Smart dock for chaining accessories
Contents
1. FIG 3B is a block diagram illustrating a rear view of a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 3C is a block diagram illustrating is a top view of a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating interactions between a docking station and an accessory in one embodiment accord ing to the present invention FIG 5 is a flowchart of a method for enabling one or more signal associated with a first electronic device based on the presence of a second electronic device at a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 6 is a flowchart of a method for modifying a volume signal using a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 7 is a flowchart of a method for modifying a volume signal using a portable electronic device coupled to a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 8 is a flowchart of a method for initiating echo can cellation using docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the present invention FIGS 9A and 9B are a flowchart illustrating interactions between an electronic device a docking station and an acces sory in one embodiment according to the present invention and FIG 10 is a simplified block diagram ofa computer system that may incorporate embodiments of the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION In order to better und2. U S Patent OL Sid Otol 0901 0204 0601 S S0IASG S SO0IAaG S 39VJH3 LNI LAdNI INdLNO NNOO AMOWSIA 0801 JAIJI XSIQ SS3229V S HOSS300Md INOQNYM oeol ocol OLOL AV IdSIQ di 0901 0001 US 8 275 924 B2 1 SMART DOCK FOR CHAINING ACCESSORIES CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisional of U S patent application Ser No 12 193 246 filed Aug 18 2008 which claims the benefit of U S Provisional Patent Application 60 969 858 entitled SMART DOCK FOR CHAINING ACCESSO RIES by Scott Krueger filed Sep 4 2007 the entire con tents of which are incorporated herein by reference BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to media players and more particularly to docking stations for daisy chaining accessories for the media players Electronic devices such as portable media players cellular phones personal digital assists PDAs and the like are prevalent in today s marketplace as are the peripheral elec tronic devices that support their use such as docking stations and the like As competition in the personal electronics mar ketplace becomes ever more heated consumers have become more demanding in terms of both the functionality and use of such devices One popular function is the storage and output of content such as music images photos and movies Improving com pression methods like MPEG standards result in less storage capacity required making
3. In another example dock ing station 300 generates a message indicative of the change in volume In one aspect a volume level displayed on the device UI is changed based on the notification In step 640 the electronic device updates a user interface in response to the volume update For example media player 100 may update visual information displayed to the user to reflect the change in volume FIG 6 ends in step 650 FIG 7 is a flowchart of a method for modifying a volume signal using a portable electronic device coupled to docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 7 begins in step 700 In step 710 input is received at the electronic device indicative of a change in volume In step 720 the volume at the device is modified in response to the input In step 730 docking station 300 is notified to update the volume In one example docking station 300 monitors one or more signals provided by the electronic device indicative ofa volume level In another example docking station 300 receives a message generated by the electronic device indicative of a change in volume In step 740 docking station 300 modifies the volume in response to the volume update For example docking station 300 may adjust the level or signal strength of audio output jack 340 In another example docking station 300 may adjust the level or signal strength of audio information being output using interface 350 FIG 7 ends in step
4. tronic device 16 The method of claim 12 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes turning on the one or more of the existing function alities wherein turning on the one or more of the existing functionalities includes selectively enabling and disabling a line out signal of the electronic device based on the one or more preferences 17 The method of claim 12 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes turning on the one or more ofthe existing function alities wherein turning on the one or more of the existing 20 25 35 14 functionalities includes generating at the docking station commands instructing the electronic device to initiate an echo cancellation program 18 A method for communicating between an accessory and an electronic device the method comprising detecting the presence of an accessory at a docking station that couples the accessory to an electronic device receiving from the accessory at the docking station one or more preferences associated with the accessory wherein the one or more preferences comprise at least one video preference and turning on and or changing a setting of one or more exist ing functionalities associated with the electronic device based on the one or more preferences wherein at least one of the one or more existing functionalities associ ated with the electronic de
5. 6 wherein the base component is configured to change the setting and wherein the setting is a US 8 275 924 B2 13 video setting and wherein the video setting comprises at least one of an upsampling setting a downsampling setting and a timing setting 12 A method for communicating between an accessory and an electronic device the method comprising detecting the presence of an accessory at a docking station that couples the accessory to an electronic device receiving from the accessory at the docking station one or more preferences associated with the accessory and turning on and or changing a setting of one or more exist ing functionalities associated with the electronic device based on the one or more preferences by sending one or more commands to the electronic device 13 The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving information from the electronic device at the docking station in response to the set of preferences and delivering the information to the accessory 14 The method of claim 12 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes changing the setting wherein the changed setting is a video setting of the electronic device 15 The method of claim 12 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes changing the setting wherein the changed setting determines a format for content to be output from the elec
6. Media player 100 then may supply audio to a 30 pin connector with which it interfaces with docking station 300 In step 910 docking station 300 recognizes the presence of an accessory e g the A V cable For example docking station 300 may recognize the presence of an accessory attached to an accessory interface that has pulled a predeter mined signal to ground This signal may be called an Acces sory Detect In step 915 upon successful authentication to media player 100 docking station 300 enables power to the accessory interface For example docking station 300 may enable power to a 30 pin connector with which it interfaces with accessories In step 920 the A V cable powers on and iden tifies itself In one example the A V cable powers on an identifies itself via one or more commands associated with an accessory protocol such as iAP 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 10 In various embodiments docking station 300 may authen ticate with the accessory according to one or more accessory protocols The authentication may be performed in either direction In this example in step 925 docking station 300 does not respond to commands sent from the A V cable in an attempt to authenticate with an electronic device Neverthe less in step 930 docking station 300 proceeds to request preferences from the accessory For example docking station 300 may send one or more commands associated with an accesso
7. exemplary embodiment a dock sys tem includes a first interface a second interface and a base component The first interface is configured to receive a first electronic device The second interface is configured to receive a second electronic device The base component couples the first interface and the second interface The base component is configured to selectively enable and disable a line out signal associated with the first device based the pres ence of the second electronic device at the second interface A further understanding ofthe nature and the advantages of the inventions disclosed herein may be realized by reference ofthe remaining portions ofthe specification and the attached drawings BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to more fully understand the present invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings Under standing that these drawings are not to be considered limita tions in the scope of the invention the presently described embodiments and the presently understood best mode of the invention are described with additional detail through use of the accompanying drawings FIG 1 is a block diagram of a media player that may incorporate embodiments of the present invention FIG 2 is a system for daisy chaining accessories in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 3A is a block diagram illustrating a front view of a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention
8. 10 2001 Harris et al WO WO 03 036541 A1 5 2003 2002 0002035 Al 1 2002 Sim etal WO WO 2004 098079 Al 11 2004 2002 0010759 Al 1 2002 Hitson et al WO WO 2006 130784 A2 12 2006 2002 0029303 Al 3 2002 Nguyen WO WO 2007 069234 A2 6 2007 2002 0065074 Al 5 2002 Cohn et al WO WO 2007 070543 A2 6 2007 2002 0090982 A1 7 2002 Hollstrom et al WO WO2007 139513 Al 12 2007 2002 0103008 Al 8 2002 Rahn et al 2002 0105861 Al 8 2002 Leapman OTHER PUBLICATIONS 2002 0115480 Al 8 2002 Huang Keyspan Express Remote Product Fact Sheet Oct 2004 1 page 2002 0132651 Al 9 2002 Jinnouchi Remote for iTunes Controls iTunes DVD CD and more URM 2002 0145536 Al 10 2002 Clise 15T product information datasheet Keyspan http www ee pre i iH Sans ek h keyspan com products usb urm15t downloaded Sep 25 2005 2 NTIS opher pages a RE FERA ud I 455 420 Neuros MP3 Digital Audio Computer www neurosaudio com 2003 0079038 Al 4 2003 Robbin etal 709 232 downloaded Apr 9 2003 2003 0097379 Al 5 2003 Ireton Sailing Clicker 2 2 1 User Manual Copyright 2003 2005 Sailing 2003 0162562 Al 8 2003 Curtiss et al Software AB 45 pages 2003 0172209 Al 9 2003 Liu et al Search Report from Chinese Patent No ZL2008201310912 4 pages 2003 0220988 Al 11 2003 Hymel International Search Report dated Nov 6 2008 from PCT US2008 2003 0236075 Al 12 2003 Johnson et al 073473 2004 0090998 AI 5 2004 Chen European Patent Application No 1 0160463 5 Eu
9. 750 US 8 275 924 B2 9 FIG 8 is a flowchart of a method for initiating echo can cellation using docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 8 begins in step 800 In step 810 docking station 300 generates one or more instructions to media player 100 to initiate an echo cancella tion program The one or more instructions may be any signal message and the like instructing media player 100 to initiate an echo cancellation program In step 820 docking station 300 sends the instruction and dock information to electronic device The dock information may be an identifier serial number model number and the like that may be used to identify docking station 300 and or software firmware or hardware elements associated with docking station 300 In one embodiment the accessory connected to the dock could be identified in a same or similar manner In step 830 media player 100 initiates an echo cancellation program based on the dock information For example media player 100 may determine a particular echo cancellation rou tine to be executed based on an identifier associated with docking station 300 In another example media player 100 may select between one or more echo cancellation routines or programs based on information from docking station 300 Thus docking station 300 may instruct an electronic device to enable disable an echo cancellation program Dock ing station 300 may include identificatio
10. ATE INSTRUCTION TO ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO INITIATE ECHO CANCELLATION 810 PROGRAM SEND INSTRUCTION AND DOCK INFORMATION TO ELECTRONIC DEVICE 820 INITIATE ECHO CANCELLATION PROGRAM sio BASED ON DOCK INFORMATION END 840 FIG 8 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 9 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 BEGIN 900 DOCKING STATION IDENTIFIES AND AUTHENTICATES ITSELF TO ELECTRONIC 905 DEVICE DOCKING STATION RECOGNIZES PRESENCE OF ACCESSORY 910 DOCKING STATION ENABLES POWER TO ACCESSORY INTERFACE ACCESSORY POWERS ON AND IDENTIFIES un ITSELF DOCKING STATION IGNORES ACCESSORY oie IDENTIFICATION DOCKING STATION REQUEST PREFERENCES Eu FROM ACCESSORY ACCESSORY SENDS PREFERENCES INDICATING THAT AUDIO AND VIDEO OUTPUTS 935 BE ENABLED DOCKING STATION FORWARDS PREFERENCES bis TO ELECTRONIC DEVICE M hes FIG 9A U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 10 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 JC ELECTRONIC DEVICE DETERMINES WHETHER 955 TO ACKNOWLEDGE PREFERENCES 960 NO FAILURE FAILURE ELECTRONIC DEVICE GENERATES ACKNOWLEDGMENT INDICATIVE OF FAILURE ELECTRONIC DEVICE GENERATES ACKNOWLEDGMENT INDICATIVE OF SUCCESS ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENABLES FUNCTIONALITY ACCORDING TO DEFAULTS ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENABLES FUNCTIONALITY ACCORDING TO FORWARDED PREFERENCES DOCKING STATION FORWARDS 985 ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO ACCESSORY END 990 FIG 9B US 8 275 924 B2 Sheet 11 of 11 Sep 25 2012
11. Accessory 230 further may be physically integrated into dock 220 FIG 3A is a block diagram illustrating a front view of a docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the present invention In this example docking station 300 includes a base 310 communications port 320 and a remote controller 330 Communications port 320 may be used by a receiver inter nal to base 310 when picking up wireless transmissions from a remote controller 330 Remote controller 330 may include a plurality of user input controls not shown It should be noted that remote controller 330 could transmit any of a number of signals such as infrared radio frequency RF audio signals and the like Through use of the user input controls on remote controller 330 the user is able to indirectly interact with a device attached to docking station 300 e g media player 100 of FIG or device 220 of FIG 2 or directly interact with the docking station 300 For example a user of remote controller 330 can interact with the user input controls to select a media item to be played ona portable media player Remote controller 330 can also be used to alter the volume of the audio output FIG 3B is a block diagram illustrating a rear view of docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the present invention In this example docking station 300 includes an audio output jack 340 and an interface 350 Docking station 300 may allow audio to be provided through audio ou
12. NALS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRST ELECTRONIC DEVICE BASED ON PRESENCE OF SECOND ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENABLE ONE OR MORE SIGNALS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRST ELECTRONIC DEVICE US 8 275 924 B2 Page2 U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 2006 0085351 Al 4 2006 Hug 2006 0109987 Al 5 2006 Baek 6 038 457 A 3 2000 Barkat 2006 0127034 Al 6 2006 Brooking et al ccs 386 46 6 125 455 A 9 2000 Yeo 2006 0156415 Al 7 2006 Rubinstein et al 726 27 6 130 518 A 10 2000 Gabehart et al 2006 0184456 Al 8 2006 de Janasz 6 178 514 Bl 1 2001 Wood 2006 0212637 Al 9 2006 Loetal c 710 308 d pi do pengan 2006 0229090 A1 10 2006 LaDue 455 507 Bo RT BE e00 odin 2007 0015457 Al 1 2007 Krampf et al 3M 2007 0056013 Al 3 2007 Duncan VLA Bi rs bos 2007 0070183 Al 3 2007 Davis ua 2007 0080823 Al 4 2007 Fu tal 6 314 479 Bl 11 2001 Frederick et al 2007 0086724 Al 4 2007 Grady etal v 386 46 6 505 258 Bl 1 2003 Sakarda et al 2007 0124804 Al 5 2007 Burnham et al 6 591 085 Bl 7 2003 Grady 2007 0201705 Al 8 2007 Dorogusker et al 381 104 6 608 264 Bl 8 2003 Fouladpour 2007 0206827 Al 9 2007 Tupman et al 6 614 232 BL 9 2003 Mukai 2007 0233294 Al 10 2007 Holden et al o u 700 94 ae oes E 115003 uus one 2008 0075295 Al 3 2008 Mayman et al 381 79 Pope HIA 5004 S tson LV eral 2008 0212971 A1 9 2008 Shaanan etal 398 130 Pasi eae nie ONUS ae 2008 0243282 Al 10 2008 Koski eu SRI 2 0005 Mp 2009 0063744 Al 3 2009 K
13. TCP IP RTP RTSP protocols and the like In alternative embodiments of the present invention other communications software and transfer protocols may also be used for example IPX UDP or the like In various embodiments computer system 1000 may also include an operating system such as Microsoft Windows Linux Mac OS X real time operating systems RTOSs open source and proprietary OSs and the like FIG 10 is representative ofa media player and or computer system capable of embodying the present invention It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many other hardware and software configurations are suitable for use with the present invention For example the media player may be a desktop portable rack mounted or tablet configu ration Additionally the media player may be a series of networked computers Moreover the media player may be a mobile device an embedded device a personal digital assis tant a smartphone and the like In still other embodiments the techniques described above may be implemented upon a chip or an auxiliary processing board The present invention can be implemented in the form of control logic in software or hardware or a combination of both The control logic may be stored in an information stor age medium as a plurality of instructions adapted to direct an information processing device to perform a set of steps dis closed in embodiments of the present invention Based o
14. TICATION WITH DEVICE Sap DOCK RECOGNIZES PRESENCE OF 420 ACCESSORY DOCK OBTAINS SET OF PREFERENCES FROM 430 ACCESSORY DOCK FORWARDS SET OF PREFERENCES TO 440 DEVICE DEVICE ACKS REQUEST 450 DOCK FORWARDS ACK TO ACCSSORY 460 DEVICE ENABLES FUNCTIONALITIES 470 REQUESTED BY ACCESSORY END 480 FIG 4 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 5 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 BEGIN 500 DETECT PRESENCE OF FIRST ELECTRONIC DEVICE AT DOCKING STATION om DETECT PRESENCE OF SECOND ELECTRONIC 520 DEVICE AT DOCKING STATION GENERATE INSTRUCTION TO ENABLE ONE OR MORE SIGNALS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRST 530 ELECTRONIC DEVICE BASED ON PRESENCE OF SECOND ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENABLE ONE OR MORE SIGNALS ASSOCIATED 540 WITH FIRST ELECTRONIC DEVICE END 550 FIG 5 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 6 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 BEGIN 600 RECEIVE INPUT FROM REMOTE INDICATIVE OF CHANGE IN VOLUME 20 MODIFY VOLUME AT DOCK IN RESPONSE TO 620 INPUT NOTIFY DEVICE TO UPDATE VOLUME 630 DEVICE UPDATES UI IN RESPONSE TO VOLUME 640 UPDATE END 650 FIG 6 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 7 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 BEGIN 700 RECEIVE INPUT AT DEVICE INDICATIVE OF CHANGE IN VOLUME 710 MODIFY VOLUME AT DEVICE IN RESPONSE TO 720 INPUT NOTIFY DOCK TO UPDATE VOLUME 730 DOCK MODIFIES VOLUME IN RESPONSE TO or VOLUME UPDATE END 750 FIG 7 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 8 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 BEGIN 800 GENER
15. ame or similar process as for receiving the preferences The volume setting for each accessory that has been connected may be stored in the dock In one embodiment the line out signal from the electronic device is attenuated or amplified locally in the dock thereby providing a volume control In another embodiment the dock can send a signal to the electronic device to have a volume setting of the electronic device changed In some embodiments docking station 300 includes hard ware and or software elements configured to enable disable one or more features an electronic device coupled to docking station 300 Traditionally media players have always kept their audio line out open However this is no longer the case For example smart phones and other devices that have a speaker which may not want the audio line out open In one embodi ment docking station 300 may instruct a electronic device such as an iPod iPhone to turn ON OFF its line out In another embodiment docking station 300 may not instruct an electronic device to turn its line out ON unless an audio conducting accessory is attached to either audio output jack 340 or interface 350 e g the 30 pin connector For example if a simple charging cable is connected to the 30 pin connector interface 350 docking station 300 may not activate the line out feature of an electronic device However if a speaker system is hooked up to either audio output jack 340 or interface 350 do
16. az United States Patent US008275924B2 10 Patent No US 8 275 924 B2 Krueger et al 45 Date of Patent Sep 25 2012 54 SMART DOCK FOR CHAINING A T RD A pe RR i 2 i ekine et al ACCESSORIES 5 680 102 A 10 1997 Xydis 5 694 137 A 12 1997 Wood 75 Inventors Scott Krueger San Francisco CA US 5 712 638 A 1 1998 Mid Jesse L Dorogusker Los Altos CA 5 754 027 A 5 1998 Oglesbee et al US 5 964 847 A 10 1999 Booth et al 5 987 545 A 11 1999 Oh f n 6 012 105 A 1 2000 Rubbmark et al 73 Assignee Apple Inc Cupertino CA US 6 031 797 A 2 2000 Van Ryzin et al Notice Subject to any disclaimer the term of this Continued patent is extended or adjusted under 35 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS U S C 154 b by 0 days CN 1765059 A 4 2006 Bos patent is subject to a terminal dis Continued claimer OTHER PUBLICATIONS 21 Appl No 12 963 378 jpodDock iPod Cradle www bookendzdocks com bookendz 22 Filed Dec 8 2010 dock cradle htm downloaded Feb 27 2008 Express Remote Sup ports Apple s Airport Express Press Release Nov 10 2004 Copy 65 Prior Publication Data right 2005 Keyspan 2 pages Express Remote Remote Control for your Mac or PC URM US 2011 0078354 A1 Mar 31 2011 17A product information datasheet Copyright 2005 Keyspan http www keyspan com products usb urm17a downloaded Sep Related U S Application Data 25 2005 2 pages 62 Division of application No 12 193 246 file
17. ble its line out when a cable accessory is detected at docking station 300 In another example docking station 300 may instruct media player 100 to enable video signals upsampling settings downsampling settings format modifi cations timing changes and other audio video effects In step 540 the one or more signals associated with the first electronic device are enabled For example media player 100 may enable disable line out video output audio video format or signal type e g analog digital control signals timing signals and the like Other functionalities and settings asso ciated with media player 100 may also be modified e g enabled disable by docking station 300 FIG 5 ends in step 600 FIG 6 is a flowchart of a method for modifying a volume signal using docking station 300 in one embodiment accord ing to the present invention FIG 6 begins in step 600 In step 610 input is received from a remote controller e g remote controller 330 associated with docking station 300 indicative of a change in volume In step 620 docking station 300 modifies the volume in response to the input In one embodiment the volume is modified by an electrical attenu ation applied to the audio signal coming from the electronic device In step 630 docking station 300 notifies an electronic device attached to docking station 300 to update the volume In one example docking station 300 generates a signal indicative ofthe change in volume
18. c of Cupertino Calif Media player 100 may further be connected to private and public communica tion networks such as the Internet Smart Dock FIG 2 is a system 200 for daisy chaining accessories in one embodiment according to the present invention In this example system 200 includes a docking station or dock 210 a device 220 and an accessory 230 In general dock 210 is any hardware and or software ele ments that provide an interface between device 220 and accessory 230 In some embodiments dock 210 may include at least one speaker The speakers may include a pair of midrange speakers and a subwoofer speaker Dock 210 may also include volume control devices In one embodiment the volume control devices are buttons Still further dock 210 may include one or more indicator lights that provide visual feedback to a user regarding the operation or condition of dock 210 device 220 and or accessory 230 In some embodi ments dock 210 may include at least one display Typically device 220 is suitable for use as media player 110 shown in FIG 1 Device 220 may include a processor that pertains to a microprocessor or controller for controlling the US 8 275 924 B2 5 overall operation of device 220 Device 220 may store media data pertaining to media assets ina file system and or a cache The file system is typically a storage disk or a plurality of disks flash memory and the like The file system may provide high capacity sto
19. ccessory Instep 985 docking station 300 forwards any acknowledg ments received from media player 100 to the A V cable acces sory FIG 9B ends in step 990 FIG 10 is a simplified block diagram ofa computer system 1000 that may incorporate embodiments ofthe present inven tion FIG 10 is merely illustrative of an embodiment incor porating the present invention and does not limit the scope of the invention as recited in the claims One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize other variations modifications and alternatives In one embodiment computer system 1000 includes pro cessor s 1010 random access memory RAM 1020 disk drive 1030 input device s 1040 output device s 1050 dis play 1060 communications interface s 1070 and a system bus 1080 interconnecting the above components Other com ponents such as file systems storage disks read only memory ROM cache memory codecs and the like may be present RAM 1020 and disk drive 1030 are examples of tangible media configured to store data such as audio image and movie files operating system code embodiments of the present invention including executable computer code human readable code or the like Other types of tangible media include floppy disks removable hard disks optical storage media such as CD ROMS DVDs and bar codes semiconductor memories such as flash memories read only memories ROMS battery backed volatile memories net worked storage dev
20. cking station 300 may set the volume based on the last volume setting and then instruct the electronic device to turn ON its line out In another embodiment docking station 300 may instruct an electronic device to enable disable an echo cancellation program As one example an echo cancellation program uses active software algorithms to remove echo s from speaker phone conversations Docking station 300 may include iden tification information which may be provided to the elec tronic device so that the electronic device can initiate the appropriate echo cancellation program e g the program for a particular model version and the like of docking station 300 For example the audio behavior and inherent echo patterns are vastly different when the phone is sitting in a dock be cause the speaker is down on the bottom and thus inside of the dock Thus a particular echo cancellation program may be needed for a particular dock which announces itself as possibly requiring those unique parameters for the echo can cellation program In various embodiments docking station 300 includes authentication circuitry to identify validate and or authenti cate an electronic device e g an iPod that may be attached to docking station 300 In one aspect the authentication is a process by which an accessory proves to an electronic device that it is a genuine approved accessory In one embodiment US 8 275 924 B2 7 the authenticat
21. d on Aug Continued 18 2008 now Pat No 7 873 771 Pri Examiner Paul R Myers 60 Provisional application No 60 969 858 filed on Sep ipeo dd y 4 2007 Assistant Examiner Trisha Vu 74 Attorney Agent or Firm Kilpatrick Townsend amp 51 Int Cl Stockton LLP G06F 13 14 2006 01 GOGF 13 10 2006 01 57 ABSTRACT 52 US CT iuret enters 710 303 710 62 A system for communicating between an accessory and an 58 Field of Classification Search 710 8 15 electronic device includes a first interface a second interface 710 16 62 72 100 104 105 300 306 and a docking station The first interface is configured to See application file for complete search history communicate with the electronic device The second inter face is configured to communicate with the accessory The 56 References Cited docking station is coupled to the first interface and the second U S PATENT DOCUMENTS 4 673 861 A 4 847 781 A 5 150 031 A 6 1987 Dubovsky et al 7 1989 Brown III et al 9 1992 James et al 200 DEVICE 220 ACCESSORY 230 interface The docking station is configured to receive a set of preferences from the accessory and forward the set of pref erences to the electronic device 23 Claims 11 Drawing Sheets DETECT PRESENCE OF FIRST ELECTRONIC DEVICE AT DOCKING STATION DETECT PRESENCE OF SECOND ELECTRONIC DEVICE AT DOCKING STATION GENERATE INSTRUCTION TO ENABLE ONE OR MORE SIG
22. erstand the present invention aspects ofthe environment within which various embodiments oper ate will first be described FIG 1 is a block diagram of a media player 100 that may incorporate embodiments ofthe present invention In general a media player stores content and or media assets such as 0 25 30 40 45 50 60 4 audio tracks movies or photos that can be played or dis played on the media player One example of a media player is the iPod media player which is available from Apple Inc of Cupertino Calif Another example of a media player is a personal computer such as a laptop or desktop In this example media player 100 includes display 110 user interface 120 storage 130 and communications inter face 140 Media play 100 may display information associated with content such as track information and album art and the content itself such as a photo or movie using display 110 A user may interact with user interface 120 of media player 100 to view or consume content stored with storage 130 Storage 130 may be any read only memory ROM random access memory RAM non volatile memory flash memory floppy disk hard disk and the like Communications interface 150 may include universal serial bus USB interfaces IEEE 1394 or FireWire iLink amp interfaces wired and wireless network interfaces and the like Media player 100 typically includes one or more connec tors or ports e g communicat
23. he identification allows advanced features to be used Docking station 300 may use one or more protocols such as an accessory protocol to per form identification and or authentication One example of such a protocol is the iPod Accessory Protocol iAP provided by Apple Inc of Cupertino Calif Instep 420 docking station 300 recognizes the presence of an accessory In step 430 docking station 300 obtains a set of preferences from the accessory The set of preferences may include information indicative of services or features avail able commands requests for services or features available and the like In one example the accessory automatically broadcasts a message containing the set of preferences which is inter cepted by docking station 300 In another example upon recognition of the accessory the accessory attempts to authenticate itself with the docking station 300 according to one or more authentication protocols After authentication docking station 300 may generate and transmit to the acces sory a message indicative ofa request for a set of preferences In one embodiment the authentication is required for the request to be sent In step 440 docking station 300 receives a set of prefer ences and forwards the set of preferences to media player 100 In step 450 media player 100 acknowledges the set of pref erences e g acknowledging a request for one or more ser vices In step 460 docking station 300 forwards the acknow
24. ices and the like In various embodiments input device 1040 is typically embodied as a computer mouse a trackball a track pad a joystick a wireless remote a drawing tablet a voice com US 8 275 924 B2 11 mand system an eye tracking system a multi touch interface ascroll wheel a click wheel a touch screen an FM TV tuner audio video inputs and the like Input device 1040 may allow a user to select objects icons text and the like via a com mand such as a click of a button or the like In various embodiments output device 1050 is typically embodied as a display a printer a force feedback mechanism an audio out put a video component output and the like Display 1060 may include a CRT display an LCD display a Plasma display and the like Embodiments of communications interface 1070 may include computer interfaces such as include an Ethernet card a modem telephone satellite cable ISDN asynchronous digital subscriber line DSL unit FireWire interface USB interface and the like For example these computer inter faces may be coupled to a computer network 1090 to a FireWire bus or the like In other embodiments these com puter interfaces may be physically integrated on the mother board or system board of computer system 1000 and may be a software program or the like In various embodiments computer system 1000 may also include software that enables communications over a network such as the HTTP
25. ing As another example the docking sta tion may modify a video setting In one aspect the video setting may include at least one of an upsampling setting a downsampling setting a format setting a timing setting and a video effect setting In some embodiments the docking station may interact with the electronic device to initiate an echo cancellation program According to another exemplary embodiment a method for communicating between an accessory and an electronic device is provided The presence of the accessory is detected at a docking station that couples the accessory to the elec tronic device The docking station receives a set of prefer ences associated with the accessory and enables one or more functionalities associated with the electronic device based on the set of preferences In some embodiments the docking station is authenticated by the electronic device In one embodiment a request may be generated at the docking station for the set of preferences The set of prefer ences may be received at the docking station in response to the request In another embodiment information may be received from the electronic device at the docking station in response to the set of preference The information then may be deliv ered to the accessory In one embodiment one or more sig nals which are associated with the electronic device are modified before being transmitted from an output ofthe dock ing station According to another e
26. ion is done using public private key cryptog raphy The accessory can be the dock or the accessory con nected to the dock In another aspect an authentication pro cess proves to the accessory that the electronic device is a genuine approved electronic device In one embodiment when an accessory is connected to docking station 300 using interface 350 docking station 300 communicates with the accessory and asks the accessory if it has any preferences If the accessory does have preferences docking station 300 may forward the preferences to an attached electronic device such as an iPod or iPhone amp The electronic device may provide data to the accessory through docking station 300 in response to receiving the preferences from docking station 300 In essence docking station 300 serves as a preference proxy or preference go between between the accessory and the electronic device FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating interactions between a docking station e g docking station 300 and an accessory in one embodiment according to the present invention The processing depicted in FIG 4 may be performed by software modules e g instructions or code executed by a processor of a computer system by hardware modules of the computer system or combinations thereof FIG 4 begins in step 400 In step 410 docking station 300 performs identification and or an authentication with an electronic device e g media player 100 In one embodiment t
27. ions interface 140 that can be used to interface to media player 100 For example a connec tor or port can enable media player 100 to output audio to speakers 150 ad or output audio to headphones 160 In another example a connector or port can enable media player to interface to an accessory 170 a host computer 180 or be inserted into a docking system 190 Docking system 190 may further enable one or more acces sory devices 195 to interface with media player 100 There are today many different types of accessory devices 170 and 195 that can interconnect to media player 100 For example a remote control can be connected to the connector or port to allow the user to remotely control media player 100 As another example an automobile can include a connector The media player 100 can then be inserted onto the connector or dock such that an automobile media system can interact with media player 100 thereby allowing the media content on the media player to be played within the automobile e g through the speakers of the automobile Often media player 100 receive content or other media assets from a host computer e g host computer 160 that serves to enable a user to manage media assets As an example media player 100 interface 130 allows media player 100 to interface with host computer 160 that executes a media management application to manage media assets One example of a media management application is iTunes amp produced by Apple In
28. it more convenient to store tens of thousands of songs and photos and several full length DVD quality movies Moreover distribution via the Internet makes it easier to obtain multimedia content Several accessories are available for use in connection with portable electronic devices such as the iPod In the case of an MP3 player or for that matter any other digital media playback device a number of digitized audio files are stored inastorage medium included in or coupled to the MP3 player in a fashion deemed most suitable to the user In order to provide improved listening experiences a number of portable accessories can be connected to the MP3 player for broad casting of played digital music files to more than a single person Additionally in the case of a portable movie player a number of portable accessories can be connected to the movie player for broadcasting of played digital movie files on stan dard or high definition screens Accordingly what is desired are improved methods and apparatus for using the portable electronic devices discussed above Additionally what is desired are improved methods and apparatus for reducing some of the drawbacks in the use of portable electronic devices BRIEF SUMMARY Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus systems and methods for communicating between an acces sory and an electronic device In one embodiment a first interface is configured to communicate with the electro
29. ledgment to the accessory In step 470 media player 100 enables settings requested by the accessory For example an A V cable accessory attached to docking station 300 may request that media player 100 enable the output of audio visual information according to a predetermined scheme Accordingly media player 100 may enable the output of audio visual information on one or more pins coupled to interface 360 The information then may be routed via interface 350 to the accessory FIG 4 ends in step 480 FIG 5 is a flowchart of a method for enabling one or more signals associated with a first electronic device based on the presence of a second electronic device at a docking station in one embodiment according to the present invention FIG 5 begins in step 500 a 5 40 45 60 8 In step 510 presence of a first electronic device is detected at a docking station For example the presence of media player 100 may be detected at a 30 pin interface associated with docking station 300 In step 520 presence of a second electronic device is detected at a docking station For example the presence of an accessory such as a cable is detected at a 30 pin interface associated with docking station 300 In step 530 an instruction is generated to enable one or more signals associated with the first electronic device based on the presence of the second electronic device In one example docking station 300 instructs media player 100 to ena
30. n information which may be provided to the electronic device so that the electronic device can initiate the appropriate echo cancellation program e g the program for a particular model version and the like of docking station 300 FIG 8 ends in step 840 FIGS 9A and 9B are a flowchart illustrating interactions between an electronic device a docking station and an acces sory in one embodiment according to the present invention The following sequence illustrates an example of the events when connecting an accessory to docking station 300 Hence the present descriptions and drawings should not be consid ered in a limiting sense as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to only the embodiments illus trated Inthis example an A V cable is attached to docking station 300 hosting an iPod media player All video lines are passed directly from media player 100 e g via an iPod 30 pin connector through docking station 300 to the A V cable In order to properly enable the correct audio and video function ality two separate 1AP conversations may occur one between the A V cable and docking station 300 and one between docking station 300 and media player 100 FIG 9A begins in step 900 In step 905 docking station 300 identifies and authenti cates itself to an electronic device e g media player 100 In one example after authentication docking station 300 requests line out audio from media player 100
31. n the disclosure and teachings provided herein a person of ordi nary skill in the art will appreciate other ways and or methods to implement the present invention The embodiments discussed herein are illustrative of one or more examples of the present invention As these embodi ments ofthe present invention are described with reference to illustrations various modifications or adaptations of the methods and or specific structures described may become apparent to those skilled in the art All such modifications adaptations or variations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention and through which these teachings have advanced the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention Hence the present descriptions and draw ings should not be considered in a limiting sense as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited to only the embodiments illustrated The above description is illustrative but not restrictive Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure The 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 12 scope of the invention should therefore be determined not with reference to the above description but instead should be determined with reference to the pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents What is claimed is 1 A dock system comprising a first interface configured to recei
32. nic device second interface is configured to communicate with the accessory A set of preferences is received from the acces sory and forwarded to the electronic device According to one exemplary embodiment a docking sta tion for communicating between an accessory and an elec tronic device includes a first interface a second interface and a processor The first interface is configured to communicate with the electronic device The second interface is configured to communicate with the accessory The processor is coupled 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 2 to the first interface and the second interface The processor is configured to receive a set of preferences from the accessory and forward the set of preferences to the electronic device The docking station may also receive information from the electronic device in response to the set of preference and forward the information to the accessory In one embodiment the docking station is configured to interact with the acces sory to determine the set of preferences In another embodi ment the docking station authenticates the electronic device In one embodiment the docking station may interact with the electronic device to modify output of one or more signals associated with the electronic device For example the dock ing station may modify a volume setting In one aspect the docking station may modify the volume setting based on a stored volume sett
33. onfigured to receive an accessory and a base component coupling the first interface and the sec ond interface the base component configured to receive from the accessory at the dock system one or more preferences associated with the accessory wherein the one or more preferences comprise at least one video preference and turn on and or change a setting of one or more existing functionalities associated with the electronic device based on the one or more preferences wherein at least one of the one or more existing functionalities asso ciated with the electronic device is an existing func tionality of the dock system 7 The dock system of claim 6 wherein the base component is configured to modify signals received from the electronic device for outputting to the accessory in a manner defined by a changed setting of at least one of the one or more existing functionalities 8 The dock system of claim 7 wherein the changed setting is a video setting and wherein the video setting comprises at least one of an upsampling setting a downsampling setting a format setting a timing setting and a video effect setting 9 The dock system of claim 7 wherein the base component is configured to modify a volume setting of the signals 10 The dock system of claim 9 wherein the base compo nent is configured to modify the volume setting based on a stored volume setting determined from the one or more pref erences 11 The method of claim
34. rage capability for device 220 The cache may be for example Random Access Memory RAM pro vided by semiconductor memory Device 220 may further include RAM and or ROM that can store programs utilities or processes to be executed in a non volatile manner In some embodiments device 220 includes a user input device that allows a user of device 220 to interact with device 220 The user input device may take a variety of forms such as a button keypad dial etc Still further device 220 may include a display e g a screen display to display informa tion to the user Device 220 may also includes a bus interface that couples to a data link The data link may allow device 220 to couple to a host computer over a wired or wireless connec tion Accessory 230 may be any device cable attachment and the like that may be coupled to device 220 Some examples of accessory 230 are speakers headphones audio input output cables video input output cables FM TV tuners receivers broadcasters voice recorders USB cables FireWire cables and the like In one example of operation dock 210 provides commu nication between device 220 and accessory 230 In general dock 210 permits daisy chaining of accessories e g acces sory 230 that may be connected to the dock to device 220 Dock 210 may be linked physically to device 220 and acces sory 230 Alternatively dock 210 may be wirelessly linked to either or both of device 220 and accessory 230
35. ropean Search 2004 0103223 AI 5 2004 Gabehart et al Report 9 pages Jun 7 2010 2004 0162029 Al 8 2004 Grady U S Appl No 13 301 286 filed Nov 21 2011 Dorogusker J 3004 0194154 Al 9 0004 Meadors et al Jeu dom nn npo EMEN AO pee 2004 0224638 Al 11 2004 Fadell et al AS ee 455 66 1 eri d inMotion User s guide 2003 Altec Lansing Tech nologies 8 pages Sti aaa a ernie Stepio Stal Belkin iPod Voice Recorder Product Specification Sheet printed 2005 0014536 Al 1 2005 Grady Jun 16 2004 2005 0017946 Al 1 2005 Park ipodDock iPod Cradle www bookendzdocks com bookendz 2005 0088275 Al 4 2005 Valoleau et al dock cradle htm downloaded Feb 27 2003 2005 0111675 Al 5 2005 Lee et al DMR Software v1 3 for Mac OS X User Manual Copyright 2005 0207726 Al 9 2005 Chen 2002 Keyspan rev 04 09 01A1 50 pages 2005 0244025 Al 11 2005 Schuletal 381 334 2006 0035527 Al 2 2006 Numano cited by examiner U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 1 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 MEDIA PLAYER 100 DISPLAY 110 USER INTERFACE 120 STORAGE 130 COMM INTERFACE 140 150 DOCK lt eq a FIG 1 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 2 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 DEVICE 220 ACCESSORY 230 FIG 2 U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 3 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 di 300 FIG 3A 310 FIG 3B 310 se FIG 3C U S Patent Sep 25 2012 Sheet 4 of 11 US 8 275 924 B2 DOCK IDENTIFICATION AUTHEN
36. rueger et al 6 914 551 B2 7 2005 Vidal FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6 928 543 B2 8 2005 Hendry etal 713 100 6 931 456 B2 8 2005 Payne et al EP 1104150 A2 5 2001 7 050 783 B2 5 2006 Curtiss et al EP 1942393 Al 7 2008 7 062 261 B2 6 2006 Goldstein et al JP 0410258 A 4 1992 7 127 678 B2 10 2006 Bhesania et al JP 2000 287119 A 10 2000 7 187 947 B1 3 2007 White etal 455 556 1 JP 2000 298537 A 10 2000 7 200 702 B2 4 2007 Keely etal 710 303 JP 2002 221974 A 8 2002 7 222 207 B2 5 2007 Falcon osese 710 303 JP 2002 252566 A 9 2002 7 283 635 B1 10 2007 Anderson et al JP 3090747 U 10 2002 7 296 107 B2 11 2007 Lunsford et al 710 304 JP 2002 342659 A 11 2002 7 303 282 B2 12 2007 Dwyer etal cece 35315 JP 2002 374447 A 12 2002 7 549 008 B2 6 2009 Kalayjian JP 2003 032351 A 1 2003 7 558 894 B1 7 2009 Lydon etal 710 105 JP 2003 274386 A 9 2003 7 574 177 B2 8 2009 Tupman JP 2005 310287 A 11 2005 7 599 177 B2 10 2009 Jaffe et al ese 361 679 41 JP 2005 323135 A 11 2005 7 634 605 B2 12 2009 Laeferetal 710 303 JP 2007 145325 A 6 2007 7 647 129 BL 1 2010 Griffin Jr WO WO 99 26330 A2 5 1999 7 840 740 B2 11 2010 Minoo seese 710 303 Wo WO 00 39907 Al 7 2000 7 873 771 B2 1 2011 Krueger etal oo 710 303 Wo WO 01 62004 A2 8 2001 2001 0005641 Al 6 2001 Matsumoto et al WO WO 02 49314 A2 6 2002 2001 0006884 Al 7 2001 Matsumoto WO WO 02 095555 A2 11 2002 2001 0033244 Al
37. ry protocol thereby instructing the A V cableto issue any preferences it desires In step 935 the A V cable sends preferences indicating that audio and video outputs be enabled For example the A V cable may request that audio and video output be enabled via one or more commands associated with the accessory proto col The A V cable may further specify the desired video output type i e component and composite respectively In step 940 docking station 300 forwards the preferences to the electronic device In one example docking station 300 forwards a series of one or more commands to media player 100 FIG 9A ends in step 945 FIG 9B begins in step 950 In step 955 media player 100 determines whether to acknowledge the preferences In step 960 if media player 100 was not able to enable functionality according to the requested preferences in step 965 media player 100 generates an acknowledgment indicative of fail ure In step 970 media player 100 enables functionality according to one or more predetermined defaults Returning to step 960 if media player 100 was able to enable functionality according to the request at preferences in step 975 media player 100 generates an acknowledgment indicative of success In step 980 media player 100 enables functionality according to the requested preferences For example media player 100 may enable output of content in a manner requested by the accessory and in a format requested by the a
38. tput jack 340 In one example interface 350 includes a 30 pin connector Video signals e g component composite s video may be routed through the 30 pin con nector Audio may also be routed out ofthe 30 pin connector Theaudio volume coming out ofthe audio jack and the 30 pin connector can be adjusted that is adjusted based on the UI setting for the volume to be output through audio output jack 340 or interface 350 e g the 30 pin connector FIG 3C is a block diagram illustrating is a top view of docking station 300 in one embodiment according to the 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 6 present invention In this example docking station 300 includes base 310 and interface 360 Typically an electronic deviceis coupledto interface 360 and one or more accessories are coupled to interface 350 In some embodiments docking station 300 includes hard ware and or software elements configured to remember the volume setting for when an accessory e g a smart video cable or a speaker system is plugged into docking station 300 Docking station 300 can remember the volume setting for audio output jack 340 and or interface 350 In one embodiment the remembered volume setting is for any accessory using the connection In another embodiment the remembered volume setting is for a particular accessory using that particular connection The identification of a particular volume setting may be communicated through the s
39. ve an electronic device a second interface configured to receive an accessory and a base component coupling the first interface and the sec ond interface the base component configured to receive from the accessory at the dock system one or more preferences associated with the accessory and turn on and or change a setting of one or more existing functionalities associated with the electronic device based on the one or more preferences by sending one or more commands to the electronic device via the first interface 2 The dock system of claim 1 wherein the base component is configured to change the setting and wherein the changed setting determines a format for content to be output from the electronic device 3 The dock system of claim 1 wherein the base component is configured to turn on at least one of the one or more existing functionalities by selectively enabling and disabling a line out signal of the electronic device based on the one or more preferences 4 The dock system of claim 1 wherein the base component is configured to turn on at least one of the one or more existing functionalities by generating one or more commands instruct ing the electronic device to initiate an echo cancellation pro gram 5 The dock system of claim 1 wherein the changed setting is a video setting of the electronic device 6 A dock system comprising a first interface configured to receive an electronic device a second interface c
40. vice is an existing functional ity of the docking station 19 The method of claim 18 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes changing the setting wherein changing the setting defines how the docking station modifies signals received from the electronic device for outputting to the accessory 20 The method of claim 19 wherein the changed setting is a video setting and wherein the video setting comprises at least one of an upsampling setting a downsampling setting a format setting a timing setting and a video effect setting 21 The method of claim 19 wherein changing the setting includes modifying a volume setting at the docking station 22 The method of claim 21 wherein modifying the vol ume setting comprises modifying the volume setting based on a stored volume setting determined from the one or more preferences 23 The method of claim 18 wherein turning on and or changing a setting of the one or more existing functionalities includes changing the setting and wherein the setting is a video setting and wherein the video setting comprises at least one of an upsampling a downsampling setting and a timing setting
41. xemplary embodiment an elec tronic device holder suitable for holding an electronic device and for managing an accessory used to connect the electronic device to an external electrical system includes a first inter face a second interface and base component The first inter face is configured to receive the electronic device The second interface is configured to receive the accessory The base component includes circuitry configured to communicate with the accessory through the second interface to determine a set of preferences and to communicate with the electronic device through the first interface to deliver the set of prefer ences Inone embodiment the electronic device holder includes a wireless communications interface configured to receive information indicative of one or one functionalities associ ated with the electronic device The electronic device holder may include authentication circuitry configured to authenti cate to the electronic device In various embodiments the electronic device holder includes a third interface configured to output an audio signal Audio control circuitry may be configured to control output of one or more signals from the electronic device through the third interface The electronic device holder may include control circuitry configured to interact with the electronic device to initiate one or more functionalities associated with the electronic device US 8 275 924 B2 3 According to another
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