System and method for accessory device architecture that passes human interface device (HID) data via intermediate processor

• US 9,348,605 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Drasnin, Sharon
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US13/527,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 710/62, 710 72- 74, 710 14- 19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4291 using a clocked protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4415 Self describing peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An accessory device architecture is described. In one or more implementations, data is received from an accessory device at an intermediate processor of a computing device, the data usable to enumerate functionality of the accessory device for operation as part of a computing device that includes the intermediate processor. The data is passed by the intermediate processor to an operating system executed on processor of the computing device to enumerate the functionality of the accessory device as part of the intermediate processor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from an accessory device at an intermediate processor of a computing device, the data usable to enumerate functionality of the accessory device for operation as part of a computing device that includes the intermediate processor; and

passing the data by the intermediate processor to an operating system executed on a processor of the computing device to enumerate the functionality of the accessory device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the data is configured to be in compliance with human interface device (HID) descriptor.

3. A method as described claim 1, wherein:

the functionality of the accessory device is enumerated as part of the intermediate processor by the operating system without separately enumerating the accessory device apart from the intermediate processor;

or

the functionality of the accessory device is enumerated as part of the accessory device by the operating system without separately enumerating the intermediate processor.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the passing is performed by the intermediate processor without modifying the data.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the data includes a vendor identifier (VID) or a product identifier (PID).

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the data is further configured to denumerate the device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the data is communicated between the processor and the intermediate processor using I²C.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request at the intermediate processor from the accessory device for reports that are usable by the accessory device to perform power management.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the intermediate processor is configured to expose data obtained from one or more sensors without communicating with the processor.

10. An intermediate processor comprising at least one integrated circuit configured to receive a human interface device descriptor from an accessory device via an interface that supports removable physical and communicative coupling to the accessory device and communicate the human interface device descriptor to a processor that is configured to execute an operating system such that the operating system is made aware of functionality of the accessory device as described in the human interface device descriptor.

11. An intermediate processor as described in claim 10, wherein the intermediate processor device is communicatively coupled to the processor using not more than three wires.

12. An intermediate processor as described in claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to communicate data received from one or more sensors of a computing device that includes the intermediate processor to the accessory device.

13. An intermediate processor as described in claim 10, wherein the human interface device descriptor includes a device descriptor that describes functionality available from the accessory device.

14. An intermediate processor as described in claim 10, wherein the intermediate processor is further configured to communicate a human interface device report in a pass through mode that describes an input initiated at the accessory device.

15. A computing device comprising:

an interface configured to support a removable communicative coupling with an accessory device;

a processor configured to execute an operating system; and

an intermediate processor communicatively coupled to the interface and the processor, the intermediate processor configured to support a pass through mode in which human interface device reports received by the intermediate processor from the accessory device via the interface are passed to the operating system without modification.

16. A computing device as described in claim 15, further comprising one or more sensors that are communicatively coupled to the intermediate processor, the intermediate processor being configured to communicate data received from the one or more sensors to the accessory device.

17. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the data is usable by the accessory device to perform power management and the data is received by the intermediate processor from the one or more sensors without being communicated through the processor.

18. A computing device as described in claim 15, wherein the intermediate processor is further configured to communicate a device descriptor or report descriptor.

19. A computing device as described in claim 18, wherein the device descriptor or report descriptor describes a type of the accessory device, version information of the accessory device, a vendor identifier (ID) associated with the accessory device, or product identified (ID) associated with the accessory device.

20. A computing device as described in claim 15, wherein the intermediate processor is configured to support enumeration of the accessory device by the processor as if the accessory device was directly connected to the processor.