ACCESSORY BOOTING OVER USB

• US 20140075169A1
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Andrews, Jonathan J., Kosut, Alexei
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for booting an accessory with an accessory firmware image received from a host device are described. When the host device detects a connection between the accessory and the host device, the host device may send a request for an accessory identifier to the accessory. The accessory may send an accessory identifier to the host device in response. The host device may select an accessory firmware image that is suitable for the accessory, and may transmit the accessory firmware image to the accessory. The accessory firmware image may include information that the accessory can use to enable the accessory to exchange application data with the host device.

Claims

1. A method for booting an accessory using a host device that includes a host firmware image and a plurality of accessory firmware images stored therein, the method comprising:

detecting, by the host device, a connection between the host device and the accessory;

sending, by the host device to the accessory, a request for an accessory identifier;

receiving, by the host device from the accessory, the accessory identifier;

selecting, by the host device, an accessory firmware image, from among the plurality of accessory firmware images, based at least in part on the accessory identifier, wherein the selected accessory firmware image includes information usable by the accessory to enable the accessory to exchange application data with the host device; and

transmitting, by the host device to the accessory, the selected accessory firmware image, wherein the selected accessory firmware image is executed by the accessory during a boot sequence of the accessory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the host device to the accessory, an accessory boot loader prior to transmitting the selected accessory firmware image, wherein the accessory boot loader is executed by the accessory to load the selected accessory firmware image into a random access memory of the accessory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of accessory firmware images stored in the host device is based in part on the host firmware image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of accessory firmware images stored in the host device is maintained to be in a version that is compatible with the host firmware image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected accessory firmware image is transmitted via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link between the host device and the accessory.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the accessory identifier is a USB descriptor.

7. A method for booting an accessory, the method comprising;

receiving, by the accessory from a host device coupled to the accessory, a request for an accessory identifier;

sending, by the accessory to the host device, the accessory identifier;

receiving, by the accessory from the host device, an accessory firmware image associated with the accessory identifier; and

executing, by the accessory, the accessory firmware image to boot the accessory;

wherein the accessory does not store any accessory firmware image prior to receiving the accessory firmware image from the host device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

establishing, by the accessory, an operating system in the accessory using information in the accessory firmware image.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the accessory from the host device, an accessory boot loader prior to receiving the accessory firmware image, and

loading, by the accessory, the accessory firmware image into a random access memory of the accessory using the accessory boot loader.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessory comprises one or more non-volatile memory devices and the accessory firmware image is of a size that is larger than memory capacity of each of the one or more non-volatile memory devices.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessory firmware image is received via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link between the host device and the accessory.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wherein the accessory identifier is a USB descriptor associated with the accessory.

13. A host device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage component coupled to the processor, the storage component storing a plurality of firmware images including a host firmware image associated with the host device and a plurality of accessory firmware images each associated with at least one accessory;

wherein the processor in conjunction with the storage component is configured to;

detect connection of an accessory with the host device;

receive an accessory identifier from the accessory;

select an accessory firmware image, from among the plurality of accessory firmware images, based at least in part on the accessory identifier, wherein the selected accessory firmware image is usable by the accessory during a boot sequence of the accessory; and

communicate the selected accessory firmware image to the accessory.

14. The host device of claim 13, wherein the selected accessory firmware is usable by the accessory to establish an operating system in the accessory.

15. The host device of claim 13, wherein the processor in conjunction with the storage component is further configured to:

communicate an accessory boot loader to the accessory prior to communicating the selected accessory firmware image to the accessory, wherein the boot loader is usable by the accessory to load the selected accessory firmware image into a memory of the accessory.

16. The host device of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of accessory firmware images stored in the host device is maintained to be in a version that is compatible with the host firmware image.

17. The host device of claim 13, wherein the selected accessory firmware image is communicated via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link between the host device and the accessory.

18. The host device of claim 17, wherein the accessory identifier is a USB descriptor.

19. An accessory comprising:

a controller;

a random access memory (RAM) coupled to the controller; and

a non-volatile memory coupled to the controller,

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive, from a host device, an accessory firmware image;

store the accessory firmware image in the RAM; and

execute the accessory firmware image from the RAM to enable the accessory to exchange application data with the host device;

wherein the accessory does not store any accessory firmware image in the RAM or in the non-volatile memory prior to receiving the accessory firmware image from the host device.

20. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive an accessory boot loader from the host device prior to receiving the accessory firmware image, wherein the accessory boot loader is used by the accessory to load the accessory firmware image into the RAM of the accessory.

21. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the accessory firmware image is of a size that is larger than memory capacity of the non-volatile memory.

22. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the accessory firmware image is received via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) link between the host device and the accessory.

23. The accessory of claim 22, wherein the accessory identifier is a USB descriptor.