Accessory and mobile computing device communication using an application communication protocol

• US 9,736,281 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bolton, Lawrence G., Ganatra, Nitin, Dorogusker, Jesse Lee, Holden, Paul-Phillip, Adler, Mitchell D., Schubert, Emily Clark
• Primary Examiner(s): LIAO, HSINCHUN
• Application Number:
  US14/742,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20160036949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a housing;

a communication interface disposed at least partially within the housing, and configured to exchange commands and data with one or more accessories, the communication interface having a plurality of communication ports including a first communication port and a second communication port, the plurality of communication ports to communicate with accessories using an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between accessories and the mobile communication device;

memory disposed within the housing; and

a processor disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled with the memory and the communication interface, the processor being configured to execute a plurality of applications and control logic, the control logic to establish a first communication session between a first application of the plurality of applications and a first accessory using a first application communication protocol, wherein messages of the first application communication protocol are transmitted through the first communication port using the accessory communication protocol; and

to establish a second communication session between a second application of the plurality of applications and the first accessory using a second application communication protocol, wherein messages of the second application communication protocol are transmitted through the second communication port using the accessory protocol.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communication port or the second communication port comprises a wireless communication port.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first application communication protocol and the second application communication protocol are different.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the accessory communication protocol is different from the first application communication protocol.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the control logic includes:

an application support layer to communicate with the plurality of applications, wherein the application support layer maintains an accessory table to store information about accessories connected to the ports, the stored information including an application protocol identifier for each connected accessory; and

a protocol manager to communicate with the support layer and the ports, wherein the protocol manager maintains a port map to store information associating application protocol identifiers with identifiers of the ports in response to application protocol information provided by the accessories connected to the port,

wherein the application support layer establishes the first communication session and the second communication session and establishes, based on the accessory table, a correspondence between each of the first communication session and the second communication session with an application protocol identifier and an accessory identifier.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the first communication session and the second communication session each include an input stream and an output stream and wherein:

the application support layer delivers bundles from the respective output streams of the first communication session and the second communication session to the protocol manager and to label each bundle with the application protocol identifier and the accessory identifier corresponding to the one of the first communication session and the second communication session; and

the protocol manager wraps each delivered bundle in a wrapper conforming to the accessory protocol and route the wrapped bundle to one of the plurality of ports based on the port map and the application protocol identifier and the accessory identifier with which the bundle is labeled.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the first session and the second session each include an input stream and an output stream and wherein:

the protocol manager receives a wrapper conforming to the accessory protocol from one of the first and second ports, the wrapper containing a bundle;

determines an accessory identifier and an application protocol identifier for the bundle based on the port map; and

provides the bundle, the accessory identifier, and the application protocol identifier to the application support layer; and

the application support layer delivers the bundle to the input stream of one of the first communication session and the second communication session based on the accessory identifier and the application protocol identifier provided by the protocol manager.

8. A method of communication comprising:

establishing a first communication session between a first application executing on a mobile computing device and a first accessory communicatively coupled to the mobile computing device via a first port;

communicating between the first application and the first accessory through the first communication session using a first application protocol, wherein communicating with the first accessory includes transmitting messages of the first application protocol through the first port using an accessory communication protocol that enables communication between accessories and the mobile computing device;

establishing a second communication session between a second application executing on the mobile computing device and the first accessory communicatively coupled to the mobile computing device via a second port; and

communicating between the second application and the first accessory through the second communication session using a second application protocol, wherein communicating with the first accessory includes transmitting messages of the second application protocol through the second port using the accessory communication protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first application protocol and the second application protocol are different.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first application protocol and the second application protocol are the same.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

maintaining an accessory table to store information about accessories connected to the ports, the stored information including an application protocol identifier for each connected accessory;

maintaining a port map to store information associating application protocol identifiers with identifiers of the ports in response to application protocol information provided by the accessories connected to the ports; and

establishing, based on the accessory table, a correspondence between each of the first communication session and the second communication session with an application protocol identifier and an accessory identifier.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first communication session and the second communication session each include an input stream and an output stream, the method further comprising:

receiving bundles from the respective output streams of the first communication session and the second communication session;

labeling each bundle with the application protocol identifier and the accessory identifier corresponding to the one of the first communication session and the second communication session;

wrapping each delivered bundle in a wrapper conforming to the accessory protocol; and

routing the wrapped bundle to one of the ports based on the port map and the application protocol identifier and the accessory identifier with which the bundle is labeled.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first session and the second session each include an input stream and an output stream, the method further comprising:

receiving a wrapper conforming to the accessory protocol from one of the first and second ports, the wrapper containing a bundle;

determining an accessory identifier and an application protocol identifier for the bundle based on the port map;

providing the bundle, the accessory identifier, and the application protocol identifier to the application support layer; and

delivering the bundle to the input stream of one of the first communication session and the second communication session based on the accessory identifier and the application protocol identifier.