Bidi extension for connected devices

• US 9,223,733 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Forrest, Herman Richard III, Fenelon, Michael P., Guillen, Guillermo Eduardo, Gorgenyi, Frank, Hutchings, Justin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Zachary K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez, David E
• Application Number:
  US14/557,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

Bidirectional (bidi) extension techniques for USB and/or other similar busses/connections are described in which an interface is provided to enable bidirectional communication with connected devices. The interface may be implemented as an operating system component to handle bidi communication for devices from multiple different independent hardware vendors (IHVs). Device drivers for different devices can be configured to include extension files in accordance with an established schema for bidi communication. The extension files describe supported bidi attributes, capabilities of the device, and how to make calls into the device. The interface operates to detect the extension files and set-up a corresponding device for bidi communication. Applications then interact through the interface to access, retrieve, and set configuration and status data for connected devices. The use of extension files enable creation of architecture independent devices drivers that can be used across different platforms with substantially no changes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

exposing an interface configured to support bidirectional (bidi) communications with connected devices, the interface configured as a component of a common port monitor for the connected devices, configured to use script-based objects created to represent each of the connected devices;

generating the script based objects to represent each of the connected devices to enable bidi interaction commonly through the interface;

receiving requests from applications for status and configuration data for the connected devices through the interface using the script based objects; and

responding to the requests by returning requested status and configuration data from the connected devices to the applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the port monitor is configured to manage ports for the connected devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting script-based extension files included in device drivers corresponding to the multiple USB connected devices in accordance with a script-based extension schema; and

configuring the connected devices for bidi communications based on the script-based extension files that are detected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the script-based extension files for each particular device describe bidi values, actions, and queries for status and configuration data supported by the particular device and entry points used to access the status and configuration data from the particular device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein configuring the connected devices for bidi communications includes:

processing the script-based extension files to create a table of bidi attributes supported by the connected devices; and

loading script from the script-based extension files that is callable via the interface to obtain current values for the supported bidi attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the interface to handle bidi communications for devices from multiple different independent hardware vendors (IHVs).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing the interface as component of a print subsystem that operates to handle printing to connected printers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a script-based extension schema for the bidi communications via the interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein handling requests from the applications for status and configuration data for the connected devices includes formatting and submitting queries to the connected devices on behalf of the applications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein handling requests from the applications for status and configuration data for a particular connected device includes loading a script based extension file from a driver corresponding to a particular device, the script based extension file executable to query entry points of the particular device to update values of bidi schema objects representing bidi attributes supported by the particular device.

11. One or more computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more components of a computing device, implement an interface configured as a common port monitor to perform operations to support bidirectional (bidi) communications with multiple connected devices, the operations comprising:

creating script-based objects to represent port/device combinations for each of the connected devices with respect to the interface;

receiving requests from applications for status and configuration data for the connected devices through the interface including formatting and submitting queries to the connected devices on behalf of the applications;

responding to the requests by returning requested status and configuration data from the connected devices to the applications;

detecting script-based extension files included in device drivers corresponding to the connected devices in accordance with a script-based extension schema; and

configuring the connected devices for bidi communications based on the script-based extension files that are detected, the configuring including;

processing the script-based extension files to create a table of bidi attributes supported by the connected devices; and

loading script from the script-based extension files that is callable via an operating system interface to obtain current values for the supported bidi attributes.

12. One or more computer readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the script-based extension files for each particular device describe bidi values, actions, and queries for status and configuration data supported by the particular device and entry points used to access the status and configuration data from the particular device.

13. One or more computer readable storage media of claim 11, further comprising handling a request for status and configuration data for a particular connected device including loading an extension file from a driver corresponding to the particular connected device, the extension file executable to query entry points of the particular connected device to update values of bidi schema objects representing bidi attributes supported by the particular connected device.

14. A computing system comprising:

processing hardware;

one or more computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the processing hardware, cause the computing system to perform operations including;

exposing an interface configured to support bidirectional (bidi) communications with connected devices, the interface configured as a component of a common port monitor for the connected devices, configured to use script-based objects created to represent each of the connected devices;

generating the script based objects to represent each of the connected devices to enable bidi interaction commonly through the interface;

receiving requests from applications for status and configuration data for the connected devices through the interface using the script based objects; and

responding to the requests by returning requested status and configuration data from the connected devices to the applications.

15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the interface is configured as a component of an operating system of the computing system and operable to handle bidi communications for devices from multiple different independent hardware vendors (IHVs).

16. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the interface is an application programming interface (API) provided as a component of a port monitor for the computing system configured to manage ports for the connected devices.

17. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the connected devices include one or more universal serial bus (USB) devices, the interface being configured to support bidirectional (bidi) communications for at least universal serial bus (USB) devices.

18. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the script-based objects represent port/device combinations for each of the connected devices.

19. The computing system of claim 14, wherein handling requests from the applications for status and configuration data for the connected devices includes formatting and submitting queries to the connected devices on behalf of the applications.

20. The computing system of claim 14, further comprising handling a request for status and configuration data for a particular connected device including loading an extension file from a driver corresponding to the particular connected device, the extension file executable to query entry points of the particular connected device to update values of bidi schema objects representing bidi attributes supported by the particular connected device.