Methods and apparatus to control accessories

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications connection;

based on the configuration information, configuring a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection;

detecting an event by monitoring a field detect pin of a near field communications module, wherein the near field communications module is associated with the near field communications connection; and

performing the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of the near field communications electromagnetic field.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the subsequent events comprise detecting third close-proximity communications having a same type as the near field communications connection.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein establishing the first close-proximity communication connection comprises receiving a first configuration file and establishing a pairing to a device from which the first configuration file was received.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the response is at least one of increasing an audio volume, decreasing the audio volume, resetting the audio volume to a volume level, muting an audio input, unmuting an audio input, skipping playback of an audio track, changing a colored of a display, changing a sampling rate of an audio input, or disconnecting the first close-proximity communication connection.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the configuration information comprises a type 2 near field communications tag.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising requesting the configuration information in response to establishing the first close-proximity communications connection.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising transmitting validation information to the first device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein performing the configured response comprises interpreting the event and taking an action specified in the configuration information based on the interpretation.

9. An accessory for a mobile device, comprising:

a first close-proximity communications module comprising a processor;

a near field communications module comprising a field detect pin; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least:

establish a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via the near field communications module and a near field communication communications connection with the first device;

obtain a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications module and the near field communications communication connection;

based on the configuration information, configure a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection;

detect an event by monitoring the field detect pin of the near field communications module; and

perform the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of the near field communications electromagnetic field.

10. An accessory as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to transmit validation information to a device from which the configuration information was received.

11. An accessory as defined in claim 9 , wherein the first close-proximity communications module comprises a Bluetooth communication module.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a first close-proximity communications module;

a near field communications module;

a processor; and

a memory comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

transmit first information via the near field communications module, the first information to enable an accessory to establish communications with the first close-proximity communications module;

establish communications with the accessory via the first close-proximity communications module; and

transmit second configuration information via the near field communications module, the second configuration information to cause the accessory to:

configure a response to subsequent events that are associated with a near field communications module of the accessory and that occur after the accessory establishes the communications with the mobile device via the first close-proximity communications module, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection, by the accessory, of a near field communications electromagnetic field;

detect an event by monitoring a field detect pin of the near field communications module of the accessory; and

perform the configured response in response to detecting the event, wherein the field detect pin is configured to change a state based on a presence or an absence of a near field communications electromagnetic field.

13. A mobile device as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a display, the instructions to further cause the processor to notify a user of a failure to configure the accessory.

14. A mobile device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate the configuration information, the configuration information comprising a configuration file.

15. A mobile device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send the configuration information in response to a request for the configuration information from the accessory.

16. A method comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a first near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the first near field communications connection;

based on the configuration information, configuring a first response to subsequent events associated with the first near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the first near field communications connection;

establishing a second near field communications connection with a second device;

identifying a locally stored configuration file, stored prior to establishing the second near field communications connection, associated with the second device; and

configuring a second response to the subsequent events based on the stored configuration file.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 , further comprising, in response to identifying the stored configuration file associated with the second device:

disconnecting the first close-proximity communication connection with the first device; and

establishing a second close-proximity communication connection with the second device based on the stored configuration file or a second stored configuration file.

18. A method as defined in claim 17 , wherein disconnecting the first close-proximity communications connection is performed while the first close-proximity communications connection is active.

19. A method, comprising:

establishing a first close-proximity communication connection with a first device via a first protocol by obtaining a first data file containing connection information via a near field communications connection with the first device via a second protocol;

obtaining a second data file containing configuration information from the first device via the near field communications connection; and

based on the configuration information, configuring a response to subsequent events associated with the near field communications connection, wherein the subsequent events comprise detection of a near field communications electromagnetic field subsequent to the near field communications connection, wherein configuring the response to subsequent events comprises configuring a default response and at least one special response based on the configuration information.