Dynamically configure connection modes on a system based on host device capabilities

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016378704-A1
Application number	US-201514752501-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for configuring connection modes is described herein. The apparatus includes a plurality of ports and a processor. A first port is to couple a first device to the apparatus, the first port configurable to communicate via one mode of a plurality of modes. The processor is to include a policy manager, wherein the policy manager is to negotiate the one mode at the first port based on a mode of a second port of the plurality of ports.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for configuring connection modes, comprising:
a plurality of ports, including a first port to couple a first device to the apparatus, the first port configurable to communicate via one mode of a plurality of modes; a processor including a policy manager, wherein the policy manager is to negotiate the one mode at the first port based on a mode of a second port of the plurality of ports.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the policy manager is a centralized policy manager.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the policy manager is an edge policy manager.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the negotiated mode is saved in a database.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising obtaining the saved mode for the first port.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ports includes a dock port, a dock receptacle, and a walk-up port.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mode is a display port mode.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mode is a USB mode.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mode is a PCI-E mode.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ports are configured in a master/slave relationship, wherein a third port is a master port.

11 . A system for configuring connection modes, comprising:
a microcontroller; a plurality of port chips, wherein the microcontroller is to communicate with the plurality of port chips and the plurality of port chips share at least one connection; and at least one policy manager, wherein the policy manager is to negotiate a mode of each port chip in response to a device coupled with a port corresponding to a port chip of the plurality of port chips.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the microcontroller is included in a dock, and the dock is to couple with a tablet, the tablet including a subset of the plurality of port chips.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the policy manager is distributed among each of the plurality of port chips.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the policy manager is located on the microcontroller.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the policy manager is located on the microcontroller, and the port chips communicate via a communication channel.

16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the negotiated mode is saved in a database.

17 . The system of claim 11 , comprising saving the negotiated mode in a database and obtaining the saved mode for the device from the database in response to the endpoint being coupled with the port corresponding to the port chip.

18 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the shared connection is a USB Type-C connection.

19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the policy manger is to negotiate for a highest quality connection whenever a Type-C device is coupled with a port associated with a port chip.

20 . A method for configuring connection modes, comprising:
detecting a connection of a device; negotiating the quality of the connection based on a plurality of modes of the device; selecting a mode; and configuring a host or dock based on the selected mode.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein negotiating the quality of the connection is enabled by a policy manager that distributes resources among a plurality of ports.

22 . The method of claim 20 , comprising a policy manager, wherein the policy manager is an edge policy manager.

23 . The method of claim 20 , comprising a policy manager, wherein the policy manager is a centralized policy manager.

24 . The method of claim 20 , wherein a policy manager negotiates the quality of the connection based on the modes of the device.

25 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the connection is a USB Type-C connection.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Adamson Peter S
• Trethewey James R
• Palanisamy Kandasubramaniam K

Classifications

• G06F13/4282

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title

• G06F13/364 Primary

  using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines · CPC title

• G06F13/4081

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• G06F13/385

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