Automatic identification of compatible applications and accessories

• US 8,639,733 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Holden, Paul, Bolton, Lawrence, Ganatra, Nitin, Adler, Mitchell, Schubert, Emily Clark, Toprani, Shyam, Ananny, John, Langenfeld, Peter, Krueger, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/720,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 707/821, 707/827, 717174-178
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile computing device from an accessory external to and communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, a request for executing an application, the request including an indicator identifying a first set of one or more application protocols supported by the accessory for communicating with the application, wherein the request is received using an accessory protocol that is distinct from each of the one or more application protocols,

wherein the accessory protocol enables communication between the accessory and an operating system component of the mobile computing device and wherein each of the one or more application protocols is specific to one or more particular applications executable on the mobile computing device;

determining, by the mobile computing device, whether an application satisfying the request is available for execution at the mobile computing device, the determining comprising comparing the first set of one or more application protocols with a second set of one or more application protocols supported by applications resident on the mobile computing device;

if an application satisfying the request is not available for execution at the mobile computing device;

sending, by the mobile computing device, information to an application store through a network, the information comprising at least a portion of the indicator;

downloading, by the mobile computing device, an application associated with the indicator from the application store, wherein the downloaded application is an application satisfying the request; and

executing the application satisfying the request, wherein executing the application includes communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application protocol,

wherein communicating with the accessory using the application protocol includes;

writing, by the application, a message conforming to the application protocol to an output stream;

generating, by the operating system component of the mobile device, a bundle from the output stream; and

transmitting the bundle to the accessory device via a port, wherein the bundle is transmitted in conformity with the accessory protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the application further includes:

transmitting information specifying the matched application protocol to the accessory, wherein the information is transmitted using the accessory protocol; and

communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the matched application protocol.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information specifying the matched application protocol includes a session identifier.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

while the selected application is executing, communicating, by an operating system component of the mobile computing device, with the accessory using the accessory protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the downloaded application supports at least one application protocol in the first set of one or more application protocols.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the application store is an Internet-based application store.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicator is associated with a plurality of applications, and wherein the determining determines whether all of the plurality of applications are available for execution at the mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicator further comprises an application type associated with a plurality of applications.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the application store a listing of applications associated with the indicator that are available for download.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

prompting a user to select an application from the listing of applications;

receiving the selection from the user; and

sending an indication of the user'"'"'s selection to the application store.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the listing of applications includes a preferred application.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the information sent to the application store comprises a URL.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the information sent to the application store comprises a product identifier or an application identifier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the information sent to the application store comprises an identifier of an application protocol.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is a program that, when executed, provides a user interface for interacting with the accessory via the mobile computing device.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a processor of a mobile computing device, the program code comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving information from an accessory external to and communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device identifying an application, the information including an application protocol identifier representing an application protocol supported by the accessory for communicating with the application, wherein the information is received using an accessory protocol that is distinct from the application protocol,

wherein the accessory protocol enables communication between the accessory and an operating system component of the mobile computing device and wherein the application protocol is specific to a particular application executable on the mobile computing device;

determining whether the application identified by the received information is available at the mobile computing device;

if the application identified by the received information is not available at the mobile computing device;

sending to an application store a request that includes the information identifying the application; and

downloading the application identified by the information from the application store; and

executing the application identified by the received information, wherein executing the application includes communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application protocol,

wherein communicating with the accessory using the application protocol includes;

writing, by the application, a message conforming to the application protocol to an output stream;

generating, by the operating system component of the mobile device, a bundle from the output stream; and

transmitting the bundle to the accessory device via a port, wherein the bundle is transmitted in conformity with the accessory protocol.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein determining whether the application is available at the mobile computing device comprises:

determining whether the application protocol identifier is in a lookup table of supported application protocol identifiers, the supported application protocol identifiers representing application protocols supported by applications installed on the mobile computing device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein executing the application further comprises:

initiating a communication session between the application executing on the mobile computing device and the accessory;

transmitting to the accessory information including the matching application protocol identifier, wherein the information is transmitted using the accessory protocol; and

communicating, by the application executing on the mobile device, with the accessory using an application protocol corresponding to the matching application protocol identifier.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

while the application is executing, communicating, by an operating system component of the mobile computing device, with the accessory using the accessory protocol.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the information identifying the application further includes a URL, a unique product identifier, or a product type.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the application is downloaded from the application store without receiving an indication from a user to do so.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the downloading occurs in the event an indication to download is received from a user.

23. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile computing device, information identifying an application communication protocol from an accessory device external to and communicably coupled with the mobile computing device, wherein the information is received using an accessory protocol that enables communication between the accessory device and an operating system component of the mobile computing device, wherein the application communication protocol is a protocol supported by the accessory device for communication with a particular application executable on the mobile computing device, and wherein the accessory protocol is distinct from the application communication protocol,

determining, by the mobile computing device, whether the application communication protocol is found within a protocol table resident on the mobile computing device, the protocol table storing data identifying application communication protocols supported by applications resident on the mobile computing device;

if the application communication protocol is found within the protocol table, executing an application that supports the application communication protocol, wherein executing the application includes communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application communication protocol; and

if the application communication protocol is not found within the protocol table;

sending to an application store, a request that includes the information identifying the application communication protocol;

downloading, by the mobile computing device, an application that supports the application communication protocol from the application store; and

executing the downloaded application, wherein executing the application includes communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application communication protocol

wherein communicating with the accessory using the application communication protocol includes;

writing, by the application, a message conforming to the application communication protocol to an output stream;

generating, by the operating system component of the mobile device, a bundle from the output stream; and

transmitting the bundle to the accessory device via a port, wherein the bundle is transmitted in conformity with the accessory protocol.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the information identifying the application communication protocol identifies the application communication protocol using a reverse domain name format.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the information identifying the application communication protocol includes an identification of a preferred application that supports the application communication protocol, and wherein the method further comprises, if the application communication protocol is not found within the protocol table, downloading the preferred application.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein downloading an application that supports the application communication protocol comprises:

directing a user to a network location associated with the application store;

receiving a listing of one or more applications associated with the indicator from the application store;

receiving a user selection of the application from the listing of one or more applications; and

downloading, by the mobile computing device, the selected application.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein one of the applications in the listing of one or more applications is a preferred application.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the preferred application is highlighted in the listing of one or more applications.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising determining the network location based at least in part on information selected from a group consisting of:

a protocol string, an application identifier, a preferred application identifier, and an application code.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein the application is installed upon being downloaded.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the user purchases the application prior to downloading.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

while the application is executing, communicating, by an operating system component of the mobile computing device, with the accessory using the accessory protocol.

33. The method of claim 23 wherein the application is a program that, when executed, provides a user interface for interacting with the accessory via the mobile computing device.

34. The method of claim 23 wherein the information identifying an application communication protocol received from the accessory device includes an application protocol name string formatted in a reverse domain name convention.

35. The method of claim 23 wherein the information identifying an application communication protocol received from the accessory device includes an identifier of a preferred application.

36. The method of claim 23 wherein communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application communication protocol further includes:

receiving, at a port of the mobile computing device, a message from the accessory conforming to the accessory protocol, the message containing a bundle;

writing, by the operating system component of the mobile device, the bundle to an input stream; and

reading, by the application, the input stream, wherein the application interprets the input stream in accordance with the application communication protocol.

37. A mobile computing device comprising:

a communications interface configured to exchange commands and data with an accessory; and

a processor configured to;

receive, from an accessory device external to and communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, a request for executing an application, the request including an indicator identifying a first set of one or more application protocols supported by the accessory for communicating with the application, wherein the request is received using an accessory protocol that is distinct from each of the one or more application protocols,

wherein the accessory protocol enables communication between the accessory device and an operating system component of the mobile computing device and wherein each of the one or more application protocols is specific to one or more particular applications executable on the mobile computing device;

determine whether an application satisfying the request is available for execution at the mobile computing device, the determining comprising comparing the first set of one or more application protocols with a second set of one or more application protocols supported by applications installed on the mobile computing device;

if an application satisfying the request is not available for execution at the mobile computing device;

send information to an application store through a network, the information comprising at least a portion of the indicator;

download an application associated with the indicator from the application store, wherein the downloaded application is an application satisfying the request; and

execute the application satisfying the request, wherein executing the application includes communicating, by the application, with the accessory using the application protocol,

wherein communicating with the accessory using the application protocol includes;

writing, by the application, a message conforming to the application protocol to an output stream;

generating, by the operating system component of the mobile device, a bundle from the output stream; and

transmitting the bundle to the accessory device via a port, wherein the bundle is transmitted in conformity with the accessory protocol.

38. The mobile computing device of claim 37 wherein the indicator further comprises an Internet-based address wherein the application can be downloaded, and wherein if the application is not available for execution at the mobile computing device, the application is downloaded based on the Internet-based address.