Abstract: Various embodiments enable a host controller, through its Protocol Adaption Layer (PAL) driver, to efficiently manage power consumption by employing “sleep mode” and “active mode” power settings. In some embodiments, the PAL driver may employ sleep mode settings to transition the host controller from an idle state to an energy conserving sleep state. In further embodiments, the PAL driver may use active mode settings to govern communications between the host controller and various devices, such as WUSB devices and others, thereby conserving power.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a two-way interface between a URC driver (URCD) and various Protocol Adaption Layer (PAL) drivers. The two-way interface can enable bandwidth to be shared and managed among multiple different PALs. The two-way interface can also be used to implement common radio functionality such as beaconing, channel selection, and address conflict resolution. In at least some embodiments, the two-way interface can be utilized for power management to place PALs in lower power states to conserve power and to support remote wake-up functionality. Further, at least some embodiments can enable vendor-specific PALs to interact with vendor-specific hardware.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods that facilitate wireless device communications and configuration. A detection component identifies N devices that are coupled together via a biological medium, N being an integer, wherein the medium includes direct or indirect touching to a device or devices. After biological contact, a configuration component initiates a configuration between a subset of the devices. Although configurations and/or other communications can be conducted through a medium such as the human body, the present invention can employ an initial touch to identify respective devices whereby other electronic configuration sequences commence without further device contact. Other aspects include chain touching between users and/or devices to facilitate contact between the devices.

Abstract: Port number emulation for wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB) connections is provided. Virtual USB port numbers are emulated and associated with external devices that are wirelessly connected to a host device. The associations are maintained in a data structure. When a wireless external device connects with the host device after a period of disconnection, the emulated port number associated with the wireless external device is identified. The virtual port number is provided to a software component in the host device so that the external device can resume interaction with software components in the host device across enumerations. In one example implementation, the virtual USB port numbers are provided to a plug and play manager, which handles the wireless USB devices in a manner similar to wired USB devices.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to provide I/O handling in generic USB drivers. More particularly, a generic USB device driver architecture is described which enables development through a user-mode USB library that accesses a generic kernel-mode driver. The architecture may be utilized to provide efficient development for I/O handling. In a described implementation, a method includes defining a data structure utilized to access a plugged-in device. A pipe policy of the data structure is defined and utilizing to access the plugged-in device through a plurality of routines provided by a generic user-mode library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)). The generic user-mode library is communicatively coupled to a kernel-mode generic device driver. In another described implementation, a separate generic device driver is loaded for each plugged-in device or for each functionality supported by the device.

Abstract: A secure association may be established between a first device and a second device for providing secure communication. When the secure association is to be terminated, a first device may save an indication that termination of the secure association is pending, if it is unable to communicate with the second device at that time. At a later time, the first device may communicate with the second device to notify it that the secure association is to be terminated. After the second device has been notified, the secure association may be terminated by the first device.

Abstract: A computer system that accesses multi-transport devices and associates device instances of the multi-transport device with each other. Devices provide the same device identifier such as a device unique identifier regardless of the transport over which the device is accessed. A visual representation for the multi-transport device may be provided to a user using the device identifier. Also, a single functional representation for the multi-transport device may be provided based on an identifier provided by each function of the device. The functional representation may be independent of the addition and removal of transports and allows abstracting device access via multiple transports from a user and an application. Transports may be selected at an application and/or a system level. Operating characteristics of available transports may be used to select a desired transport, based on transport requirements specified by the application, the user or the system.

Abstract: Multi-function devices expose multiple functions to device drivers or other lower-level software. Device function providers can interface with such drivers or lower-level software and can provide information, including device identifiers regarding such functions, to a device display object infrastructure. A device display object can then be created that encompasses one or more functions such that, in one embodiment, the device display object corresponds to a single, physical multi-function device. Alternatively, any combination of functionality from one or more physical devices can be combined into a single device display object representing a virtual multi-function device. Properties of the device display object can be set with reference to user-specified settings, remotely maintained metadata, locally available metadata, and information associated with each function.

Abstract: A computer receives data from a keyboard having one or more keys which cause generation of keyboard data that quantitatively describe the relative force applied to those keys. The keyboard data are transmitted in an HID report containing identifiers for one or more keys that have been pressed and force data for each key. The force data may be a multi-bit value quantifying the key force, or a null indicator signaling that the key is not force-sensing. Keyboard data messages are then prepared which identify keys pressed, contain force data, and may indicate whether the force data updates previous force data. Force updates are only provided to application programs registering for key force data. In other aspects of the invention, key repeat messages are automatically generated for a key held pressed by a user. The key repeat messages are generated at a rate controlled by the amount of force applied to the key.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to provide advanced power management in generic USB drivers. More particularly, a generic USB device driver architecture is described which enables development through a user-mode USB library that accesses a generic kernel-mode driver. The architecture may be utilized to provide advanced power management. In a described implementation, a method includes defining a power management policy for a device plugged into a computing system and utilizing the defined power management policy to determine when the device enters a suspend mode. Once the device enters the suspend mode, the method allows the computing system to enter a lower-power state. In a further described implementation, the power management policy is defined through a plurality of routines provided by a generic user-mode library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)), where the generic user-mode library is communicatively coupled to a kernel-mode generic device driver.

Abstract: A computer system that recognizes multi-function devices and associates functions with multi-function devices. Each multi-function device may be represented by a multi-function object, allowing tools, applications or other components within the computer to take actions relating to the entire device or relating to a function based on the association of that function with other functions in the same device. These actions include displaying information about devices, instead of or in addition to information about functions. Actions also include selecting functions based on proximity within a device. Functions may be associated with a multi-function device using a unique device identifier provided by the device or generated for the function based on a connection hierarchy between functions and the computer. Devices may be configured to provide the same identifier regardless of the transport over which the device is accessed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a unique system and method that facilitate establishing and maintaining a secure connection between at least one wireless input component and a host (e.g., PC). The system and method involve the wireless input component broadcasting a message that can be “heard” by any potential host located within a given distance from the wireless input component. The message can indicate that the input component is available for use or pairing with a PC. PCs in the area can respond to the message by notifying the user that a wireless input component is available and by generating a random PIN. The PIN can be displayed to the user on the respective PC. The user can be prompted to enter the PIN using the wireless device. When a match between the user's response and the corresponding PC is determined, the two can be securely linked. In addition the invention provides support of wireless input devices at boot or start up.

Abstract: A first connection is established between a first device and a host, wherein the first device is host-capable. A second connection is established between a second device and the host. Proxy association is performed between the first device and the second device by the host to associate the first and second devices, wherein the first and second devices are unable to directly associate, wherein the host passes association information between the first and second devices.

Abstract: A computer receives data from a keyboard having one or more keys which cause generation of keyboard data that quantitatively describe the relative force applied to those keys. The keyboard data are transmitted in an HID report containing identifiers for one or more keys that have been pressed and force data for each key. The force data may be a multi-bit value quantifying the key force, or a null indicator signaling that the key is not force-sensing. Keyboard data messages are then prepared which identify keys pressed, contain force data, and may indicate whether the force data updates previous force data. Force updates are only provided to application programs registering for key force data. In other aspects of the invention, key repeat messages are automatically generated for a key held pressed by a user. The key repeat messages are generated at a rate controlled by the amount of force applied to the key.

Abstract: In a wireless USB data transfers over UWB, software configures hardware thresholds to control data transfer in a manner that uses bandwidth for good connections over bad connections, given the high error rate experienced with wireless USB. Periodic transfers are first attempted before asynchronous transfers, as long as the periodic transfers are successful. When failures are occurring, the hardware includes a mechanism having a software-configurable threshold specifying the number of errors a given endpoint can tolerate before it is paused in the schedule. By pausing transfer attempts that are likely to again fail, endpoints with successful transfers are favored over those experiencing errors. When the number of active transfers pending exceeds a software-configurable notification threshold for isochronous endpoints, the hardware notifies the software of this state, corresponding to a low-buffer condition at the receiver.

Abstract: A client driver requests data packet transfers from a peripheral device through a protocol stack and a host controller. The protocol stack receives the data transfer request and allocates the request into the host controller schedule. The host controller schedule requests the data of the peripheral device, and directs the received data into previously allocated buffers. The host controller then sends a signal to the client driver that the respective buffers are filled. The host controller can then deactivate the instructions in the host controller schedule until further notice so that the instructions do not need to be deleted from the schedule. The client driver extracts the data from the buffer, and sends a signal to the host controller that the buffer can be used again. The request in the host controller schedule can then be reactivated without having to necessarily re-insert new instructions into the host controller schedule.

Abstract: In wireless USB data transfers over UWB, software configures hardware thresholds to control data transfer in a manner that uses bandwidth for good connections over bad connections, given the high error rate experienced with wireless USB. Periodic transfers are first attempted before asynchronous transfers, as long as the periodic transfers are successful. When failures are occurring, the hardware includes a mechanism having a software-configurable threshold specifying the number of errors a given endpoint can tolerate before it is paused in the schedule. By pausing transfer attempts that are likely to again fail, endpoints with successful transfers are favored over those experiencing errors. When the number of active transfers pending exceeds a software-configurable notification threshold for isochronous endpoints, the hardware notifies the software of this state, corresponding to a low-buffer condition at the receiver.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods that facilitate wireless device communications and configuration. A detection component identifies N devices that are coupled together via a biological medium, N being an integer, wherein the medium includes direct or indirect touching to a device or devices. After biological contact, a configuration component initiates a configuration between a subset of the devices. Although configurations and/or other communications can be conducted through a medium such as the human body, the present invention can employ an initial touch to identify respective devices whereby other electronic configuration sequences commence without further device contact. Other aspects include chain touching between users and/or devices to facilitate contact between the devices.