Electronic device input/output system and method

• US 20100248784A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MobilePay LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Robotarmy Corporation
• Inventors: Dean, George IV, Stolarz, Damien Phelan, Gainsforth, Zack
• Granted Patent: US 9,800,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/559
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/18 including more than one keyboard unit

Abstract

A system and method for coupling a peripheral to a device such as a smart phone. In a most general embodiment, the invention includes a first circuit for converting data signals output by the peripheral to analog signals; a connector for coupling the circuit to an input port of the device; and a second circuit disposed within the device for converting analog signals to data signals. In the illustrative embodiment, the first circuit is a frequency shift key generator and the second circuit is a frequency shift key detector. A host controller is coupled to the peripheral and a microcontroller coupled to the host controller. A serial port is coupled between the microcontroller and the host controller. A communication controller is coupled between the serial port and the frequency shift key generator. In a more specific embodiment, the device further includes a frequency shift key to binary data converter and a scan code to character set mapper and an arrangement for receiving and processing signals wirelessly via an infrared receiver.

Claims

1. A system for coupling a peripheral to a mobile device characterized by:

a first circuit for converting data signals output by said peripheral to analog signals;

an arrangement for coupling said coupling said analog signals said device; and

a second circuit disposed within said device for converting analog signals to data signals.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said arrangement is a connector.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said connector is an audio input port.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said arrangement is a wireless receiver.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said arrangement includes radio receiver.

6. The invention of claim 4 wherein said arrangement includes an infrared receiver.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein said arrangement includes an optical receiver.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first circuit is a frequency shift key generator.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein said second circuit is a frequency shift key detector.

10. The invention of claim 1 a host controller coupled to said peripheral.

11. The invention of claim 10 a microcontroller coupled to said host controller.

12. The invention of claim 11 a serial port disposed on said microcontroller and coupled to said host controller.

13. The invention of claim 12 a communication controller coupled between said serial port and said frequency shift key generator.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein said device further includes a frequency shift key to binary data converter.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein said device further includes a scan code to character set mapper.

16. The invention of claim 1 wherein said device is a smart phone.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said device is an iPhone.

18. A system for coupling a peripheral to a device comprising:

a microcontroller coupled to said peripheral, said microcontroller having a frequency shift key generator;

a connector for coupling said microcontroller to an audio input port of said device; and

a frequency shift key detector disposed within said device.

19. The invention of claim 18 a host controller coupled to said peripheral.

20. The invention of claim 19 a serial port disposed on said microcontroller and coupled to said host controller.

21. The invention of claim 20 a communication controller coupled between said serial port and said frequency shift key generator.

22. The invention of claim 18 wherein said device further includes a frequency shift key to binary data converter.

23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said device further includes a scan code to character set mapper.

24. The invention of claim 18 further including an arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device.

25. The invention of claim 18 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes an infrared receiver.

26. The invention of claim 18 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes radio receiver.

27. The invention of claim 18 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes an optical receiver.

28. A system for connecting a peripheral to a device comprising:

means for receiving digital data from said peripheral;

means for converting the data into an analog stream; and

means for delivering said analog stream to an audio input port on said device.

29. The invention of claim 28 wherein said device is a smart phone.

30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said device is an iPhone.

31. The invention of claim 28 wherein said peripheral device is a keyboard.

32. The invention of claim 28 wherein said means for receiving data from the peripheral device includes a host controller.

33. The invention of claim 32 wherein said host controller is a USB host controller.

34. The invention of claim 28 wherein said means for receiving data from the peripheral device includes means for converting digital data to analog.

35. The invention of claim 34 wherein said means for converting digital data includes a frequency shift key generator.

36. The invention of claim 35 wherein said means for receiving data from the peripheral device includes a microcontroller.

37. The invention of claim 36 wherein said microcontroller includes a serial port coupled to said peripheral device.

38. The invention of claim 36 wherein said microcontroller includes a serial port coupled to said peripheral device via a USB host controller.

39. The invention of claim 36 wherein said microcontroller includes a communication controller disposed between said serial port and said frequency shift key generator.

40. The invention of claim 28 further including means disposed on said device for decoding said audio stream to process said data.

41. The invention of claim 40 wherein said means for decoding said audio stream includes a frequency shift key detector.

42. The invention of claim 41 wherein said means for decoding said audio stream includes means for converting the output of said frequency shift key detector to binary data.

43. The invention of claim 42 further including a scan code to character set mapper coupled to the output of said means for converting the output of said frequency shift key detector to binary data.

44. The invention of claim 28 further including an arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device.

45. The invention of claim 44 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes an infrared receiver.

46. The invention of claim 44 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes radio receiver.

47. The invention of claim 28 wherein said arrangement for wirelessly coupling said peripheral to said device includes an optical receiver.

48. Software comprising digital data stored in memory on a mobile device having code for:

receiving a frequency shifted keyed audio stream and

converting said stream to digital data.

49. A smart phone comprising:

memory;

a processor coupled to said memory;

an input/output interface coupled to said processor and said memory; and

software in said memory having code for;

receiving a frequency shifted keyed audio stream and

converting said stream to digital data.

50. A method for connecting peripherals to a mobile device including the steps of:

receiving data from a peripheral device;

converting the data into an analog stream; and

delivering said analog stream to said device.

51. The invention of claim 50 wherein said device is a smart phone.

52. The invention of claim 50 wherein said device is an iPhone.

53. The invention of claim 50 wherein said peripheral device is a keyboard.

54. The invention of claim 50 wherein the step of converting data is implemented via a cloud service.

55. The invention of claim 50 wherein said step of receiving data from the peripheral device includes the step of receiving data from a host controller.

56. The invention of claim 55 wherein said host controller is a USB host controller.

57. The invention of claim 50 wherein said step of receiving data from the peripheral device includes the step of converting digital data to analog.

58. The invention of claim 57 wherein said step of converting digital data includes a frequency shift key generator.

59. The invention of claim 58 wherein said step of receiving data from the peripheral device includes the step of passing the data to a microcontroller.

60. The invention of claim 59 wherein said microcontroller includes a serial port coupled to said peripheral device.

61. The invention of claim 60 wherein said microcontroller includes a serial port coupled to said peripheral device via a USB host controller.

62. The invention of claim 61 wherein said microcontroller includes a communication controller disposed between said serial port and said frequency shift key generator.

63. The invention of claim 50 further including the step of decoding said audio stream on said device to process said data.

64. The invention of claim 63 wherein said step of decoding said audio stream includes a frequency shift key detector.

65. The invention of claim 64 wherein said step of decoding said audio stream includes the step of converting the output of said frequency shift key detector to binary data.

66. The invention of claim 65 further including the step of converting the output of said frequency shift key detector to binary data.