Message-based identification of an electronic device

• US 9,306,879 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Foo, Edwin W., Rathi, Shailesh, Yew, Jason J., Lydon, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/710,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/232
• 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 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A message-based identification process can facilitate reliable interoperation between accessories and host devices. During an identification process, the devices can negotiate an operating agreement that specifies particular communications (e.g., messages) that each device is permitted to send to or receive from the other, for example by having one device send a list of specific messages that it intends to send to and/or receive from the other. The other device can review the proposal and either accept or reject it. If a proposal is accepted, the devices can begin interoperating using messages that were included in the agreed-upon proposal while ignoring any received messages that were not included in the agreed-upon proposal.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between a first device and a second device according to a protocol that defines a universe of messages that are sendable by one of the first device and the second device to the other of the first device and the second device, the method comprising:

sending, by the first device, an identification message to the second device, wherein the identification message includes a proposal that partitions the universe of messages into a set of operative messages and a set of inoperative messages and wherein the proposal includes a listing of at least some of the messages in the universe of messages to be included in the set of operative messages, the listing including a first list identifying a first subset of the messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the first device proposes to send to the second device and a second list identifying a second subset of messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the first device proposes to receive from the second device;

in response to sending the identification message, receiving, by the first device, a response message from the second device, the response message indicating whether the proposal was accepted or rejected by the second device; and

in the event that the proposal was accepted, using, by the first device, at least some of the messages from the first subset and the second subset to interoperate with the second device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in the event that the status information indicates that the proposal was rejected, sending, by the first device, a modified proposal to the second device, the modified proposal including a modification to the listing of messages to be included in the set of operative messages.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the first device, an identification request from the second device,

wherein the identification message is sent in response to receiving the identification request.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification message further includes a device descriptor, the device descriptor including at least one of a name of a manufacturer of the first device, a model name of the first device, a serial number of the first device, a hardware version identifier of the first device, or a firmware version identifier of the first device.

5. A method for establishing communication between a first device and a second device according to a protocol that defines a universe of messages that are sendable by one of the first device and the second device to the other of the first device and the second device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the second device, an identification message from the first device, wherein the identification message includes a proposal that partitions the universe of messages into a set of operative messages and a set of inoperative messages and wherein the proposal includes a listing of at least some of the messages in the universe of messages to be included in the set of operative messages, the listing a first list identifying a first subset of the messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the first device proposes to send to the second device and a second list identifying a second subset of messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the first device proposes to receive from the second device;

determining, by the second device, whether to accept or reject the proposal;

sending, by the second device, a response message to the first device, wherein the response message indicates whether the proposal is accepted or rejected; and

in the event that the second device accepts the proposal, using, by the second device, messages from the first subset and the second subset to interoperate with the first device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, by the second device, authentication information from the first device,

wherein determining whether to accept the proposal is based at least in part on the received authentication information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether to accept the proposal is based in part on determining whether the second device is capable of responding to every one of the messages in the first subset and in part on determining whether the second device is capable of sending every one of the messages in the second subset.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein determining whether to accept the proposal is based in part on determining whether the first subset and the second subset include a sufficient subset of messages to implement a functionality associated with at least one of the messages in at least one of the first subset or the second subset.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the identification message further includes a device descriptor and wherein determining whether to accept the proposal includes determining whether the messages in the first subset and the messages in the second subset are permissible based on the device descriptor.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the universe of messages consists of a set of general messages and a set of optional messages, wherein the listing of messages in the proposal further includes all of the messages in the set of optional messages that are to be included in the set of operative messages.

11. An accessory for use with a host device, the accessory comprising:

an interface circuit to communicate with the host device; and

a control logic circuit coupled to the interface circuit, the control logic circuit to;

establish a connection to the host device via the interface circuit;

generate a proposal for interoperation of the accessory with the host device according to a protocol that defines a universe of messages, wherein the proposal partitions the universe of messages into a set of operative messages and a set of inoperative messages and wherein the proposal includes a listing of at least some of the messages in the universe of messages to be included in the set of operative messages, the listing including a first list identifying a first subset of the messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to send to the host device; and

a second list identifying a second subset of messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to receive from the host device;

send the proposal to the host device via the interface circuit;

receive a response from the host device via the interface circuit, wherein the response indicates whether the host device accepted or rejected the proposal; and

initiate interoperation with the host device in the event that the response indicates that the host device accepted the proposal, wherein the interoperation with the host device includes exchanging messages in the set of operative messages and ignoring messages in the set of inoperative messages.

12. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the universe of messages consists of a set of general messages and a set of optional messages, wherein the listing of messages in the proposal further includes all of the messages in the set of optional messages that are to be included in the set of operative messages.

13. The accessory of claim 12 wherein all of the messages in the set of general messages are included in the set of operative messages but are not included in the listing in the proposal.

14. The accessory of claim 11 wherein the control logic circuit further:

generates a modified proposal in the event that the response indicates that the host device rejected the proposal; and

sends the modified proposal to the host device via the interface circuit.

15. The accessory of claim 11 further comprising:

in the event that the status information indicates that the proposal was rejected, sending, by the accessory, a modified proposal to the host device, the modified proposal including a modification to the listing of messages to be included in the set of operative messages.

16. A host device for use with an accessory, the host device comprising:

an interface circuit to communicate with the accessory; and

a control logic circuit coupled to the interface circuit, the control logic circuit to;

detect a connection to the accessory via the interface circuit;

receive, from the accessory via the interface circuit, a proposal for interoperation of the accessory with the host device according to a protocol that defines a universe of messages, wherein the proposal partitions the universe of messages into a set of operative messages and a set of inoperative messages and wherein the proposal includes a listing of at least some of the messages in the universe of messages to be included in the set of operative messages, the listing including a first list identifying a first subset of the messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to send to the host device; and

a second list identifying a second subset of messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to receive from the host device;

determine whether to accept or reject the proposal;

send a response, to the accessory via the interface circuit, wherein the response indicates whether the host device accepted or rejected the proposal; and

initiate interoperation with the accessory in the event that the host device accepts the proposal, wherein the interoperation with the accessory includes exchanging messages in the set of operative messages and ignoring messages in the set of inoperative messages.

17. The host device of claim 16 wherein the universe of messages consists of a set of general messages and a set of optional messages, wherein the listing of messages in the proposal further includes all of the messages in the set of optional messages that are to be included in the set of operative messages.

18. The host device of claim 16 wherein the control logic circuit determines whether to accept the proposal based in part on determining whether the host device is capable of responding to every one of the messages in the first subset and in part on determining whether the host device is capable of sending every one of the messages in the second subset.

19. The host device of claim 16 wherein the control logic circuit further determines whether to accept the proposal based in part on determining whether the first subset and the second subset include a sufficient subset of messages to implement a functionality associated with at least one of the messages in at least one of the first subset or the second subset.

20. The host device of claim 16 wherein the proposal for interoperation further includes a device descriptor and wherein the control logic circuit further determines whether to accept the proposal based in part on determining whether the messages in the first subset and the messages in the second subset are permissible based on the device descriptor.

21. The host device of claim 16 wherein the control logic circuit further:

waits for a timeout period to elapse, subsequently to sending a response indicating that the host device rejected the proposal;

in the event that a modified proposal is received during the timeout period, determines whether to accept or reject the modified proposal and send a further response to the accessory, via the interface circuit, to indicate whether the host device accepted or rejected the modified proposal; and

in the event that no modified proposal is received during the timeout period, sends a timeout message to the accessory via the interface circuit and ignores further messages from the accessory after sending the timeout message.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code including instructions that, when executed by a processor in a host device, cause the processor to execute a method comprising:

detecting a connection to an accessory via an interface;

sending, to the accessory via the interface, a request for identification;

receiving, from the accessory via the interface, a proposal for interoperation of the accessory with the host device according to a protocol that defines a universe of messages exchangeable between the host device and the accessory device, wherein the proposal partitions the universe of messages into a set of operative messages and a set of inoperative messages and wherein the proposal includes a listing of at least some of the messages in the universe of messages to be included in the set of operative messages, the listing including a first list identifying a first subset of the messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to send to the host device; and

a second list identifying a second subset of messages in the universe of messages defined by the protocol that the accessory proposes to receive from the host device;

determining whether to accept or reject the proposal;

sending a response, to the accessory via the interface, wherein the response indicates whether the host device accepts or rejects the proposal; and

in the event that the host device accepts the proposal, interoperating with the accessory, wherein interoperating includes exchanging only messages that are in the set of operative messages defined by the accepted proposal.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein interoperating with the accessory includes:

receiving a first message from the accessory;

determining whether the first message was included in the accepted proposal;

acting on the first message if the first message was included in the accepted proposal; and

ignoring the first message if the first message was not included in the accepted proposal.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving authentication information from the accessory,

wherein determining whether to accept or reject the proposal is based at least in part on the received authentication information.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the method further comprises:

inferring from the proposal a capability of the accessory; and

determining whether the list of message identifiers includes a group of messages sufficient to interoperate with the inferred capability of the accessory,

wherein the proposal is rejected if the list of message identifiers does not include a group of messages sufficient to interoperate with the inferred capability of the accessory.