Wireless peripheral interface with universal serial bus port

• US 6,782,245 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Lazzarotto, Sergio, Zanone, Jean-Daniel, Schneider, Gerhard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THUAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/654,194
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 455/226.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/500, 455/67.11, 455/550.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/575.7, 455/101, 455/129, 370/455, 370/463, 370/315, 710/315, 710/106, 710/253
• US Class Current: 455/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3814 Wireless link with a computer system port
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0067 with one or more circuit blocks in common for different bands

Abstract

A wireless peripheral interface is used for coupling with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for connecting a wireless peripheral with a host computer or controller. Wireless peripheral devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch pad, joysticks, and game controllers) transmit communication signals, e.g., radio frequency (RF) signals, to the peripheral interface, which are received and processed into formats suitable for transmission to the host computer or controller via USB, either alone or in combination with other standard external bus systems, such as serial and PS/2.

Claims

1. A wireless peripheral interface for coupling a wireless peripheral with a universal serial bus configured device, comprising:

an antenna wirelessly coupled to receive a communication signal from a wireless peripheral;

a communication front-end coupled with the antenna and configured to demodulate the received communication signal and to generate a digital data signal corresponding to the received communication signal; and

a processor coupled with the communication front and configured to decode the digital data signal and to format the digital data signal into a universal serial bus data format, wherein the processor is further configured to build an image that enumerates a physical configuration for a universal serial bus connection.

2. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to prepare a set of universal serial bus descriptors corresponding with universal serial bus specifications.

3. A wireless peripheral interface for coupling a plurality of wireless peripherals with a universal serial bus configured device, at least two wireless peripherals of the plurality of wireless peripherals playing, the wireless peripheral interface comprising:

a first antenna wirelessly coupled to receive a first communication signal from a first wireless peripheral;

a second antenna wirelessly coupled to receive a second communication signal from a second wireless peripheral;

a first communication front-end coupled with the first antenna and configured to demodulate the first communication signal and to generate a first digital data signal;

a second communication front-end coupled with the second antenna and configured to demodulate the second communication signal and to generate a second digital data signal; and

,

a processor coupled with the first communication front-end and the second communication front-end and configured to decode the first digital data signal and to include information from the first digital data signal in a build of an universal serial bus, the build comprising an image of a universal serial bus configuration.

4. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if the first digital data signal is valid.

5. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if the first digital data signal is compatible with a current universal serial bus configuration.

6. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 5, wherein the universal serial bus build includes transmitting the information in the first digital data signal with a physical universal serial bus configuration in response to determining that the first digital data is compatible with the current physical universal serial bus configuration.

7. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 5, wherein the universal serial bus build includes enumerating a physical universal serial bus configuration based on the first digital data signal in response to determining that the first digital data is not compatible with the current universal serial bus configuration.

8. The wireless peripheral interface in claim 3, wherein the universal serial bus build includes enumerating a generic physical universal serial bus configuration.

9. A method for wirelessly coupling a plurality of peripheral devices with a host having a universal serial bus connection, the method comprising:

receiving a communication signal from a peripheral device;

demodulating the communication signal;

generating a digital data signal corresponding with the communication signal;

determining whether the digital data signal is compatible with a current physical universal serial bus configuration;

transmitting information from the digital data signal in a structure build with a physical universal serial bus configuration in response to the digital data signal being compatible with the current physical universal serial bus configuration; and

generating a build device to enumerate a physical universal serial bus configuration based on information in the digital data signal in response to the digital data signal not being compatible with the current physical universal serial bus configuration.

10. The method in claim 9, further comprising generating a build device to enumerate a generic physical universal serial bus configuration in response to no digital data signal being present.

11. The method in claim 9, further comprising forcing a universal serial bus reset to activate a new structure in response to generating the build device.

12. The method in claim 9, further comprising decoding the digital data signal.

13. The method in claim 9, further comprising determining if the digital data signal is valid.

14. A means for coupling a wireless peripheral with a universal serial bus configured device, the means comprising:

a means for receiving a communication signal from a peripheral device;

a means for demodulating the communication signal;

a means for generating a digital data signal corresponding with the communication signal;

a means for determining whether the digital data signal is compatible with a current physical universal serial bus configuration;

a means for transmitting information from the digital data signal in a structure build with a physical universal serial bus configuration in response to the digital data signal being compatible with the current physical universal serial bus configuration; and

a means for generating a build device to enumerate a physical universal serial bus configuration based on information in the digital data signal in response to the digital data signal not being compatible with the current physical universal serial bus configuration.

15. The means for coupling in claim 14, further comprising a means for generating a build device to enumerate a generic physical universal serial bus configuration in response to no digital data signal being present.

16. The means for coupling in claim 14, further comprising a means for forcing a universal serial bus reset to activate a new structure in response to generating the build device.