Method and apparatus for binding peripheral devices to a computer

• US 7,629,963 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Wright, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rainey, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US11/007,072
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176, 713/193, 345/156, 345/168, 710 8- 14
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A non-keyboard computer peripheral device represents itself to a host computer as having a keyboard function in addition to representing its actual function. Keyboard status signals are generated by the host computer in response to a user pressing different keys on an actual keyboard. The peripheral device uses the keyboard status signals to identify different peripheral device operations selected by the user. In one example, a radio receiving device represents itself to the host computer as including the keyboard function. Pressing a button on the receiving device causes the receiving device to send a sequence of keystroke commands to the host computer that cause the host computer to initiate software applications and to display operating instructions to a user. A series of further binding operations are then executed in accordance with the displayed operating instructions.

Claims

1. A computer element, comprising:

a peripheral device that is not a computer keyboard but that is configured to represent itself to a host computer as having both a keyboard function and a non-keyboard computer peripheral function;

wherein the peripheral device is configured to generate one or more keyboard keystroke commands comprising display commands to display one or more selectable options on the host computer,

and wherein the peripheral device is configured to receive a keyboard status message from the host computer broadcast to devices represented to the host computer as having a keyboard function in response to an action on a keyboard status key of the host computer and, based on receipt of the keyboard status message, interpret the keyboard status message as a selection of at least one of the selectable options.

2. The computer element according to claim 1, wherein the one or more keyboard keystroke commands further comprise command line interface commands to open a command line interface and to initiate a software application of the host computer from the command line interface.

3. The computer element according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a radio communicatively linked to the host computer.

4. The computer element according to claim 3, wherein the one or more keyboard keystroke commands further comprise command line interface commands to open a text editor or webpage on the host computer describing how to bind the radio with a wireless transmitter.

5. The computer element according to claim 4, wherein the one or more keyboard keystroke commands are configured to direct a user to activate a device on the wireless transmitter to establish a correspondence with one of a plurality of radio channels selected by the radio.

6. The computer element according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard status message is a <

Caps Lock>

state indicator, a <

Num Lock>

state indicator, or a <

Scroll Lock>

state indicator.

7. The computer element according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device sends the one or more keyboard keystroke commands when:

another device is using a same wireless channel as the peripheral device;

corrupted data is received from an associated transmitting device;

or

there is an absence of a received data transmission from the associated transmitting device but a high level of Radio Frequency (RF) energy is detected on a currently used radio channel.

8. The computer element according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a non-keyboard Universal Serial Bus (USB) device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating a screen of the host computer as a virtual user interface for the non-keyboard peripheral device, and operating the keyboard as a user input device for the non-keyboard peripheral device.

9. A method comprising:

representing, to a host computer, a non-keyboard peripheral device as including a keyboard function;

sending, from the non-keyboard peripheral device to the host computer, a sequence of keystroke commands to display information on a screen of the host computer;

receiving, by the non-keyboard peripheral device in response to a key press of a keyboard status key on a keyboard, a keyboard status message, the keyboard status message broadcasted from the host computer to devices represented to the host computer as having a keyboard function; and

using, by the non-keyboard peripheral device, the keyboard status message to interpret one or more selectable options associated with operating the non-keyboard peripheral device, wherein to interpret comprises determining that the keyboard status message represents a selection of one or more of the options.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending, from the non-keyboard peripheral device to the host computer, a sequence of keyboard keystroke commands to display on a screen of the host computer selectable options that include the one or more selectable options.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, on the screen of the host computer, a web page according to the sequence of keyboard keystroke commands.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising enumerating the non-keyboard peripheral device as a USB composite device, one of a plurality of enumerated interfaces of the composite device being a keyboard interface.

14. A method comprising:

representing a non-keyboard peripheral device as including a keyboard function;

providing keyboard keystroke commands in the non-keyboard peripheral device that simulate keyboard keystroke commands;

sending the keyboard keystroke commands to a host computer that cause the host computer to display information as if it were received from a keyboard,

wherein to display information comprises displaying selectable options on the host computer for operating the non-keyboard peripheral device;

identifying keys for selecting the selectable options that, when pressed on an associated keyboard communicatively linked with the host computer, cause the host computer to broadcast an associated keyboard status message to devices represented, to the host computer, as having a keyboard function;

identifying a keyboard status message received from the host computer by the non-keyboard peripheral device as an action on one of the keys intended to select at least one selectable option of the selectable options;

utilizing the keyboard status message from the host computer to identify at least one selected option of the selectable options; and

operating the non-keyboard peripheral device according to the at least one selected option.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising using the keyboard keystroke commands to open a web browser on the host computer and then access a web page.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising using the keyboard keystroke commands provided to instruct a user how to bind the non-keyboard peripheral device with a wireless transmitter.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein identifying keys comprises identifying one or more of:

a <

Caps Lock>

key, a <

Num Lock>

key, and a <

Scroll Lock>

key for selection of the at least one selected option on the associated keyboard.

18. A method comprising:

representing a non-keyboard peripheral device to a host device as having both a keyboard function and a non-keyboard function; and

using a command message from the non-keyboard peripheral device in conjunction with a keyboard status message generated by a keyboard device in response to depression of a keyboard status key of the keyboard device, wherein the keyboard device is associated with the host device, and wherein the using comprises;

sending the command message from the non-keyboard peripheral device to the host device, wherein the command message comprises one or more keyboard keystroke commands to display selectable options on a display of the host device;

receiving, from the host device, the keyboard status message on the non-keyboard peripheral device; and

interpreting, on the non-keyboard peripheral device, the status message as at least one option selection of the selectable options.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing an operation of the non-keyboard peripheral device according to the at least one option selection.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising one or both of:

operating the display of the host computing device as a virtual user interface for the non-keyboard peripheral device, or

operating the keyboard device as a user input device for the non-keyboard peripheral device.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising enumerating the non-keyboard peripheral device as a USB composite device, one of a plurality of enumerated interfaces of the composite device being a keyboard interface.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more keyboard keystroke commands displays a message on the display of the host computing device identifying the individual key as corresponding to the at least one option selection.