Communication protocol for personal computer system human interface devices over a low bandwidth, bi-directional radio frequency link
View Patent ↗A system and method for maintaining communications with a radio frequency (RF) peripheral device such as an RF input device and an RF output device. A computer may search for an RF peripheral device by transmitting a signal request on available channels until a response is received from an RF peripheral device. If the RF channel becomes busy and/or jammed, the RF peripheral device may tune into a predetermined channel while the computer scans for another channel to use. Once the computer finds a better channel, the computer may go to the predetermined channel and broadcast the new channel location to the RF peripheral device. In addition, if an RF signal arrives incomplete or corrupt, the computer may transmit a negative acknowledgement to the RF peripheral device, which may retransmit the previous RF signal.
1. A computer system, comprising:
a processor;
a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;
a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;
a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to:
transmit a request using the first RFTR for a second RFTR response over a first channel; and
transmit the request using the first RFTR for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received by the first RFTR.
2. The computer system of claim 1 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a signal to the processor on computer start-up to represent the peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by the first RFTR.
3. The computer system of claim 1 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to establish a wireless connection with the second RFTR if the second RFTR response is received.
4. The computer system of claim 1 ,
wherein the second RFTR is operable to scan available channels until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response from the first RFTR.
5. The computer system of claim 1 ,
wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, or a camera.
6. The computer system of claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is part of a micro-controller coupled to the first RFTR.
7. A computer system, comprising:
a processor;
a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) coupled to the processor;
a peripheral device comprising a second RFTR configured to transmit an RF signal, wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;
a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable to:
identify if the first RFTR has not received an expected data packet from the second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR; and
transmit from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.
8. The computer system of claim 7 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a negative acknowledgement to the second RFTR if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.
9. The computer system of claim 7 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a request to the second RFTR to resend the original data packet if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.
10. The computer system of claim 7 ,
wherein the first RFTR is operable to send signals to a computer, comprising the processor and the memory, through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection without the computer becoming aware of an interruption in RF communication with the peripheral device.
11. The computer system of claim 7 ,
wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, a touchscreen, or a camera.
12. The computer system of claim 7 ,
wherein the processor is part of a micro-controller coupled to the first RFTR.
13. A method, comprising:
transmitting a request for a second radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) response over a first channel;
transmitting the request for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received;
establishing a wireless connection between a first RFTR and a second RFTR, coupled to a peripheral device, if the second RFTR response is received; and
transmitting a signal to a processor on computer start-up to represent the peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by the first RFTR.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
scanning available channels by the second RFTR until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response.
15. A computer readable memory medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:
transmit a request using a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) for a second RFTR response over a first channel, wherein the first RFTR is coupled to a processor, wherein a peripheral device comprises the second RFTR, and wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion;
transmit the request using the first RFTR for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received by the first RFTR; and
transmit a signal to the processor on computer start-up to represent the peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by the first RFTR.
16. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to establish a wireless connection with the second RFTR if the second RFTR response is received.
17. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15 ,
wherein the second RFTR is operable to scan available channels until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response from the first RFTR.
18. The computer readable memory medium of claim 15 ,
wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, or a camera.
19. A computer readable memory medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:
identify if a first radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) has not received an expected data packet from a second RFTR, has received a partial data packet from the second RFTR, or has received a corrupt data packet from the second RFTR, wherein the first RFTR is coupled to a processor, wherein the second RFTR is coupled to a peripheral device, and wherein the first RFTR and the second RFTR are operable to communicate in a wireless fashion; and
transmit from the second RFTR the expected data packet or an original data packet that was a source of the partial data packet or the corrupt data packet.
20. The computer readable memory medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a negative acknowledgement to the second RFTR if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.
21. The computer readable memory medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable to transmit a request to the second RFTR to resend the original data packet if the expected data packet is not received from the second RFTR, the partial data packet is received from the second RFTR, or the corrupt data packet is received from the second RFTR.
22. The computer readable memory medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the first RFTR is operable to send signals to a computer, comprising the processor and a memory, through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection without the computer becoming aware of an interruption in RF communication with the peripheral device.
23. The computer readable memory medium of claim 19 ,
wherein the peripheral device is a computer mouse, a keyboard, a gamepad, a joystick, a microphone, a touchscreen, or a camera.
24. A computer readable memory medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer executable to:
transmit a request for a second radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RFTR) response over a first channel;
transmit the request for the second RFTR response over a second channel if the second RFTR response is not received;
establish a wireless connection between a first RFTR and a second RFTR, coupled to a peripheral device, if the second RFTR response is received; and
transmit a signal to a processor on computer staff-up to represent the peripheral device before the second RFTR response is received by the first RFTR.
25. The computer readable memory medium of claim 24 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to scan available channels by the second RFTR until the second RFTR receives the request for the second RFTR response.