Granted Patent B1

US 12,314,086 · App. 19/039,779 · Granted May 27, 2025

Inventor: Quentin Wade Forbes (Winston Salem, NC)

Assignee: Pioneer Square Brands, Inc.

G06F1/1656G06F1/182G06F1/266G06F1/28

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. An electronic-controller-implemented method for use with an accessory assembly electrical-energy-communication-based couplable and structurally couplable with a portable electronic computing device, the method comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state;

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein,

the determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state includes determining at least one voltage level of an externally accessed electrically conductive portion of the accessory assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the portable electronic computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a payment card reader assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state, is electrical-communication-based coupled to the payment card reader, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the payment card reader assembly with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the payment card reader assembly.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device;

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a payment card reader assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the payment card reader assembly, relaying electrical-based communication between the second computing device and the payment card reader assembly with the second computing device as a host device of the payment card reader assembly.

8. An electronic controller of an accessory assembly electrical-energy-communication-based couplable and structurally couplable with a portable electronic computing device, the electronic controller comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor configured to:

determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state;

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a peripheral device.

9. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein,

the determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state includes determining at least one voltage level of an externally accessed electrically conductive portion of the accessory assembly.

10. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device.

11. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly.

12. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the portable electronic computing device.

13. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a payment card reader assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state, is electrical-communication-based coupled to the payment card reader, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the payment card reader assembly with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the payment card reader assembly.

14. The electronic controller of claim 8 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device;

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a payment card reader assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the payment card reader assembly, relaying electrical-based communication between the second computing device and the payment card reader assembly with the second computing device as a host device of the payment card reader assembly.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instruction for use on one or more electronic computing devices, the instructions being usable to execute a method for use with an accessory assembly electrical-energy-communication-based couplable and structurally couplable with a portable electronic computing device, the method comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state;

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the portable electronic computing device with the portable electronic computing device as a peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein,

the determining whether the accessory assembly is in a first electrical state or a second electrical state includes determining at least one voltage level of an externally accessed electrically conductive portion of the accessory assembly.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, controlling at least a portion of electrical-energy-based charging of the portable electronic computing device.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, executing electrical-based communication between the accessory assembly and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the accessory assembly.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a second computing device; and

when the accessory assembly is in the second electrical state, is electrical-energy-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the second computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the second computing device with the second computing device as a host device of the portable electronic computing device.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining whether the accessory assembly is electrical-communication-based coupled with a payment card reader assembly; and

when the accessory assembly is in the first electrical state, is electrical-communication-based coupled to the payment card reader, and is electrical-communication-based coupled to the portable electronic computing device, relaying electrical-based communication between the portable electronic computing device and the payment card reader assembly with the portable electronic computing device as a host device of the payment card reader assembly.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (17)