Accessory identification for mobile computing devices

• US 8,443,096 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bolton, Lawrence G., Toprani, Shyam S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US12/411,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/230
• 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: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide for identification processes and/or procedures for accessories coupled with a mobile computing device. During identification an accessory can communicate lingo information that includes only those lingoes the accessory can use while coupled with the mobile computing device. The accessory can also communicate accessory protocol information to the mobile computing device during identification. The accessory can be limited to using only those lingoes and/or those protocols identified during identification. Various other accessory information, capabilities, preferences, etc. can also be communicated to the mobile computing device during identification.

Claims

1. A method for an accessory coupled with a portable computing device to establish parameters for use in a communication session, the method comprising:

establishing, by the accessory, communication with the portable computing device;

sending, by the accessory, a request to the portable computing device requesting information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the portable computing device, wherein each lingo refers to a group of related commands;

receiving, by the accessory, the information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the portable computing device;

sending, by the accessory, a request to the portable computing device requesting information indicating one more capabilities supported by the portable computing device;

receiving, by the accessory, the information indicating one or more capabilities supported by the portable computing device;

sending, by the accessory, an accessory identification token to the portable computing device indicating one or more lingoes usable by the accessory for communicating with the portable computing device, wherein the accessory identification token comprises (a) an indication of type of information included in the accessory identification token and (b) actual information;

wherein the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory is determined based in part on at least one of the capabilities supported by the portable computing device and the lingoes supported by the portable computing device,

wherein subsequent commands sent by the accessory are limited to only those commands included in the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory; and

sending, by the accessory, an accessory capabilities token to the portable computing device indicating accessory capabilities, wherein the accessory capabilities token includes a code-value pair, the code being indicative of type of information and the value representing the actual information,

wherein information in the accessory capabilities token is used by the portable computing device to disable capabilities not supported by the accessory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communication with the portable computing device occurs wirelessly.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending an accessory information token to the portable computing device indicating accessory information including at least one of accessory name, accessory firmware version, accessory hardware version, accessory manufacturer, accessory model number, and accessory serial number.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accessory capabilities include at least one of analog line-in to the mobile computing device, analog line-out from the mobile computing device, analog video-in to the mobile computing device, analog video-out from the mobile computing device, digital audio out from the mobile computing device, digital audio in to the mobile computing device, digital video in to the mobile computing device, digital video out, speakerphone, or communication with the mobile computing device operating system.

5. A method comprising:

establishing, by an accessory, communication with a mobile computing device;

sending, by the accessory, a lingo bitmask to the mobile computing device where each bit is associated with a lingo and the state of the bit identifies whether the lingo is usable by the accessory, wherein each lingo refers to a group of related commands;

receiving, by the accessory, information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device;

sending, by the accessory, a request to the mobile computing device requesting information indicating one more capabilities supported by the portable computing device;

receiving, by the accessory, the information indicating one or more capabilities supported by the mobile computing device;

sending, by the accessory, a capability bitmask to the mobile computing device indicating one or more capabilities usable by the accessory to communicate with the mobile computing device, where each bit in the bitmask is associated with a capability and the state of the bit identifies whether the capability is supported by the accessory, wherein the one or more capabilities usable by the accessory are determined based in part on the one or more capabilities supported by the portable computing device and the one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device;

subsequently thereto, communicating, by the accessory, with the mobile computing device, wherein only the lingoes identified in the lingo bitmask are usable by the accessory while communicating with the mobile computing device; and

communicating, by the accessory, to the mobile computing device, a preference bitmask, wherein each bit in the preference bitmask is associated with a capability usable by the accessory and value of the bit corresponds to one of a plurality of states for the capability,

wherein the value of the bit instructs the mobile computing device to place the corresponding capability into one of the plurality of states.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

subsequent to sending the lingo bitmask, sending, by the accessory, authentication information.

7. A method for a mobile computing device to establish parameters for use in a communication session with an accessory, the method comprising:

establishing communication with the accessory;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, a request for information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device;

wherein each lingo refers to a group of related commands;

sending, by the mobile computing device, the information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, a request for information indicating one more capabilities supported by the mobile computing device;

sending, by the mobile computing device, the information indicating one or more capabilities supported by the mobile computing device;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, an accessory identification token indicating one or more lingoes usable by the accessory for communicating with the mobile computing device, wherein the accessory identification token comprises (a) an indication of type of information included in the accessory identification token and (b) actual information,

wherein the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory is determined based in part on at least one of the capabilities supported by the portable computing device and the one or more lingoes supported by the portable computing device, wherein subsequent commands received by the mobile computing device are limited to only those commands included in the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory; and

receiving, by the mobile computing device, an accessory capabilities token indicating accessory capabilities, wherein the accessory capabilities token includes a code-value pair, the code being indicative of type of information and the value representing the actual information,

wherein the mobile computing device disables capabilities not supported by the accessory based on information in the accessory capabilities token.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device comprises a bitmask where each bit in the bitmask is associated with a lingo and the state of the bit identifies whether the lingo is usable by the accessory.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the accessory capability token comprises a bitmask where each bit is associated with a capability and the state of the bit identifies whether the capability is supported by the accessory.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising receiving a preference token wherein the preference token includes a bitmask and each bit in the bitmask is associated with a capability supported by the mobile computing device and has a value, wherein the value is indicative of one of a plurality of states of the associated capability.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising setting, by the mobile computing device, an initial state for the capabilities based on the value of each bit in the preference token.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a command from the accessory that is not associated with the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory; and

ignoring the command received from the accessory.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising sending an error message to the accessory in response to the command.

14. A mobile computing device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicably couple with an accessory; and

control logic coupled with the communication interface, the control logic being configured to send messages to and receive messages from the accessory via the communication interface, wherein the control logic is configured to;

establish a communication session with the accessory;

receive a request for information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the mobile computing device;

wherein each lingo refers to a group of related commands;

communicate a lingo version token to the accessory, wherein the lingo version token includes information specifying the lingoes supported by the mobile computing device;

receive a request for information indicating one more capabilities supported by the mobile computing device;

communicate a capability token to the accessory where the capability token includes information specifying one or more capabilities of the mobile computing device;

receive an accessory identification token indicating one or more lingoes usable by the accessory for communicating with the mobile computing device, wherein the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory is determined based in part on at least one of the capabilities supported by the portable computing device and the one or more lingo versions supported by the portable computing device, wherein subsequent commands received by the mobile computing device are limited to only those commands included in the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory; and

receive an accessory capabilities token indicating accessory capabilities; and

disable capabilities not supported by the accessory based on information in the accessory capabilities token.

15. The mobile computing device according to claim 14, wherein the communication interface includes a wireless interface.

16. The mobile computing device according to claim 14, wherein the capability token comprises a bitmask, wherein each bit in the bitmask is associated with a capability and a value of the bit indicates whether the mobile computing device supports the associated capability.

17. The mobile computing device according to claim 16, wherein the control logic is configured to:

receive a preference token from the accessory, the preference token including information instructing the mobile computing device to place some of the capabilities of the mobile computing device in one of a plurality of states associated with the capabilities; and

set the initial state of some of the capabilities based on the preference token.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a controller within an accessory, cause the controller to execute a method comprising:

establishing communication with a portable computing device;

sending a request to the portable computing device requesting information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the portable computing device;

wherein each lingo refers to a group of related commands;

receiving the information indicating one or more lingo versions supported by the portable computing device;

sending a request to the portable computing device requesting information indicating one more capabilities supported by the portable computing device;

receiving the information indicating one or more capabilities supported by the portable computing device;

sending an accessory identification token to the portable computing device indicating one or more lingoes usable by the accessory for communicating with the portable computing device,

wherein the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory is determined based in part on at least one of the capabilities supported by the portable computing device and the lingoes supported by the portable computing device, and wherein subsequent commands sent by the accessory are limited to only those commands included in the one or more lingoes usable by the accessory; and

sending an accessory capabilities token to the portable computing device indicating accessory capabilities, wherein information in the accessory capabilities token is used by the portable computing device to disable capabilities not supported by the accessory.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the method further comprising sending an alphanumeric data string indicating accessory information.