Patent ID: 7363417
Filing Date: 2008-04-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A re-configurable bus system comprising: a host interface to a host; a physical-layer switch; a first slot for receiving a first peripheral device; a second slot for receiving a second peripheral device; a first direct lane between the host interface and the first slot; a second direct lane between the host interface and the second slot; configurable lanes between the host interface and the physical-layer switch; wherein each of the first direct lane, the second direct lane, and the configurable lanes is a bi-directional serial bus; first configurable lanes between the physical-layer switch and the first slot; and second configurable lanes between the physical-layer switch and the second slot; wherein the physical-layer switch can be configured into a first configuration wherein the configurable lanes connect to the first configurable lanes to the first slot, the first direct lane connects to the first slot, and the second direct lane connects to the second slot; wherein the physical-layer switch can be configured into a second configuration wherein the configurable lanes connect to the second configurable lanes to the second slot, the second direct lane connects to the second slot, and the first direct lane connects to the first slot.