PROTOCOL TRANSLATING ADAPTER

• US 20130332635A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bolton, Lawrence G., Walsh, Robert J., Krueger, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

An adapter facilitates communications between an accessory and a media source. When the adapter is connected to the accessory, the adapter can receive a connection request from the media source. Based on the connection request, the adapter can determine whether the media source supports an accessory protocol. The adapter can receive streamed media from the media source. When a control message is received by the adapter from the accessory, if the adapter determined that the media source supports the accessory protocol, the adapter transmits the control message to the media source using the accessory protocol. If the adapter determined that the media source does not support the accessory protocol, the adapter translates the control message and transmits the translated message to the media source.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection between an accessory and a media source via an adapter, the method comprising, by the adapter:

establishing a connection with the accessory;

receiving a connection request from the media source;

determining whether the media source supports an accessory protocol based on one or more information elements of the connection request;

receiving streamed media content from the media source according to a wireless streaming protocol and delivering the streamed media content to the accessory;

receiving a control message from the accessory according to the accessory protocol;

if the media source supports the accessory protocol, transmitting the control message from the accessory to the media source using the accessory protocol; and

if the media source does not support the accessory protocol;

translating the control message into the wireless streaming protocol, and

transmitting the translated control message to the media source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the control message requires a response not supported by the wireless streaming protocol, transmitting a response message to the media source including a default value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control message is a database query and the default value is determined within the adapter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the connection with the accessory does not require that the media source join the network of the accessory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to establishing the connection with the accessory, the adapter broadcasts presence of the accessory to the media source via a wireless channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless channel is a Wi-Fi channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a routing mode based on the control message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the routing mode is determined from a group including USB host mode, USB device mode, and audio line-out mode.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the adapter, whether the adapter is capable of processing the control message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the adapter is capable of processing the control message, the adapter acts on the control message.

11. A method for establishing a connection between an accessory and a media source via an adapter, the method comprising, by the adapter:

broadcasting the presence of the accessory to the media source via a wireless channel;

receiving a connection request from the media source;

initiating a channel for streaming media from the media source to the accessory;

determining whether the media source supports an accessory protocol based on one or more information elements of the connection request;

if the media source supports the accessory protocol, initiating a first operating mode in which control messages received from the accessory using the accessory protocol are transmitted to the media source using the accessory protocol; and

if the media source does not support the accessory protocol, initiating a second operating mode in which;

control messages from the accessory are translated from the accessory protocol into a wireless streaming protocol, and

translated control messages are transmitted to the media source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless channel is a Wi-Fi channel.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to initiating a channel for streaming media, the adapter performs an authentication of the media source.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the media source is a portable media device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the media source is a computing device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the accessory includes a speaker.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation in the second operating mode further comprises determining whether the wireless streaming protocol supports a particular received control message, wherein if the wireless streaming protocol does not support the particular received control message, the adapter transmits a response message to the accessory including a default value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control message is a database query and the default value is determined within the adapter.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining a routing mode based on a control message received from the accessory.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the routing mode is selected from a group including a USB host mode, a USB device mode, and an audio line-out mode.

21. An adapter for connecting an accessory with a media source, the adapter comprising:

a first communication interface adapted to the accessory;

a second communication interface adapted to receive streamed media from the media source using a wireless streaming protocol;

adapter circuitry adapted to deliver the streamed media received from the first communication interface to the second communication interface; and

a protocol translation module adapted to;

receive a control message from the accessory;

determine whether the media source supports an accessory protocol based on one or more information elements of a connection request,

if the media source supports the accessory protocol, to transmit the received control message to the media source using the accessory protocol, and

if the media source does not support the accessory protocol, to translate the received control message into the wireless streaming protocol and transmit the translated control message to the media source.

22. The adapter of claim 21, wherein the first communication interface includes an electrical connector.

23. The adapter of claim 21, wherein the second communication interface includes a wireless interface.

24. The adapter of claim 21, wherein the adapter receives power from the accessory.