AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF COMPATIBLE APPLICATIONS AND ACCESSORIES

• US 20100235373A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Adler, Mitchell, Bolton, Lawrence, Krueger, Scott, Langenfeld, Peter T., Holden, Paul, Schubert, Emily Clark, Ganatra, Nitin, Ananny, John, Toprani, Shyam
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a communication session between an accessory device and an application installed on a mobile device, the method operating on the mobile device, the method comprising:

comparing a list of supported application protocols with a list of collected application protocols, wherein the list of supported application protocols includes one or more communication protocols supported by the application, and the list of collected application protocols includes one or more communication protocols received from one or more accessories coupled with the mobile computing device;

in the event a match is found between an application protocol in the supported application protocol list and an application protocol in the collected application protocol list, communicating information specifying the matched application protocol to the accessory; and

in the event a match is not found between an application protocol in the supported application protocol list and an application protocol in the collected application protocol list, directing a user of the mobile device to an application store where an application associated with at least one application protocol within the collected application protocol list is available to be downloaded.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising in the event a match is found between an application protocol in the supported application protocol list and an application protocol in the collected application protocol list, requesting a communication session with the accessory.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising in the event the communicating information specifying the matched application protocol includes a session identifier.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a match is found between an application protocol in the supported application protocol list and an application protocol in the collected application protocol list, communicating with the accessory using the matched application protocol.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application store is an Internet-based application store.

6. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a processor of mobile computing device, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

determining whether a supported application protocol identifier in a supported protocol list matches an application protocol identifier in a collected protocol list, wherein the collected protocol list includes one or more communication protocol identifiers representing application protocols compatible with the accessory, and the supported protocol list includes one ore more communication protocol identifiers representing application protocols compatible with an application installed at the mobile computing device; and

in response to finding a match between the supported application protocol and an application protocol in the list of collected application protocols;

initiating a communication session between the mobile computing device and an accessory coupled with the mobile computing device;

communicating to the accessory information specifying the supported application protocol; and

communicating with the accessory from the mobile computing device using the supported application protocol.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the supported application protocol is different from an accessory communication protocol.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to download an application that supports a protocol that matches an application protocol in the collected protocol list in response to not finding a match between the supported application protocol and an application protocol in the list of collected application protocols.

9. A method operating at a mobile computing device, the method comprising

receiving an application protocol identifier from an accessory device, wherein the received application protocol identifier includes a data string in reverse domain name format and is associated with an application communication protocol;

and

determining whether the received application protocol identifier matches an application protocol identifier listed within a protocol table stored in memory at the mobile computing device, thereafter communicating with the accessory using the application communication protocol, wherein the protocol table includes one or more application protocol identifiers associated with applications executable at the mobile computing device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising executing the application associated with an application protocol identifier in the protocol table in the event that the received application protocol identifier matches an application protocol identifier in the protocol table.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising downloading an application with an associated application protocol identifier that matches the received application protocol identifier.

12. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface disposed at least partially within the housing, and configured to exchange commands and data with an accessory;

memory disposed within the housing, the memory configured to maintain a supported application protocol list; and

control logic disposed within the housing, and communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, the control logic being configured to;

receive from the accessory through the communication interface information identifying an application communication protocol supported by the accessory;

determine whether application communication protocol supported by the accessory corresponds with a protocol identified in a list of supported application protocols, wherein the list of supported application protocols includes one or more protocols supported by the application installed on the mobile device; and

in the event a correspondence is determined between the application protocol supported by the accessory and a protocol identified in a list of supported application protocols, communicating information specifying the matched application protocol to the accessory using a mobile computing device protocol; and

communicating with the accessory using the matched application protocol.

13. A method comprising:

receiving application protocol information from an accessory using a mobile computing device protocol, wherein the application protocol information identifies at least one application protocol compatible with the accessory;

determining whether the application protocol matches a protocol listed within a supported protocol list, wherein the supported protocols list includes one ore more communication protocols supported at least by an application installed on the mobile device, and wherein each protocol listed within the supported protocol list is associated with an application; and

in the event that an application protocol matches a protocol in the supported protocol list, executing the application associated with the matched protocol in the supported list.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in the event that an application protocol does not match a protocol in the supported protocol list, downloading an application associated with the protocol in the supported protocol list from the Internet.

15. A method comprising:

receiving information at a mobile computing device from an accessory, wherein the information comprises an identification of an application protocol;

comparing the application protocol with protocols listed in a supported protocol table stored in memory at a mobile computing device, wherein the supported protocol table includes at least one application protocol associated with an application; and

in the event that the application protocol matches a protocol listed in the supported protocol table, executing the application associated with the application protocol at the mobile computing device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the information comprises an identification of a preferred application that supports the application protocol, and in the event that the application protocol does not match a protocol listed in the supported protocol table, downloading the preferred application.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the information identifying an application protocol identifies the application protocol using a reverse domain name format.

18. The method according to claim 15 further comprising communicating with the accessory using the application protocol.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the information identifying an application protocol is formatted according to a mobile computing device protocol.

20. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface disposed at least partially within the housing, and configured to exchange commands and data with an accessory;

memory disposed within the housing, the memory comprising a supported application protocol list that lists protocols compatible with an application, wherein a supported application protocol includes an application protocol supported by an application installed on the mobile computing device; and

control logic disposed within the housing, and communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, the control logic being configured to;

receive a message from an accessory identifying an application protocol supported by the accessory;

determine whether the application protocol matches a supported application protocol stored within the supported application protocol list; and

in the event a match is found, executing an application associated with the supported accessory matched with the application protocol.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the message received from the accessory identifies an Internet-based address where an application can be found that supports the application protocol.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising downloading the application from the Internet-based address.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising installing the application at the mobile computing device and executing the application.