Secure digital host controller virtualization

Abstract

Described herein are methods and system for virtualization of the secure digital (SD) host controller to enable sharing a SD device among various multiple host processors in a multi-processor computing system. In one implementation the method of sharing a SD device amongst a plurality of hosts of a multi-host computing system comprises detecting the SD device on occurrence of a reset event, receiving an enumeration request, from at least a first host and a second host of the plurality of hosts, to enumerate the SD device with respect to the second host, enumerating the SD device with respect to the second host, and initiating data exchange between the SD device and each of the plurality of hosts.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A secure digital host controller virtualization unit (SDHCVU) for sharing a secure digital (SD) device amongst a plurality of hosts of a multi-host computing system, the SDHCVU comprising:
 a pre-fetch direct memory access (DMA) configured to fetch instructions from at least one of the plurality of hosts, wherein the instructions are addressed to the SD device;   a buffer configured to store the instructions fetched from at least one of the plurality of hosts;   a command and data parser configured to,
 parse the instructions received from at least one of the plurality of hosts, based in part on a type of the SD device; 
 transmit the parsed instructions to a secure digital host controller for execution. 
   
     
     
         2 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a register set configured to implement data exchange between the SDHCVU and at least one of the plurality of hosts. 
     
     
         3 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a host register interface communicatively coupled to the register set, wherein the host register interface is configured to interface the SDHCVU with at least one of the plurality of hosts. 
     
     
         4 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the command and data parser further comprises a sharing control unit configured to arbitrate the instructions fetched from at least one of the plurality of hosts. 
     
     
         5 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the command and data parser further comprises at least one of a memory card and data parser (MCDP) configured to parse the instructions received from at least one of the plurality of hosts, and wherein the SD device is a memory card and an input/output command and data parser configured to parse the instructions received from at least one of the plurality of hosts, and wherein the SD device is a input/output (I/O) device. 
     
     
         6 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the SDHCVU is further configured to initialize the SD device. 
     
     
         7 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the SDHCVU is implemented as at least one of a logical module and a functional module within the SD host controller. 
     
     
         8 . The SDHCVU as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the sharing control unit is further configured to provide access of at least of the MCDP and input/output command and data parser to the plurality of host; wherein the MCDP and input/output command and data parser are configured to operate in parallel.