System and method for managing communication links
A system and method for managing a communication link between a consumer electronic device adapted for two-way, wireless communications with at least one peripheral. The communication link is managed using a controller that is associated with the consumer electronic device that functions to assign communication slots to the peripheral to facilitate communications between the peripheral and the consumer electronic device.
1. A method for facilitating communications between a time slot controller and a peripheral device via use of a wireless communications link system comprised of a plurality of communications time slots, comprising:
receiving from the peripheral device at the time slot controller a data communication in at least one of the plurality of communications time slots, the data communication received from the peripheral device including a unique tag number that was assigned to the peripheral device for use in an individual communications session with the time slot controller;
in response to the time slot controller receiving the data communication in the at least one of the plurality of time slots, automatically determining by the time slot controller if the unique tag number that was included with the data communication received from the peripheral device in the at least one of the plurality of communications time slots is invalid; and
in response to the time slot controller determining that the unique tag number that was included with the data communication received from the peripheral device in the at least one of the plurality of communications time slots is invalid, automatically sending by the time slot controller to the peripheral device a communication for causing the peripheral device to stop transmitting data communications to the time slot controller.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the time slot controller to automatically assign the unique tag number to the peripheral device in response to a registration request communication being received at the time slot controller from the peripheral device.
3. The method as recited in claim 2 , comprising causing the time slot controller to automatically communicate the assigned tag number to the peripheral device in an end-of-cycle data packet.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the peripheral device to communicate a request for a preferred tag number for use as the unique tag number to the time slot controller in a registration request communication.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , comprising causing the time slot controller to automatically communicate a confirmation of an acceptance of the preferred tag number assignment for use as the unique tag number back to the peripheral device in response to the registration request communication.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 , comprising causing the time slot controller to automatically communicate the confirmation back to the peripheral device in an end-of-cycle data packet.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the time slot controller renders the unique tag number assigned to the peripheral device remains invalid upon an occurrence of a protocol cycle during which the peripheral device fails to transmit a data communication.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications link system comprises an infrared protocol communications link system.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the time slot controller is embedded within an appliance.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising causing the time slot controller to include the unique tag number with a data communication intended for the peripheral device transmitted in one or more of the plurality of communications time slots.