TWM445713U - External storage device and bridge chip - Google Patents

Abstract

An external storage device and a bridge chip are disclosed. The disclosed external storage device includes an antenna, a storage medium and a bridge chip. The bridge chip is embedded with a wireless communication module and an attachment interface module, and has an interface conversion controller between the two modules. Furthermore, the bridge chip has at least one wireless communication pin by which the wireless communication module is electrically connected to the antenna and at least one attachment interface pin by which the attachment interface is coupled to the storage medium. With the antenna and the bridge chip, the storage medium is accessed by a host via wireless communication. The wireless communication module embedded in the bridge chip includes at least a MAC (media access control) module.

Description

External storage device and bridged chip

The present invention relates to an external storage device and a bridged wafer therein.

The external storage device is generally connected to the host end by wire. For example, an external storage device that communicates with a host using a universal serial bus (USB) interface typically requires a USB cable to interface with the host.

However, cable connections have a variety of limitations. For example, an excessively long cable can cause signal attenuation and DC voltage drop.

In addition, the USB to SATA HDD with USB cable and host is more problem-oriented. For example, if a user plugs it hot, the SATA hard drive may be damaged. Or, the power provided by the host USB interface may not be enough to drive the SATA hard drive.

The present invention discloses an external storage device and a bridged wafer therein.

An external storage device implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: an antenna, a storage medium, and a bridge wafer.

The bridge chip has a built-in wireless communication module and an accessory interface module, and provides an interface conversion controller between the wireless communication module and the accessory interface module; wherein the wireless communication module built in the bridge chip includes a media access Control layer module. In addition, the bridge chip further has a wireless communication pin to enable the wireless communication module to be electrically connected to the antenna, and the storage medium pin enables the accessory interface module to be coupled to the storage medium. The storage medium is accessed by a host via wireless communication via the antenna and the bridge chip.

The above described objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description.

1 illustrates an external storage device 100 implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, including an antenna 102, a storage medium 104, a bridge wafer 106, and a universal serial bus interface 108.

The storage medium 104 can be a hard drive or any data storage device.

The bridge chip 106 can have a built-in wireless communication module 112, an accessory interface module 114, and a universal serial bus module 116, and provides interface switching control between the wireless communication module 112, the accessory interface module 114, and the universal serial bus module 116. 118.

The wireless communication module 112 can be used to implement various wireless communication technologies. For example, the wireless communication module 112 can be designed for a Wireless Universal Serial Bus (WUSB) protocol, or a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) protocol, or a 60 Gigabit (60 GHz) protocol.

The accessory interface module 114 is designed according to the type of storage medium 104. For example, accessory interface module 114 can be designed to implement Serial Advanced Attachment (SATA), Integrated Device Circuit (IDE), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), or Memory Card (SD) interface.

The universal serial bus module 116 can be designed according to USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 technology.

The interface conversion controller 118 is responsible for interface conversion between the wireless communication and the accessory, or interface conversion between the universal serial bus and the accessory.

In addition to the above modules, the bridge chip 106 further has a wireless communication pin (establishing a connection 122) to enable the wireless communication module 112 and the antenna 102. Electrically coupled; a storage medium pin (establishing a link 124) enables the accessory interface module 114 to be coupled to the storage medium 104; and a universal serial bus bar (establishing a link 126) to enable the universal serial bus module 116 The universal serial bus interface 108 is coupled.

Based on the above design, the external storage device 100 can be cabled to the host 132 by the universal serial bus interface 108, and the antenna 102 and the bridge chip 106 are designed to make the storage medium 104 more accessible by a host 132. Wireless communication is used for access.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication module 112 built in the bridge chip 106 includes a media access control layer module 142 and a physical layer module 144 . The physical layer module 144 includes a power amplifier 146 and a filter 148. In one embodiment, the power amplifier 146 and the filter 148 are coupled to the antenna 102 via the wireless communication pin (establishing a connection 122) of the bridge wafer 106.

2 illustrates an external storage device 200 implemented in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, wherein a wireless communication module 212 of the bridge wafer 206 has a media access control layer module 242. However, limited by power consumption issues, the bridged wafer 206 does not include the physical layer design of wireless communication (as compared to Figure 1). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the physical layer required for wireless communication is implemented outside of the bridge wafer 206 with another wafer-physical layer wafer 244. As shown, the physical layer wafer 244 is coupled between the wireless communication pin (establishing the connection 222) of the bridge wafer 206 and the antenna 202, and includes a power amplifier 246 and a filter 248. The physical layer wafer 244 shown in Figure 2 can be used in high power wireless communication applications.

In addition, in an implementation of the present invention, the external storage device is disclosed to support wireless communication of 60 GHz in addition to the USB 3.0 interface to the host. Taking the architecture of FIG. 1 as an example, the universal sequence bus module 116 and the universal sequence bus interface are used to implement USB 3.0 technology, and the wireless communication module 112 and the antenna 102 are used to implement 60 Gigabit communication. When the bridge chip 106 detects that the universal serial bus interface 108 (USB 3.0) is empty, the wireless communication module 112 (60 GHz) operates the antenna 102 to transmit a prompt signal to enable the host 132. When the prompt signal is detected, an effective communication protocol is implemented through the protocol adaptation layer (PALs) through the key of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to access the external storage device 100. The storage medium 104. This embodiment can wirelessly establish communication between the host and the external storage device without affecting the transmission rate. Wireless communication can easily solve problems such as "signal attenuation" and "DC voltage drop" caused by "cable length".

In addition, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the external storage device 100 can be powered by a power source 152 independently of the power supply system of the host 132. The power source 152 can be responsible for bridging the power of the wafer 106 with the storage medium 104 (even the second layer of the physical layer wafer 244) to ensure that the external storage device has sufficient power source.

The disclosed external storage device can have a variety of applications (eg, providing storage space, data carrying, or data backup).

Figure 3 illustrates how a personal computer 302 (e.g., a notebook, tablet, or the like) can communicate wirelessly with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed in the present invention using the onboard wireless built into its motherboard. .

Figure 4 illustrates how a personal computer 402 (e.g., a desktop computer, server, or the like) utilizes an external wireless communication device 404 (e.g., a wireless USB adaptor) to wirelessly communicate with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed herein. .

FIG. 5 illustrates how the host side wirelessly communicates with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed in the present invention by using a wireless network card 504 connected to the peripheral device component interconnect socket PCIE on the motherboard 502.

Please note that the embodiments shown in Figures 3 through 5 are not intended to limit the form of the host. Any device that can communicate with the exposed external storage device by wireless communication can be used as the host side. In addition, in an embodiment, the antenna of the external storage device Ex_Storage may also be built in the casing without being externally displayed on the device.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any one skilled in the art can make some changes and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

100‧‧‧External storage device

102‧‧‧Antenna

104‧‧‧Storage media

106‧‧‧Bridged wafer

108‧‧‧Universal Serial Bus Interface

112‧‧‧Wireless communication module

114‧‧‧Attachment interface module

116‧‧‧Universal Serial Bus Module

118‧‧‧Interface conversion controller

122‧‧‧ link, established by wireless communication pin

124‧‧‧ link, established by the storage media

126‧‧‧ link, established by universal serial bus

132‧‧‧Host

142‧‧‧Media Access Control Module

144‧‧‧ physical layer module

146‧‧‧Power Amplifier

148‧‧‧ filter

152‧‧‧Power supply

200‧‧‧External storage device

202‧‧‧Antenna

206‧‧‧Bridged wafer

212‧‧‧Wireless communication module

222‧‧‧ link, established by wireless communication pin

244‧‧‧ Physical layer wafer

246‧‧‧Power Amplifier

248‧‧‧Filter

302‧‧‧Personal Computer

402‧‧‧PC

404‧‧‧External wireless communication device

502‧‧‧ motherboard

504‧‧‧Wireless network card

Ex_storage‧‧‧External storage device

PCIE‧‧‧ peripheral device component interconnection socket

Figure 1 illustrates an external storage device 100 implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 illustrates an external storage device 200 implemented in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates how a personal computer 302 uses the onboard wireless built into its motherboard to communicate wirelessly with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed in the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates how a personal computer 402 utilizes an external connection. The wireless communication device 404 (such as a wireless USB adaptor) wirelessly communicates with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed in the present invention; and FIG. 5 illustrates how the host terminal uses the peripheral device components on the motherboard 502 to interconnect the socket PCIE. A wireless network card 504 is in wireless communication with the external storage device Ex_Storage disclosed in the present invention.

100‧‧‧External storage device

102‧‧‧Antenna

104‧‧‧Storage media

106‧‧‧Bridged wafer

108‧‧‧Universal Serial Bus Interface

112‧‧‧Wireless communication module

114‧‧‧Attachment interface module

116‧‧‧Universal Serial Bus Module

118‧‧‧Interface conversion controller

122‧‧‧ link, established by wireless communication pin

124‧‧‧ link, established by the storage media

126‧‧‧ link, established by universal serial bus

132‧‧‧Host

142‧‧‧Media Access Control Module

144‧‧‧ physical layer module

146‧‧‧Power Amplifier

148‧‧‧ filter

152‧‧‧Power supply

Claims (13)

An external storage device includes: an antenna; a storage medium; and a bridge chip, a built-in wireless communication module, an accessory interface module, and an interface conversion controller between the wireless communication module and the accessory interface module, and has a wireless The communication pin enables the wireless communication module to be electrically connected to the antenna, and the storage medium pin enables the accessory interface module to be coupled to the storage medium; wherein the antenna and the bridge chip enable the storage medium to be supported by a host The wireless communication mode is accessed, and the wireless communication module built in the bridge chip includes a media access control layer module. The external storage device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module built in the bridge chip further comprises a physical layer module, the physical layer module comprising a power amplifier and a filter, the power amplifier The wireless communication pin is coupled to the antenna through the bridge through the filter. The external storage device of claim 1, further comprising a physical layer chip coupled between the wireless communication pin of the bridge chip and the antenna, the physical layer chip comprising a power amplifier and a filter . The external storage device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module is in accordance with a wireless universal serial bus protocol, or a wireless local area network protocol, or a 60 Gigabit protocol. As described in the scope of claim 1, the external storage device, The utility model comprises a universal serial bus bar 3.0 interface, and the bridge chip further has a universal serial bus bar 3.0 pin, and a built-in universal serial bus bar 3.0 module is coupled to the interface switch controller, the universal serial bus bar 3.0 The module is coupled to the universal serial bus 3.0 interface via the universal serial bus bar 3.0 pin. The external storage device of claim 5, wherein the wireless communication module follows the 60 Gigabit protocol. The external storage device of claim 6, wherein the bridge chip is configured to operate the antenna to transmit a prompt signal when the universal serial bus interface 3.0 is vacant, so that the host When the prompt signal is detected, an effective communication protocol is implemented through the protocol adaptation layer through the key of the advanced encryption standard to access the storage medium of the external storage device. A bridge chip includes: a wireless communication module, an accessory interface module, and an interface conversion controller between the wireless communication module and the accessory interface module, wherein the wireless communication module includes a media access control layer module; and the wireless communication pin The wireless communication module is electrically connected to an antenna; and the storage medium pin is configured to couple the accessory interface module to a storage medium, wherein the bridge chip operates the antenna to enable the storage medium to be wirelessly provided by a host Communication method for access. The bridge chip of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication module further comprises a physical layer module, the physical layer module comprising a And a power amplifier and a filter, wherein the power amplifier and the filter are coupled to the antenna through the wireless communication pin of the bridge chip. The bridge chip of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication module is compliant with a wireless universal serial bus protocol, or a wireless local area network protocol, or a 60 Gigabit protocol. The bridge chip of claim 8 further includes a universal serial bus bar 3.0 pin and a universal serial bus bar 3.0 module coupled to the interface switch controller, the universal serial bus bar 3.0 module. The universal serial bus bar 3.0 interface is coupled to the universal serial bus bar 3.0 pin. The bridge wafer of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication module follows a 60 Gigabit protocol. The bridge chip according to claim 12, when the universal serial bus interface 3.0 is vacant, the wireless communication module operates the antenna to emit a prompt signal, so that the host detects the prompt signal. It is possible to implement an effective communication protocol through the protocol adaptation layer through the key of the advanced encryption standard to access the storage medium.