Peer-to-peer (P2P) peripheral communication control
A host establishes an up-to-date, an automated, secure, and Peer-Two-Peer (PSP) communication session with a peripheral. During the communication session, the host controls serialization, prioritization, and delivery of messages being passed. Each message providing command instructions and/or information for processing between the host and the peripheral.
1. A method, comprising:
detecting, by executable instructions that execute on a processor of a host from a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a device connected to the host over a wired connection;
instructing, by the executable instructions, the device while in a device mode of operation to reboot the device in an accessory mode of operation as a peripheral to the host;
authenticating, by the executable instructions, the peripheral for interaction with the host; and
establishing, by the executable instructions, a secure communication session between the host and the peripheral with communications provided in a customized message passing format as messages are passed between the host and the peripheral with the host controlling the peripheral during the secure communication session, wherein the customized message passing format is customized for the host.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein instructing further includes determining that the peripheral has an incorrect version of a Point-Of-Sale (POS) interface for interacting with a POS application processing on the host, obtaining a correct version, pushing the correct version to the peripheral, and instructing the peripheral to install and restart with the correct version installed on the peripheral.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining further includes determine that the peripheral has an incorrect version of an Operating System (OS) for interacting with the POS application, obtaining a correct OS version, pushing the correct OS version to the peripheral, and instructing the peripheral to perform a second reboot with the correct OS version installed on the peripheral.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating further includes validating an encrypted fingerprint provided by the peripheral and when the encrypted fingerprint is invalid disconnect the peripheral from the host.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein validating further includes exchanging configuration information between the host and the peripheral.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein exchanging further includes providing the peripheral with at least some configuration that is specific to features that are to be activated on the peripheral and that are supported by the host.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising serializing the messages being received from the peripheral during the secure communication session and other messages being directed to the peripheral during the secure communication session generated by the host or generated by a second peripheral having a separate secure communication session with the host.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein serializing further includes classifying the serialized messages into categories for: transaction processing, debug/log processing, and heartbeat processing.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein classifying further includes prioritizing the categorized messages ensuring that higher prioritized messages are forwarded to or received by the peripheral before lower prioritized messages.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, delivering at least one message received from the peripheral during the secure communication session to a second peripheral that has a second secure communication session with the host.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, delivering at least one message generated by the host for processing by the peripheral during the second communication session.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, process on the host during the secure communication session at least one message sent from the peripheral.