Interface Protocol and API for a Wireless Transceiver

• US 20090137318A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gumlich, Denny, Russo, David W., Smith, Gregory Ray, Pakendorf, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4291 using a clocked protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Abstract

A wireless protocol may be implemented in a smart transceiver device that contains the physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layers of the wireless protocol stack. In various embodiments, a serial peripheral interface (SPI) based design may be used. Disclosed is an embodiment of a protocol which may be used to provide control and data transfer to and from the smart transceiver. In particular, an exemplary format of the protocol, the commands, and responses is disclosed. In a further embodiment, an application programming interface (API) is disclosed. The API may provide hardware independent services that can be used to establish, maintain, and transport data to and from the system and the smart transceiver device. In particular, an exemplary and non-limiting set of services, function calls, configuration methods, events, and parameters is disclosed.

Claims

1. A gaming system or peripheral comprising a wireless protocol processor and a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) link, comprising circuitry configured to provide a full duplex command and data messaging protocol over the SPI link, said protocol enabling the formation of data packets comprising a header and a variable length payload, the header comprising a command field and a length field, the length field representative of a size of said variable length payload, said length field dependent upon contents of said command field, and said command field indicating commands that are independent of the application and commands specific to an application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein all transactions over said SPI link are initiated by a master device that transmits said at least one data packet to a slave device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said circuitry is further configured to receive a response from said slave device, said response comprising at least one of a result of a request from the master, compliance to said command, and an indication of the occurrence of an event from a previous request.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is further configured to select a functional mode and provide a set of commands as a function of said functional mode, said functionality selected during an initialization period and determined by a product type.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said application independent commands transmitted by a master device comprise at least one of:

No command or response is being sent, Mode Control, Voice Sync Setup Request, Set Voice Coding Type, Link Status Request, EEPROM Read Request, EEPROM Write Request, Startup Configuration Message, Transceiver Startup Message Request, Wireless Frame Sync Setup, Test Transport Request, Request Wireless Slot Debug Messages, GPIO Setup, GPIO Read/Write Message, Master EEPROM Read Response, and Master EEPROM Write Response.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said application independent commands transmitted by a slave device comprise at least one of:

Message Fail, Mode Control Response, Buffer Warning, Buffer Warning cleared, Voice Sync Setup Response, Voice Sync Message, Voice Coding Type Response, Link Status, EEPROM Read Response, EEPROM Write Response, Startup Configuration Response, Smart transceiver Startup Message, Wireless Frame Sync Setup Response, Wireless Frame Sync, Test.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising circuitry configured to provide access to the wireless protocol processor via an SPI driver, said circuitry configured to provide access to the wireless protocol processor further comprising a data service to transmit and receive fixed size data packets via said wireless link, a voice service to transmit and receive voice packets via said wireless link, a layer management service to configure parameters of other services, a GPIO service to perform bit oriented input/output on spare pins of the wireless protocol processor, and a production test service to provide access to a production test interface of said wireless protocol processor.

8. A method of providing a full duplex command and data messaging protocol over a Serial Peripheral Interface link, comprising:

forming at least one data packet comprising a 16 bit header and a variable length payload, the header comprising a command byte and a length byte, the length field representative of a size of said variable length payload, wherein said length field is dependent upon contents of said command field and said command field indicates commands comprising application independent commands or commands specific to an application;

initiating a transaction by transmitting said at least one data packet to a slave device;

transmitting a response to said at least one data packet.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein all transactions are initiated by a master device that transmits said at least one data packet.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said response comprises at least one of a result of a request from the master, compliance to said command, and an indication of the occurrence of an event from a previous request.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising selecting a functional mode and providing a set of commands as a function of said functional mode.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said functionality is selected during an initialization period, said functionality determined by a product type.

13. The method according to claim 8 wherein said application independent commands transmitted by a master device comprise at least one of:

No command or response is being sent, Mode Control, Voice Sync Setup Request, Set Voice Coding Type, Link Status Request, EEPROM Read Request, EEPROM Write Request, Startup Configuration Message, Transceiver Startup Message Request, Wireless Frame Sync Setup, Test Transport Request, Request Wireless Slot Debug Messages, GPIO Setup, GPIO Read/Write Message, Master EEPROM Read Response, and Master EEPROM Write Response.

14. The method according to claim 8 wherein said application independent commands transmitted by a slave device comprise at least one of:

Message Fail, Mode Control Response, Buffer Warning, Buffer Warning cleared, Voice Sync Setup Response, Voice Sync Message, Voice Coding Type Response, Link Status, EEPROM Read Response, EEPROM Write Response, Startup Configuration Response, Smart transceiver Startup Message, Wireless Frame Sync Setup Response, Wireless Frame Sync, Test Transport Response, GPIO Setup Response/status, and GPIO status/Response Message.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said application comprises at least one a video game controller application, a voice application, and a video game console application.

16. A method of providing access to a wireless protocol processor using an application programming interface (API), comprising:

communicating with said wireless protocol processor via a serial peripheral interface (SPI) driver;

synchronizing power modes and functional states between an application and said wireless protocol processor; and

coordinating wireless data and voice transmission functions of said application.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said API is configured to provide communication with the wireless protocol processor via the SPI using the SPI driver, simplifying setup of the wireless protocol processor, synchronizing power modes and functional states between the application and the wireless protocol processor, providing a framework for wireless data and voice transmission functions of the application, and supporting debugging of the application'"'"'s communication with the wireless protocol processor.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing a data service to transmit and receive fixed size data packets via a wireless link, a voice service to transmit and receive voice packets via said wireless link, a layer management service to configure parameters of other services, and a GPIO service to perform bit oriented IO on spare pins of the wireless protocol processor.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein said data service further comprises service primitives, said service primitives further comprising request primitives, indication primitives, confirm primitives, and response primitives.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising an information database comprising API parameters and configuration values.