Communication protocol for personal computer system human interface devices over a low bandwidth, bi-directional radio frequency link

• US 20040203388A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wurzburg, Henry, Stewart, Guy A., MacDonald, James R., Henry, Trenton B., Wortel, Klaas
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A system and method for maintaining communications with a radio frequency (RF) peripheral device such as an RF input device and an RF output device. A computer may search for an RF peripheral device by transmitting a signal request on available channels until a response is received from an RF peripheral device. If the RF channel becomes busy and/or jammed, the RF peripheral device may tune into a predetermined channel while the computer scans for another channel to use. Once the computer finds a better channel, the computer may go to the predetermined channel and broadcast the new channel location to the RF peripheral device. In addition, if an RF signal arrives incomplete or corrupt, the computer may transmit a negative acknowledgement to the RF peripheral device, which may retransmit the previous RF signal.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;

a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to;

transmit a request using the first RFTR for a second RFTR response over a first channel; and

transmit the request using the first RFTR for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received by the first RFTR.

2. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a signal to the processor on computer start-up to represent the peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by the first RFTR.

3. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to establish a wireless connection with the second RFTR if the second RFTR response is received.

4. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the second RFTR scans available channels until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response from the first RFTR.

5. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, or a camera.

6. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the processor is part of a micro-controller coupled to the first RFTR.

7. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;

a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit an RF signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to;

transmit a third channel location to the second RFTR;

tune into a third channel; and

establish communication with the second RFTR over the third channel if the second RFTR response has been received over the third channel.

8. The computer system of claim 7,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a request for the second RFTR response.

9. The computer system of claim 7,

wherein the third channel location is transmitted to the second RFTR over a pre-determined channel.

10. The computer system of claim 7,

wherein the first RFTR sends signals to a computer, comprising the processor and the memory, through a USB connection without the computer becoming aware of an interruption in RF communication with the peripheral device.

11. The computer system of claim 7,

wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, or a camera.

12. The computer system of claim 7,

wherein the processor is part of a micro-controller coupled to the first RFTR.

13. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;

a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit an RF signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to;

identify if the first RFTR has not received an expected data packet from the second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR; and

transmit from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.

14. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a negative acknowledgement to the second RFTR if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.

15. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a request to the second RFTR to resend the original data packet if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.

16. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the first RFTR sends signals to a computer, comprising the processor and the memory, through a USB connection without the computer becoming aware of an interruption in RF communication with the peripheral device.

17. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, a touchscreen, or a camera.

18. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the processor is part of a micro-controller coupled to the first RFTR.

19. A method, comprising:

transmitting a request for a second RFTR response over a first channel;

transmitting the request for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received; and

establishing a wireless connection with a second RFTR if the second RFTR response is received.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to a processor on computer start-up to represent a peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by a first RFTR.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

scanning available channels by the second RFTR until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response.

22. The method of claim 19,

wherein the second RFTR is coupled to a peripheral device.

23. A method, comprising:

transmitting a third channel location to a second RFTR;

tuning to a third channel; and

establishing communications with the second RFTR over the third channel once a second RFTR response has been received over the third channel.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting a request for the second RFTR response over the third channel.

25. A method, comprising:

identifying if a first RFTR has not received an expected data packet from a second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR; and

transmitting from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

transmitting a negative acknowledgement to the second RFTR if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

transmitting a request to the second RFTR to resend the original data packet if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.

28. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;

a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit an RF signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to;

cycle the first RFTR through available channels, wherein at each available channel a reunion request is broadcast;

receive an acknowledgment from a second RFTR, wherein the second RFTR cycles through available channels at substantially the same time as the first RFTR cycles through available channels and transmits an acknowledgment to the first RFTR when a communication from the first RFTR is detected by the second RFTR.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein each available channel is a clear available channel.

30. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the communication from the first RFTR is recognized by the second RFTR because of a host ID in the communication.

31. A method comprising:

cycling the first RFTR through available channels, wherein at each available channel a reunion request is broadcast;

receiving an acknowledgment from a second RFTR, wherein the second RFTR cycles through available channels at substantially the same time as the first RFTR cycles through available channels and transmits an acknowledgment to the first RFTR when a communication from the first RFTR is detected by the second RFTR.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein each available channel is a clear available channel.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the communication from the first RFTR is recognized by the second RFTR because of a host ID in the communication.

34. A system, comprising:

means for transmitting a request for a second RFTR response over a first channel;

means for transmitting the request for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received over the first channel; and

means for establishing a wireless connection with a second RFTR once the second RFTR response is received.

35. A system, comprising:

a means for transmitting a third channel location to a second RFTR;

a means for tuning to a third channel; and

a means for establishing communications with the second RFTR over the third channel once a second RFTR response has been received over the third channel.

36. A system, comprising:

means for identifying if a first RFTR has not received an expected data packet from a second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR; and

means for transmitting from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.

37. A system, comprising:

means for cycling the first RFTR through available channels, wherein at each available channel a reunion request is broadcast;

means for receiving an acknowledgment from a second RFTR, wherein the second RFTR cycles through available channels at substantially the same time as the first RFTR cycles through available channels and transmits an acknowledgment to the first RFTR when a communication from the first RFTR is detected by the second RFTR.

38. A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:

transmit a request for a second RFTR response over a first channel;

transmit the request for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received over the first channel; and

establish a wireless connection with a second RFTR once the second RFTR response is received.

39. A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:

transmit a third channel location to a second RFTR;

tune into a third channel; and

establish communications with the second RFTR over the third channel once a second RFTR response has been received over the third channel.

40. A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:

identify if a first RFTR has not received an expected data packet from a second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR; and

transmit from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.

41. A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:

cycle the first RFTR through available channels, wherein at each available channel a reunion request is broadcast;

receive an acknowledgment from a second RFTR, wherein the second RFTR cycles through available channels at substantially the same time as the first RFTR cycles through available channels and transmits an acknowledgment to the first RFTR when a communication from the first RFTR is detected by the second RFTR.