Accessory and mobile computing device communication using an application communication protocol

• US 9,069,908 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• 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, Dorogusker, Jesse Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): LIAO, HSINCHUN
• Application Number:
  US12/720,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20100233961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.3, 455/575.1, 455/559, 395/200.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 for communicating between an accessory device and an application executing on a mobile device, the method operating on the mobile device, the method comprising:

identifying an accessory device, wherein the identification uses an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between any accessory device and an operating system of the mobile device via a port of the mobile device;

receiving information from the accessory device specifying an application communication protocol, wherein the application communication protocol is distinct from the accessory communication protocol and is usable to communicate with a particular application on the mobile device and wherein the information is received via the port using the accessory communication protocol;

identifying, from a protocol table at the mobile device, an application that is resident on the mobile device and that supports the specified application communication protocol;

executing the identified application at the mobile computing device; and

communicating with the accessory device from the application using the application communication protocol, wherein communicating with the accessory device includes;

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

generating, by a support layer of the operating system, a bundle from the output stream; and

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

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising downloading an application that supports the application protocol in the event that the protocol table does not include the specified application communication protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information from the accessory device specifying the application communication protocol specifies the application communication protocol using a reverse domain name convention.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information from the accessory device specifying the application communication protocol also includes an identifier associated with the application communication protocol.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application communication protocol includes commands that are included within the accessory communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in a system process at the mobile device, protocol association information identifying a particular application as supporting a particular application communication protocol; and

updating the protocol table to include the received protocol association information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the protocol association information is received during an installation process that installs the particular application.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the protocol association information is received during a launch process that launches the particular application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the accessory device further includes:

receiving, from the accessory device via the port, a packet conforming to the accessory communication protocol, the packet containing an incoming bundle;

extracting, by a support layer of the operating system, the incoming bundle from the packet and writing the incoming bundle to an input stream; and

processing the input stream, by the application, as one or more messages conforming to the application communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the bundle includes encapsulating the bundle as a payload in a packet conforming to the accessory communication protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the packet conforming to the accessory communication protocol further includes a tunneling command defined by the accessory communication protocol.

12. A mobile computing device comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface disposed at least partially within the housing, and configured to exchange commands and data with an accessory, the communication interface having at least a first port;

memory disposed within the housing; and

control logic disposed within the housing, and communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, the control logic being configured to;

receive an indication specifying an application communication protocol from an accessory through the communication interface using an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between any accessory device and an operating system of the mobile computing device via the first port, wherein the application communication protocol is distinct from the accessory communication protocol and is usable to communicate with a particular application on the mobile computing device;

identify, from a protocol table at the mobile computing device, an application that is stored in the memory of the mobile computing device and that supports the specified application communication protocol;

execute the identified application; and

establish communication between the accessory and the application using the application communication protocol, wherein communicating with the accessory includes;

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

generating, by a support layer of the operating system, a bundle from the output stream; and

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

13. The mobile computing device according to claim 12, wherein the first port is a wired or a wireless port.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the control logic is further configured to:

obtain, from a particular application, protocol association information identifying the particular application as supporting a particular application communication protocol; and

update the protocol table to include the received protocol association information.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 12, wherein the control logic is further configured such that communicating with the accessory further includes:

receiving, from the accessory via the first port, a packet conforming to the accessory communication protocol, the packet containing an incoming bundle;

extracting, by a support layer of the operating system, the incoming bundle from the packet and writing the incoming bundle to an input stream; and

processing the input stream, by the application, as one or more messages conforming to the application communication protocol.

16. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface disposed at least partially within the housing, and configured to exchange commands and data with an accessory;

memory disposed within the housing; and

control logic disposed within the housing, and communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, the control logic being configured to;

receive application communication protocol information from an accessory device through the communication interface, wherein the application communication protocol information includes an identification of an application communication protocol supported by the accessory, and wherein the application communication protocol information is received from the accessory using an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between any accessory device and an operating system of the mobile computing device,

wherein the application communication protocol is distinct from the accessory communication protocol and is usable to communicate with a particular application on the mobile computing device;

identify, from a protocol table at the mobile computing device, an application that is stored in the memory of the mobile computing device and that supports the specified application communication protocol;

execute the identified application, wherein during execution, the application generates an output stream comprising messages conforming to the application communication protocol;

create, by a support layer of the operating system, one or more bundles from the output stream; and

send the one or more bundles to the accessory via the communication interface, wherein each of the one or more bundles is sent in conformity with the accessory communication protocol.

17. The mobile computing device according to claim 16, wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

receiving application communication protocol information from an accessory device using an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between any accessory device and an operating system of the mobile computing device via a port of the mobile computing device, wherein the application communication protocol is distinct from the accessory communication protocol and is usable to communicate with a particular application on the mobile computing device;

identifying, from a protocol table at the mobile computing device, an application executable on the mobile computing device that supports the specified application communication protocol; and

executing the identified application, wherein executing the identified application includes;

receiving, from the accessory via the port, a data packet conforming to the accessory communication protocol, the data packet containing a bundle;

extracting, by a support layer of the operating system, the bundle from the data packet;

writing the bundle to an input stream for the application; and

interpreting the input stream, by the application, as one or more messages conforming to the application communication protocol.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises displaying, at a display of the mobile computing device, information extracted by the application from the one or more messages conforming to the application communication protocol.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises controlling the functionality of the accessory by sending commands to the accessory using the application communication protocol.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein executing the identified application further includes:

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

generating, by a support layer of the operating system, an outgoing bundle from the output stream; and

transmitting the outgoing bundle to the accessory via the first port, wherein the outgoing bundle is transmitted in conformity with the accessory communication protocol.