Bluetooth Enabled Computing System and Associated Methods

• US 20090023499A1
• Filed: 07/19/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mao, Xiadong
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A host device is provided to include a processor, a memory, and a peripheral device communication port. The processor and the memory are defined to collectively execute a computer application. The host device is defined to establish a communication channel for a datastream associated with the computer application as transmitted through the peripheral device communication port. A bluetooth host chip is connected within the host device to enable bluetooth communication with a bluetooth client chip in an external device outside the host device. The host device is further defined to enable connection of the bluetooth client chip to the communication channel for the datastream, such that the datastream can be monitored by the external device.

Claims

1. A bluetooth enabled computing system, comprising:

a host device including a processor, a memory, and a peripheral device communication port, wherein the processor and the memory are defined to collectively execute a computer application, the host device defined to establish a communication channel for a datastream associated with the computer application as transmitted through the peripheral device communication port; and

a bluetooth host chip connected within the host device to enable bluetooth communication with a bluetooth client chip in an external device outside the host device,

wherein the host device is further defined to enable connection of the bluetooth client chip to the communication channel for the datastream such that the datastream can be monitored by the external device.

2. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a control device connected to the peripheral device communication port, wherein the datastream includes data associated with the computer application as communicated between the control device and the host device.

3. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external device is a bluetooth enabled earpiece.

4. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host device is defined to establish a plurality of communication channels for a plurality of datastreams such that each of the plurality of communication channels can be associated with one or more of the plurality of datastreams.

5. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 4, wherein the host device is defined to receive a communication channel selection signal transmitted from the external device and connect the bluetooth client chip in the external device to a communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal.

6. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 5, wherein the communication channel selection signal is transmitted as a pulse train, wherein the host device is defined to associate a number of successive pulses in the pulse train with a number of a communication channel to be selected.

7. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 5, wherein the processor is defined to generate and transmit a communication channel selection feedback signal upon connection of the bluetooth client chip in the external device to the communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal.

8. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 7, wherein the communication channel selection feedback signal is either a mechanical signal, an auditory signal, or a visual signal.

9. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bluetooth host chip is defined to register the bluetooth client chip of the external device to enable communication between the bluetooth host chip and the bluetooth client chip.

10. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the host device is defined to receive input data from the external device by way of the bluetooth communication and process the input data through the computer application, wherein the input data represents either mechanical input, auditory input, or visual input having been sensed and converted into a bluetooth communicatable format.

11. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 10, wherein the host device is defined to restrict acceptance of input data received from the external device by way of the bluetooth communication to a communication channel selection signal.

12. A bluetooth enabled computing system as recited in claim 10, wherein the host device is defined to require authorization of the external device prior to accepting input data received from the external device by way of the bluetooth communication beyond a communication channel selection signal.

13. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system, comprising:

establishing within the computing system a communication channel with one or more peripheral control devices;

transmitting a datastream between the computing system and the one or more peripheral control devices by way of the communication channel;

establishing a bluetooth connection between a bluetooth client chip in an external device outside the computing system and a bluetooth host chip within the computing system; and

linking the bluetooth connection to the communication channel to enable monitoring of the datastream by the external device.

14. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 13, wherein the datastream is associated with a computer application being executed by the computing system.

15. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 13, wherein the external device is a bluetooth enabled earpiece.

16. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

registering the bluetooth client chip in the external device with the bluetooth host chip in the computing system to enable establishment of the bluetooth connection between the bluetooth client chip and the bluetooth host chip.

17. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

establishing within the computing system a plurality of communication channels with the one or more peripheral control devices;

transmitting a plurality of datastreams between the computing system and the one or more peripheral control devices by way of the plurality of communication channels;

receiving a communication channel selection signal at the computing system from the external device by way of the bluetooth connection; and

linking the bluetooth connection to a communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal.

18. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 17, wherein one or more of the plurality of communication channels represents a combination of others of the plurality of communication channels.

19. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a communication channel selection feedback signal from the computing system upon linking the bluetooth connection to the communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal, wherein the communication channel selection feedback signal is either a mechanical signal, an auditory signal, or a visual signal that indicates the communication channel to which the bluetooth connection is linked.

20. A method for implementing bluetooth communication within a computing system as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting a request for authorization credentials from the computing system prior to linking the bluetooth connection to the communication channel;

receiving authorization credentials at the computing system; and

verifying the authorization credentials, wherein linking of the bluetooth connection to the communication channel to enable monitoring of the datastream by the external device is enabled upon verification of the received authorization credentials as acceptable.

21. A computing system for executing gaming applications, comprising:

a memory;

a processor defined to operate in conjunction with the memory to execute a gaming application;

one or more controller devices connected to communicate with the processor by way of one or more respective datastreams, wherein the processor is defined to associate the one or more datastreams with one or more communication channels; and

a bluetooth host chip defined to enable bluetooth communication with a bluetooth client chip in an external device outside the computing system, wherein the processor is further defined to enable connection of the bluetooth client chip by way of the bluetooth host chip to one or more selected communication channels such that the one or more datastreams associated with the selected communication channels can be monitored by the external device.

22. A computing system for executing gaming applications as recited in claim 21, wherein the external device is a bluetooth enabled earpiece.

23. A computing system for executing gaming applications as recited in claim 21, wherein the processor is defined to receive a communication channel selection signal from the external device by way of bluetooth communication and connect the bluetooth client chip in the external device to a communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal.

24. A computing system for executing gaming applications as recited in claim 23, wherein the processor is defined to generate and transmit a communication channel selection feedback signal upon connection of the bluetooth client chip in the external device to the communication channel identified by the communication channel selection signal, wherein the communication channel selection feedback signal confirms connection of the bluetooth client chip to the selected communication channel.

25. A computing system for executing gaming applications as recited in claim 21, wherein the bluetooth host chip is defined to register the bluetooth client chip of the external device to enable communication between the bluetooth host chip and the bluetooth client chip.

26. A computing system for executing gaming applications as recited in claim 21, wherein the processor is defined to receive input data from the external device by way of the bluetooth communication and process the input data through the gaming application, wherein the input data represents either mechanical input, auditory input, or visual input having been sensed and converted into a bluetooth communicatable format.