Wireless input devices for computer system

• US 7,629,958 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Chassot, Jacques, Nicolet, Patrick, Bize, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karimi; Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US10/886,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-172, 345/1.2, 713/310, 713/320, 341/22, 341/176, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A wireless communication system for a computer includes a hub coupled to the computer. The hub includes a first module and a second module, the first module configured to receive commands from one or more wireless input devices, the second module configured to control the first module and interface with the computer. A first wireless input device is configured to be linked to the hub to input a first command to the computer via the hub. A second wireless input device is configured to be linked to the hub to input a second command to the computer via the hub. The hub is configured to support a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The first module transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer via the second module during the first operational mode. The first module transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer without using the second module as an interface to the computer during the second operational mode.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system for a computer, comprising:

a hub coupled to the computer, the hub including a first module and a second module, the first module configured to receive commands from one or more wireless input devices, the second module configured to control the first module and interface with the computer;

a first wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a first command to the computer via the hub; and

a second wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a second command to the computer via the hub,

wherein the hub is configured to support a first operational mode and a second operational mode,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer via the second module during the first operational mode, wherein said first operational mode is a connection mode for connecting said input devices to said computer,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer without using the second module as an interface to the computer during the second operational mode, said second operational mode being for communication after connecting said input devices to said computer.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the first module is a slave device and the second module is a master device.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode is an embedded mode that is a default mode and the second operational mode is a host controller interface mode.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the first operational mode enables the hub to support M number of wireless input devices and the second operational mode enables the hub to support N number of wireless input devices, where N is greater than M.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and the second module of the hub includes a first Bluetooth™

stack that is a condensed version of a second Bluetooth™

stack provided in the computer.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the hub is provided externally from the computer.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 6, wherein the hub is coupled to the computer via a universal serial bus interface of the computer.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and is provided externally to the computer, wherein the system is configured to check at a predefined interval for wireless connection between the hub and one of the wireless input devices and initiate a connection protocol if the hub and the one of the wireless input devices are determined to be not properly linked.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and receive a wakeup signal from at least one of the input devices after the computer has been placed in a sleep mode.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a third command to the computer via the hub,

wherein the first, second and third input devices are a mouse, keyboard, and numpad, respectively,

wherein the first operational mode is an embedded mode that is a default mode and the second operational mode is a host controller interface mode,

wherein the hub is configured to support no more than three input devices during the embedded mode and support at least five input devices during the host controller interface mode.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the hub is configured to receive information from a mobile telephone and transmit the received information to the computer.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 11, wherein the information is a text message.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the hub is able to bi-directionally switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

14. A wireless communication system for a host, comprising:

an external hub coupled to the host, the hub including a first module and a second module, the first module configured to receive commands from one or more wireless input devices, the second module configured to control the first module;

a wireless keyboard configured to be linked to the hub to input a first command to the host via the hub; and

a wireless pointing device configured to be linked to the hub to input a second command to the host via the hub,

wherein the hub is configured to support a first operational mode, wherein said first operational mode is a connection mode for connecting said input devices to said computer, and a second operational mode said second operational mode being for communication after connecting said input devices to said computer,

wherein the hub is configured to support M number of peripheral devices in the first operational mode and N number of peripheral devices in the second operational mode, wherein N is greater than M,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second commands received from the keyboard and pointing device to the host via the second module during the first operational mode,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second commands received from the keyboard and pointing device to the host without using the second module as an interface to the host during the second operational mode.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the second module includes a Bluetooth™

stack to handle the first and second commands during the first operational mode.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the hub is configured to receive first information from a peripheral device and transmit second information corresponding to the first information to the host.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 16, wherein the peripheral device is a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, MP3 player, or digital camera.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 14, wherein the hub is able to bi-directionally switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

19. A method for operating a computer system, the method comprising:

connecting a hub to a host computer, said hub being configured to communicate wirelessly with at least two peripheral devices;

pairing a wireless mouse to the hub to enable input of first information that has been generated using the mouse to the computer via the hub; and

pairing a wireless keyboard to the hub to enable second information that has been generated using the keyboard to the computer via the hub,

wherein the hub is configured to support a first operational mode and a second operational mode, the hub being able to support a different number of input devices for each of the first and second operational modes, wherein said first operational mode is a connection mode for connecting said peripheral devices to said computer, and said second operational mode being for communication after connecting said peripheral input devices to said computer,

wherein the hub includes a first module and a second module, the first module configured to receive the first and second information from the keyboard and mouse, the second module configured to control the first module and including a program that is operable to process the first and second information received from the keyboard and mouse,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second information from the keyboard and mouse to the host via the second module during the first operational mode,

wherein the first module transmits the first and second information from the keyboard and mouse to the host without using the second module as an interface to the host during the second operational mode.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

pairing a mediapad to the hub to enable input of third information that has been generated using the mediapad to the computer via the hub.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the hub is able to bi-directionally switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

22. A wireless communication system for a computer, comprising:

a hub coupled to the computer, the hub including a first connection interface to the computer and a second connection interface to the computer,

a first wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a first command to the computer via the hub; and

a second wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a second command to the computer via the hub,

wherein the hub is configured to support a first operational mode and a second operational mode,

wherein the hub transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer via the first connection interface during the first operational mode,

wherein the hub transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer via the second connection interface during the second operational mode,

wherein the second connection interface transmits the first and second commands received from the first and second input devices to the computer without using the first connection interface to the computer during the second operational mode.

23. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the first connection interface is a USB HID interface and the second connection interface is a USB HCI interface.

24. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the first operational mode is an embedded mode that is a default mode and the second operational mode is a host controller interface mode.

25. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the first operational mode enables the hub to support M number of wireless input devices and the second operational mode enables the hub to support N number of wireless input devices, where N is greater than M.

26. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and includes a first Bluetooth™

stack that is a condensed version of a second Bluetooth™

stack provided in the computer.

27. The wireless communication system of claim 26, wherein the hub is provided externally from the computer.

28. The wireless communication system of claim 27, wherein the hub is coupled to the computer via a universal serial bus interface of the computer.

29. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and is provided externally to the computer, wherein the system is configured to check at a predefined interval for wireless connection between the hub and one of the wireless input devices and initiate a connection protocol if the hub and the one of the wireless input devices are determined to be not properly linked.

30. The wireless communication system of claim 22, wherein the hub is configured to handle Bluetooth™

technology and receive a wakeup signal from at least one of the input devices after the computer has been placed in a sleep mode.

31. The wireless communication system of claim 22, further comprising:

a third wireless input device configured to be linked to the hub to input a third command to the computer via the hub,

wherein the first, second and third input devices are a mouse, keyboard, and numpad, respectively,

wherein the first operational mode is an embedded mode that is a default mode and the second operational mode is a host controller interface mode,

wherein the hub is configured to support no more than three input devices during the embedded mode and support at least five input devices during the host controller interface mode.

32. The wireless communication system of claim 22 wherein the first connection interface is managed by a first module in the hub, wherein the second connection interface is managed by a second module in the hub,

wherein the first and second commands pass through the first module and the second module during the first operational mode,

wherein the first and second commands do not pass through the first module during the second operational mode.

33. The wireless communication system of claim 32 wherein the first module includes a program that is operable to process the first and second commands before the commands are transmitted to the computer in the first operational mode.