Microchip Technology Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Standard Microsystems Corporation

Smsc Holdings Sarl

Atish Ghosh

Mark R Bohm

Hans L Magnusson

Jennifer B Pencis

Brigham Steele

Sandhya Asokan

Cecil G Chenault

Hari Kishore Rajendran

Steven R Klassen

Mark Gordon

Pragash Mangalapandian

Donald L Perkins

Venkatha Supramanian Kunjidabadam

Ken Nagai

Larisa Troyegubova

Matthew Kalibat

Rekha Edamalapati

Vinoth Sekar

Mark Bohm

A universal serial bus (USB) dock includes USB ports, each configured to connect to a respective USB element. The USB dock includes a circuit communicatively coupled to the USB ports and configured to determine a first temperature measurement in the USB dock, determine a power demand for each USB element connected to the USB ports, determine an allocation of power for the USB elements, and, based on the first allocation of power, provide less than the power demand for one or more of the USB elements based upon a total power demand by the USB elements and the first temperature measurement.

USB hub with integrated power and thermal management

An apparatus includes a bi-phase mark coded (BMC) input port configured to receive BMC signals from a universal serial bus (USB) cable. The apparatus further includes a threshold adjustment circuit configured to generate a threshold, and a comparator configured to compare an input BMC signal from the BMC input port and the threshold and based on the comparison, generate an adjusted input BMC signal. The threshold adjustment circuit is further configured to adjust the threshold based upon the input BMC signal.

Automatic threshold adjustment for USB power delivery to work with cables out of specification

An apparatus includes a processor and a machine-readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions. The instructions, when loaded into the processor and executed, configure the processor to identify that a USB element has attached to a USB hub at a port, classify the USB element according to power operations of the USB element, and assign an upstream or downstream setting of the port based upon the classification of the USB element based on power operations of the USB element. The instructions may further configure the processor to classify the USB element as only a producer of power, evaluate whether an enumeration process is initiated within a timeout period, and if so, assign the USB element as a USB host.

Host-detecting USB hub

An apparatus includes a processor and a machine-readable medium coupled to the processor and comprising instructions. The instructions, when loaded into the processor and executed, configure the processor to identify that a USB element has attached to a USB hub at a port, classify the USB element according to power operations of the USB element, and assign an upstream or downstream setting of the port based upon the classification of the USB element based on power operations of the USB element.

A USB hub includes a plurality of downstream ports; at least one dual mode port, the dual mode port configured to be switchable from a downstream port to an upstream port; and host detection circuitry for detecting whether, when operating as an upstream port, a host is connected.

Felxconnect disconnect detection

A universal serial bus (USB) hub includes an upstream port configured to be communicatively coupled to a USB host, a downstream port, and a USB hub core circuit. The circuit is configured to determine a detachment from the downstream port, determine whether a USB element has reattached to the downstream port in USB mode, and, based on a determination that the USB element has reattached to the downstream port in USB host mode, perform USB multi-host bridging for the USB host and the USB element.

USB host-to-host auto-switching

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.

Universal serial bus smart hub

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub includes a first port that is configured to be switched from a downstream port to an upstream port; a plurality of other ports; and a controller configured to switch a function of the first port from the downstream port to the upstream port responsive to a command from an attached device and further configured to switch at least one of the plurality of other ports from a data and charge port into a port dedicated to charging.

Port disconnect charging function for USB hub

A USB hub has a USB hub controller, and an embedded controller, a USB port connector and associated port power control device and a controllable bypass switch providing a supply voltage to the USB port connector when the embedded controller enables it, a controllable voltage supply regulator unit providing a first output voltage which can be turned off and supplied to the port power control device, and a programmable current monitor circuit with a current sensor providing a second supply voltage to the monitor circuit, wherein during a low power mode, the USB hub controller and any port power control device are turned off and the monitor circuit is configured to provide the second supply voltage through the sensor and bypass switch to the USB connector and detects a current when a USB device is plugged into the USB port connector and wakes up the embedded controller.

Low power connection detect method and system for USB charging

Flexconnect disconnect detection

A USB hub integrated circuit device, comprising USB hub logic comprising a plurality USB ports, wherein at least one port comprises a pair of bi-directional transmission channels, wherein for the at least one port two physical layers are provided in parallel, each physical layer being associated with one bidirectional transmission channel, wherein the USB hub logic is further configured to select one of said physical layers for each port depending on a logic condition.

Switchless USB C-connector hub

A method for controlling a configuration in an integrated circuit device with at least one controllable input/output port having a data output driver, a data input driver, a controllable pull-up resistor, a controllable pull-down resistor, each connected with an external pin of the integrated circuit device, has the steps of: enabling only the pull-up resistor and reading the associated input through the data input driver as a first bit; enabling only the pull-down resistor and reading the associated input through the data input driver as a second bit; tri-stating the first port and reading the associated input through the data input driver as another bit; encoding a value from the read bits; and determining a firmware operation form the encoded value.

Integrated device with auto configuration

Charging a device using a plurality of handshakes. A first device may provide a first handshake to a second device. A device of a first device type may be configured to charge its battery without further communication based on the first handshake. The first device may monitor a connection to the second device for a second handshake corresponding to a device of a second device type. In response to detecting the second handshake, the first device may provide a response to the second device. Accordingly, the second device of the second device type may be configured to charge its battery based on the second handshake.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Atish Ghosh