Device and method for providing external access to multi-drop bus peripheral devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12548018-B2
Application number	US-202418610033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2024
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device includes a slave interface configured for coupling to a machine controller of a machine via a multi-drop bus (MDB), a host interface configured for coupling to a first peripheral device of the machine, and memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors and comprising instructions for: registering the electronic device as a slave to the machine controller, registering the first peripheral device as a slave to the electronic device, receiving from a mobile device a request to access signals generated by the first peripheral device, validating the request, and sending a reset command to the first peripheral device via the host interface, the reset command including a directive to update a signal destination address of the first peripheral device from a controller address of the machine controller to a device address of the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device for retrofitting a machine to provide external access to one or more electronic peripheral devices of the machine, the electronic device comprising:
a slave interface configured to couple the electronic device to a machine controller of the machine via a communication bus; a host interface configured to couple the electronic device to a first peripheral device of the one or more electronic peripheral devices of the machine, wherein the first peripheral device is decoupled from the communication bus of the machine; a wireless transceiver; one or more processors; and non-transitory memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:
registering the electronic device as a slave to the machine controller;
registering the first peripheral device as a slave to the electronic device;
receiving, from a mobile device via the wireless transceiver, a request to communicate with the first peripheral device;
validating the request, wherein validation of the request indicates that the mobile device is authorized, by a remote server, to communicate with the first peripheral device; and ’sending a first reset command to the first peripheral device via the host interface, wherein the first reset command includes a directive to update a signal destination address of the first peripheral device from an address of the machine controller to a device address of the electronic device.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving, at the host interface of the electronic device, a first signal from the first peripheral device, wherein the first signal is directed to the electronic device in accordance with the updated signal destination address; in response to receiving the first signal from the first peripheral device:
sending an acknowledgement to the first peripheral device via the host interface;
transmitting a second signal to the mobile device via the wireless transceiver for forwarding to the remote server via a long-range communication capability of the mobile device, wherein the second signal includes data associated with the first signal received from the first peripheral device; and
forgoing provision of the first signal to the machine controller.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving, from the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, a notification to cease interaction with the mobile device; in response to receiving the notification to cease interaction with the mobile device:
sending a second reset command to the first peripheral device via the host interface, wherein the second reset command includes a directive to update the signal destination address of the first peripheral device to a controller address of the machine controller.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:
receiving, at the host interface of the electronic device, a third signal from the first peripheral device, wherein the third signal is directed to the machine controller; and in response to receiving the third signal from the first peripheral device:
sending an acknowledgement to the first peripheral device via the host interface in a manner as if originated from the machine controller; and
relaying the third signal to the machine controller via the slave interface.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions for registering the electronic device as a slave to the machine controller comprise instructions for:
identifying the electronic device to the machine controller as the first peripheral device; and accepting registration of the electronic device as the first peripheral device.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first peripheral device is a coin acceptor, a bill acceptor, or a payment card reader.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the machine is a vending machine, a parking meter, a laundromat washer or dryer, an arcade game, a kiosk, a photo booth, a toll booth, or a transit ticket dispensing machine.

8 . A method of retrofitting a machine to provide external access to one or more electronic peripheral devices of the machine, the method comprising:
at an electronic device including a wireless transceiver, one or more processors, non-transitory memory, a slave interface configured to couple the electronic device to a machine controller of the machine via a communication bus, and a host interface configured to couple the electronic device to a first peripheral device of the one or more electronic peripheral devices of the machine, wherein the first peripheral device is decoupled from the communication bus of the machine:
registering the electronic device as a slave to the machine controller;
registering the first peripheral device as a slave to the electronic device;
receiving, from a mobile device via the wireless transceiver, a request to communicate with the first peripheral device;
validating the request, wherein validation of the request indicates that the mobile device is authorized, by a remote server, to communicate with the first peripheral device; and
sending a first reset command to the first peripheral device via the host interface, wherein the first reset command includes a directive to update a signal destination address of the first peripheral device from an address of the machine controller to a device address of the electronic device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, at the host interface of the electronic device, a first signal from the first peripheral device, wherein the first signal is directed to the electronic device in accordance with the updated signal destination address; in response to receiving the first signal from the first peripheral device:
sending an acknowledgement to the first peripheral device via the host interface;
transmitting a second signal to the mobile device via the wireless transceiver for forwarding to the remote server via a long-range communication capability of the mobile device, wherein the second signal includes data associated with the first signal received from the first peripheral device; and
forgoing provision of the first signal to the machine controller.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, from the mobile device via the wireless transceiver, a notification to cease interaction with the mobile device; in response to receiving the notification to cease interaction with the mobile device:
sending a second reset command to the first peripheral device via the host interface, wherein the second reset command includes a directive to update the signal destination address of the first peripheral device to a controller address of the machine controller.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, at the host interface of the electronic device, a third signal from the first peripheral device, wherein the third signal is directed to the machine controller; and in response to receiving the third signal from the first peripheral device:
sending an acknowledgement to the first peripheral device via the host interface in a manner as if originated from the machine controller; and
relaying the third signal to the machine controller via the slave interface.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein registering the electronic device as a slave to the machine controller includes:
identifying the electronic device to the machine controller

Assignees

• Payrange Inc
• Payrange Llc

Inventors

• Patel Paresh K

Classifications

• G06F13/00

  Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor  G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems  G06F15/16 ) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3226

  Use of secure elements separate from M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/401

  Transaction verification · CPC title

• G06Q20/3821

  Electronic credentials · CPC title

• G06Q20/322

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title