JP2002281033A - Usb connection port display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To instruct a USB(universal serial bus) connection port to be newly used based on the bandwidth activity ratio of each USB host controller when a plurality of USB host controllers are present in an information processor. SOLUTION: This system is provided with a plurality of USB host controllers 10 and 20 equipped with a plurality of USB connection ports 11, 12, 13, 21, and 22, a use bandwidth information processor 1 for acquiring use bandwidth information and the connection information of the USB connection ports from the respective USB host controllers and for transmitting a signal for instructing the unused USB connection ports under the control of the USB host controller whose bandwidth using ratio is the smallest, and a display part (LED a, b, c, d, and e) for receiving the signal and for displaying the unused USB connection ports.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of displaying a USB connection port, and more particularly to a method of displaying a USB connection port suitable for a newly connected USB device in an information processing apparatus having a plurality of USB host controllers. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of USB interfaces, the number of USB connection ports of an information processing apparatus has started to be insufficient. To cope with this, it is possible to increase the number of USB connection ports by using a USB-HUB. However, since there is only one USB host controller, when a plurality of USB devices are connected, the bandwidth available for data transfer of each device is limited to a small amount, and the data transfer speed becomes slow or the data transfer itself becomes impossible. Sometimes.

In such a case, there is a method of providing a plurality of USB host controllers in an information processing apparatus. At this time, the external connection state of the plurality of USB connection ports and the plurality of USB host controllers and the bandwidth used for data transfer of the currently connected USB device cannot be determined from the appearance.

For example, in a case where one USB device connected to one USB host controller starts up the other USB device while occupying a large bandwidth, the other USB device is controlled by the same USB host controller. USB connection port, and the other U
The SB device may have a low data transfer speed or may not be able to perform data transfer, and may cause inefficient use such as nothing being connected to the other USB host controller. There is.

[0005]

As described above, a plurality of USB host controllers and a plurality of USB
When the B connection port exists, the internal connection support status of each USB host controller and the usage status of each USB connection port cannot be known from outside. Therefore, when a new USB device is connected, there is a problem that a connection may be made such that a load is excessively concentrated on a specific USB host controller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks by newly using a plurality of USB host controllers in an information processing apparatus based on the bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller. The present invention provides a USB connection port display method for instructing a USB connection port to be connected.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a USB connection port display system comprising: a plurality of USB host controllers having a plurality of USB connection ports;
Used bandwidth information for obtaining the used bandwidth information and the connection information of the USB connection port from each of the host controllers, and transmitting a signal indicating an unused USB connection port under the USB host controller having the lowest bandwidth usage rate. A processing unit for receiving the signal and the unused USB
And a display unit for displaying the connection port.

Further, in the USB connection port display system according to the present invention, the display unit is an LED provided at a position close to the plurality of USB connection ports.

Further, in the USB connection port display method according to the present invention, the used bandwidth information processing section may set an unused USB connection port based on connection information of each USB connection port and a bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller. It is characterized by holding a table indicating conditions to be instructed.

Further, the USB connection port display method of the present invention comprises a plurality of USB connection ports having a plurality of USB connection ports.
The used bandwidth information and the connection information of the USB connection port are obtained from the host controller and each of the plurality of USB host controllers, and an unused USB connection port exists under the USB host controller having the lowest bandwidth usage rate. A use bandwidth information processing unit for transmitting a signal instructing the USB host controller, and a U including the unused USB connection port receiving the signal.
A display unit for displaying the SB host controller.

Further, in the USB connection port display method according to the present invention, the display unit is an LED provided at a position close to a plurality of USB connection ports under the control of each USB host controller.

Further, in the USB connection port display method according to the present invention, the used bandwidth information processing section identifies an unused USB connection port based on connection information of each USB connection port and a bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller. It is characterized by holding a table indicating a condition for instructing a USB host controller including the same.

That is, according to the USB connection port display method of the present invention, when a plurality of USB host controllers and a plurality of USB connection ports are provided in the information processing apparatus, information corresponding to the used bandwidth of the plurality of USB host controllers is provided. By notifying the USB connection port to be connected next, efficient USB device connection can be performed.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a USB connection port display method according to the present invention is a method of displaying a plurality of USB connection ports 11, 12, 1.
A plurality of USB host controllers 10 and 20 each including the USB host controllers 3, 21 and 22;
The connection information of the SB connection port is acquired, and the unused U under the USB host controller having the lowest bandwidth usage rate is acquired.
A used bandwidth information processing unit 1 for transmitting a signal indicating an SB connection port, and a display unit (LEDa, b, c, d, and e) for receiving the signal and displaying the unused USB connection port. Prepare.

Here, the USB host controller 10 controls the USB connection ports 11, 12, and 13, and
The SB host controller 20 controls the USB connection ports 21 and 22. The LEDs a, b, and c are connected to the USB connection ports 11, 12, and 1 respectively.
3, and the LEDs d and e correspond to the USB connection ports 21 and 22, respectively. The USB host controllers 10 and 20 are respectively connected to the information processing apparatus internal bus 30.

That is, the USB connection port display system shown in FIG. 1 has two USB host controllers and five USB connection ports. And US
The B host controllers 10 and 20 process the used bandwidth information of the USB devices and the connection information of the USB connection ports controlled by the respective USB host controllers, and based on the result, LEDa, LEDb, LED
It has a used bandwidth information processing unit 1 for controlling c, LEDd, and LEDe.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a list of display conditions in the USB connection port display system. In the figure,
U controlled by the USB host controllers 10 and 20
When the USB connection port to which the SB device is connected is determined, the bandwidth usage rate A of the USB host controller 10 is compared with the bandwidth usage rate B of the USB host controller 20, and based on the result, unused bandwidth is determined. An LED corresponding to a USB connection port to which a new USB device is to be connected from among the USB connection ports is shown.

The used bandwidth information processing section 1 holds the above list of display conditions as an LED control table.
Then, the used bandwidth information processing unit 1 receives the used bandwidth information (bandwidth usage rate) of the USB device in the USB host controllers 10 and 20, and the connection information of the USB connection ports controlled by the respective USB host controllers, LEDa, L based on the above LED control table
EDb, LEDc, LEDd, and LEDe are controlled.

In the above USB connection port display method, U
Although the LED corresponding to the SB connection port is lit on a one-to-one basis to indicate the USB connection port to be connected next, the USB host controller to be used next may be specified. In this case, the configuration of the used bandwidth information processing unit can be reduced in size and simplified.

Further, the used bandwidth or the bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller may be displayed by a plurality of LEDs or the like.

[0022]

As described in detail above, according to the USB connection port display method of the present invention, it is possible to easily determine the connection of the USB device by monitoring the load status of each USB host controller. Therefore, a system including these information processing devices can be operated efficiently.

That is, when one of the USB devices connected to one of the USB host controllers occupies a large use bandwidth and the other USB device is started, the same USB host controller is controlled. Connected to the USB connection port, the other USB device may have a reduced data transfer speed or may not be able to perform data transfer, and nothing is connected to the other USB host controller. Such inefficient use situations can be eliminated. Further, the USB connection port to be connected next can be easily determined from the appearance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a list of display conditions in the example of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 used bandwidth information processing unit 10, 20 USB host controller 11, 12, 13, 21, 22 USB connection port 30 information processing device internal bus a, b, c, d, e LED

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of USB host controllers each having a plurality of USB connection ports;
Used bandwidth information for obtaining the used bandwidth information and the connection information of the USB connection port from each of the host controllers, and transmitting a signal indicating an unused USB connection port under the USB host controller having the lowest bandwidth usage rate. A processing unit for receiving the signal and the unused USB
A display unit for displaying a connection port. 2. The USB connection port display system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is an LED provided at a position near the plurality of USB connection ports. 3. The USB connection port display method according to claim 1, wherein the used bandwidth information processing unit uses an unused USB connection based on connection information of each USB connection port and a bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller. U holding a table indicating conditions for designating ports
SB connection port display method. 4. A plurality of USB host controllers having a plurality of USB connection ports, and the plurality of USBs
The used bandwidth information and the connection information of the USB connection port are acquired from each of the host controllers, and when there is an unused USB connection port under the USB host controller having the lowest bandwidth usage rate, the USB host controller is instructed. A USB connection port display method, comprising: a used bandwidth information processing unit for transmitting a signal; and a display unit for receiving the signal and displaying a USB host controller including the unused USB connection port. 5. The USB connection port display system according to claim 4, wherein the display unit is an LED provided at a position close to a plurality of USB connection ports under the respective USB host controllers. USB connection port display method. 6. The USB connection port display method according to claim 4, wherein the used bandwidth information processing section uses an unused USB connection based on connection information of each USB connection port and a bandwidth usage rate of each USB host controller. A USB connection port display method, which stores a table indicating conditions for instructing a USB host controller including a port.