Automated Exchangeable Docking Configuration

• US 20090271534A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Chaves, Ryan P., Mendes, Paulo S., Acosta, Keith H., Isaac, Ronald N., Vincent, Christopher D., Tarr, Morton
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A base device meant to cooperate with one of a plurality of exchangeable docking adapters to enable the base device to cooperate with a personal portable device docked with the docking adapter to perform an audio/visual task. The base device incorporates a programmable logic that is programmed with a configuration data specifying a configuration of interconnections to enable the cooperation between the base device and the personal portable device, and may further incorporate a processor to execute a sequence of instructions of a routine causing the processor to cooperate with the personal portable device through the docking adapter to perform the task. The configuration data and/or the routine may be selected depending on which docking adapter is coupled to the base device, depending on a comparison of versions of configuration data and/or routine stored within one or both of the base device and the docking adapter, and/or depending on the identity of one or more of the base device, the docking adapter, the personal portable device, and the programmable logic.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an adapter interface to couple the apparatus to a docking adapter to enable the apparatus to cooperate with a personal portable device docked with the docking adapter to perform an audio/visual task, where the adapter interface is structured to enable the identity of the docking adapter to be determined;

a programmable logic electrically coupled to the adapter interface and structured to be configured with a configuration data specifying interconnections within the programmable logic, wherein the configuration data is selected in response to the identity of the docking adapter; and

wherein the apparatus is structured to enable an acoustic driver to audibly output audio provided by the personal portable device to the apparatus as part of the audio/visual task.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adapter interface has a connector having a plurality of contacts to mate with a plurality of corresponding contacts of a connector of the docking adapter, and wherein the apparatus is structured to determine the identity of the docking adapter by detecting voltage levels of the plurality of corresponding contacts.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further structured to identify the docking adapter by accessing a storage of the docking adapter through the adapter interface and detecting identifying data stored within the storage of the docking adapter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the acoustic driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a visual display to display visual imagery provided by the personal portable device to the apparatus as part of the audio/visual task.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further structured to detect audio with a microphone and to provide the audio to the personal portable device as part of the audio/visual task.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first storage to store a first data from which the configuration data is able to be selected.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the configuration data is able to be selected from a second data stored in a second storage of the docking adapter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further structured to compare a first version of the first data and a second version of the second data, and to select the configuration data from the first data and the second data in response to a result of comparing the first version and the second version.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the second data corresponds to an identity of the programmable logic, and wherein the apparatus is further structured to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the second data in response to the identity of the programmable logic.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the second data corresponds to an identity of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus is further structured to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the second data in response to the identity of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a processor; and

wherein the first storage stores a first routine from which a sequence of instructions to be executed by the processor to cause the processor to perform the audio/visual task may be selected.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the sequence of instructions is able to be selected from a second routine stored in a second storage of the docking adapter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further structured to compare a first version of the first routine and a second version of the second routine, and to select the sequence of instructions from the first routine and the second routine in response to a result of comparing the first version and the second version.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the second routine corresponds to an identity of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus is further structured to select the sequence of instructions from among the plurality of portions of the second routine in response to the identity of the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the adapter interface is further structured to couple the apparatus to another docking adapter having a wireless transceiver to enable the apparatus to cooperate with another personal portable device linked to the other docking adapter through a wireless link to perform another audio/visual task, where the adapter interface is structured to enable the identity of the other docking adapter to be determined;

the configuration data is selected in response to the identity of the other docking adapter; and

the apparatus is further structured to enable the acoustic driver to audibly output audio provided by the other personal portable device to the apparatus through the other docking adapter as part of the other audio/visual task.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the adapter interface has a connector having a plurality of contacts to mate with a plurality of corresponding contacts of a connector of the other docking adapter, and wherein the apparatus is structured to determine the identity of the other docking adapter by detecting voltage levels of the plurality of corresponding contacts.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the apparatus is further structured to identify the other docking adapter by accessing a storage of the other docking adapter through the adapter interface and detecting identifying data stored within the storage of the other docking adapter.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a first storage to store a first data from which the configuration data is able to be selected.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the configuration data is able to be selected from a second data stored in a second storage of the other docking adapter.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

a processor; and

wherein the first storage stores a first routine from which a sequence of instructions to be executed by the processor to cause the processor to cooperate with another processor of the other docking adapter through the programmable logic and the adapter interface to perform the other audio/visual task may be selected.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the sequence of instructions is able to be selected from a second routine stored in a second storage of the other docking adapter.

16. A method comprising:

determining an identity of a docking adapter coupled to a base device that is structured to cooperate with a personal portable device through a programmable logic of the base device and through the docking adapter to perform an audio/visual task entailing audibly outputting audio provided to the base device by the personal portable device;

selecting a configuration data in response to the identity of the docking adapter; and

configuring the programmable logic to enable the base device to cooperate with the personal portable device to perform the audio/visual task.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein selecting the configuration data in response to the identity of the docking adapter comprises:

selecting the configuration data from a first data stored in the base device if the identity of the docking adapter indicates that the configuration data is within the first data; and

selecting the configuration data from a second data stored in the docking adapter if the identity of the docking adapter indicates that the configuration data is not within the first data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing a first version of a first data stored in the base device to a second version of a second data stored in the docking adapter; and

selecting the configuration data in response to a result of comparing the first and second versions.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining an identity of the programmable logic; and

selecting the configuration data in response to the identity of the programmable logic from a plurality of portions of a data stored in the docking adapter, wherein each portion of the data comprises a different configuration data that corresponds to a different identity of the programmable logic.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining an identity of the base device; and

selecting the configuration data in response to the identity of the base device from a plurality of portions of a data stored in the docking adapter, wherein each portion of the data comprises a different configuration data that corresponds to a different base device to which the docking adapter is able to be coupled.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting a sequence of routines to be executed by a processor of the base device in response to the identity of the docking adapter.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein selecting the sequence of instructions in response to the identity of the docking adapter comprises:

selecting the sequence of instructions from a first routine stored in the base device if the identity of the docking adapter indicates that the sequence of instructions is within the first routine; and

selecting the sequence of instructions from a second routine stored in the docking adapter if the identity of the docking adapter indicates that the sequence of instructions is not within the first routine.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

comparing a first version of a first routine stored in the base device to a second version of a second routine stored in the docking adapter; and

selecting the sequence of instructions in response to a result of comparing the first and second versions.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining an identity of the processor; and

selecting the sequence of instructions in response to the identity of the processor from a plurality of portions of a routine stored in the docking adapter, wherein each portion of the routine comprises a different sequence of instructions that corresponds to a different identity of the processor.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining an identity of the base device; and

selecting the sequence of instructions in response to the identity of the base device from a plurality of portions of a routine stored in the docking adapter, wherein each portion of the routine comprises a different sequence of instructions that corresponds to a different base device to which the docking adapter is able to be coupled.

26. An apparatus comprising:

an adapter interface to couple the apparatus to a base device to enable the base device to cooperate with a personal portable device docked with the apparatus to perform an audio/visual task in which the personal portable device provides the base device with audio to audibly output, wherein the adapter interface is structured to enable an identity of the apparatus to be determined by the base device; and

a storage accessible to the base device upon coupling the apparatus to the base device, and storing a data from which a configuration data specifying interconnections within a programmable logic of the base device may be selected by the base device in response to the identity of the docking adapter to enable the base device to cooperate with the personal portable device to perform the audio/visual task.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the adapter interface has a connector having a plurality of contacts to mate with a plurality of corresponding contacts of a connector of the base device, and wherein the apparatus is structured to provide the identity of the apparatus by tying at least one contact of the plurality of contacts to a voltage level.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising identifying data stored within the storage providing the identity of the apparatus.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the data corresponds to an identity of the programmable logic, and wherein the storage is structured to enable the base device to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the data in response to the identity of the programmable logic.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the data corresponds to an identity of the base device, and wherein the storage is structured to enable the base device to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the data in response to the identity of the base device.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a processor to assist a processor of the base device in enabling cooperation between the base device and the personal portable device in performing the audio/visual task.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a wireless transceiver to enable wireless communications between the apparatus and the personal portable device in lieu of the personal portable device being docked with the apparatus to enable cooperation between the base device and the personal portable device in performing the audio/visual task.

40. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver to form a wireless link between the apparatus and a personal portable device;

an adapter interface to couple the apparatus to a base device to enable the base device to cooperate with the personal portable device through the wireless link to perform an audio/visual task in which the personal portable device provides the base device with audio through the wireless link and the adapter interface to audibly output, wherein the adapter interface is structured to enable an identity of the apparatus to be determined by the base device; and

a storage accessible to the base device upon coupling the apparatus to the base device, and storing a data from which a configuration data specifying interconnections within a programmable logic of the base device may be selected by the base device in response to the identity of the apparatus to enable the base device to cooperate with the personal portable device to perform the audio/visual task.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the adapter interface has a connector having a plurality of contacts to mate with a plurality of corresponding contacts of a connector of the base device, and wherein the apparatus is structured to provide the identity of the apparatus by tying at least one contact of the plurality of contacts to a voltage level.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising identifying data stored within the storage providing the identity of the apparatus.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the data corresponds to an identity of the programmable logic, and wherein the storage is structured to enable the base device to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the data in response to the identity of the programmable logic.

44. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the data comprises a plurality of portions wherein each portion of the data corresponds to an identity of the base device, and wherein the storage is structured to enable the base device to select the configuration data from among the plurality of portions of the data in response to the identity of the base device.

45. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising a processor to assist a processor of the base device in enabling cooperation between the base device and the personal portable device in performing the audio/visual task, wherein the processor of the apparatus executes a sequence of instructions of a routine stored in the storage causing the processor of the apparatus to operate the transceiver to support at least a portion of a protocol employed in the wireless link.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising a docking interface to enable docking between the apparatus and the personal portable device in lieu of the wireless link to enable cooperation between the base device and the personal portable device in performing the audio/visual task through the adapter and docking interfaces.