Communication protocol for use with portable electronic devices

• US 20070271387A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Krueger, Scott, Lydon, Gregory Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Improved techniques for communicating between a portable electronic device and an accessory (or auxiliary) device are disclosed. The accessory device can augment or supplement the functionality or capabilities of the portable electronic device. For example, in one embodiment, the accessory device can provide wireless communication capabilities to the portable electronic device. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device pertains to a portable media player and thus provide media data for storage, playback or transmission. In one embodiment, the accessory device is attachable to the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a portable electronic device and an accessory device, said method comprising:

issuing a device capabilities request to the accessory device;

receiving a device capabilities response from the accessory device; and

subsequently interacting with the accessory device based on the device capabilities.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device capabilities response includes information regarding one or more of:

power control capabilities, filtering capabilities, listening mode capabilities, listening window timing capabilities, beacon transmit support, and transmission rate support.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a device mode setting request to the accessory device, the device mode setting request being used to set an operational mode of the accessory device.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the device mode setting request operates to set at the accessory device one or more of:

a power control mode, a filtering mode, data transfer control mode, listening mode, listening window timing control state, beacon transmission control state, and transmission rate control state.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a set filter request to the accessory device, the set filter request being used to configure network filtering at the accessory device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a set filter request to the accessory device, the set filter request being used to configure network filtering at the accessory device.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the set filter request operates to set at the accessory device one or more of:

a power control mode, a filtering mode, data transfer control mode, listening mode, listening window timing control state, beacon transmission control state, and transmission rate control state.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the filtering is node filtering based on node identifiers.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more entries on the filter list are used by the accessory device to determine which of the data frames received at the accessory device over a network are forwarded to the portable computing device.

10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the set filter request adds one or more entries to a filter list.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more entries on the filter list are used by the accessory device to determine which of the data frames received at the accessory over a network are forwarded to the portable computing device.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a set network data rate request to the accessory device, the set network data rate request being used to set a transmission rate for a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a set receive window timing request to the accessory device, the set receive window timing request being used to set a receive window that the accessory device listens for incoming data frames over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the set receive window timing request includes at least a time interval and a duration for the receive interval.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

issuing a set transmit beacon request to the accessory device, the set transmit beacon request being used by the accessory device to send a data frame over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with another device.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the set receive window timing request includes at least a time interval and a duration for the receive interval.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the accessory device is a wireless interface device that is capable of communicating with one or more physiological sensing devices over a network.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network is a wired network.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless network.

20. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for communicating between the portable electronic device and an auxiliary device operatively connectable thereto, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for issuing a device capabilities request to the accessory device;

computer program code for receiving a device capabilities response from the accessory;

computer program code for issuing a device mode setting request to the accessory device, the device mode setting request being used to set an operational mode of the accessory device;

computer program code for issuing a set filter request to the accessory device, the set filter request being used to configure network filtering at the accessory device; and

computer program code for subsequently interacting with the accessory device based on the device capabilities, the operational mode and the network filtering.

21. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the interacting operates to receive data frames at the portable electronic device from the accessory device.

22. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the auxiliary device is coupled to the portable electronic device by being removably connected thereto.

23. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the auxiliary device is coupled to the portable electronic device by being removably connected thereto via a connector of the portable electronic device and a connector of the accessory device.

24. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the device capabilities response includes information regarding one or more of:

power control capabilities, filtering capabilities, listening mode capabilities, listening window timing capabilities, beacon transmit support, and transmission rate support.

25. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the device mode setting request operates to set at the accessory device one or more of:

a power control mode, a filtering mode, data transfer control mode, listening mode, listening window timing control state, beacon transmission control state, and transmission rate control state.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the set filter request operates to set at the accessory device one or more of:

a power control mode, a filtering mode, data transfer control mode, listening mode, listening window timing control state, beacon transmission control state, and transmission rate control state.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20,

wherein the set filter request adds one or more entries to a filter list, and

wherein the one or more entries on the filter list are used by the accessory device to determine which of data frames received at the accessory device over a network are forwarded to the portable computing device.

28. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set network data rate request to the accessory device, the set network data rate request being used to set a transmission rate for a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

29. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set receive window timing request to the accessory device, the set receive window timing request being used to set a receive window that the accessory device listens for incoming data frames over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

30. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 29, wherein the set receive window timing request includes at least a time interval and a duration for the receive interval.

31. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set transmit beacon request to the accessory device, the set transmit beacon request being used by the accessory device to send a data frame over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with another device.

32. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for communicating between the portable electronic device and an auxiliary device operatively connectable thereto, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for issuing a device capabilities request to the accessory device;

computer program code for receiving a device capabilities response from the accessory;

computer program code for issuing a set filter request to the accessory device, the set filter request being used to set configure network filtering at the accessory device; and

computer program code for subsequently interacting with the accessory device based on the device capabilities and the network filtering.

33. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the device capabilities response includes information regarding one or more of:

power control capabilities, filtering capabilities, listening mode capabilities, listening window timing capabilities, beacon transmit support, and transmission rate support.

34. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32,

wherein the set filter request adds one or more entries to a filter list, and

wherein the one or more entries on the filter list are used by the accessory to determine which of data frames received at the accessory device over a network are forwarded to the portable computing device.

35. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for communicating between the portable electronic device and an auxiliary device operatively connectable thereto, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for issuing a set filter request to the accessory device, the set filter request being used to set configure network filtering at the accessory device; and

computer program code for subsequently interacting with the accessory device based on the network filtering.

36. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the auxiliary device is coupled to the portable electronic device by being removably connected thereto.

37. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the interacting operates to receive data frames at the portable electronic device from the accessory device.

38. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the set filter request operates to set at the accessory device one or more of:

a power control mode, a filtering mode, data transfer control mode, listening mode, listening window timing control state, beacon transmission control state, and transmission rate control state.

39. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the one or more entries on the filter list are used by the accessory device to determine which of data frames received at the accessory over a network are forwarded to the portable computing device.

40. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 39, wherein the set filter request adds one or more entries to a filter list.

41. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set network data rate request to the accessory device, the set network data rate request being used to set a transmission rate for a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

42. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set receive window timing request to the accessory device, the set receive window timing request being used to set a receive window that the accessory device listens for incoming data frames over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with a physiological sensing device.

43. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 42, wherein the set receive window timing request includes at least a time interval and a duration for the receive interval.

44. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for issuing a set transmit beacon request to the accessory device, the set transmit beacon request being used by the accessory device to send a data frame over a network utilized by the accessory device to communicate with another device.