METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING WIRELESS PERIPHERALS AND THEIR STATES AT A DOCKING HOST FOR WIRELESS DOCKING

• US 20140013014A1
• Filed: 02/03/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: HUANG, Xiaolong, WANG, Xiaodong, RAVEENDRAN, Vijayalakshmi R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure enable a docking host that manages a docking environment to establish an initial connection between the docking host and one or more wireless peripheral devices to perform functionality determination of the wireless peripherals devices. The docking host may store the results of the functionality and, upon receiving a request from a dockee to access the functionality that the docking host may provide, will update the results. In one aspect of the disclosed approach, the docking host may determine the current state of the wireless peripheral devices before advertising any functionality information to the dockee. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. A method operable at a docking host for communicating with a wireless peripheral device, the method comprising:

establishing an initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, the initial connection comprising a functionality determination of the wireless peripheral device;

storing the functionality information;

checking the state of the wireless peripheral device upon receiving a request to retrieve any functionality provided by the docking host; and

advertising the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises an active mode, and the advertising the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises:

determining the wireless peripheral device is in the active mode; and

transmitting the functionality information based on the determination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device comprises:

communicating with the wireless peripheral device using a host module; and

enumerating the wireless peripheral device using an identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier comprises a human input device (HID) identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises receiving a periodic signal from the wireless peripheral device with information regarding the state of the wireless peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless peripheral device is prevented from disconnecting with the docking host unless one or more criteria are met.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a requirement for the dockee to directly connect with the wireless peripheral device, the wireless peripheral device is not in active use, or an inability of the docking host to operate with the wireless peripheral device.

8. A docking host configured for communicating with a wireless peripheral device, comprising:

means for establishing an initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, the initial connection comprising a functionality determination of the wireless peripheral device;

means for storing the functionality information;

means for checking the state of the wireless peripheral device upon receiving a request to retrieve any functionality provided by the docking host; and

means for advertising the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device.

9. The docking host of claim 8, wherein the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises an active mode, and the means for advertising the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device is further configured to:

determine the wireless peripheral device is in the active mode; and

transmit the functionality information based on the determination.

10. The docking host of claim 8, wherein the means for establishing the initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device are further configured to:

communicate with the wireless peripheral device using a host module; and

enumerate the wireless peripheral device using an identifier.

11. The docking host of claim 10, wherein the identifier comprises a human input device (HID) identifier.

12. The docking host of claim 8, wherein the means for checking the state of the wireless peripheral device are further configured to receive a periodic signal from the wireless peripheral device with information regarding the state of the wireless peripheral device.

13. The docking host of claim 12, wherein the wireless peripheral device is prevented from disconnecting with the docking host unless one or more criteria are met.

14. The docking host of claim 13, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a requirement for the dockee to directly connect with the wireless peripheral device, the wireless peripheral device is not in active use, or an inability of the docking host to operate with the wireless peripheral device.

15. A docking host configured for communicating with a wireless peripheral device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

a transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

establish an initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, the initial connection comprising a functionality determination of the wireless peripheral device;

store the functionality information;

check the state of the wireless peripheral device upon receiving a request to retrieve any functionality provided by the docking host; and

advertise the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device.

16. The docking host of claim 15, wherein the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises an active mode, and the at least one processor, being configured to advertise the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device, is further configured to:

determine the wireless peripheral device is in the active mode; and

transmit the functionality information based on the determination.

17. The docking host of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor, being configured to establish the initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, is further configured to:

communicate with the wireless peripheral device using a host module; and

enumerate the wireless peripheral device using an identifier.

18. The docking host of claim 17, wherein the identifier comprises a human input device (HID) identifier.

19. The docking host of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor, being configured to check the state of the wireless peripheral device, is further configured to receive a periodic signal from the wireless peripheral device with information regarding the state of the wireless peripheral device.

20. The docking host of claim 19, wherein the wireless peripheral device is prevented from disconnecting with the docking host unless one or more criteria are met.

21. The docking host of claim 20, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a requirement for the dockee to directly connect with the wireless peripheral device, the wireless peripheral device is not in active use, or an inability of the docking host to operate with the wireless peripheral device.

22. A computer-readable storage medium operable at a docking host configured for communicating with a wireless peripheral device, comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

establish an initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, the initial connection comprising a functionality determination of the wireless peripheral device;

store the functionality information;

check the state of the wireless peripheral device upon receiving a request to retrieve any functionality provided by the docking host; and

advertise the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the state of the wireless peripheral device comprises an active mode, and the instructions for causing a computer to advertise the functionality information based on the state of the wireless peripheral device, are further configured to:

determine the wireless peripheral device is in the active mode; and

transmit the functionality information based on the determination.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions for causing a computer to establish the initial connection between the docking host and the wireless peripheral device, are further configured to:

communicate with the wireless peripheral device using a host module; and

enumerate the wireless peripheral device using an identifier.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the identifier comprises a human input device (HID) identifier.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions for causing a computer to check the state of the wireless peripheral device, are further configured to receive a periodic signal from the wireless peripheral device with information regarding the state of the wireless peripheral device.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the wireless peripheral device is prevented from disconnecting with the docking host unless one or more criteria are met.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a requirement for the dockee to directly connect with the wireless peripheral device, the wireless peripheral device is not in active use, or an inability of the docking host to operate with the wireless peripheral device.