ACCESSORY INTERFACE TO PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICE USING SESSIONS

• US 20100235552A1
• 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: Bolton, Lawrence, Holden, Paul, Ganatra, Nitin, Toprani, Shyam
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• 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 computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

requesting accessory information from an accessory manager, wherein the accessory manager is a background process executing at the mobile computing device and provides communication connectivity between applications executing at the mobile computing device and an accessory communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device;

in the event an accessory is communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, receiving from the accessory manager an accessory identifier and one or more protocol identifiers specifying at least one application communication protocol compatible with the accessory;

determining whether the application is compatible with the at least one application protocol;

in the event the application is compatible, opening a session for communication with the accessory through the accessory manager using the application communication protocol; and

communicating with the accessory using the application communication protocol.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a protocol identifier is formatted using reverse domain naming convention.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communicating with the accessory comprises:

receiving an output stream from the accessory manager; and

writing data according to the application communication protocol to the input stream.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communicating with the accessory comprises:

receiving an input stream from the accessory manager; and

receiving data formatted according to the application communication protocol from the input stream.

5. A method for an application to establish communication with an accessory using an application manager, the method comprising:

receiving an indication from the application manager specifying an application protocol compatible with the accessory;

receiving an input stream and an output stream from the application manger for communication with the accessory using the application protocol; and

thereafter, writing an application protocol messages for the accessory to the output stream.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5 further comprising:

sending application protocol information to the application manager, wherein the application protocol information includes an indication of the application protocols supported by the application.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the application protocol compatible with the accessory is an application protocol indicated by the application protocol information sent by the application.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the application protocol indicated by the application protocol information indicates an application protocol using a reverse domain name convention.

9. A method performed by an application executing on a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

requesting accessory information from an application manager, wherein the accessory information includes information indicating one or more application protocols supported by an accessory communicatively coupled with a mobile computing device;

determining whether an application protocol supported by the accessory matches an application protocol supported by the application;

in the event application protocols match, requesting an input stream and an output stream for communication with the accessory using the application protocol;

receiving an input stream and an output stream; and

thereafter, writing an application protocol messages for the accessory to the output stream.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising reading application protocol messages from the accessory using the input stream.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the accessory information indicates application protocols using the reverse domain name convention.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the accessory information is stored in a table and the accessory information is a pointer to the storage location of metadata associated with the accessory information.

13. A method performed by an application executing on a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

accessing a table containing information indicating an application protocol supported by an accessory coupled with the mobile computing device;

determining whether an application protocol supported by the application matches the application protocol in the table;

in the event application protocols match, opening a communication session for communication with the accessory using the matched application;

receiving an input stream and an output stream; and

thereafter, writing an application protocol messages for the accessory to the output stream.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the table includes a plurality of application protocols associated with the accessory, and the application determines whether an application protocol supported by the application matches any of the application protocol in the table.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising reading an application protocol message from the accessory using the input stream.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein the accessory information indicates application protocols formatted using the reverse domain name convention.