Method and apparatus for providing characteristics information of a peripheral device to an electronic device by encoding the characteristic information into a power signal

• US 8,909,955 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Boucher, Antoine, Meunier, Marc lis, Verma, Sushil K., Scharkov, John Ivan, Abdelsamie, Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): Rehman, Mohammed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheng, Xuxing
• Application Number:
  US13/177,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 713/310, 439/173
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

Various embodiments are described herein for a peripheral device and a method of identifying the peripheral device via power cycling. In one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining characteristic information about the peripheral device, encoding the characteristic information in a power signal at the peripheral device and sending the power signal to an electronic device that is operably connected with the peripheral device. The electronic device can then take action such as adjusting its settings or applications based on the characteristic information of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A method of providing characteristic information of a peripheral device to an electronic device, wherein the method comprises:

detecting whether a user is selecting the characteristic information for the peripheral device at a user input stage of the peripheral device;

if the user is selecting the characteristic information at the user input stage of the peripheral device, setting the characteristic information of the peripheral device to identify location information provided by the user at the user input stage of the peripheral device, the location information being used to modify a configuration of the electronic device;

obtaining the characteristic information about the peripheral device;

detecting whether the peripheral device has just been operably connected to the electronic device;

encoding the characteristic information in a power signal at the peripheral device;

after a first delay period, sending the power signal with the encoded characteristic information to the electronic device; and

after a second delay, sending the power signal for charging the electronic device, wherein the first delay period is between the detecting of the peripheral device having just been operably connected to the electronic device and the sending of the power signal with the encoded characteristic information to the electronic device, and the second delay period is after the sending of the power signal with the encoded characteristic information to the electronic device and before the sending of the power signal for charging the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises encoding the characteristic information based on pulse information, within the power signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic information comprises serial information for the peripheral device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providing at least one of pulses and absences of pulses in the pulse information to encode a digital sequence that represents the characteristic information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providing a number of pulses in the pulse information, wherein the number of pulses encodes the characteristic information.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises providing a single pulse with a duration in the pulse information and setting the duration of the single pulse based on the characteristic information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing a visual indication of the characteristic information at the peripheral device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises encoding the characteristic information in the power signal after detecting that the peripheral device is operably connected to the electronic device for the first time or when the characteristic information of the peripheral device is changed after the peripheral and electronic devices are operably connected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the power signal is transferred via a wired connection or a wireless connection between the peripheral device and the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delay period is different from the second delay period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second delay period is subsequent to the first delay period.

12. A peripheral device that provides a power signal to charge an electronic device, wherein the peripheral device comprises:

a power supply stage adapted to provide a power supply signal;

a connector stage adapted to operably connect the peripheral device with the electronic device and provide the power signal based on the power supply signal;

a user input stage configured to allow a user to input location information of the peripheral device; and

a micro-controller connected to the power supply stage, the micro-controller being adapted to detect when the peripheral device and the electronic device have just been operably connected, to determine if a user is providing location information at the user input stage of the peripheral device about the peripheral device, and if the user is providing the location information at the user input stage of the peripheral device, to set characteristic information about the peripheral device to identify the location information provided by the user, to obtain the characteristic information about the peripheral device, to encode the characteristic information in the power supply signal, to send the power supply signal with the encoded characteristic information to electronic device after a first delay period, and to send the power supply signal for charging the electronic device after a second delay period, wherein the location information of the peripheral device is used to modify a configuration of the electronic device, wherein the first delay period is between the detecting of the peripheral device having just been operably connected to the electronic device and the sending of the power signal with the encoded characteristic information to the electronic device, and the second delay period is after the sending of the power signal with the encoded characteristic information to the electronic device and before the sending of the power signal for charging the electronic device.

13. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the micro-controller is adapted to control the power supply stage to generate pulse information to encode the characteristic information.

14. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the characteristic information comprises serial information for the peripheral device.

15. The peripheral device of claim 13, wherein the micro-controller is adapted to control the power supply stage to generate the pulse information to encode a digital sequence comprising at least one of pulses and absences of pulses to encode the characteristic information.

16. The peripheral device of claim 13, wherein the micro-controller is adapted to control the power supply stage to generate a number of pulses in the pulse information, wherein the number of pulses encodes the characteristic information.

17. The peripheral device of claim 13, wherein the micro-controller is adapted to control the power supply stage to provide a single pulse with a duration in the pulse information, wherein the duration of the single pulse is based on the characteristic information.

18. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the peripheral device further comprises:

a visual location indicator connected to the micro-controller, the visual location indicator being adapted to provide a visual indication of the characteristic information; and

the user input stage configured to allow the user to input a characteristic of the peripheral device.

19. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the peripheral device further comprises a current sensing stage connected to the connector stage and the micro-controller, the current sensing stage being adapted to measure a current of the connector stage, and wherein the micro-controller is further adapted to detect when the peripheral and electronic devices are operably connected based on the measured current and to instruct the power supply stage to encode the characteristic information in the power signal after detecting that the peripheral device is operably connected to the electronic device for the first time or when the characteristic information of the peripheral device is changed after the peripheral and electronic devices are operably connected.

20. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the power signal is transferred via a wired connection or a wireless connection between the peripheral device and the electronic device.

21. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the first delay period is different from the second delay period.

22. The peripheral device of claim 12, wherein the second delay period is subsequent to the first delay period.