Method and apparatus for automatic detection and installation of Java-enabled accessories

• US 20040152457A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martinez, Ricardo, Buszko, Dominik, Goldstein, Shimon
• Granted Patent: US 7,062,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts

Abstract

A wireless communication device 100, peripheral accessories 104, 108, and corresponding methods are arranged and constructed to automatically operate the peripheral accessories 104, 108 by communicating network information to the wireless communication device so the device may locate and download, via a network 116, operating programs for use with the accessories.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device arranged and constructed to automatically operate Java-enabled accessories, the wireless communications device comprising:

a port coupled to a peripheral accessory and enabled to receive a first communication message from said peripheral accessory, said first communication message further comprising an identifier corresponding to a software program for use by the wireless communication device to operate the peripheral accessory; and

a controller coupled to said port and responsive to said first communication message to facilitate determination of an availability of the software program and provide to the peripheral accessory via the port a second communication message further comprising the availability of the software program.

2. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein a communication protocol for the first communication message and the second communication message is one of a serial bus, a Universal Serial Bus, Bluetooth, an IEEE 802.11, an IEEE 1394 and an Infrared Data Association protocol.

3. The wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory coupled to the controller; and

wherein the identifier enables the controller to determine that the software program is available within the memory.

4. The wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein;

the controller provides the second communication message further comprising an indication that the software program is not available in a memory of the wireless device; and

the controller receives via the port and responsive to the second communication message a third communication message from the peripheral accessory, the third communication message further comprising network information corresponding to a network location of said software program.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 4, wherein the network information is one of a universal resource locator, a universal resource identifier, and a network address.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 4 further comprising:

a wireless network interface coupled and responsive to the controller wherein the controller is able to obtain the software program from the network location.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a user interface, responsive to the controller, to display a common name of the peripheral accessory and a request for permission to activate the software program; and

wherein the controller is responsive to a response to the request for permission to activate the software program.

8. A peripheral accessory arranged and constructed for automatic operation by a Java-enabled wireless communication device, the peripheral accessory comprising:

a port for coupling to a wireless communication device; and

a controller coupled to said port and enabled to;

detect that the wireless communication device is coupled to the port;

send, via the port and responsive to the wireless communication device being coupled to the port, a first communication message to the wireless communication device, said first communication message further comprising information corresponding to an application program for use by the wireless communication device to operate the peripheral accessory.

9. The peripheral accessory of claim 8 wherein the controller is further enabled to receive, via the port from the wireless communication device, a second communication message comprising an availability of the application program.

10. The peripheral accessory of claim 8 further comprising a memory to store the information corresponding to the application program.

11. The peripheral accessory of claim 10 wherein, the memory to store the information further stores a common name of the peripheral accessory.

12. The peripheral accessory of claim 10 wherein, the memory to store the information further stores network information corresponding to a network location of the application program.

13. The peripheral accessory of claim 9 wherein the controller receives the second communication message and the application program is not available.

14. The peripheral accessory of claim 13 wherein the controller, responsive to the second communications message, sends to the wireless communications device via the port, a third communications message comprising network information corresponding to a network location of the application program.

15. The peripheral accessory of claim 14 wherein, the network information is one of a universal resource locator, a universal resource identifier, and a network address.

16. The peripheral accessory of claim 9 wherein a transport protocol for the first communication message and the second communication message is one of a serial bus, a Universal Serial Bus, a Bluetooth, an IEEE 802.11, an IEEE 1394 and an Infrared Data Association protocol.

17. A method in a wireless communication device to automatically install a Java-enabled peripheral accessory, comprising the steps of:

accepting a first communication message from a peripheral accessory, said first communication message comprising an identifier for an application program for use by the wireless communication device to operate the peripheral accessory; and

determining an availability of the application program; and

providing a second communication message to the peripheral accessory, the second communication message further comprising the availability of the application program.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the determining an availability of the application program determines that the application program is available; and

the providing a second communication message further comprises providing a second communication message comprising an indication that the application program is available in the wireless communication device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the determining an availability of the application program determines that the application program is not available;

the providing a second communication message further comprises providing a second communication message comprising an indication that the application program is not available in the wireless communication device; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a third message from the peripheral accessory, the third message comprising network information corresponding to a network location of the application program; and

obtaining the application program from the network location.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising;

displaying on a user interface a common name of the peripheral accessory and a request to start the application program; and

receiving a response from the user interface to said request to start the application program.

21. The method of claim 20 when said response to the request to start the application program is positive further comprising;

sending a fourth message to the peripheral accessory, said fourth message further comprising a notification that the application program is to be started; and

activating the application program to operate the peripheral accessory.

22. The method of claim 21 when said response to the request to start the application is negative further comprising;

sending a fourth communication message to the peripheral accessory, said fourth message further comprising a notification that the wireless communication device will not activate the application program.