Apple Inc.

David Ferguson

Aaron Leiba

Alex J Crumlin

Colin Whitby-Strevens

William P Cornelius

Keith E Diefendorff

Paul A Baker

Ray Ling Chang

Eric Werner Anderson

Michael W Murphy

Ron Hochsprung

Brian D Howard

Robert L Bailey

Alberto Vidal

Lesley B Wynne

A high-speed I/O interface that allows a number of native I/O formats to be encapsulated into PCIe Vendor Defined Messages ('VDMs') for transfer over a single physical medium, preferably optical, and is thus referred to as the converged I/O ('CIO') interface. The devices can be designed to provide synchronization (time value, frequency, and phase) among a network of routers, with signal paths of several meters, thereby providing an accurate time base suitable for exacting audiovisual applications.

Converged computer I/O system and bridging mechanism for peer-to-peer communication

Methods and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the amount of power (or current) distributed to one or more connected devices via electrical interfaces. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a first module adapted to detect current drawn by a first set of ports, and a second module adapted to adjust the current provided to a second set of ports based on the detected current. The second module is also optionally adapted to distribute unreserved current among the devices according to an allocation protocol. In the exemplary context of a plurality of interconnected serial bus devices, the invention enables a device to draw more current than that required to be reserved for that device (such as to comply with a specification such as USB), yet without increasing the total amount of power which must be dedicated to the serial ports as a whole. Power supply efficiency may also be advantageously optimized.

Dynamic remaining maximum power allocation to secondary port while staying within optimal efficiency range of power supply

Methods and apparatus for enhancing efficiency (e.g., reducing power consumption and bus activity) in a data bus. In an exemplary embodiment, a client-driven host device state machine switches among various states, each comprising a different polling frequency. A client device on the data bus (e.g., serial bus) checks for non-productive periods of polling activity, and upon discovering such a period, informs the host. The state machine then alters its polling scheme; e.g., switches to a lower state comprising a reduced polling frequency, and polling continues at this reduced frequency. In one variant, the client device continuously monitors itself to determine whether it has any data to transmit to a host device and if so, the host is informed, and the state machine restarts (e.g., to its highest polling state). By eliminating extraneous polling, power consumption and serial bus activity is optimized, potentially on both the host and the client.

Methods and apparatus for decreasing power consumption and bus activity

A high-speed optical interface for connecting computers to external I/O devices allows a number of native I/O formats to be encapsulated into PCIe Vendor Defined Messages ('VDMs') for transfer over a single physical medium, preferably optical, and is thus referred to as the converged I/O ('CIO') interface. Standard PCIe bridges are modified to support peer-to-peer communications, allowing greater exploitation of the capabilities of PCIe.

Bridging mechanism for peer-to-peer communication

Supplying remaining available current to port in excess of bus standard limit

A modified Series A universal serial bus (USB) receptacle connector is equipped with the functionality to allow the electronic system in which it resides to be configured either as a host device or a peripheral device. The modified USB Series A receptacle connector, according to one embodiment of the invention may include a mechanism such as an additional pin or a mechanical switch to detect the presence of a standard USB Series A plug being inserted into it. Upon detection of a plug, an algorithm may allow the system to determine whether it is to act as a host device or a peripheral device and to determine which device supplies power.

Type A USB receptacle with plug detection

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that includes an I/O descriptor cache that is accessed by a bus mastering I/O controller. The I/O descriptor cache stores descriptors that describe data to be transferred during corresponding I/O operations. The system also includes an I/O controller configured to control one or more I/O devices. This I/O controller is configured to access I/O descriptors stored in the I/O descriptor cache without having to access the main memory, thereby conserving I/O bandwidth and power.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

David Ferguson