Methods and apparatus for exchanging messages having a digital data interface device message format

• US 8,539,119 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2005
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Katibian, Behnam, Wiley, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abad, Farley
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS-TAYLOR, DAYTON A.
• Application Number:
  US11/285,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,855 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052

Abstract

The present invention provides a digital data interface device message format that describes command and response messages to be exchanged between a digital device having a system controller and a digital data interface device. The digital data interface device includes a message interpreter, content module and a control module. The digital data interface device may include an MDDI link controller. The digital data interface device can be used by a cellular telephone to control a peripheral device, such as a camera, bar code reader, image scanner, audio device or other sensor. The digital data interface device message format includes a transaction identification field, a count field, a command identification field and a status field. Optionally, the message format can include a data field. When an MDDI link is used, a digital data interface device message can be included in an MDDI register access packet.

Claims

1. A digital data interface device message system for exchanging information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device, the message comprising:

a transaction identification field for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message;

a count field for determining a length of the message;

a command identification field for providing camera control identifications; and

a status field for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully.

2. A digital data interface device message according to claim 1, wherein each of the fields comprises an 8 bit format.

3. A digital data interface device message according to claim 1, further comprising a data field.

4. A digital data interface device message according to claim 3, wherein the data field includes four or eight bytes.

5. A digital data interface device message according to claim 3, wherein for a write command, the data field includes data to be written to one or more registers;

and wherein for response messages, the data field includes data that was read from one or more registers.

6. A digital data interface device message according to claim 3, wherein for an unsolicited response message, the data field includes data related to the event that caused the unsolicited response to be sent.

7. A digital data interface device message according to claim 3, wherein the data field contains data that is routed to a register block based on a value of the command ID field.

8. A digital data interface device message according to claim 3, wherein the count field comprises a byte that is used to determine the number of status and data field bytes in a message.

9. A digital data interface device message according to claim 1, wherein the transaction ID field comprises a byte that is used to identify a message.

10. A digital data interface device message according to claim 9, wherein the transaction ID field comprises a byte that associates the command message with the corresponding response message.

11. A digital data interface device message according to claim 9, wherein the transaction ID field comprises a byte containing a value that specifies an unsolicited response message;

and wherein the byte value is unique.

12. A digital data interface device message according to claim 1, wherein the status field comprises a byte used to determine whether to read from or write to a register block.

13. A digital data interface device message according to claim 1, wherein the status field comprises a byte used to specify whether a command has been executed successfully.

14. A digital data interface device for transferring digital presentation data at a high rate between a host device and a camera over a communication link, comprising:

a message interpreter module that receives camera control commands from and generates response messages through the communication link to a system controller, interprets the camera control commands and messages, and routes the information content of the camera control commands to an appropriate module within the digital data interface device;

a content module that receives data from the camera, stores the data and transfers the data to the system controller through the communication link;

a control module that receives information from the message interpreter, and routes information to a control block of the camera; and

a set of messages, wherein each message comprises a transaction ID field, a count field, a command ID field, a status field and a data field, wherein the transaction ID is used for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands and messages, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message, and wherein the status field is used for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully.

15. A method of exchanging information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device, comprising:

employing a link controller to format messages into a digital data interface device message format, wherein the message format comprises;

a transaction identification field for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message;

a count field for determining a length of the message;

a command identification field for providing camera control identifications; and

a status field for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully; and

employing the digital data interface device message format to exchange information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the message format further comprises a data field.

17. A non-transitory storage media comprising program instructions which are computer-executable to implement exchanging information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device, and which when executed perform the steps of:

employing a link controller to format messages into a digital data interface device message format, wherein the message format comprises;

a transaction identification field for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message;

a count field for determining a length of the message;

a command identification field for providing camera control identifications; and

a status field for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully; and

employing the digital data interface device message format to exchange information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device.

18. The non-transitory storage media of claim 17 wherein the message format further comprises a data field.

19. An apparatus for exchanging information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device, comprising:

a system controller; and

a message interpreter module coupled to the system controller, wherein the system controller and the message interpreter module format messages into a digital data interface device message format, wherein the message format comprises;

a transaction identification field for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message;

a count field for determining a length of the message;

a command identification field for providing camera control identifications; and

a status field for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the message format further comprises a data field.

21. An apparatus for exchanging information and commands between a digital data interface device and a digital camera device, comprising:

means for issuing command messages; and

means for issuing response messages coupled to the means for issuing commands, wherein the means for issuing commands and the means for issuing response messages format messages into a digital data interface device message format, wherein the message format comprises;

a transaction identification field for identifying the exchanged information and camera control commands, wherein the exchanged information comprises identifying a particular sent command message and a corresponding response message;

a count field for determining a length of the message;

a command identification field for providing camera control identifications; and

a status field for determining whether to read or write from a register block and further comprises an acknowledgement that the sent command message has been executed successfully.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the message format further comprises a data field.