US 9,804,977 B2Granted

Universal serial bus smart hub

AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated

InventorsAtish Ghosh, Cecil G. Chenault, Pragash Mangalapandian, Mark Bohm

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Abstract

A USB smart hub may provide enhanced battery charging, data storage security, vendor matching, device authentication, data capture/debug, and role switching. The smart hub may include an upstream port, a plurality of downstream ports, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor for storing USB host stack code and configuration parameters. The smart hub may include a USB hub core having a core to implement a standard USB hub interface. The smart hub may include a plurality of 2:1 multiplexors coupled between the downstream ports, the core downstream ports, and the processor. The processor may control the 2:1 multiplexors. The processor may be configured to detect when a USB device is coupled to a downstream port and to run the USB host stack code and to enumerate the USB device. The processor may provide enhanced features based on the configuration parameters.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A USB hub comprising:

a hub upstream port;
a plurality of hub downstream ports;
a processor;
a memory communicatively coupled to the processor for storing USB host stack code and a plurality of configuration parameters;
a USB hub core having a core upstream port and a plurality of core downstream ports, the USB hub core operable to implement a USB hub interface between the core upstream port and the plurality of core downstream ports;
and
a plurality of multiplexors, each of the plurality of multiplexors connected to a respective one of the plurality of core downstream ports, and each multiplexor having:
a first port communicatively coupled to one of the hub downstream ports,
a second port communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of core downstream ports,
a third port communicatively coupled to the processor, and
a select input communicatively coupled to the processor and operable to communicatively couple the first port with the second port, the third port, or both the second port and the third port, the select input of each of the plurality of multiplexors being independently controllable by the processor for independent control of the connections provided by each of the plurality of multiplexors;
wherein the processor is configured:
to detect when a USB device is coupled to a first one of the plurality of hub downstream ports,
to control the select input of a first multiplexor connected to the first hub downstream port so that the first port is connected to the third port,
to run the USB host stack code,
to enumerate the USB device,
charge the USB device using a custom electrical handshake;
charge the USB device using a custom message-based handshake;
obtain a product ID (PID) and a vendor ID (VID) from the USB device,
use the PID and the VID to determine a custom battery charging protocol for the USB device,
and cause the USB hub to charge the USB device a specific battery charging protocol corresponding to the USB device, the specific battery charging protocol one of the custom electrical handshake and the custom message-based handshake.

18 more elements

A method for providing enhanced battery charging in a USB hub including a plurality of hub downstream ports, a memory device storing USB device parameter data regarding a plurality of different USB devices, and a processor running USB host stack code, comprising:

the processor detecting a USB device is coupled to a first one of the plurality of hub downstream ports;
the processor enumerating the USB device;
the processor obtaining from the USB device a product ID (PID) and a vendor ID (VID) of the USB device;
the processor using the PID and the VID of the USB device to identify, from the memory device, pre-stored USB device parameter data corresponding with the PID and VID obtained from the USB device, the identified pre-stored USB device parameter data indicating a specific battery charging protocol for the USB device;
the processor causing the USB hub to charge the USB device using specific battery charging protocol identified by the USB device parameter data for the USB device pre-stored in the memory device of the USB hub;
the processor obtaining a product ID (PID) and a vendor ID (VID) from the USB device;
the processor using the PID and the VID to determine a custom battery charging protocol for the USB device;
the processor selecting between charging the USB device using a custom electrical handshake charging the USB device using a custom message-based handshake, the selection including identifying a specific battery charging protocol;
and
the processor causing the USB hub to charge the USB device using specific battery charging protocol.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/698,428Filed 28 Apr 2015
Published: US 2016/0321195 A13 Nov 2016
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 13/102
Program control for peripheral devices: where the program performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver
G06F 1/266
Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof: arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under…
G06F 13/387
Using universal interface adapter: for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters…
G06F 13/4282
Bus transfer protocol, e.g. handshake; Synchronisation: on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus