Wireless peripheral interface

• US 5,881,366 A
• Filed: 05/01/1996
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech, Inc. (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Lee, Dennis, Sasselli, Nicolas, Bodenmann, Olivier, Kehlstadt, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/640,665
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/512, 455/527, 455/466, 395/286, 395/882, 395/883, 370/349, 370/465, 370/468, 370/470, 370/471, 370/449
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a standardized communications protocol for wireless communications between a host and one or more peripheral devices such as joysticks, mice, gamepads, remote controllers or other devices including establishing a standard message format for messages communicated between a host and the peripheral devices, establishing a plurality of unique data types for associated peripheral devices, and prioritizing communications between the host and such peripherals to permit rapid and effective communication therebetween.

Claims

1. A computer based method for wireless communication between a host computer and first and second peripheral devices, said host computer including a receiver for receiving data in the form of electromagnetic signals at a first frequency from said first and second peripheral devices, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first of said electromagnetic signals from the first peripheral device representing a first data message said first data message having a first priority level corresponding to a data-type of said first data message and said first peripheral device having a second priority level;

controlling the size of said first electromagnetic signal, said first data message having a first portion and a second portion, including the steps of;

setting a first size of said first portion proportional to said first priority level, and

setting a second size of said second portion proportional to said second priority level wherein said second portion includes a first type-field and a first identification field, wherein said step of setting a second size includes the steps of;

setting said first type-field to a value representing a type of said first peripheral device wherein a size of said first type-field is proportional to said second priority level;

setting said first identification field to a value representing said first peripheral device characteristics, said first identification signal having a first size, if said second priority level corresponds to a low priority; and

setting said first identification field to a value representing a subset of said first peripheral device characteristics, said first identification signal having a second size, if said second priority level corresponds to a high priority, wherein said second size is less than said first size;

wherein said host computer recognizes the first peripheral as the source of said first electromagnetic signal based upon said first identification field;

receiving a second of said electromagnetic signals from the second peripheral device representing a second data message said second data message having a third priority level corresponding to a data-type of said first data message and said first peripheral device having a fourth priority level;

controlling the size of the second electromagnetic signal, said second data message having a third portion and a fourth portion, including the steps of;

setting a third size of said third portion proportional to said third priority level, and

setting a fourth size of said fourth portion proportional to said fourth priority level; and

receiving at the host computer a first peripheral data signal, said first peripheral data signal representing first peripheral device characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic signals are encoded using Miller encoding.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first peripheral device is a first type of device and said second peripheral device is a second type of device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first type of device is different from said second type of device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said first type of device is the same as said second type of device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second portion includes a displacement portion representing one of a displacement value and a control signal of said first peripheral device, the step of setting a second size including the steps of:

decoding a displacement value of said displacement portion representing a value in a first range, said first range exceeding 2^N displacement units, where N is equal to the number of bits in the displacement portion, said displacement value representing a small movement of said first peripheral device with an substantially equivalent value of said displacement units, said displacement value representing larger movements of said first peripheral device with one value of said displacement units representing a second range of said displacement units.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said fourth portion includes a second type-field and a second identification field, wherein said step of setting a fourth size includes the steps of:

setting said second type-field to a value representing a type of said second peripheral device wherein a size of said second type-field is proportional to said fourth priority level;

setting said second identification field to a value representing said second peripheral device characteristics, said second identification signal having a third size, if said fourth priority level corresponds to a low priority; and

setting said second identification field to a value representing a subset of said second peripheral device characteristics, said second identification signal having a fourth size, if said fourth priority level corresponds to a high priority, wherein said fourth size is less than said third size;

wherein said host computer recognizes the second peripheral as the source of said second electromagnetic signal based upon said second identification field.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said fourth portion includes a displacement portion representing one of a displacement value and a control signal of said second peripheral device, the step of setting a fourth size including the steps of:

decoding a displacement value of said displacement portion representing a value in a first range, said first range exceeding 2^N displacement units, where N is equal to the number of bits in the displacement portion, said displacement value representing a small movement of said second peripheral device with an substantially equivalent value of said displacement units, said displacement value representing larger movements of said second peripheral device with one value of said displacement units representing a second range of said displacement units.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said electromagnetic signals are encoded using Miller encoding.

10. A computer based system for wireless communication comprising:

first and second peripheral devices;

a host computer having a receiver for receiving data in the form of electromagnetic signals at a first frequency from said first and second peripheral devices, said electromagnetic signals from the first peripheral device representing a first data message said first data message having a first priority level corresponding to a data-type of said first data message and said first peripheral device having a second priority level; and

first control means, disposed to communicate with said receiver, for controlling the size of said first electromagnetic signal said first data message having a first portion and a second portion said control means having;

first setting means for setting a first size of said first portion proportional to said first priority level, and

second setting means, for setting a second size of said second portion proportional to said second priority level wherein said second portion includes a first type-field and a first identification field, wherein said second setting means includes;

fifth setting means, for setting said first type-field to a value representing a type of said first peripheral device wherein a size of said first type-field is proportional to said second priority level;

sixth setting means, for setting said first identification field to a value representing said first peripheral device characteristics, said first identification signal having a first size, if said second priority level corresponds to a low priority; and

seventh setting means, for setting said first identification field to a value representing a subset of said first peripheral device characteristics, said first identification signal having a second size, if said second priority level corresponds to a high priority, wherein said second size is less than said first size;

wherein said host computer recognizes the first peripheral as the source of said first electromagnetic signal based upon said first identification field;

wherein said receiver receives a second of said electromagnetic signals from the second peripheral device representing a second data message, said second data message having a third priority level corresponding to a data-type of said first data message and said first peripheral device having a fourth priority level; and

second control means, disposed to communicate with said receiver, for controlling the size of the second electromagnetic signal said second data message having a third portion and a fourth portion, said second control means having;

third setting means for setting a third size of said third portion proportional to said third priority level and

fourth setting means, for setting a fourth size of said fourth portion proportional to said fourth priority level;

wherein said receiver receives a first peripheral data signal, said first peripheral data signal representing first peripheral device characteristics.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said second portion includes a displacement portion representing one of a displacement value and a control signal of said first peripheral device, the second setting means includes:

first decoding means, for decoding a displacement value of said displacement portion representing a value in a first range, said first range exceeding 2^N displacement units, where N is equal to the number of bits in the displacement portion, said displacement value representing a small movement of said first peripheral device with an substantially equivalent value of said displacement units, said displacement value representing larger movements of said first peripheral device with one value of said displacement units representing a second range of said displacement units.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said fourth portion includes a second type-field and a second identification field, wherein said fourth setting means includes:

eighth setting means, for setting said second type-field to a value representing a type of said second peripheral device wherein a size of said second type-field is proportional to said fourth priority level;

ninth setting means, for setting said second identification field to a value representing said second peripheral device characteristics, said second identification signal having a third size, if said fourth priority level corresponds to a low priority; and

tenth setting means, for setting said second identification field to a value representing a subset of said second peripheral device characteristics, said second identification signal having a fourth size, if said fourth priority level corresponds to a high priority, wherein said fourth size is less than said third size;

wherein said host computer recognizes the second peripheral as the source of said second electromagnetic signal based upon said second identification field.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said fourth portion includes a displacement portion representing one of a displacement value and a control signal of said second peripheral device, the fourth setting means including:

first decoding means, for decoding a displacement value of said displacement portion representing a value in a first range, said first range exceeding 2^N displacement units, where N is equal to the number of bits in the displacement portion, said displacement value representing a small movement of said second peripheral device with an substantially equivalent value of said displacement units, said displacement value representing larger movements of said second peripheral device with one value of said displacement units representing a second range of said displacement units.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said electromagnetic signals are encoded using Miller encoding.