Connection device and protocol

• US 8,805,992 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Winter, Richard M, Findlay, Benedict A
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US13/802,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709230-242, 455/41.2, 455/466, 455/567, 455/575
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4555 Directories for electronic mail or instant messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A common communications protocol is described among devices in a unified communications network. Native devices receive upstream commands and forward them to downstream devices without interpreting the commands. The native devices reformat commands intended for mapped devices in the unified communications network. The common communications protocol calls for left shifting address fields for transmitted commands until the command arrives at its intended destination.

Claims

1. A computerized network having devices that reside in a network having a topology, comprising:

a computerized protocol manager in a computer configured to coordinate communications among a plurality of associated devices by sending messages to associated devices in the plurality of associated devices, wherein the messages sent utilize a plurality of communication mechanisms;

a dongle, electronically coupled to the computerized protocol manager and configured to receive communications from the computerized protocol manager, wherein the dongle is further configured to interrogate a message address of a received communication and forward the message automatically to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices below the dongle in the network topology unless the message address indicates that the communication is intended for the dongle wherein the dongle'"'"'s understanding of network topology consists of the computer and the devices of the network topology immediately below the dongle in the network topology;

a headset, residing below the dongle in the network typology and electronically coupled to the dongle and configured to receive communications from the computerized protocol manager, wherein the headset is further configured to interrogate a message address of a received communication and forward the communication automatically to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices unless the message address indicates that the communication is intended for the headset wherein the headset'"'"'s understanding of network topology consists of the dongle and the devices of the network topology immediately below the headset in the network topology; and

a third associated device, electronically coupled to the headset and configured to receive communications from the computerized protocol manager,

wherein the headset is a native device to the computer and the third associated device is a mapped device to the computer such that the headset formats communications in a communication mechanism acceptable by the third associated device.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein the plurality of communication mechanisms comprises at least two of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DECT, USB HID, wUSB and serial port.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein the third associated device is further configured to interrogate a message address of a received communication and forward the communication automatically to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices unless the message address indicates that the communication is intended for the third associated device;

and

a fourth associated device, electronically coupled to the third associated device and configured to receive communications from the computer.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein the third associated device comprises a mobile telephone.

5. The network of claim 4 wherein the dongle communicates with the computer using DECT as a communication mechanism, the headset uses Bluetooth as a communication mechanism with the dongle, and the mobile phone uses Bluetooth as a communication mechanism with the headset.

6. The network of claim 1 wherein the computer further comprises a presence engine and communications among the computerized protocol manager, the dongle, and the headset relate to the transmission of presence data associated with the presence engine.

7. The network of claim 1 wherein the computer resides in a television set-top box and the third associated device comprises a mobile telephone.

8. The network of claim 1 wherein the dongle interrogates the message address by examining a first portion of the message address and determining if the first portion of the message address matches a local address.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein the first portion of the message address comprises a first integer number and the local address comprises the integer number zero.

10. The network of claim 8 wherein the dongle alters the message address before sending the message to the headset.

11. The network of claim 8 wherein the dongle alters the message address by left shifting the address by one integer.

12. A computerized method in a network having devices that reside in a topology, the method comprising:

coordinating communications among a plurality of associated devices by a computerized protocol manager in a computer that sends messages to associated devices in the plurality of associated devices, wherein the messages sent utilize a plurality of communication mechanisms;

receiving a message from the computerized protocol manager by a dongle, electronically coupled to the computerized protocol manager;

interrogating a message address of the received message by the dongle;

forwarding the received message automatically by the dongle to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices below the dongle in the network topology unless the message address indicates that the message is intended for the dongle, wherein the dongle'"'"'s understanding of network topology consists of the computer and the devices of the network topology immediately below the dongle in the network topology;

receiving a message from the computerized protocol manager via the dongle in a headset, electronically coupled to the dongle, the headset residing below the dongle in the network typology;

interrogating a message address of the received message by the headset;

forwarding the received message automatically by the headset to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices unless the message address indicates that the message is intended for the headset, wherein the headset'"'"'s understanding of network topology consists of the dongle and the devices of the network topology immediately below the headset in the network topology; and

receiving a message from the computerized protocol manager via the dongle and via the headset in a third associated device, electronically coupled to the headset,

wherein the headset is a native device to the computer and the third associated device is a mapped device to the computer such that the headset formats communications in a communication mechanism acceptable by the third associated device.

13. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of communication mechanisms comprises at least two of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DECT, USB HID, wUSB and serial port.

14. The computerized method of claim 12, further comprising:

interrogating a message address of a received message by the third associated device;

forwarding the message automatically by the third associated device to another associated device of the plurality of associated devices unless the message address indicates that the message is intended for the third associated device; and

receiving a message by a fourth associated device, electronically coupled to the third associated device, from the computerized protocol manager via the third associated device.

15. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein the third associated device comprises a mobile telephone.

16. The computerized method of claim 15 wherein the dongle communicates with the computer using DECT as a communication mechanism, the headset uses Bluetooth as a communication mechanism with the dongle, and the mobile phone uses Bluetooth as a communication mechanism with the headset.

17. The computerized method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting presence data associated with a presence engine via messages among the computerized protocol manager, the dongle, and the headset.

18. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein the computer resides in a television set-top box and the third associated device comprises a mobile telephone.

19. The computerized method of claim 12, further comprising:

interrogating the message address by the dongle by examining a first portion of the message address and determining if the first portion of the message address matches a local address.

20. The computerized method of claim 19 wherein the first portion of the message address comprises a first integer number and the local address comprises the integer number zero.

21. The computerized method of claim 19, further comprising:

altering by the dongle the message address before sending the message to the headset.

22. The computerized method of claim 19, further comprising:

altering the message address by the dongle by left shifting the address by one integer.