Systems and methods for using distributed universal serial bus (USB) host drivers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10628172-B2
Application number	US-201715631088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for using distributed Universal Serial Bus (USB) host drivers are disclosed. In one aspect, USB packet processing that was historically done on an application processor is moved to a distributed USB driver running in parallel on a low-power processor such as a digital signal processor (DSP). While a DSP is particularly contemplated, other processors may also be used. Further, a communication path is provided from the low-power processor to USB hardware that bypasses the application processor. Bypassing the application processor in this fashion allows the application processor to remain in a sleep mode for longer periods of time instead of processing digital data received from the low-power processor or the USB hardware. Further, by bypassing the application processor, latency is reduced, which improves the listener experience.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system on a chip, comprising:
a system bus;
Universal Serial Bus (USB) B) hardware;
a USB connector communicatively coupled to the USB hardware and configured to couple to an external digital USB peripheral;
an application processor communicatively coupled to the USB hardware through the system bus, the application processor comprising a USB host driver; and
an audio digital signal processor (DSP) communicatively coupled to the USB hardware through the system bus, the audio DSP comprising a second USB driver;
wherein the application processor is configured to enumerate and set up a USB endpoint through the USB hardware and the USB connector and pass data about the USB endpoint to the audio DSP such that the audio DSP may pass audio packets to the USB hardware.

2. The system on a chip of claim 1 , wherein the application processor is further configured to enter a low-power mode while the audio DSP passes the audio packets to the USB hardware.

3. A method of controlling a Universal Serial Bus (USB) endpoint, comprising:
enumerating a USB endpoint with a USB driver on an application processor;
receiving a request from a second USB driver on an audio digital signal processor (DSP) to enable or disable an audio data stream;
responsive to the request, enabling or disabling a selected audio interface using control endpoints and the USB driver on the application processor;
providing from the USB driver on the application processor to the second USB driver on the audio DSP a device descriptor; and
at the second USB driver, using the device descriptor passed from the USB driver to perform data transfers.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising responding to audio control data from the USB endpoint with the application processor.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising processing human interface device (HID) commands with the USB driver on the application processor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein processing the HID commands comprises processing volume up, volume down, play, pause, mute, unmute, and stop.

7. A system on a chip (SoC), comprising:
a system bus;
Universal Serial Bus (USB) B) hardware;
a USB connector communicatively coupled to the USB hardware and configured to couple to an external digital USB peripheral;
an application processor communicatively coupled to the USB hardware through the system bus, the application processor comprising a USB host driver; and
a second processor communicatively coupled to the USB hardware through the system bus, the second processor comprising a second USB driver;
wherein the application processor is configured to enumerate and set up a USB endpoint through the USB hardware and the USB connector and pass data about the USB endpoint to the second processor such that the second processor may pass digital packets to the USB hardware.

8. A method of controlling a Universal Serial Bus (USB) endpoint, comprising:
enumerating a USB endpoint with a USB driver on an application processor;
receiving a request from a second USB driver on a second processor to enable or disable a multimedia data stream;
responsive to the request, enabling or disabling a selected multimedia interface using control endpoints and the USB driver on the application processor;
providing, from the USB driver on the application processor to the second USB driver on the second processor, a device descriptor; and
at the second USB driver, using the device descriptor passed from the USB driver to perform data transfers.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Kulkarni Ameya
• Cheung Andrew
• Choi Jay Yu Jae
• Kim Daniel Hyongkyu
• Kumar Hemant
• Samavedam Vamsi Krishna

Classifications

• G06F3/16

  Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L) · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F1/3253

  Power saving in bus · CPC title

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F9/4411 Primary

  Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers · CPC title