IP Library Granted Patent US 10,162,437
Granted Patent B2
US 10,162,437 · App. 15/391,571 · Granted Dec 25, 2018

System and method of supporting a pointing device

Inventors: Adolfo S. Montero (Pflugerville, TX); Louis M. Davis (Austin, TX); George Mathew (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F3/038G06F3/03547G06F13/4282G06F2213/0016
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,162,437
App. No.
15/391,571
Granted
Dec 25, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one or more embodiments, an information handling system may include a pointing device that communicates interaction data via a first bus via a first data format and may include a controller that receives the interaction data via the first bus and transforms the interaction data into a second data format and communicates the interaction data to a second bus via the second data format. If a status of a resource associated with the pointing device is queried, the controller may be instructed to cease transforming the interaction data from the pointing device, permitting another device to receive the interaction data and provide the interaction data to a processor of the information handling system. As the other device receives the interaction data and provides the interaction data to the processor, additional and/or full functionality of the pointing device may be realized and/or accomplished.

Claims (55)

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and that stores instructions executable by the processor;

a first bus communicatively coupled to the processor;

a second bus, different from the first bus, communicatively coupled to the processor;

an embedded controller communicatively coupled to the first bus and communicatively coupled to the second bus; and

a touchpad communicatively coupled to the first bus;

wherein the embedded controller receives, via the first bus, interaction data associated with the touchpad, transforms the interaction data from a first data format into a second data format, different from the first data format, and provides the interaction data to the second bus via the second data format;

wherein as the processor executes the instructions, the information handling system:

queries at least one resource associated with the touchpad; and

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, provides embedded controller configuration information to the embedded controller; and

wherein the embedded controller, based on the embedded controller configuration information, ceases to provide the interaction data to the second bus.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the second data format is a PS/2 format.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the embedded controller receives a signal that indicates that the interaction data is available via the first bus and queries the touchpad for the interaction data.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a platform controller hub (PCH) communicatively coupled to the processor;

wherein as the processor executes the instructions, the information handling system further:

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, provides PCH configuration information to the PCH; and

wherein the PCH receives, via the first bus, additional interaction data associated with the touchpad and provides the additional interaction data to the processor.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 ,

wherein the embedded controller, based on the embedded controller configuration information, ceases operating as a bus master of the first bus; and

wherein the PCH, based on the PCH configuration information, operates as the bus master of the first bus.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the first bus includes an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C) bus.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one resource associated with the touchpad includes the I 2 C bus.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the second bus includes at least one of a low pin count (LPC) bus and an enhanced serial peripheral interconnect (eSPI) bus.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the embedded controller receives, via the first bus, additional interaction data associated with the touchpad, determines that the additional interaction data cannot be transformed into the second data format, and drops the additional interaction data.

10. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein as the processor executes the instructions, the information handling system further:

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, initializes the touchpad for gesture utilization.

11. A method of operating an information handling system, comprising:

an embedded controller of the information handling system receiving, via a first bus of the information handling system, interaction data associated with a touchpad;

the embedded controller transforming the interaction data from a first data format into a second data format, different from the first data format;

the embedded controller providing the interaction data to a second bus, different from the first bus, of the information handling system via the second data format;

querying at least one resource associated with the touchpad;

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, providing embedded controller configuration information to the embedded controller; and

the embedded controller, based on the embedded controller configuration information, ceasing to provided the interaction data to the second bus.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second data format is a PS/2 format.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

the embedded controller receiving a signal that indicates that the interaction data is available via the first bus; and

the embedded controller querying the touchpad for the interaction data.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, providing platform controller hub (PCH) configuration information to a PCH of the information handling system;

the PCH receiving, via the first bus, additional interaction data associated with the touchpad; and

the PCH providing the additional interaction data to a processor of the information handling system.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

the embedded controller, based on the embedded controller configuration information, ceasing to operate as a bus master of the first bus; and

the PCH, based on the PCH configuration information, operating as the bus master of the first bus.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first bus includes an inter-integrated circuit (I 2 C) bus.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one resource associated with the touchpad includes the I 2 C bus.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second bus includes at least one of a low pin count (LPC) bus and an enhanced serial peripheral interconnect (eSPI) bus.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

the embedded controller receiving, via the first bus, additional interaction data associated with the touchpad;

the embedded controller determining that the additional interaction data cannot be transformed into the second data format; and

the embedded controller dropping the additional interaction data.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to querying the at least one resource associated with the touchpad, initializing the touchpad for gesture utilization.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (041829/0873) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 059803/0724 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 041808 FRAME 0516 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058297/0573 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST (NOTES) Recorded Feb 28, 2017
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041829/0873 →
PATENT SECURITY INTEREST (CREDIT) Recorded Feb 24, 2017
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; MOZY, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041808/0516 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2016
From: MONTERO, ADOLFO S.; DAVIS, LOUIS M.; MATHEW, GEORGE
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 040776/0513 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180181213A1 · Jun 28, 2018