USB-C multiple connector support for host and device mode configurations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10521386-B2
Application number	US-201816109994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2018
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

Various techniques for enabling the control and monitoring of a USB device mode controller to a USB-C connector, for the performance of a USB device mode data connection, are disclosed herein. In an example, a computing system that includes multiple USB-C connectors but a single USB device mode controller may manage the availability of the controller to a particular connector. The computing system may determine availability of a USB device mode controller to control the first USB-C connector, wherein the attempted data connection occurs with the first USB-C connector configured as an upstream facing port. The computing system may further perform, in response, a data role swap of the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port. The computing system may, further continue the attempted data connection with the remote computing system via the first USB-C connector configured as a downstream facing port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing system adapted for management of a USB device mode controller, the computing system comprising:
a plurality of USB-C connectors, including a first USB-C connector and a second USB-C connector; and
processing circuitry to:
in response to an attempted data connection from a remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, determine availability of a USB device mode controller to manage the first USB-C connector, wherein the attempted data connection occurs with the first USB-C connector configured as an upstream facing port, wherein the USB device mode controller is configured to manage one USB-C connector at a time:
in response to a determination that the USB device mode controller is not available to provide management of the first USB-C connector on the computing system, perform a data role swap of the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port to enable operation in device mode; and
continue the attempted data connection with the remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, with the first USB-C connector configured as a downstream facing port.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , the processing circuitry further to:
determine a status of the first USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the USB device mode controller is assigned to the second USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , the processing circuitry further to:
determine whether a device mode controller is available on the remote computing system for facilitating the attempted data connection.

5. The computing system of claim 4 , the processing circuitry further to:
in response to a determination that the device mode controller is not available on the remote computing system, generate a notification that the attempted data connection cannot be established with the remote computing system.

6. The computing system of claim 4 , the processing circuitry further to:
in response to a determination that the device mode controller is available on the remote computing system, establish the attempted data connection with the remote computing system.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , the processing circuitry further to:
in response to a determination that the USB device mode controller is available on the computing system to manage the first USB-C connector, assign the USB device mode controller to the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port.

8. At least one machine readable storage medium, comprising a plurality of instructions that, responsive to being executed with processor circuitry of a computing system including a USB device mode controller, a first USB-C connector, and a second USB-C connector, cause the computing system to manage the USB device mode controller with electronic operations that:
in response to an attempted data connection from a remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, determine availability of the USB device mode controller to manage the first USB-C connector, wherein the attempted data connection occurs with the first USB-C connector configured as an upstream facing port, and wherein the USB device mode controller is configured to manage one USB-C connector at a time;
in response to a determination that the USB device mode controller is not available to provide management of the first USB-C connector on the computing system, perform a data role swap of the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port to enable operation in device mode; and
attempt performance of the attempted data connection with the remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, with the first USB-C connector configured as a downstream facing port.

9. The machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the electronic operations further: determine a status of the first USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

10. The machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the USB device mode controller is assigned to the second USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

11. The machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the electronic operations further:
determine whether a device mode controller is available on the remote computing system fo facilitating the attempted data connection.

12. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the electronic operations further:
in response to a determination that the device mode controller is not available on the remote computing system, generate a notification that the attempted data connection cannot be established with the remote computing system.

13. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the electronic operations further:
in response to a determination that the device mode controller is available on the remote computing system, establish the attempted data connection with the remote computing system.

14. The machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the electronic operations further:
in response to a determination that the USB device mode controller is available on the computing system to manage the first USB-C connector, assign the USB device mode controller to the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port.

15. A method for management of a USB device mode controller, comprising electronic operations executed in processing circuitry of a computing system, the computing system comprising a USB device mode controller, a first USB-C connector, and a second USB-C connector, wherein the electronic operations include:
in response to an attempted data connection from a remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, determining availability of the USB device mode controller to manage the first USB-C connector, wherein the attempted data connection occurs with the first USB-C connector configured as an upstream facing port, and wherein the USB device mode controller is configured to manage one USB-C connector at a time:
in response to determining that the USB device mode controller is not available to provide management of the first USB-C connector on the computing system, performing a data role swap of the first USB-C connector to configure the first USB-C connector as a downstream facing port to enable operation in device mode; and
attempting performance of the attempted data connection with the remote computing system via the first USB-C connector, with the first USB-C connector configured as a downstream facing port.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic operations further include:
determining a status of the first USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the USB device mode controller is assigned to the second USB-C connector, prior to the attempted data connection from the remote computing system.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electronic operations further include:
determining whether a device mode controller available on the remote computing system for facilitating the attempted data connection.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the electronic operations further include:
in response to determining that the device mode cont

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kadgi Vijaykumar B
• Kung Tin-Cheung
• Aggarwal Nivedita
• Kuo Chia-Hung
• Sethi Prashant

Classifications

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• G06F13/385 Primary

  for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F11/3051

  Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs (verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247) · CPC title

• G06F13/20

  for access to input/output bus · CPC title