US5596757A — System and method for selectively providing termi…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 123 words

A system for providing termination power to an information bus interconnecting a host device having a host power supply and one or more peripheral devices, at least one of said devices producing information signals that are output to said bus, at least one of said devices having circuitry which detects both whether said termination power is being provided to a bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices and whether information signals are present on said bus, said system providing termination power from said host power supply to said bus terminator when said circuitry detects that said termination power is not being provided to said bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices and information signals are present on said bus.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 123 words

A system for providing termination power to an information bus interconnecting a host device having a host power supply and one or more peripheral devices, at least one of said devices producing information signals that are output to said bus, at least one of said devices having circuitry which detects both whether said termination power is being provided to a bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices and whether information signals are present on said bus, said system providing termination power from said host power supply to said bus terminator when said circuitry detects that said termination power is not being provided to said bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices and information signals are present on said bus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system of claim 1, wherein said circuitry detects whether information signals will be output to said bus within a first time period and said system additionally provides termination power to said bus terminator when information signals will be output to said bus within said first time period.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 45 words

The system of claim 1, wherein said system comprises a detector that samples a termination power input to said bus terminator and provides a first signal indicative of whether termination power is being provided to said bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 59 words

The system of claim 3, wherein said host device comprises said circuitry and wherein said system comprises a controller which receives said first signal from said detector and causes termination power to be supplied to said bus terminator when said first signal indicates that no termination power is being provided to said termination power input of said bus terminator.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 57 words

The system of claim 4, wherein said system comprises a switching device responsive to signals from said controller, wherein said switching device enters a first state wherein termination power is supplied to said bus terminator from said host device when said controller determines no termination power is being supplied to said bus terminator from said peripheral device.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 50 words

The system of claim 5, wherein said switching device enters a second state wherein said host device is prevented from providing termination power to said bus terminator in response to said controller determining that termination power is being provided to said bus terminator from said one or more peripheral devices.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 6, wherein said controller receives a second signal from said host device indicative of whether access to said information bus is sought by said host device.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 54 words

The system of claim 7, wherein said controller induces said switching device to enter said first state in response to both receiving said first signal from said detector, indicating that no termination power is being supplied to said bus terminator from said one or more devices, and said second signal from said host device.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 1, wherein said information bus is comprised of a SCSI bus and said bus terminator is comprised of a plurality of pull-up, pull-down bus terminators.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 1, wherein said information bus is comprised of a SCSI bus and said bus terminator is comprised of an active terminator.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 55 words

The system of claim 1, wherein said host device is comprised off a personal computer having a PCMCIA interface card that includes a bus controller that is configured to provide termination power to said bus terminator in response to determining that said one or more peripheral devices is not providing termination power to said bus.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 137 words

A system for providing termination power to a bus terminator on an information bus that interconnects a host device and one or more peripheral devices comprising: a detector which detects whether said bus terminator is receiving termination power from said one or more peripheral devices and provides a first signal indicative thereof; a bus controller which controls information signals on said information bus wherein said bus controller receives said first signal from said detector and produces a second signal when said first signal indicates that said one or more peripheral devices are not providing termination power to said bus terminator; and a switching device, engaged with a power supply providing power to said host device, that provides termination power to said bus terminator from said power supply in response to receiving said second signal from said controller.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 137 words

A system for providing termination power to a bus terminator on an information bus that interconnects a host device and one or more peripheral devices comprising: a detector which detects whether said bus terminator is receiving termination power from said one or more peripheral devices and provides a first signal indicative thereof; a bus controller which controls information signals on said information bus wherein said bus controller receives said first signal from said detector and produces a second signal when said first signal indicates that said one or more peripheral devices are not providing termination power to said bus terminator; and a switching device, engaged with a power supply providing power to said host device, that provides termination power to said bus terminator from said power supply in response to receiving said second signal from said controller.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said bus controller produces said second signal only when said bus controller detects information signals going to said information bus.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 57 words

The system of claim 13, wherein said bus controller produces a third signal when said bus controller detects that no information signals are going to said information bus and said switching device interrupts termination power to said bus terminator from said power supply on said host device in response to receiving said third signal from said controller.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 92 words

The system of claim 14, wherein said bus controller buffers information signals going onto said information bus when said controller determines that said bus terminator is not receiving termination power from either said host device or said peripheral devices, provides said second signal to said switching device and releases said information signals from a buffered state only after a first period of time selected to allow said bus terminator to settle into a normal operating state after said bus termination power from said host device has been provided to said bus terminator.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 65 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said bus controller sends a blanking signal on said information bus prior to said detector detecting whether said bus terminator is receiving termination power from one of said peripheral devices, wherein said blanking signal is configured so that said detector does not falsely detect that one of said peripheral devices is providing said termination power to said bus terminator.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 24 words

The system of claim 16, wherein said blanking signal comprises sending digital low signals on all data and control lines in said information bus.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 17, wherein said first signal is provided by said detector only after said bus controller has caused low data and control signals to be sent on said information bus.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said information bus is comprised of a SCSI bus and said bus controller is comprised of a SCSI bus controller that carries out a pre-programmed set of software instructions.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 15 words

The system of claim 19, wherein said bus terminator is comprised of an active terminator.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said bus controller stores said first signal into a first read only bit memory location and wherein said bus controller stores said second signal into a second read and write bit memory location.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 12, wherein said host device is comprised of a personal computer and said one or more peripheral devices include an auxiliary storage device, a CD ROM driver and a modem.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 22, wherein said personal computer includes a PCMCIA card and said bus controller, said switching device and said detector are positioned on said PCMCIA card.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 59 words

The system of claim 23, wherein said bus controller implements a software instruction set stored in a configuration file contained within said personal computer, wherein said software instruction set is stored in a position in said personal computer wherein said software instruction set is provided to said bus controller whenever said personal computer seeks access to said information bus.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 125 words

A method of providing termination power to a bus terminator on an information bus interconnecting a plurality of devices including a host device having a power supply and one or more peripheral devices wherein at least one of said one or more peripheral devices has a first power supply associated therewith, comprising the steps of: detecting whether said bus terminator is receiving power from said one or more of said peripheral devices; detecting whether information signals are present on said information bus or will be present on said information bus within a first time period; and providing termination power from said power supply associated with said host device only when said bus terminator is not receiving power and information signals are on said information bus.

Claim 28

Independent Claim 125 words

A method of providing termination power to a bus terminator on an information bus interconnecting a plurality of devices including a host device having a power supply and one or more peripheral devices wherein at least one of said one or more peripheral devices has a first power supply associated therewith, comprising the steps of: detecting whether said bus terminator is receiving power from said one or more of said peripheral devices; detecting whether information signals are present on said information bus or will be present on said information bus within a first time period; and providing termination power from said power supply associated with said host device only when said bus terminator is not receiving power and information signals are on said information bus.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 58 words

The method of claim 25, wherein the step of providing termination power from said power supply associated with said host device comprises providing termination power from said power supply associated with said host device only when said bus terminator is not receiving power and information signals will be present on said information bus within said first time period.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 49 words

The method of claim 25, wherein the step of detecting whether said bus terminator is receiving termination power from said one or more peripheral devices comprises: sampling a termination power input to said bus terminator; and providing a first signal indicative of the state of said termination power input.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 53 words

The method of claim 25, wherein the step of detecting whether information signals are present on said bus or will be present on said bus within said first time period comprises the step of detecting whether said host device has sought access to said bus to provide information signals on said information bus.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of interrupting termination power from said power supply associated with said host device when no information signals are detected on said information bus after a pre-selected time period.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of resuming the supply of termination power from said power supply associated with said host device upon detecting that said host device is seeking access to said information bus.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-01-21	2000-07-22	2001-01-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-01-21	2004-07-22	2005-01-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-01-21	2008-07-22	2009-01-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System and method for selectively providing termination power to a SCSI bus terminator from a host device

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