Apparatus, system and method of controlling a wireless docking device

• US 9,319,981 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Davidson, Tal, Pentelka, Paz, Eshet, Avishai, Kronfeld, Tiferet, Gal, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/227,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20150282073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 455 412- 413, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include an apparatus, method and/or system of controlling a wireless docking device. For example, a wireless docking interface may include an indicator to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state of a wireless docking device, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state; a control button; and a controller to trigger a wireless docking operation based on a change in a button state of the control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing the wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting the mobile device from the docking device, and triggering the mobile device to switch between first and second power states.

Claims

1. A wireless docking device comprising:

at least one indicator to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state;

a control button; and

a controller to trigger a wireless docking operation based on a change in a button state of said control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing said wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting said mobile device from said docking device, and triggering said mobile device to switch between first and second power states.

2. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein said controller is to trigger the pairing with said mobile device, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said ready to connect state and said wireless docking device is not paired with said mobile device.

3. The wireless docking device of claim 2, wherein said controller is to switch said wireless docking device from said ready to connect state to said wireless docking connected state.

4. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, said controller is to trigger the mobile device to switch from an active state to a power-save state, and to switch said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said ready to connect state.

5. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, said controller is to disconnect the mobile device, and to switch from said wireless docking connected state to said wireless docking disconnected state.

6. The wireless docking device of claim 5, wherein said controller is to disconnect the mobile device responsive to said control button being pressed for a first duration when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state,

and wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed for a second duration, different from said first duration, when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, said controller is to trigger the mobile device to switch from an active state to a power-save state, and to switch said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said ready to connect state.

7. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said ready to connect state and said wireless docking device is paired with said mobile device, said controller is to trigger the mobile device to switch from a power-save state to an active state, and to switch said wireless docking device from said ready to connect state to said wireless docking connected state.

8. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking disconnected state, said controller is to trigger a display device to display a docking message.

9. The wireless docking device of claim 1, wherein said indicator comprises a multi-color light source.

10. The wireless docking device of claim 9, wherein said multi-color light source comprises a multi-color Light-Emitting-Diode (LED).

11. The wireless docking device of claim 9, wherein the multi-color light source comprises a three-color light source.

12. The wireless docking device of claim 9, wherein the multi-color light source is to emit light of a first color at said ready to connect state, and to emit light of a second color, different from said first color, at the wireless docking connected state.

13. The wireless docking device of claim 1 comprising:

one or more antennas; and

a radio to communicate with said mobile device.

14. The wireless docking device of claim 13, wherein the radio is to communicate with said mobile device via a Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) link.

15. A wireless docking controller to control a wireless docking device, the wireless docking controller comprising:

an input to receive an input signal indicating a button state of a control button of said wireless docking device;

an output to provide a control signal to an indicator of said wireless docking device; and

a control module to control said indicator to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state, and to trigger a wireless docking operation based on a change in the button state of said control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing said wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting said mobile device from said wireless docking device, and triggering said mobile device to switch between first and second power states.

16. The wireless docking controller of claim 15, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, said wireless docking controller is to trigger the mobile device to switch from an active state to a power-save state, and to switch said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said ready to connect state.

17. The wireless docking controller of claim 15, wherein, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, said wireless docking controller is to disconnect the mobile device, and to switch said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said wireless docking disconnected state.

18. The wireless docking controller of claim 15, wherein said indicator comprises a multi-color light source.

19. A method comprising:

controlling an indicator of a wireless docking device to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state;

receiving an indication of a button state of a control button of said wireless docking device; and

triggering a wireless docking operation based on a change in the button state of said control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing said wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting said mobile device from said wireless docking device, and triggering said mobile device to switch between first and second power states.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising triggering the pairing with said mobile device, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said ready to connect state and said wireless docking device is not paired with said mobile device.

21. A product including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement a method comprising:

controlling an indicator of a wireless docking device to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state;

receiving an indication of a button state of a control button of said wireless docking device; and

triggering a wireless docking operation based on a change in the button state of said control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing said wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting said mobile device from said wireless docking device, and triggering said mobile device to switch between first and second power states.

22. The product of claim 21, wherein said method comprises triggering the pairing with said mobile device, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said ready to connect state and said wireless docking device is not paired with said mobile device.

23. The product of claim 21, wherein said method comprises, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, triggering the mobile device to switch from an active state to a power-save state, and switching said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said ready to connect state.

24. The product of claim 21, wherein said method comprises, responsive to said control button being pressed when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, disconnecting the mobile device, and switching from said wireless docking connected state to said wireless docking disconnected state.

25. The product of claim 24, wherein said method comprises:

disconnecting the mobile device, responsive to said control button being pressed for a first duration when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state; and

responsive to said control button being pressed for a second duration, different from said first duration, when said wireless docking device is at said wireless docking connected state, triggering the mobile device to switch from an active state to a power-save state, and switching said wireless docking device from said wireless docking connected state to said ready to connect state.