Patent ID: 7870324
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for providing serial bus communication to a plurality of footprint devices having footprint device specific communication protocols, comprising: a plurality of tophat devices each connectable to any one of a plurality of footprint devices having different footprint device specific communication protocols, each tophat device comprising a data transport device configured to identify a footprint device specific communication protocol of a footprint device connected to that tophat device, convert output signals received from the footprint device connected to that tophat device from the footprint device specific communication protocol of the connected footprint device to a standard bus communication protocol, and convert input signals directed to the footprint device connected to that tophat device from said standard bus communication protocol to the footprint device specific communication protocol of the connected footprint device; and a serial communication bus connecting said plurality of tophat devices, said serial communication bus configured to transmit the input signals to the plurality of tophat devices and the output signals from the plurality of tophat devices using said standard bus communication protocol.