Methods and apparatus to control accessories

• US 9,131,327 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Abdelsamie, Ahmed, Meunier, Marc lis, Boucher, Antoine Gilles Joseph, Jiang, Danqing, Chan, Jeff Chi Shing
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mathew, Max
• Application Number:
  US13/649,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130095757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411- 413, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to control accessories are disclosed. An example method includes establishing a first close-proximity communication connection via a first protocol by providing connection information via a second close-proximity communication connection via a second protocol, obtaining configuration information via the second close-proximity communication connection, and configuring a response to an event associated with the second close-proximity communication connection.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications connection;

based on the configuration information, configuring a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection;

detecting an event by monitoring a field detect pin of a near field communications module, wherein the near field communications module is associated with the near field communications connection; and

performing the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of the near field communications electromagnetic field.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the subsequent events comprise detecting third close-proximity communications having a same type as the near field communications connection.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the first close-proximity communication connection comprises receiving a first configuration file and establishing a pairing to a device from which the first configuration file was received.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the response is at least one of increasing an audio volume, decreasing the audio volume, resetting the audio volume to a volume level, muting an audio input, unmuting an audio input, skipping playback of an audio track, changing a colored of a display, changing a sampling rate of an audio input, or disconnecting the first close-proximity communication connection.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a type 2 near field communications tag.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising requesting the configuration information in response to establishing the first close-proximity communications connection.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising transmitting validation information to the first device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein performing the configured response comprises interpreting the event and taking an action specified in the configuration information based on the interpretation.

9. An accessory for a mobile device, comprising:

a first close-proximity communications module comprising a processor;

a near field communications module comprising a field detect pin; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least;

establish a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via the near field communications module and a near field communication communications connection with the first device;

obtain a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications module and the near field communications communication connection;

based on the configuration information, configure a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection;

detect an event by monitoring the field detect pin of the near field communications module; and

perform the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of the near field communications electromagnetic field.

10. An accessory as defined in claim 9, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to transmit validation information to a device from which the configuration information was received.

11. An accessory as defined in claim 9, wherein the first close-proximity communications module comprises a Bluetooth communication module.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a first close-proximity communications module;

a near field communications module;

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transmit first information via the near field communications module, the first information to enable an accessory to establish communications with the first close-proximity communications module;

establish communications with the accessory via the first close-proximity communications module; and

transmit second configuration information via the near field communications module, the second configuration information to cause the accessory to;

configure a response to subsequent events that are associated with a near field communications module of the accessory and that occur after the accessory establishes the communications with the mobile device via the first close-proximity communications module, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection, by the accessory, of a near field communications electromagnetic field;

detect an event by monitoring a field detect pin of the near field communications module of the accessory; and

perform the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of a near field communications electromagnetic field.

13. A mobile device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a display, the instructions to further cause the processor to notify a user of a failure to configure the accessory.

14. A mobile device as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate the configuration information, the configuration information comprising a configuration file.

15. A mobile device as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send the configuration information in response to a request for the configuration information from the accessory.

16. A method comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a first near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the first near field communications connection;

based on the configuration information, configuring a first response to subsequent events associated with the first near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the first near field communications connection;

establishing a second near field communications connection with a second device;

identifying a locally stored configuration file, stored prior to establishing the second near field communications connection, associated with the second device; and

configuring a second response to the subsequent events based on the stored configuration file.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising, in response to identifying the stored configuration file associated with the second device:

disconnecting the first close-proximity communication connection with the first device; and

establishing a second close-proximity communication connection with the second device based on the stored configuration file or a second stored configuration file.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein disconnecting the first close-proximity communications connection is performed while the first close-proximity communications connection is active.

19. A method, comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications connection; and

based on the configuration information, configuring a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection, wherein configuring the response to subsequent events comprises configuring a default response and at least one special response based on the configuration information.