Adapter devices for enhancing the functionality of other devices
An adapter may facilitate easy and swift data transfer amongst two previously incompatible electronic devices. Such an adapter may be operative to communicate data with a first of the two electronic devices using a contactless communication link and a first communication protocol and to communicate data with a second of the two electronic devices using a mechanical communication link and/or using a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol, such that data may be transferred between the first and second electronic devices via the adapter. The adapter may be communicatively coupled to both the first electronic device and the second electronic device at the same time. The adapter may rapidly transition between communicating data with the first device and communicating data with the second device (e.g., without altering a physical connection between the adapter and one of the first and second devices during such a transition).
1. An adapter device for use in communicating with a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the adapter device comprising:
an adapter memory component;
a first connector operative to maintain a first communications link with the first electronic device;
a second connector operative to maintain a second communications link with the second electronic device; and
an adapter host subsystem communicatively coupled to each one of the adapter memory component, the first connector, and the second connector, wherein, while both the first communications link is maintained by the first connector and the second communications link is maintained by the second connector, the adapter host subsystem is operative to switch between enabling a first communications path between the adapter memory component and the first communications link via the first connector and enabling a second communications path between the adapter memory component and the second communications link via the second connector, wherein:
the first communications link comprises a contactless communications link;
the second communications link comprises a mechanical communications link;
the first communications link is operative to communicate data between the first connector and the first electronic device according to a first communications protocol;
the second communications link is operative to communicate data between the second connector and the second electronic device according to a second communications protocol that is different than the first communications protocol;
the second communications protocol enables faster data transfer than the first communications protocol;
the adapter host subsystem comprises a controller with access to a first native application programming interface (API) for the first communications protocol and to a second native API for the second communications protocol;
the first communications path comprises the controller between the adapter memory component and the first communications link;
the second communications path comprises the controller between the adapter memory component and the second communications link;
when the first communications path is enabled, the controller is operative to utilize the first native API to communicate data along the first communications path according to the first communications protocol; and
when the second communications path is enabled, the controller is operative to utilize the second native API to communicate data along the second communications path according to the second communications protocol.
2. The adapter device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first communications link is not operative to communicate data between the first connector and the first electronic device according to the second communications protocol; and
the second communications link is not operative to communicate data between the second connector and the second electronic device according to the first communications protocol.
3. The adapter device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first communications protocol is the Universal Serial Bus (USB) SuperSpeed protocol; and
the second communications protocol is the USB 2.0 protocol.
4. The adapter device of claim 1 , wherein the adapter host subsystem is operative to switch between enabling the first communications path and enabling the second communications path based on a status of a signal received by the first connector via the first communications link.
5. The adapter device of claim 4 , wherein:
the adapter host subsystem comprises a switch module communicatively coupled to the first connector;
the switch module is operative to disable the second communications path when the status of the status signal is a first status; and
the switch module is operative to enable the second communications path when the status of the status signal is a second status that is different than the first status.
6. The adapter device of claim 5 , wherein:
the switch module is operative to disable the first communications path when the status of the status signal is the second status; and
the switch module is operative to enable the first communications path when the status of the status signal is the first status.
7. An adapter device for use in communicating with a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the adapter device comprising:
an adapter memory component;
a first connector operative to maintain a first communications link with the first electronic device;
a second connector operative to maintain a second communications link with the second electronic device; and
an adapter host subsystem comprising:
a switch module communicatively coupled to the second connector; and
a hub comprising:
an upstream port; and
a plurality of downstream ports, wherein:
a first portion of the upstream port is communicatively coupled to the first connector; and
a second portion of the upstream port is communicatively coupled to the switch module.
8. The adapter device of claim 7 , wherein the adapter host subsystem is not operative to communicatively couple the second portion of the upstream port to the first connector.
9. The adapter device of claim 7 , wherein a first downstream port of the plurality of downstream ports is communicatively coupled to the first portion of the upstream port and to the adapter memory component.
10. The adapter device of claim 9 , wherein a second downstream port of the plurality of downstream ports is communicatively coupled to the second portion of the upstream port and to the adapter memory component.
11. The adapter device of claim 10 , wherein a third downstream port of the plurality of downstream ports is communicatively coupled to the first portion of the upstream port and to the switch module.
12. The adapter device of claim 11 , wherein the switch module is operative to switch between communicatively coupling the second connector to the second portion of the upstream port and communicatively coupling the second connector to the third downstream port.
13. The adapter device of claim 12 , wherein the switch module is operative to switch between communicatively coupling the second connector to the second portion of the upstream port and communicatively coupling the second connector to the third downstream port based on a status of a signal at the first connector.
14. The adapter device of claim 12 , wherein:
when the switch module communicatively couples the second connector to the second portion of the upstream port, the adapter device enables communication between the second connector and the adapter memory component; and
when the switch module communicatively couples the second connector to the third downstream port, the adapter device enables communication between the first connector and the second connector.
15. The adapter device of claim 12 , wherein, when the switch module communicatively couples the second connector to the third downstream port, the adapter device enables communication between the first connector and the second connector as well as communication between the first connector and the adapter memory component.
16. The adapter device of claim 7 , wherein:
the first portion of the upstream port is operative to communicate data with the first connector according to a first communications protocol;
the second portion of the upstream port is operative to communicate data with the switch module according to a second communications protocol that is different than the first communications protocol; and
the second communications protocol enables faster data transfer than the first communications protocol.
17. The adapter device of claim 16 , wherein:
the first portion of the upstream port is not operative to communicate data with the first connector according to the second communications protocol; and
the second portion of the upstream port is not operative to communicate data with the switch module according to the first communications protocol.
18. The adapter device of claim 16 , wherein:
the first communications protocol is the Universal Serial Bus (USB) SuperSpeed protocol; and
the second communications protocol is the USB 2.0 protocol.