Communication protocol for use with portable electronic devices

• US 8,346,987 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lydon, Gregory Thomas, Krueger, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US13/273,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/10, 710/11, 710/14, 710/110, 710/305, 709/224, 709/225, 707/621
• US Class Current: 710/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Improved techniques for communicating between a portable electronic device and an accessory (or auxiliary) device are disclosed. The accessory device can augment or supplement the functionality or capabilities of the portable electronic device. For example, in one embodiment, the accessory device can provide wireless communication capabilities to the portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device pertains to a portable media player and thus provide media data for storage, playback or transmission. In one embodiment, the accessory device is attachable to the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a portable media device to an accessory, a first command requesting information about asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

receiving, by the portable media device from the accessory, information about the asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

sending, by the portable media device to the accessory, a second command requesting an address associated with the accessory;

receiving, by the portable media device from the accessory, the address associated with the accessory;

sending, by the portable media device to the accessory, a third command, the third command including a data frame and a destination address for a destination device; and

instructing, by the portable media device, the accessory to transmit the data frame to the destination device, wherein a source address assigned to the data frame transmitted to the destination device is the address associated with the accessory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the address associated with the accessory is a network address.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the portable media device from the accessory, another data frame, wherein the other data frame is originated by the destination device.

4. A portable media device communicably coupled to an accessory, the portable media device comprising:

a processor; and

a network interface coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor in conjunction with the network interface is configured to;

receive information about asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

send a command to the accessory requesting an address associated with the accessory;

receive the address associated with the accessory;

send a second command to the accessory, the second command including a first data frame and a destination address for a destination device; and

instruct the accessory to transmit the first data frame to the destination device, wherein a source address assigned to the first data frame transmitted to the destination device is the address associated with the accessory.

5. The portable media device of claim 4 wherein the processor in conjunction with the network interface is further configured to receive a second data frame from the accessory device, wherein the second data frame originates at the destination device.

6. The portable media device of claim 4 wherein the portable media device receives the information about asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory in response to a capabilities command sent by the portable media device to the accessory.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by an accessory from a portable media device, a first command requesting information about asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

sending, by the accessory to the portable media device, information about the asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

receiving, by the accessory from the portable media device, a second command, the second command including a data frame and a destination address for a destination device, wherein a source address for the data frame is an address of the portable media device;

receiving an instruction, by the accessory from the portable media device, to transmit the data frame to the destination device;

replacing, by the accessory, the address of the portable media device with an address of the accessory; and

transmitting, by the accessory to the destination device, the data frame received from the portable media device, wherein the source address for the data frame is the address of the accessory.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, by the accessory from the destination device, another data frame to be transmitted to the portable media device;

verifying, by the accessory, whether the destination device is authorized to send data to the portable media device; and

transmitting, the other data frame to the portable media device, only if the destination device is authorized to send data to the portable media device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the verifying step comprises determining whether the destination address for the destination device is among a list of approved addresses by the portable media device.

10. An accessory communicably coupled to a portable media device, the accessory comprising:

a microcontroller; and

a transceiver coupled to the microcontroller,

wherein the microcontroller in conjunction with the transceiver is configured to;

receive a first command from a portable media device, the first command requesting information about asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory;

send information about the asynchronous data transfer capabilities of the accessory to the portable media device;

receive, by the accessory from the portable media device, a second command, the second command including a data frame and a destination address for a destination device, wherein a source address for the data frame is an address of the portable media device;

receive an instruction, from the portable media device, to transmit the data frame to the destination device;

replace the address of the portable media device for the data frame with an address of the accessory; and

transmit the data frame received from the portable media device to the destination device, wherein the source address for the data frame is the address of the accessory.