Apparatus and method of recognizing external device in a communication system

• US 9,529,755 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Woo-Kwang, Lee, One-Gun, Kim, Kyoung-Hoon, Kim, Jong-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US14/921,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided. The apparatus includes a connector to connect with an electronic device external to the apparatus, and a processor configured to identify a connection with the electronic device via the connector, receive, using a first communication scheme, a message from the electronic device based at least in part on the identifying, determine, based at least in part on the message, whether the electronic device supports a second communication scheme, and establish a communication link corresponding to the second communication scheme with the electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the electronic device supports the second communication scheme.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a connector to connect with an electronic device external to the apparatus; and

a processor configured to;

identify a connection with the electronic device via the connector,

receive, using a first communication scheme, a message from the electronic device based at least in part on the identifying,

determine, based at least in part on the message, whether the electronic device supports a second communication scheme, and

establish a communication link corresponding to the second communication scheme with the electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the electronic device supports the second communication scheme.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

refrain from establishing the communication link with the electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the electronic device does not support the second communication scheme.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit, using the first communication scheme, a probe message to the electronic device prior to the receiving of the message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication controller corresponding to the second communication scheme,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

activate the communication controller based at least in part on the determination.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive another message from the electronic device via the communication link, and

identify a type or an identifier corresponding to the electronic device based at least in part on the another message.

6. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the connector comprises a first pin and a second pin to communicate with the electronic device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the message via the first pin, and

establish the communication link with the electronic device via the second pin.

7. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the electronic device comprises an output device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit multimedia content to the output device using the communication link such that the multimedia content can be presented via the electronic device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the electronic device comprises an input device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an input data from the input device using the communication link, the input data being obtained via the input device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the electronic device is coupled with an other electronic device external to the apparatus and the electronic device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive another message with respect to the other electronic device from the electronic device via the communication link, and

identify a type or an identifier corresponding to the other electronic device based at least in part on the other message.

10. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the other electronic device comprises an output device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit multimedia content to the electronic device using the communication link such that the multimedia content can be forwarded from the electronic device to the other electronic device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the other electronic device comprises an input device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive input data from the electronic device using the communication link, the input data being obtained via the input device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory to store at least one portion of the first communication scheme or at least one portion of the second communication scheme.

13. A method, comprising:

identifying, at an electronic device, a connection with an external electronic device via a connector;

receiving, using a first communication scheme, a message from the external electronic device based at least in part on the identifying;

determining, based at least in part on the message, whether the external electronic device supports a second communication scheme; and

establishing a communication link, corresponding to the second communication scheme, with the external electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the external electronic device supports the second communication scheme.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

refraining from establishing the communication link with the external electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the external electronic device does not support the second communication scheme.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving comprises:

transmitting, using the first communication scheme, a probe message to the external electronic device prior to the receiving of the message.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises:

identifying an identifier corresponding to the second communication scheme based at least in part on the message.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the establishing comprises:

activating the second communication scheme based at least in part on the determination.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the establishing comprises:

receiving an other message from the external electronic device via the communication link; and

identifying a type or an identifier corresponding to the external electronic device based at least in part on the other message.

19. The method of claim 13,

wherein the first communication scheme comprises a mobile high-definition link (MHL) scheme and the second communication scheme comprises a universal serial bus (USB) scheme,

wherein the receiving comprises activating the MHL scheme based at least in part on the identifying, and

wherein the establishing comprises activating the USB scheme based at least in part on the determination.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying, at an electronic device, a connection with an external electronic device via a connector;

receiving, using a first communication scheme, a message from the external electronic device based at least in part on the identifying;

determining, based at least in part on the message, whether the external electronic device supports a second communication scheme; and

establishing a communication link corresponding to the second communication scheme with the external electronic device based at least in part on a determination that the external electronic device supports the second communication scheme.