Patent US20030169733A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US20030169733A1
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US
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Asynchronous input/output interface protocol
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 2002-11-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2022-11-06
Abstract
Abstract An interface protocol for transmitting variable-sized packets between a host system and a storage device. The protocol supports a plurality of signals for transmitting data between the host system and the storage device. One or more address signals indicate whether the packet includes command, data, or status information. An enable signal indicates when the packets may be transmitted to and from the storage device. Read and write strobe signals are also included to allow the host to request data from and transmit data to the storage device. The protocol includes an extensible command set which includes a function code, one or more interrupt requests, and signals to indicate when the storage device is busy, when the storage device is ready to transfer data, when the storage device is ready to receive bytes from a command packet, when the storage device is ready to receive or transmit a data block, and when the storage device is ready to transmit status bytes.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Gurkowski
- 👤 Stan Keeler
- 👤 Lane Lee
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 17:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/42; G06F13/4204; G06F13/4221; G06F13/4226
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
1 . A system for transmitting packets between a host system and a storage device, wherein the storage device includes one or more special purpose registers and each packet includes at least command, data, or status information, the system comprising: a data signal for transmitting data between the host system and the storage device; a plurality of address signals for selecting the registers based on whether the packet includes command, data, or status information; an enable signal for allowing the packets to be transmitted to and from the storage device; a read strobe signal; and a write strobe signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
99 words
1 . A system for transmitting packets between a host system and a storage device, wherein the storage device includes one or more special purpose registers and each packet includes at least command, data, or status information, the system comprising: a data signal for transmitting data between the host system and the storage device; a plurality of address signals for selecting the registers based on whether the packet includes command, data, or status information; an enable signal for allowing the packets to be transmitted to and from the storage device; a read strobe signal; and a write strobe signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the packets may vary in length.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the registers include a data register.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the registers include a control register.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
5 . The system of claim 4 wherein the control register includes a function code signal and at least one interrupt request enable signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the control register includes a start command function code.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
7 . The system of claim 5 wherein the control register includes an abort function code.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
8 . The system of claim 5 wherein the control register includes an enable power-on signature function code.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
9 . The system of claim 5 wherein the control register includes an acknowledge interrupt function code.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
10 . The system of claim 4 wherein the control register includes a data interrupt request enable signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
11 . The system of claim 4 wherein the control register includes a status interrupt request enable signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the registers include a status register.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the status register includes signals to indicate when the storage device is busy, ready to transfer data, to receive bytes from a command packet, to receive or transmit a data block, to transmit status bytes, and to transfer control information or data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
14 . The system of claim 12 wherein the status register includes a signal to indicate that an asynchronous event occurred that requires the attention of the host system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the asynchronous event is a storage device attention event including a request for storage media in the storage device to be ejected, or storage media is inserted in the storage device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
16 . The system of claim 12 wherein the status register includes power-on support for indicating when the storage device is ready.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
115 words
17 . A method for transmitting data between a host system and a storage device using an asynchronous interface protocol, the method comprising: issuing an abort function before issuing a command packet if the storage device is busy; transmitting a packet including the size of the next command packet to be transmitted and a start command function code from the host system to the storage device; setting the storage device busy signal; determining if the size of the next command packet is within the maximum command packet size supported by the storage device; issuing an error signal if the next command packet is greater than the maximum command packet size supported by the storage device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
115 words
17 . A method for transmitting data between a host system and a storage device using an asynchronous interface protocol, the method comprising: issuing an abort function before issuing a command packet if the storage device is busy; transmitting a packet including the size of the next command packet to be transmitted and a start command function code from the host system to the storage device; setting the storage device busy signal; determining if the size of the next command packet is within the maximum command packet size supported by the storage device; issuing an error signal if the next command packet is greater than the maximum command packet size supported by the storage device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising: setting a control/data/status interrupt signal; transmitting the command packet to the data register if the control/data/status interrupt signal is set; and executing the command in the command packet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
64 words
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein executing a write command comprises: placing the number of bytes to transfer in a data register in the storage device; setting a write data signal; setting a command/data/status interrupt request in the storage device; acknowledging the interrupt in the host system; and transferring the specified number of bytes from the host system to the storage device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
64 words
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein executing a read command comprises: placing the number of bytes to transfer in a data register in the storage device; setting a read data signal; setting a command/data/status interrupt request in the storage device; acknowledging the interrupt in the host system; and transferring the specified number of bytes from the storage device to the host system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
43 words
21 . The method of claim 18 further comprising: setting a status signal; issuing an interrupt to the host system checking the status in the host system; using the status to determine whether the storage device is ready to accept another command packet.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
22 . The method of claim 18 further comprising: interrupting command processing in the storage device to respond to asynchronous events issued from the host system.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
23 . The method of claim 18 wherein the asynchronous event is a device attention event.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
24 . The method of claim 18 wherein the asynchronous event is an abort signal issued by the host system.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
25 . The method of claim 18 further comprising: issuing a busy signal during power-on until the storage device is ready to accept packets from the host system.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
26 . The method of claim 25 wherein the storage device enters a power-on signature in a special-purpose register before power-on is complete.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
80 words
27 . An interface protocol for transmitting variable-sized packets between a host system and a storage device, the interface protocol comprising: a plurality of parallel data signals for transmitting data between the host system and the storage device; a plurality of address signals for indicating whether the packet includes command, data, or status information; an enable signal for indicating when the packets may be transmitted to and from the storage device; a read strobe signal; and a write strobe signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
80 words
27 . An interface protocol for transmitting variable-sized packets between a host system and a storage device, the interface protocol comprising: a plurality of parallel data signals for transmitting data between the host system and the storage device; a plurality of address signals for indicating whether the packet includes command, data, or status information; an enable signal for indicating when the packets may be transmitted to and from the storage device; a read strobe signal; and a write strobe signal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
28 . The interface protocol of claim 27 wherein the packet includes a function code and at least one interrupt request.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
29 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is busy.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
30 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to transfer data.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
27 words
31 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to receive bytes from a command packet.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
27 words
32 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to receive or transmit a data block.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
24 words
33 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to transmit status bytes.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
27 words
34 . The interface protocol of claim 27 further comprising a signal to indicate that an asynchronous event occurred that requires the attention of the host system.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
35 . The interface protocol of claim 34 wherein the asynchronous event is an abort function code input to the storage device from the host system.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
31 words
36 . The interface protocol of claim 34 wherein the asynchronous event is a storage device attention event including a request for ejecting or inserting storage media in the storage device.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
23 words
37 . The interface protocol of claim 34 wherein the status register includes power-on support for indicating when the storage device is ready.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
90 words
38 . An interface protocol for communicating packets of information between a host system and a storage device, the interface protocol comprising: a status signal to indicate the state of the storage device; a start command signal to initiate processing of a command in the storage device; a command packet size signal to indicate the amount of data to be transferred between the host system and the storage device, wherein the packet size can vary between packets; and a plurality of command signals for accessing information on the storage device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
90 words
38 . An interface protocol for communicating packets of information between a host system and a storage device, the interface protocol comprising: a status signal to indicate the state of the storage device; a start command signal to initiate processing of a command in the storage device; a command packet size signal to indicate the amount of data to be transferred between the host system and the storage device, wherein the packet size can vary between packets; and a plurality of command signals for accessing information on the storage device.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
19 words
39 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising: an interrupt request signal; and an interrupt acknowledge signal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
25 words
40 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising: a status signal to indicate whether an interrupt signal was generated by the storage device.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
27 words
41 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising: a status signal to indicate whether an error occurred while the storage device was performing a command.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
23 words
42 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to transfer data.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
27 words
43 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to receive bytes from a command packet.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
27 words
44 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to receive or transmit a data block.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
24 words
45 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a signal to indicate when the storage device is ready to transmit status bytes.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
19 words
46 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a signal to indicate that an asynchronous event occurred.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
31 words
47 . The interface protocol of claim 46 wherein the asynchronous event is a storage device attention event including a request for ejecting or inserting storage media in the storage device.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
15 words
48 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a start command function code.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
14 words
49 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising an abort function code.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
16 words
50 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising an enable power-on signature function code.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
15 words
51 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising an acknowledge interrupt function code.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
16 words
52 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a data interrupt request enable signal.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
16 words
53 . The interface protocol of claim 38 further comprising a status interrupt request enable signal.
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