Systems and techniques for intelligently switching between multiple sources of universal serial bus signals

US9852098B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Essential Products, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Jason Sean Gagne-Keats · Cupertino, US
• Andrew E. Rubin · Los Altos, US
• David John Evans, V · Palo Alto, US
• Matthew Hershenson · Los Altos, US
• Xiaoyu Miao · Sunnyvale, US
• Xinrui Jiang · San Jose, US
• Joseph Anthony Tate · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 20, 2017
• Grant date: Dec 26, 2017
• Expiry date: Jan 20, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M1/72412
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Various embodiments concern techniques for intelligently switching between multiple sources of USB signals. More specifically, user devices are described that include a physical USB port for receiving a USB connector and one or more wireless transceivers that communicate with an accessory. The wireless transceiver(s) may communicate with the accessory using a USB-based protocol (e.g., Wireless USB). The user devices described herein can intelligently switch between these different sources of USB signals so that USB signals can be simultaneously or sequentially received from a peripheral (via the USB port) and an accessory (via the wireless transceiver(s)). In some embodiments, a switching routine is executed (e.g., by a processor or signal switch) that determines which peripheral and/or accessory is connected to a user device at a given point in time.