Method and apparatus for connecting USB devices to a computer

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided to enable a plurality of standard USB peripheral devices, utilizing the USB specification, to be distributed at various nodes across a network, wherein communications across the network may take advantage of any pre-existing network connectivity of a standard, non-modified USB host computer. In particular, a virtual host controller function is added to the host computer in order to direct data communications towards a pre-existing network transceiver. As a result, the host computer is not required to be provided with USB hardware and is able to communicate across the network using pre-existing data communication components.

主权项

1. A computer system for transmitting Universal Serial Bus (USB) traffic between one or a plurality of host computers and one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices, wherein said one or a plurality of host computers and said one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices are connected one to the other by a data communications network, said computer system comprising:
a. one or a plurality of host computers for generating and accepting USB traffic; b. one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices capable of responding to USB traffic initiated by said one or a plurality of host computers; c. one or a plurality of network connections between said one or a plurality of host computers and said data communications network; d. one or a plurality of remote extender unit units, connected to said data communications network and utilized for connecting said one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices to said data communications network; e. one or a plurality of host controller drivers in said one or a plurality of host computers for converting between USB Request Blocks and USB Transfer Descriptors; f. one or a plurality of virtual host controllers in said one or a plurality of host computers for converting between USB Transfer Descriptors and virtual USB packets; g. a virtual host application in said one or a plurality of host computers for establishing connection paths between said one or a plurality of virtual host controllers and said one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices; h. a remote host application in said one or a plurality of remote extender units for establishing connection paths between said one or a plurality of virtual host controllers and said one or a plurality of USB peripheral devices; i. a slave host controller driver in said one or a plurality of remote extender units for converting between virtual USB packets and USB Transfer Descriptors; and j. a slave host controller in said one or a plurality of remote extender units for converting between USB Transfer Descriptors and USB packets.