COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A HOST DEVICE AND AN ACCESSORY VIA AN INTERMEDIATE DEVICE
First Claim
1. A system for communicating information between a host device and an accessory, the system comprising:
- an intermediate device configured to couple to a host device and to communicate with the host device according to a first protocol,the intermediate device being further configured to couple to an accessory interoperable with the host device and to communicate with the accessory according to a second protocol,wherein the first protocol includes a first tunneling command usable by the host device to instruct the intermediate device to forward tunneled information associated with the first tunneling command to the accessory, andwherein the second protocol includes a second tunneling command usable by the intermediate device to deliver the tunneled information associated with the first tunneling command to the accessory.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A host device and an accessory exchange information (e.g., commands and data) via an intermediate device. The host device and accessory can each connect to the intermediate device through a direct wired path and can exchange commands and data with the intermediate device. The host device and the accessory can also “tunnel” information to each other through the intermediate device, by packaging the tunneled information as a payload of a command recognizable by the intermediate device; the intermediate device can repackage and forward the payload. In some embodiments, the tunneled information relates to configuring a wireless link (e.g., a Bluetooth pairing) between the host device and the accessory.
279 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A system for communicating information between a host device and an accessory, the system comprising:
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an intermediate device configured to couple to a host device and to communicate with the host device according to a first protocol, the intermediate device being further configured to couple to an accessory interoperable with the host device and to communicate with the accessory according to a second protocol, wherein the first protocol includes a first tunneling command usable by the host device to instruct the intermediate device to forward tunneled information associated with the first tunneling command to the accessory, and wherein the second protocol includes a second tunneling command usable by the intermediate device to deliver the tunneled information associated with the first tunneling command to the accessory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system comprising:
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a host device having a host communication interface; an accessory having an accessory communication interface; and an intermediate device having a first intermediate device communication interface adapted to connect to the host communication interface and a second intermediate device communication interface adapted to connect to the accessory communication interface, wherein the intermediate device is configured to communicate with the host device using a first protocol and to communicate with the accessory using a second protocol, wherein each of the first protocol and the second protocol includes a tunneling command receivable by the intermediate device, the tunneling command in each of the first protocol and the second protocol instructing the intermediate device to use the other of the first protocol and the second protocol to forward a payload associated with the received tunneling command. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for communicating information between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising:
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determining, by a host device, an information item to be delivered to an accessory, the information item conforming to a tunnel protocol; generating, by the host device, a first tunneling command to be delivered to an intermediate device, the first tunneling command conforming to a first protocol and incorporating the information item as tunneled information; and transmitting the first tunneling command to the intermediate device, where the intermediate device converts the first tunneling command to a second tunneling command conforming to a second protocol and incorporating the information item as tunneled information and transmits the second tunneling command to the accessory, thereby delivering the tunneled information item to the accessory. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for communicating information between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the method comprising:
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determining, by a first electronic device, an information item to be delivered to a second electronic device, the information item conforming to a tunnel protocol; generating, by the first electronic device, a first tunneling command to be delivered to an intermediate device, the first tunneling command conforming to a first protocol and incorporating the information item as tunneled information; and transmitting, by the first electronic device, the first tunneling command to the intermediate device; converting, by the intermediate device, the first tunneling command to a second tunneling command conforming to a second protocol and incorporating the information item as tunneled information; transmitting, by the intermediate device, the second tunneling command to the second electronic device; receiving, by the second electronic device, the second tunneling command; and extracting, by the second device, the information item from the second tunneling command. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for communicating information between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the method comprising:
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receiving, by an intermediate device, a first tunneling command from a first electronic device, the first tunneling command conforming to a first protocol and incorporating a tunneled information item therein; converting, by the intermediate device, the first tunneling command to a second tunneling command, the second tunneling command conforming to a second protocol and incorporating the tunneled information item therein; and transmitting, by the intermediate device, the second tunneling command to a second electronic device, the second electronic device being configured to extract the tunneled information item from the second tunneling command. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for establishing a wireless link between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising:
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establishing a point-to-point wired connection between the host device and the accessory, wherein the point-to-point wired connection provides for an exchange of commands and data between the host device and the accessory; providing from the accessory to the host device, via the point-to-point wired connection, data indicative of a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the data including a wireless address of the accessory; and providing from the host device to the accessory, via the point-to-point wired connection, a command instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the host device, the command including a wireless address of the host device, wherein the accessory establishes the wireless link with the host device in response to the command. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for establishing a wireless link between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising, by the host device:
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detecting a wired connection to the accessory, wherein the wired connection provides for an exchange of commands and data between the host device and the accessory; obtaining from the accessory, using the wired connection, information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the information including a wireless address of the accessory; and providing to the accessory, using the wired connection, information defining a new wireless link between the accessory and the host device, the information provided to the accessory including a wireless address of the host device, wherein the wireless link is established in response to the accessory receiving the information defining the new wireless link. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for establishing a wireless link between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising, by the accessory:
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detecting a wired connection to the host device, wherein the wired connection provides for an exchange of commands and data between the host device and the accessory; providing to the host device, using the wired connection, information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the information including a wireless address of the accessory; receiving from the host device, using the wired connection, information defining a new wireless link between the accessory and the host device, the received information including a wireless address of the host device; and establishing the wireless link in response to receiving the information defining the new wireless link. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A portable electronic device comprising:
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a wireless transceiver configured to send and receive wireless signals; an interface configured to communicate with an intermediate device via a first wired signal path, wherein the intermediate device is further configured to communicate with an accessory via a second wired signal path; and a processor communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the interface, the processor being configured to generate commands to be sent to the accessory via the intermediate device and to interpret and respond to commands received from the accessory via the intermediate device, wherein the processor is further configured to; obtain from the accessory via the intermediate device information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the information including a wireless address of the accessory; and provide to the accessory via the intermediate device a command instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the portable electronic device, the command including a wireless address of the wireless transceiver of the portable electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. An accessory for use with a portable electronic device, the accessory comprising:
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a wireless transceiver configured to send and receive wireless signals; an interface configured to communicate with an intermediate device via a first wired signal path, the intermediate device being further configured to communicate with a host device via a second wireless signal path; and a controller communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the interface, the controller being configured to generate commands to be sent to the host device via the intermediate device and to interpret and respond to commands received from the host device via the intermediate device, wherein the controller is further configured to; provide to the host device via the intermediate device information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the information including a wireless address of the wireless transceiver of accessory; and receive from the host device via the intermediate device a command instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the portable electronic device, the command including a wireless address of the host device. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for establishing a Bluetooth pairing between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising:
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detecting that the host device and the accessory are each coupled to a common intermediate device, wherein the intermediate device is configured to receive tunneling commands from the host device and the accessory and to forward a payload of each received tunneling command to the other of the host device and the accessory; obtaining, by the host device from the accessory via the intermediate device, information regarding a Bluetooth capability of the accessory, the information including a number of Bluetooth pairing slots supported by the accessory; obtaining, by the host device from the accessory via the intermediate device, current Bluetooth pairing information for the accessory; and in the event that the current Bluetooth pairing information does not include information corresponding to a pairing with the host device, sending, by the host device to the accessory via the intermediate device, information establishing a Bluetooth pairing between the accessory and the host device. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for establishing a Bluetooth pairing between a host device and an accessory, the method comprising:
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detecting that the host device and the accessory are each coupled to a common intermediate device, wherein the intermediate device is configured to receive tunneling commands from the host device and the accessory and to forward a payload of each received tunneling command to the other of the host device and the accessory; providing, by the accessory to the host device via the intermediate device, information regarding a Bluetooth capability of the accessory, the information including a number of Bluetooth pairing slots supported by the accessory; providing, by the accessory to the host device via the intermediate device, current Bluetooth pairing information for the accessory; and receiving, by the accessory from the host device via the intermediate device, information establishing a new Bluetooth pairing between the accessory and the host device. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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Specification