
- at least one resource connected to the south bridge chip,
- wherein the south bridge chip manages a sharing of the at least one resource by the first host and the second host by determining availability of the at least one resource in response to receiving a request to use the at least one resource from at least one of the first host and the second host.
3 more elements
A south bridge chip, comprising:
- a first host interface;
- a second host interface;
- at least one device controller;
- a resource manager that allocates use of the at least one device controller between the first host interface and the second host interface by determining availability of the at least one device controller in response to receiving a request to use the at least one device controller from at least one of the first host interface and the second host interface;
- and
- pins for connecting the south bridge chip to a circuit board.
3 more elements
A method of arbitrating between a plurality of hosts connected in point-to-point arrangements to a south bridge chip, comprising:
- receiving at the south bridge chip a request to use a resource from one of the plurality of hosts;
- determining availability of the resource;
- and
- when available, establishing communication between the one of the plurality of hosts and the resource using at least one multiplexer,
- wherein the receiving the request and the determining the availability are performed by a resource manager of the south bridge chip.
2 more elements
A computer system, comprising:
- a south bridge chip comprising at least one multiplexer;
- a first processor connected to the south bridge chip;
- a second processor connected to the south bridge chip;
- at least one device connected to the south bridge chip;
- and
- a resource manager coupled to the south bridge chip that allocates use of the at least one device between the first processor and the second processor by determining availability of the at least one device in response to receiving a request to use the at least one device from at least one of the first processor and the second processor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.