Mobile computing device capabilities for accessories

• US 8,452,903 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bolton, Lawrence G., Rathi, Shailesh, Louboutin, Sylvain R. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shyu, Jing-Yih
• Application Number:
  US12/479,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein provide for capability identification for accessories coupled with a mobile computing device. During capability identification an accessory can request capability information from a mobile computing device. In some embodiments, the accessory can specifically request capability information associated with a specific lingo. In response, the mobile computing device can respond with a message that indicates the capabilities of the mobile computing device that are supported. In some embodiments, the capabilities can be those capabilities associated with the specified lingo. In some embodiments, if the mobile computing device does not support a lingo, then the mobile computing device can respond to the request from the accessory with a negative acknowledgement.

Claims

1. A method of communication between an accessory and a mobile computing device using tokens, the method comprising:

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

sending, by the accessory, a message to the mobile computing device requesting information about the mobile computing device;

receiving, by the accessory, a plurality of tokens from the mobile computing device in response to the message, wherein each token includes (i) a portion of the information about the mobile computing device and (ii) a code identifying a type for the portion of the information about the mobile computing device, wherein at least one of the plurality of tokens comprises information about capabilities supported by the mobile computing device;

parsing, by the accessory, the plurality of tokens to determine the at least one token;

analyze the at least one token to determine information about the capabilities supported by the mobile computing device; and

interacting, by the accessory, with the mobile computing device using the capabilities supported by the mobile computing device.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the message sent to the mobile computing device includes a request for providing capabilities related to a specific lingo and the at least one token received from the mobile computing device includes information about capabilities supported by the mobile computing device that are related to the specific lingo.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the accessory requests capabilities information related to more than one lingo.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one token received from the mobile computing device includes a bitmask with each bit representing whether a specific capability is supported by the mobile computing device.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capabilities include video formatting capabilities.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the video formatting capabilities include one or more capabilities from a group consisting of video output, NTSC video format, PAL video format, composite video out, S-video video out, NTSC connection, closed captioning, full screen video aspect ratio, widescreen video aspect ratio, and subtitles.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capabilities include one or more capabilities from a group of capabilities consisting of line out usage, video output, cross-transport authentication, mobile computing device protocols, notifications, duplex support, audio media control, video media control, image media control, sports media control, GPS data output, and volume control.

8. An accessory device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a mobile computing device; and

control logic coupled with the communication interface, the control logic being configured to;

send messages to and receive messages from the mobile computing device via the communication interface,

send a request for providing information about the mobile computing device;

receive a response, including one or more tokens, from the mobile computing device, wherein each of the one or more tokens includes (i) a portion of the information about the mobile computing device and (ii) a code identifying type of the portion of information included in the token, and at least one token includes information about the capabilities of the mobile computing device;

parse the one or more tokens to identify the at least one token that includes information about the capabilities of the mobile computing device; and

analyze the at least one token to determine capabilities supported by the mobile computing device.

9. The accessory device according to claim 8 wherein the control logic is further configured to interact with the mobile computing device using at least one of the supported capabilities.

10. The accessory device according to claim 8 wherein the control logic is further configured to receive a negative acknowledgement when the mobile computing device does not support the request for providing information about the mobile computing device.

11. The accessory device according to claim 8 wherein the capabilities include one or more capabilities of the mobile computing device from a group consisting of wireless capabilities, microphone capabilities, remote control by the accessory capabilities, video capabilities, audio capabilities, and location capabilities.

12. The accessory device according to claim 8 wherein the lingo is selected from the group of lingoes consisting of a general lingo, a microphone lingo, a remote control lingo, a remote display lingo, a remote user interface lingo, a location lingo, a storage lingo, a wireless communication lingo, a video lingo, and an audio lingo.

13. A method comprising:

establishing a communication session between an accessory and a mobile computing device;

receiving, by the mobile computing device from the accessory, a plurality of tokens including information about the accessory and a request for capabilities associated with a specific lingo;

wherein each token includes a code identifying type of information included in the token and a value providing the actual information;

parsing, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of tokens to determine a token that includes the request for capabilities associated with the specific lingo;

in the event that the mobile computing device supports the specified lingo, sending, by the mobile computing device, a capabilities message to the accessory, in response to the request, indicating the capabilities of the mobile computing device associated with the specified lingo; and

in the event that the mobile computing device does not support the specified lingo, sending, by the mobile computing device, a negative acknowledgment to the accessory.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the capabilities message includes a bitmask and wherein each bit in the bitmask indicates whether a specific capability is supported by the mobile computing device.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the lingo is selected from the group of lingoes consisting of a general lingo, a microphone lingo, a remote control lingo, a remote display lingo, a remote user interface lingo, a location lingo, a storage lingo, a wireless communication lingo, a video lingo, and an audio lingo.

16. A mobile computing device comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate 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;

receive one or more tokens from the accessory, wherein the one or more tokens include authentication information for the accessory and a request from the accessory for providing supported capabilities of the mobile computing device associated with a specific lingo;

wherein each token includes (i) a code identifying type of information included in the token and (ii) the actual information;

parsing the one or more tokens to determine a token that includes the request; and

in the event that the mobile computing device supports the specified lingo the control logic is further configured to send, in response to the request, a bitmask from the mobile computing device to the accessory that specifies capabilities associated with the specified lingo that are supported by the mobile computing device; and

in the event that the mobile computing device does not support the specified lingo the control logic is configured to send a negative acknowledgement to the accessory.

17. The mobile computing device according to claim 16 wherein the control logic is further configured to interact with the accessory using the specified lingo.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a controller within a mobile communication device, causes the controller to execute a method of communicating capabilities information between a mobile communication device and an accessory, the method comprising:

receiving one or more tokens from the accessory, the one or more tokens including identifying information of the accessory and a request for providing capabilities information of the mobile communications device;

wherein each token includes (i) a code identifying type of information included in the token and (ii) a value providing the information;

parsing the one or more tokens to identify a token that includes the request; and

sending a data string comprising a bitmask identifying the capabilities supported by the mobile communication device in response to the request.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 wherein the request for capabilities comprises a request for capabilities associated with a specific lingo.