Transferring system information via universal serial bus (USB)
View Patent ↗In various embodiments, a system may include a processor, a host controller coupled to the processor, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device coupled to the host controller and a non-USB device coupled to the USB device. In some embodiments, the host controller may be configured to communicate with the non-USB device through a small computer system interface (SCSI) pass-through command. In some embodiments, a method may include a host controller sending a SCSI pass-through command to a USB device coupled to a non-USB device, the USB device receiving the SCSI pass-through command, and the USB device interacting with the non-USB device in response to the SCSI pass-through command.
1. A system, comprising:
a processor;
a host controller coupled to the processor;
a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device coupled to the host controller, wherein the USB device comprises a first controller; and
a non-USB device coupled to the USB device, wherein the non-USB device comprises a second controller;
wherein the host controller is configured to communicate an embedded small computer system interface (SCSI) pass-through command to the first controller of the USB device;
wherein the first controller of the USB device is operable to pass the embedded SCSI pass-through command through to the second controller of the non-USB device without extracting the SCSI pass-through command.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a native driver, accessible to the host controller, initiates the embedded SCSI pass-through command.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the native driver is a mass storage class driver, and wherein the USB device is a USB mass storage device.
4. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the USB device comprises a USB card reader; and
wherein the non-USB device comprises a monitor.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host controller is further configured to send information through the embedded SCSI pass-through command to the second controller of the non-USB device to affect operation of the non-USB device.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller on the USB device is configured to send information, embedded in a SCSI pass-through command from the second controller of the non-USB device, to the host controller.
7. A method comprising:
a host controller sending an embedded SCSI pass-through command to a USB device coupled to a non-USB device;
the USB device receiving the embedded SCSI pass-through command;
the USB device extracting the embedded SCSI command; and
the USB device interacting with the non-USB device in response to the extracted SCSI pass-through command;
wherein the USB device is operable to extract the embedded SCSI command and interact with the non-USB device in response to the extracted SCSI command without passing the extracted SCSI command to the non-USB device.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the USB device sending information to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command received from the host controller.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the host controller sends the embedded SCSI pass-through command to poll the USB device for information relative to the non-USB device coupled to the USB device.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the non-USB device is a monitor, and wherein the information comprises a status of at least one button on the monitor.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
the USB device sending information to the host controller in response to the received embedded SCSI command; and
a computer system implementing a function in response to the information returned to the host controller.
12. A system, comprising:
a computer system, comprising:
a processor;
a host controller coupled to the processor;
a USB device coupled to the computer system, comprising:
a USB controller;
one or more first general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins coupled to the USB controller;
wherein the USB controller is communicatively coupled to the host controller;
a non-USB device, comprising:
a microcontroller unit (MCU);
one or more second GPIO pins coupled to the MCU;
wherein the MCU is communicatively coupled to the USB controller through the first and second GPIO pins;
wherein the USB controller is configured to monitor a status of one or more components of the non-USB device through the first and second GPIO pins;
wherein the host controller is configured to send an embedded SCSI pass-through command, using a mass storage class driver, to the USB controller to poll the status of the one or more components; and
wherein the USB device is configured to periodically monitor at least one status relative to the non-USB device; and
wherein the USB device is configured to communicate the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command sent to the USB device from the host controller.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the non-USB device is a monitor, and wherein the status includes the status of at least one button on the monitor, wherein the at least one button comprises one or more of an on/off button and a brightness button.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is operable to execute software that regularly polls the status of the one or more components.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the software is further operable to implement a function in response to the status of the one or more components.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the function is an on screen pop-up menu.
17. The method of claim 7 , further comprising
the USB device monitoring at least one status relative to the non-USB device; and
the USB device communicating the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command sent to the USB device from the host controller.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein communicating the at least one status to the host controller in response to the embedded SCSI pass-through command comprises sending a status stored on the USB device, wherein the communicated at least one status is not polled in response to the received embedded SCSI pass-through command.
19. The method of claim 7 ,
wherein the USB device comprises a USB card reader; and
wherein the non-USB device comprises a monitor.
20. The system of claim 1 ; wherein the first controller is a USB media controller and wherein the second controller is a non-USB microcontroller.