Communication between a host device and an accessory via an intermediate device

• US 8,200,881 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lydon, Gregory T., Laefer, Jay S., Ananny, John, Tikalsky, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TRISHA U
• Application Number:
  US13/230,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20120003935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 710104-106, 710300-304, 710/306, 710/315
• US Class Current: 710/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/3814 Wireless link with a computer system port
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A host device and an accessory exchange information (e.g., commands and data) via an intermediate device. The host device and accessory can each connect to the intermediate device through a direct wired path and can exchange commands and data with the intermediate device. The host device and the accessory can also “tunnel” information to each other through the intermediate device, by packaging the tunneled information as a payload of a command recognizable by the intermediate device; the intermediate device can repackage and forward the payload. In some embodiments, the tunneled information relates to configuring a wireless link (e.g., a Bluetooth pairing) between the host device and the accessory.

Claims

1. An accessory for use with a host device, the accessory comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to send and receive wireless signals;

an interface configured to communicate with an intermediate device via a first wired signal path, the intermediate device being further configured to communicate with the host device via a second wired signal path; and

a controller communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the interface, the controller being configured to generate commands to be sent to the host device via the intermediate device and to interpret and respond to commands received from the host device via the intermediate device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

provide to the host device via the intermediate device information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the information including a wireless address of the wireless transceiver of the accessory; and

receive from the intermediate device a converted command that conforms to an accessory-side command protocol for instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the host device, the converted command including a wireless address of the host device and being generated by the intermediate device from a command originating from the host device that conformed to a host-side command protocol.

2. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to send and receive wireless signals conforming to a Bluetooth standard.

3. The accessory of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to receive from the host device via the intermediate device a Bluetooth link key associated with the wireless link.

4. The accessory of claim 1 further comprising:

an earphone configured to generate sounds in response to audio signals,

wherein the controller is further configured to generate audio signals from signals received by the wireless transceiver and to provide the audio signals to the earphone.

5. The accessory of claim 1 further comprising:

a microphone configured to generate audio signals in response to detected sounds,

wherein the controller is further configured to provide signals responsive to the audio signals to the wireless transceiver for transmission.

6. A method for establishing a wireless link with a host device, the method comprising:

establishing, by an accessory, a first point to point wired connection between the accessory and an intermediate device;

receiving, by the accessory, an indication that a second point to point wired connection has been established between the host device and the intermediate device;

providing, by the accessory to the host device via the first and second point to point wired connections, data indicative of a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the data including a wireless address of the accessory; and

receiving, by the accessory from the intermediate device, a converted command that conforms to an accessory-side command protocol for instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the host device, the converted command including a wireless address of the host device and being generated by the intermediate device from a command originating from the host device that conformed to a host-side command protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the accessory and the intermediate device are configured to communicate over the first point to point wired connection using the accessory-side command protocol, wherein the host device and the intermediate device are configured to communicate over the second point to point wired connection using the host-side command protocol distinct from the accessory-side command protocol.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the first and second point to point wired connections provide for an exchange of commands and data between the accessory and the host device.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving, from the host device, via the intermediate device, a request for the data indicative of the wireless communication capability of the accessory, the requested data including the wireless address of the accessory.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein providing, to the host device, the data indicative of the wireless communication capability of the accessory includes:

transmitting, to the intermediate device, a tunneling command conforming to the accessory-side command protocol, wherein the tunneling command contains a tunneled command that includes the data indicative of the wireless communication capability of the accessory,

wherein the intermediate device repackages the tunneled command to a command conforming to the host-side command protocol and sends the command conforming to the host-side protocol to the host device.

11. A method for establishing a wireless link between an accessory and a host device, the method comprising, by the accessory:

receiving, by the accessory, from the host device via an intermediate device, a request for capability information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the capability information including a wireless address of the accessory;

providing, by the accessory to the host device via the intermediate device, the capability information including a wireless address of the accessory; and

receiving, by the accessory from the intermediate device, a converted command that conforms to a first protocol for instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the host device, the converted command including a wireless address of the host device and being generated by the intermediate device from a command originating from the host device that conformed to a second protocol, wherein the accessory and the intermediate device are configured to communicate with each other using the first protocol and wherein the host device and the intermediate device are configured to communicate with each other using the second protocol; and

in response to receiving the converted command, establishing the wireless link.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the converted command includes link information defining a new wireless link between the accessory and the host device, the new wireless link comprising a Bluetooth pairing.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, from the host device and via the intermediate device, a link key associated with the Bluetooth pairing.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein providing, from the accessory to the host device, the capability information includes:

sending, from the accessory and to the intermediate device, a tunneling command that conforms to the first protocol, the tunneling command including the capability information pertaining to the wireless communication capability of the accessory, wherein the host device is capable of extracting the capability information pertaining to the wireless communication capability of the accessory from the tunneling command.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein providing, from the accessory to the host device, the capability information includes:

sending, to the intermediate device, a tunneling command that includes a tunneled command from the accessory that includes the capability information of the accessory, wherein the intermediate device is capable of extracting the tunneled command from the tunneling command conforming to the first protocol, generating another tunneling command conforming to the second protocol that contains the tunneled command, and transmitting the other tunneling command conforming to the second protocol to the host device.

16. An accessory for use with a host device, the accessory comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to send and receive wireless signals;

an interface configured to communicate with an intermediate device via a first wired signal path, the intermediate device being further configured to communicate with the host device via a second wired signal path; and

a controller communicably coupled to the wireless transceiver and the interface, the controller being configured to generate commands to be sent to the host device via the intermediate device and to interpret and respond to commands received from the host device via the intermediate device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

establish a first wired connection to the intermediate device via the first wired signal path, wherein the accessory and the intermediate device are configured to communicate over the first wired connection using a first protocol;

receive an indication that the intermediate device has established a second wired connection to the host device via the second wired signal path, wherein the first and second wired connections provide for an exchange of commands and data between the accessory and the host device, wherein the intermediate device and the host device are configured to communicate over the second wired connection using a second protocol different from the first protocol, and wherein the intermediate device is configured to convert commands between the first and second protocols;

provide to the host device, via the intermediate device, capability information pertaining to a wireless communication capability of the accessory, the capability information including a wireless address of the wireless transceiver of the accessory; and

subsequently to providing to the host device the capability information, receive from the host device, via the intermediate device, link information defining a new wireless link between the accessory and the host device, the link information including a wireless address of the host device; and

establish the wireless link in response to receiving the link information.

17. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the controller further configured to provide to the host device, via the intermediate device, the capability information pertaining to the wireless communication capability of the accessory is configured to:

transmit, to the intermediate device, a tunneling command conforming to the first protocol, wherein the tunneling command contains a tunneled command that includes the capability information pertaining to the wireless capability of the accessory,

wherein the intermediate device repackages the tunneled command in a command conforming to the second protocol and sends the command conforming to the second protocol to the host device.

18. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the link information is received in a converted command that conforms to the first protocol for instructing the accessory to establish a wireless link with the host device, the converted command generated by the intermediate device from a command that conformed to the second protocol.

19. The accessory of claim 16 wherein the new wireless link comprises a Bluetooth pairing.

20. The accessory of claim 19 wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive from the host device, using the wired connection via the intermediate device, a link key associated with the Bluetooth pairing.