USB Hub Transaction Translator for Speed Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
USB devices face compatibility issues when transitioning between different speed standards, such as low speed, full speed, and high speed, as existing solutions fail to efficiently communicate between hosts and devices supporting varying speeds, particularly when high-speed devices are connected to lower-speed hosts.
Innovation Solution
A USB hub with full speed to high speed transaction translators that determine the communication speed of the host and convert communications from a lower speed to a higher speed, using transaction translators within or outside the hub to ensure compatibility and efficient data transfer between hosts and high-speed devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If high-speed devices are connected to lower-speed hosts, then compatibility is achieved, but data transfer efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces transaction translators as intermediary components between the lower-speed host and high-speed device. These translators sit at the boundary between different speed domains, converting protocols and data formats to enable communication while maintaining the speed advantage for the high-speed device. The translator acts as a mediator that resolves the incompatibility without requiring the host to support high speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the USB hub functionality into separate speed domains with dedicated transaction translators for each interface. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each connection - the host interface operates at full speed while downstream high-speed device interfaces operate at high speed, with translation occurring at the boundaries rather than requiring uniform speed throughout the entire system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If transaction translators are added to convert speeds, then compatibility between different speed hosts and devices is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transaction translator is designed as a universal component that handles multiple functions: protocol conversion, data format translation, speed matching, and error handling. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single integrated translator module, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having separate components for each function, while still achieving broad compatibility across different speed combinations.
Data Source
AI summary
High speed USB hub with full speed to high speed transaction translator. A USB hub may include an upstream port for coupling to a host and one or more downstream ports for coupling to downstream devices. The downstream devices may operate at USB high speed. The USB hub may support hosts which operate at speeds less than high speed (e.g., full speed). Accordingly, when a host operates at a lower speed, a transaction translator may convert the communications from the host from the lower speed to the high speed. Accordingly, the downstream device may still operate at high speed even when the host operates at a lower speed.