Electronic device input/output system and method

Abstract

A system and method for coupling a peripheral to a device such as a smart phone. In a most general embodiment, the invention includes a first circuit for converting data signals output by the peripheral to analog signals; a connector for coupling the circuit to an input port of the device; and a second circuit disposed within the device for converting analog signals to data signals. In the illustrative embodiment, the first circuit is a frequency shift key generator and the second circuit is a frequency shift key detector. A host controller is coupled to the peripheral and a microcontroller coupled to the host controller. A serial port is coupled between the microcontroller and the host controller. A communication controller is coupled between the serial port and the frequency shift key generator. In a more specific embodiment, the device further includes a frequency shift key to binary data converter and a scan code to character set mapper and an arrangement for receiving and processing signals wirelessly via an infrared receiver.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a hardware component that allows data exchange between a first device and a second device, the hardware component including:
 a first mechanism that receives data from the first device; 
 a communication controller that buffers the data received from the first device; 
 a first circuit that converts the data to audio; 
 a connector that couples the hardware component to an audio input port of the second device, wherein:
 the connector, when inserted into the audio input port of the second device, bridges a pin of the audio input port; and 
 the audio is output via the connector to the audio input port of the second device; 
 
   a software application executing on the second device, the software application configured to at least:
 receive the audio and convert the audio into binary data; and 
 cause a display of information corresponding to the binary data, store, in a memory of the second device, the binary data, or cause a transmission of the binary data to a cloud service for decoding. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first mechanism includes a host controller that couples the first device to the hardware component. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first mechanism includes a serial port that couples the first device to the hardware component. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first circuit includes a frequency shift key generator. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the hardware component further includes:
 a wireless receiver that wirelessly receives data from the first device.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the wireless receiver is at least one of a radio receiver, an infrared receiver, an optical receiver, or a Bluetooth receiver. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first device is a credit card reader. 
     
     
         28 . A method for connecting a first device to a cloud service, comprising:
 receiving, at a hardware component connected to the first device, data from the first device;   converting, with the hardware component, the data into audio; and   outputting the audio from a connector of the hardware component, wherein the connector enables communication between the hardware component and an audio input of a second device;   decoding, at the second device, the audio into binary data; and   causing, at the second device, transmission of at least a portion of the binary data to the cloud service.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first device is at least one of a keyboard, a peripheral device, a mouse, a bar code scanner, a portable media player, a portable audio device, a portable video device, a credit card reader, a digital storage device, an ambient audio transmitter, an amplifier, a mixer, a boom box, a DJ system, a performance system, a television, a movie projection system, a surround sound system, an in-vehicle audio system, a satellite transmission system, an HD transmission system, a terrestrial radio transmission system, a mixing board, a computer, a solid-state audio player, a CD player, a DVD player, a Blu-ray Disc player, or a digital media playback system. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the connector is a wireless transmitter that enables wireless communication between the hardware component and the second device. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 temporarily storing the data in a memory of the hardware component prior to the data being converted into audio.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 adjusting a bit rate of the data, based at least in part on a capability of the second device.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28  wherein converting data to audio includes modulating the data. 
     
     
         34 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first mechanism that receives data provided by a first device;   a communication controller that buffers the data received from the first device;   a second mechanism that at least:
 adjusts a bit rate of the data; and 
 converts the data to audio; and 
   a connector that enables transfer of the audio from the apparatus to a second device.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the connector, when inserted into an audio input port of the second device, bridges a pin of the audio input port; and   the audio is output via the connector to the audio input port of the second device.   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34  wherein:
 the connector is a wireless transmitter; and 
 the audio is output wirelessly by the connector and received by the second device. 
 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the apparatus is coupled to the first device. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a USB host controller that connects the apparatus to the first device.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a wireless receiver that receives data provided by the first device.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the second device is at least one of:
 a smartphone, a mobile cellular phone, a personal computer, a tablet PC, a portable media player, a mobile Internet device, an ultra mobile PC, a personal navigation device, a computing accessory, a wearable computer, a laptop, a handheld, a personal digital assistant, a system-on-a-chip device, a portable video recorder, or portable audio recorder.