Multi-operating system input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127516-A1
Application number	US-201514923380-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 29, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of establishing a wireless connection between a data input device and a host computing device. More specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for using a single input device (e.g., keyboard, mouse, or touchpad devices) with multiple host computing devices that may be running different operating systems, and efficiently switching the data protocols used to transmit HID data between the input device and the multiple host computing devices without requiring user interaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of establishing a wireless connection between a data input device and a host computing device, the method comprising:
initiating a pairing process with the host computing device through a data communications connection; receiving, from the host computing device, one or more requests for notifications indicating characteristics for proprietary services offered by the data input device; automatically switching from a first communications protocol to a second communications protocol based on the one or more requests; and sending data from the data input device to the host computing device using the second communications protocol.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computing device is a second host computing device, wherein the pairing process is a first pairing process, wherein the data communications connection is a first data communications connection, wherein the data from the data input device is first data, wherein the method further comprises:
initiating a second pairing process with a first host computing device through a second data communications connection; receiving, from the first host computing device, one or more requests for notifications indicating characteristics for proprietary services offered by the data input device; automatically switching from the second communications protocol to the first communications protocol based on the one or more requests; and sending second data from the data input device to the first host computing device using the first communications protocol.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the pairing process with the host computing device through the data communications connection further comprises:
sending, by the data input device, a list of available services provided by the data input device to the host computing device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data from the data input device to the host computing device includes notifications indicating characteristics for proprietary services offered by the data input device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second communications protocol is compatible with an operating system running on the host computing device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the host computing device is a second host computing device, wherein the first communications protocol is not compatible with an operating system running on the second host computing device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein during the pairing process, the data input device advertises the first communications protocol and the second communications protocol.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first communications protocol is a standard human interface device protocol, and wherein the second communications protocol is a proprietary protocol.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data input device advertises a unique identifier recognized by a software component stored on the host computing device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the software component is configured to translate data reports sent by the data input device to the host computing device.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data communications connection is a Bluetooth® Smart communications protocol.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data input device is one of a keyboard, a mouse, or a touchpad device.

13 . A system comprising:
a first host computing device, the first host computing device running a first operating system; and a data input device, wherein the data input device is connected to the host computing device using a method comprising:
initiating a pairing process with the data input device through a data communications connection;
receiving, from the first host computing device, one or more requests for notifications indicating characteristics for proprietary services offered by the data input device;
automatically switching from a first communications protocol to a second communications protocol based on the one or more requests; and
sending data to the first host computing device using the second communications protocol.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a second host computing device, the second host computing device running a second operating system using the first communications protocol.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the data input device is one of a keyboard, a mouse, or a touchpad device.

16 . An input device comprising:
a transmitter for communicating with a host computing device; and computer readable code stored on a non-transitory computer readable media, the computer readable media including:
a first set of instructions supporting a standard HID protocol;
a second set of instructions supporting a proprietary HID protocol; and
instructions for switching between the first set of instructions and the second set of instructions upon receiving a notification that the host computing device accepts the proprietary HID protocol.

17 . The input device of claim 16 , wherein the input device is one of a keyboard, a mouse, or a touchpad device.

18 . A framework comprising computer readable code stored on a non-transitory computer readable media, accessible by an application on a host computing device, comprising:
instructions for discovering an input device connected to the host computing device; instructions for notifying the input device to switch from a standard HID protocol to a proprietary HID protocol; and instructions for processing HID data reports from the input device in the proprietary HID protocol.

19 . The framework of claim 18 , further comprising:
instructions for translating HID data received in the proprietary HID protocol; and providing the translated HID data to an application operating on the host computing device.

20 . The framework of claim 18 , further comprising:
instructions for receiving a device identifier from the input device; and determining that the received device identifier matches one of a plurality of device identifiers associated with the framework.

Assignees

• Logitech Europ Sa

Inventors

• Chazot Philippe
• Salamin Patrick
• Holzbecher Jiri
• Zimmermann Remy

Classifications

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W76/023

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L69/18 Primary

  Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols · CPC title

• G06F3/023 Primary

  Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title