System method for associating an application runnng on computing system by selectively altering an attribute of the input and output of connected peripheral device

• US 9,280,494 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Slezak, Mark, Michaud, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US13/908,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 710 8- 10, 710/62, 710/63, 710/67, 710/72, 710/260, 710/261, 710 15- 19, 710/14, 710/64, 846/45, 341/27, 345/168, 345/170
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A method on a computing system for associating an output of a coupled peripheral device to an input of the peripheral device is provided. A computing system configured to be coupled to a peripheral device comprising an input and an associated output is provided. The computing system comprises an input logical layer configured to receive descriptor configuration information from the peripheral device and build interface sets including attributes of the input of the peripheral device and the associated output. The input logical layer uses the interface sets to select and set attributes of the output of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processing units;

memory comprising executable instructions which, when executed by at least one of the one or more processing units, cause the computing system to be configured with an architecture that causes the computing system to associate an output of a peripheral device with an input of the peripheral device in order to provide an application running at the computing system with access to the associated input and output of the peripheral device, by performing the following computer-implemented process;

receive at an input logical layer self-identifier information from a peripheral device connected to the computing system through a hardware coupling, wherein the self-identifier information comprises class and configuration information for the connected peripheral device;

use the input logical layer to generate, based on the class and configuration information, an interface associating at least one output with an input of the connected peripheral device;

use the input logical layer to link a logical representation of the connected peripheral device to the generated interface;

use a data structure of the input logical layer to identify and control one or more outputs corresponding to a particular input of the connected peripheral device, in order to selectively alter an attribute of the one or more outputs of the connected peripheral device by performing at least one of the following;

altering a resistance associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input;

altering a height associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input; and

altering a temperature associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a keyboard.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the altered attribute corresponds to a level of a sense of awareness associated with the application running at the computing system.

4. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises

decreasing the resistance a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with the acceptable input to the application;

and

increasing the resistance of a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with an unacceptable input to the application.

5. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering a temperature of a key of the peripheral device.

6. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering the height of a key on the keyboard.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the data structure comprises logical collections for peripheral devices associating inputs and outputs of the peripheral device based on class of a peripheral device.

8. A computer-implemented method for associating an output of a peripheral device with an input of the peripheral device in order to provide an application running at a computing system with access to the associated input and output of the peripheral device when connected to the computing system, the computer-implemented method being performed by one or more processors executing computer executable instructions for the computer-implemented method, and the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving at an input logical layer self-identifier information from a peripheral device connected to the computing system through a hardware coupling, wherein the self-identifier information comprises class and configuration information for the connected peripheral device;

based on the class and configuration information, generating at the input logical layer an interface associating at least one output with an input of the connected peripheral device;

linking a logical representation of the connected peripheral device to the generated interface;

using a data structure of the input logical layer to identify and control one or more outputs corresponding to a particular input of the connected peripheral device, in order to selectively alter an attribute of the one or more outputs of the connected peripheral device by performing at least one of the following;

altering a resistance associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input;

altering a height associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input; and

altering a temperature associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a keyboard.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the altered attribute corresponds to a level of a sense of awareness associated with the application running at the computing system.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises

decreasing the resistance a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with the acceptable input to the application;

and

increasing the resistance of a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with an unacceptable input to the application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering a temperature of a key of the peripheral device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering the height of a key on the keyboard.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the data structure comprises logical collections for peripheral devices associating inputs and outputs of the peripheral device based on class of a peripheral device.

15. A computer readable device comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processor to perform a computer-implemented method for associating an output of a peripheral device with an input of the peripheral device in order to provide an application running at a computing system with access to the associated input and output of the peripheral device when connected to the computing system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving at an input logical layer self-identifier information from a peripheral device connected to the computing system through a hardware coupling, wherein the self-identifier information comprises class and configuration information for the connected peripheral device;

based on the class and configuration information, generating at the input logical layer an interface associating at least one output with an input of the connected peripheral device;

linking a logical representation of the connected peripheral device to the generated interface;

using a data structure of the input logical layer to identify and control one or more outputs corresponding to a particular input of the connected peripheral device, in order to selectively alter an attribute of the one or more outputs of the connected peripheral device by performing at least one of the following;

altering a resistance associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input;

altering a height associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input; and

altering a temperature associated with the one or more identified outputs corresponding to the particular input.

16. The computer readable device of claim 15, wherein the peripheral device comprises a keyboard.

17. The computer readable device of claim 15, wherein the altered attribute corresponds to a level of a sense of awareness associated with the application running at the computing system.

18. The computer readable device of claim 16, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises

decreasing the resistance a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with the acceptable input to the application;

and

increasing the resistance of a key responsive to determining that the peripheral device is associated with an unacceptable input to the application.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering a temperature of a key of the peripheral device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the selectively altered attribute comprises altering the height of a key on the keyboard.

21. The computer readable device of claim 15, wherein the data structure comprises logical collections for peripheral devices associating inputs and outputs of the peripheral device based on class of a peripheral device.