Patent Application
20140244852
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a public interface standard for accessing peripheral devices and personal computers. Recently, the application of USB has been extended to a large number of consumer electronics and mobile devices, Interfaces complying with the specification of the USB 2.0 have now been enjoying wide application, since the USB 2.0 interface has a highest speed of 480 Mb/S and also the capability of power supply, which leads to the popularity of the USB 2.0 interface in the current field of PC interface. As storage capacity and network speed enters the epoch of Gigabyte, however, the data connection between a computer and peripheral devices requires a higher transmission rate, and USB 2.0 is having difficulty in meeting the continuous growing requirement of access rate.
In order to meet the demands for higher data transmission, a USB 3.0 already made her debut in November, 2008. The USB 3.0 promises 4.8 Gbps “Super Speed” data transfers and its raw throughput can reaches 4 Gbps. When operating in “Super Speed”, the USB 3.0 adopts “full duplex” signaling over two differential pairs separating from non-super speed differential pairs. As a result, USB 3.0 cables contain 2 wires for power and ground, 2 wires for non-Super Speed data, and 4 wires for Super Speed data, and a shield. In contrast, the USB 2.0 cables contain a transmission pair for data. Apart from that, Super Speed establishes a communications pipe between the host and each device, in a host-directed protocol. But USB 2.0 broadcasts packet traffic to all devices. Certainly, the USB 3.0 has many features different than the USB 2.0 and those differences are well known by those skilled in the art, and thus not elaborated on herein.
A USB3.0 system coexist a USB 2.0 interface and a USB 3.0 interface. When the device is identified, the USB 3.0 system decides whether to run in super speed (SS) or high speed (HS). However, when the USB 3.0 system is running in super speed, the noise from USB 3.0 data spectrum (in the 2.4-2.5 GHz range) interferes with the wireless signals such the IEEE 802.11b/g/n or Bluetooth, or they may use proprietary protocols. Therefore, the wireless data transmission is affected by the USB 3.0 data transmission. This may result in a drop in throughput on the wireless link.
It is therefore an objective of the present disclosure to provide a method of reducing mutual interference between Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transmission and wireless data transmission for an electronic device.
A method of reducing mutual interference between Universal Serial Bus (USB) data transmission and wireless data transmission for an electronic device is disclosed. The method comprises establishing a plurality of physical layer links for the USB data transmission in a plurality of USB modes when the plurality of USB mode are supported, each of the physical layer links corresponding to one of the USB modes; dynamically selecting one of the USB modes according to the wireless data transmission; and performing the USB data transmission in the selected USB mode.
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a plurality of USB physical layers, a wireless communication module and a USB controller. The plurality of USB physical layers is used for establishing a plurality of physical layer links for USB data transmission in a plurality of USB modes. Each of the physical layer links corresponds to one of the USB modes. The wireless communication module is used for performing wireless data transmission. The USB controller is used for dynamically selecting one of the USB modes according to wireless data transmission and performing the USB data transmission in the selected USB mode.
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a plurality of hubs, a wireless communication module and a USB controller. The plurality of hubs is used for establishing a plurality of physical layer links for USB data transmission in a plurality of USB modes. Each of the physical layer links corresponds to one of the USB modes. The wireless communication module is used for performing wireless data transmission. The USB controller is used for dynamically selecting one of the USB modes according to wireless data transmission and performing the USB data transmission in the selected USB mode.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Please refer to
Step 100: Start.
Step 120: Establish multiple physical layer links for the USB data transmission in multiple supported USB modes.
Step 140: Dynamically select one of the supported USB modes according to the wireless communication.
Step 160: Perform the USB data transmission in the selected USB mode.
Step 180: End.
According to the process 10, the multiple physical layer links for the multiple supported USB modes are established. The supported USB modes include a USB 3.0 mode operating in super speed and a USB 2.0 mode operating in high speed, but not limited herein. Each of the physical layer links corresponds to one of the supported USB modes. The electronic device may attempt to establish the physical layer link for the USB 3.0 mode first and then attempt to establish a physical layer link for the USB 2.0 mode. If the USB 3.0 mode and USB 2.0 both are supported, both of physical layer links are established. Then, one of the supported USB modes for the USB data transmission is dynamically selected according to the wireless communication. For example, the USB 3.0 mode is selected when the wireless communication is performed according to IEEE 802.11ac standard or when no wireless data transmission is performed. For another example, the USB 2.0 mode is selected when the wireless communication is performed according to IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n standard or a Bluetooth standard. Since the wireless communication complied with IEEE 802.11ac operates in a bandwidth of 5 GHz, the USB data transmission in the USB 3.0 mode does not interfere with the wireless communication and still has enough throughputs. Likewise, the USB data transmission in the USB 2.0 mode does not interfere with the wireless communication operating in a bandwidth of 2.4 GHz. Therefore, the example of the present disclosure can avoid the mutual interference between the USB data transmission and the wireless communication and also retain enough throughputs. Please note that if the electronic fails to establish the physical layer link for USB 3.0, the USB data transmission will be performed in the USB 2.0 mode.
In addition, the process 10 can include other steps when the wireless communication includes data packets from different wireless protocols, in order to know which wireless protocol is used in the received data packets. The process 10 includes a step of receiving a sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module when the electronic device works as an access point (i.e. the USB controller operates in a host mode). The sending signal bgn_sending indicates the wireless protocol used in the wireless communication. Or, the process 10 includes another step of performing a polling procedure through a high speed protocol to obtain the sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module when the electronic device works as a network interface controller (NIC) or a network interface card (i.e. the USB controller operates in a device mode). In addition, the USB controller can send a signal hs_sending to the wireless communication module to inform the wireless communication module which USB mode is used. The signal hs_sending indicates which USB mode is used in the USB data transmission. With USB mode information, the wireless communication module can wait until the USB data transmission is finished, thereby avoiding the mutual interference.
Please refer to
When the wireless communication includes data packets from different wireless protocols, the USB controller 220 receives a sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module 200 if the USB controller 220 operates in a host mode (e.g. the electronic device 20 is an access point). The sending signal bgn_sending indicates the wireless protocol used in the wireless communication. If the USB controller 220 operates in a device mode (e.g. the electronic device 20 is a network interface controller (NIC) or a network interface card), the USB controller 220 performs a polling procedure through a high speed protocol to obtain the sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module 200. In this situation, the USB controller 220 can know which wireless protocol is used in the wireless communication. In addition, the USB controller 220 can send a signal hs_sending to the wireless communication module 200 to inform the wireless communication module 220 which USB mode is used by the USB controller 220. The signal hs_sending indicates which USB mode is used in the USB data transmission. With USB mode information, the wireless communication module 200 can wait until the USB data transmission is finished, thereby avoiding the mutual interference.
Please refer to
When the wireless communication includes data packets from different wireless protocols, the USB controller 320 receives a sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module 300 if the USB controller 320 operates in a host mode (e.g. the electronic device 30 is an access point). The sending signal bgn_sending indicates the wireless protocol used in the wireless data transmission. If the USB controller 320 operates in a device mode (e.g. the electronic device 30 is a network interface controller (NIC) or a network interface card), the USB controller 320 performs a polling procedure through a high speed protocol to obtain the sending signal bgn_sending from the wireless communication module 300. In this situation, the USB controller 320 can know which wireless protocol is used in the wireless communication. In addition, the USB controller 320 can send a signal hs_sending to the wireless communication module 300 to inform the wireless communication module 320 which USB mode is used by the USB controller 320. The signal hs_sending indicates which USB mode is used in the USB data transmission. With USB mode information, the wireless communication module 300 can wait until the USB data transmission is finished, thereby avoiding the mutual interference.
To sum up, the examples of the present disclosure establish two physical layer links for both of the USB 3.0 mode and the USB 2.0 mode. Then the USB 3.0 mode or the USB 2.0 mode is dynamically selected according to the wireless protocol to perform the USB data transmission. When the wireless data transmission complied with IEEE 802.11ac is performed, the USB data transmission is performed in the USB 3.0 mode. When the wireless communication complied with IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n standard or a Bluetooth standard is performed, the USB data transmission is performed in the USB 2.0 mode. Therefore, the mutual interference between the USB data transmission and the wireless data transmission can be avoided.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/769,952, filed on Feb. 27, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61769952 | Feb 2013 | US |
