Interface system for an accessory and a communication device

• US 7,424,312 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Higgins, Robert J., Pinder, Ellis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US10/669,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 4555561- 2, 455557-559, 455 901- 2, 455418-420, 455 68- 69, 710 1- 19, 710 72- 74, 710 62- 63, 710/104, 710/305, 710/308, 710/309, 710313-315
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60

Abstract

A configurable interface system (100) couples an accessory (102) to a communication device (104). The interface system utilizes a memory device (120) embedded in the accessory (102) that stores physical configuration and event mapping descriptors (114, 122) pertaining to the accessory. The communication device (104) reads the physical configuration and event mapping descriptors and configures its external interface (112) in response thereto, preferably through the use of bi-directional GPIO lines (110).

Claims

1. An interface system, comprising:

a portable communication device having a configurable external interface;

an accessory having a memory with accessory configuration data stored therein in the form of physical configuration and event mapping descriptors pertaining to the accessory, the accessory having no microcontroller; and

portable communication device software in the portable communication device for reading the descriptors and configuring the configurable external interface in response thereto.

2. An interface system, comprising:

a radio having a configurable external interface;

at least one accessory compatible with the configurable interface and containing at least one memory device having accessory configuration data stored therein in the form of descriptors;

at least one physical configuration descriptor stored in the accessory containing interface configuration information for that accessory;

at least one event mapping descriptor stored in the accessory containing event mapping information for the interface of that accessory, the at least one physical configuration descriptor and the at least one event mapping descriptor being stored as data in the at least one memory device of the at least one accessory;

radio software in the radio for reading the interface configuration information and the event mapping information contained in the descriptors, and configuring the configurable external interface and processing events without the use of any microcontroller within the accessory.

3. The interface system of claim 2, wherein the physical configuration descriptor interface configuration information includes data direction, logic sense, and priority.

4. An interface system for coupling a radio having an external radio interface to an accessory, comprising:

at the radio;

a microcontroller having a configurable general purpose input output (GPIO) interface connected to the external radio interface, the GPIO interface being configured as an input device upon radio power-up, and the radio periodically checking the external radio interface to detect the presence of an accessory;

at the accessory;

a single wire memory device containing accessory configuration data in the form of event mapping and physical configuration descriptors providing information about the accessory without any microcontroller within the accessory; and

upon accessory detection by the radio microcontroller, the radio reads the event mapping and physical configuration descriptors of the single wire memory device and configures the external radio interface in response thereto.

5. The interface system of claim 4, wherein the GPIO comprises an extended GPIO to limit the interface system to predetermined accessories.

6. An interface system, comprising:

a radio having a microcontroller with bi-directional general purpose input output (GPIOs) and an external radio interface;

a plurality of accessories without microcontrollers each having accessory configuration data in the form of physical configuration descriptors and event mapping descriptors stored therein and each having an external accessory interface; and

the external radio interface automatically being configured via the radio microcontroller to each external accessory interface based on the physical configuration and event mapping descriptors of each of the plurality of accessories.

7. The interface system of claim 6, wherein the physical descriptors provide logic highs and lows to the GPIOs.

8. The interface system of claim 6, wherein the radio modifies performance of an accessory from the plurality of accessories based on the physical descriptor of that accessory, by the radio selectively controlling the logic of the GPIOs.

9. The interface system of claim 6, wherein the radio rejects an accessory from the plurality of accessories based on the physical descriptor of that accessory.

10. An interface system for an accessory and communication device, including:

a memory device in the accessory, the memory device having accessory configuration data in the form of a physical configuration descriptor and an event mapping descriptor stored therein, the physical configuration descriptor and event mapping descriptor for configuring the interface system without a microcontroller in the accessory via the communication device.

11. The interface system of claim 10, wherein the physical configuration descriptor and the event mapping descriptor configuring the interface system allow for various accessories to be coupled to the communication device.

12. The interface system of claim 10, wherein the memory device having accessory configuration data has no radio device driver or executable code stored therein.