Information Handling System Automated Wireless Pairing of Peripheral Devices

Abstract

A tablet information handling system keyboard stand stores pairing information in non-transitory memory accessed by an embedded controller upon detection of a physical connection with a tablet information handling system and communicated to an embedded controller in the tablet information handling system through the physical interface. Embedded controller cooperation coordinates configuration of a wireless personal area network interface without wireless communication or power applied to the wireless networking resources.

Claims

1. A portable information handling system comprising: a planar housing; a processor disposed in the planar housing and operable to execute instructions to process information; a memory disposed in the planar housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information; a display disposed in the planar housing and interfaced with the processor and memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images; a wireless network interface card disposed in the planar housing and operable to establish a personal area network with one or more peripheral devices; an embedded controller interfaced with the wireless network interface card, the embedded controller having firmware instructions stored in flash memory and operable to manage application of power to the processor; plural interface pins disposed at the planar housing and in communication with the embedded controller; and an auto pairing module stored in firmware and configured to execute on the embedded controller to detect contact by the interface pins with an external peripheral, and in response to detecting to automatically exchange pairing information with the external peripheral through the interface pins.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the external peripheral comprises a keyboard having a peripheral embedded controller, the auto pairing module coordinating pairing information exchange by communication between the information handling system embedded controller and the keyboard peripheral embedded controller.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 2 wherein the information handling system embedded controller detects contact by the interface pins with the processor powered down and, in response to detecting contact by the interface pins powers the keyboard embedded controller.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 3 wherein the information handling system is further operable to apply power to the wireless network interface card in response to the detecting, to configure the wireless network interface card with the pairing information, and to power down the wireless network interface card after configuring the pairing information.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the external peripheral has non-transient memory storing pairing information of one or more additional peripheral devices, the auto pairing module further operable to exchange the pairing information for the one or more additional peripheral devices.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 5 wherein the one or more additional peripheral devices comprises a mouse.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 5 wherein the one or more additional peripheral devices comprises a communication head set.

8. The portable information handling system of claim 5 wherein the information handling system embedded controller is further operable to detect a pairing operation performed by the wireless network interface card and in response to the pairing operation to store pairing information of the pairing operation in the external peripheral non-transitory memory.

9. A method for pairing a portable information handling system and a peripheral device to wirelessly interact, the method comprising: resting the portable information handling system on the peripheral device to interface contact pins exposed at a housing of the information handling system with contact pins exposed at a housing of the peripheral device; detecting at an embedded controller of the information handling system the interface of the contact pins; and in response to the detecting, communicating through the contact pins wireless personal area network pairing information of the information handling system to the peripheral device and of the peripheral device to the information handling system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless personal area network comprised Bluetooth.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising: powering down a central processing unit of the information handling system before the resting; and in response to detecting, powering the embedded controller for the communicating without power up the central processing unit.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: powering down a wireless personal area network interface card before the resting; and in response to detecting, powering the wireless personal area network interface card to interact with the embedded controller and configure the pairing information without power up of the central processing unit.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising communicating through the contact pins wireless personal area network pairing information of one or more additional peripheral devices from the peripheral device to the embedded controller.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the peripheral device comprises a keyboard and the one or more additional peripheral devices comprises a mouse.

15. A tablet information handling system keyboard stand comprising: a base having a support stand portion configured to hold a tablet information handling system in a viewing position; a keyboard integrated in the base and aligned substantially perpendicular to the tablet information handling system viewing position; plural contact pins disposed in the support stand portion and aligned to interface with contact pins of the tablet information handling system; an embedded controller disposed in the base and interfaced with the keyboard and the contact pins, the embedded controller operable to detect keyed inputs and communicate the keyed inputs to the tablet information handling system through the contact pins; a wireless personal area network interface card interfaced with the embedded controller and operable to communicate the keyed inputs to the tablet information handling system through a wireless personal area network; and an auto pairing module stored in non-transitory memory of the embedded controller, the auto pairing module operable to execute on the embedded controller at detection of an interface at the contact pins to exchange pairing information with the tablet information handling system for establishing a wireless personal area network interface without communicating through the wireless personal area network interface card.

16. The tablet information handling system keyboard stand of claim 15 wherein the wireless personal area network comprise Bluetooth.

17. The tablet portable information handling system keyboard stand of claim 15 wherein the auto pairing module is further operable to store pairing information of one or more peripheral devices associated with the keyboard and to communicate the pairing information to the tablet information handling system in response to the detection of the interface.

18. The tablet information handling system keyboard stand of claim 17 wherein the one or more peripheral devices comprises a mouse.

19. The tablet information handling system keyboard stand of claim 18 wherein the mouse pairing information is determined by the tablet information handling system with a wireless pairing operation and communicated by the tablet information handling system to the embedded controller through the contact pin interface for storage in the non-transitory memory.

20. The tablet information handling system keyboard stand of claim 16 wherein the detection of the interface at the contact pins comprises powering of the embedded controller with power from the tablet information handling system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.

[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a tablet information handling system and base with integrated keyboard;

[0013] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a system for automated wireless pairing of the tablet information handling system and base;

[0014] FIG. 3 depicts a circuit block diagram of contact pin interfaces between the tablet information handling system and base; and

[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a process for automated wireless pairing of a tablet information handling system and base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Automated wireless pairing between an information handling system and base is performed by a contact-based physical interface. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

[0017] Referring now to FIG. 1, a tablet information handling system 10 is depicted aligned to rest in a base 16 having an integrated keyboard 18. Tablet information handling system 10 has processing components disposed in a planar housing 12 that generates information for presentation as visual images at a display 14. Display 14 includes a touchscreen that accepts touches as inputs to support user interactions, such as by presenting a keyboard image and accepting keyed values correlated between the keyboard depiction and user touches. Base 16 with integrated keyboard 18 has a support stand portion 20 that holds tablet information handling system 10 in a viewing position having display 14 held substantially perpendicular to keyboard 18. When tablet information handling system 10 is held by support stand portion 20, the combined system mimics a clamshell configuration by rotationally coupling tablet information handling system 10 relative to base 16. In some embodiments, a locking system secures base 16 and tablet information handling system 10 so that the combined system operates as a clamshell configuration that offers an end user the flexibility of releasing the tablet for separate use.

[0018] To provide communication between tablet information handling system 10 and base 16, opposing docking pins 22 and dock pins 24 contact each other and communicate information through a wired link, such as an I2C serial link that provides a relatively slow and low power communication link adapted for sending keyed inputs from keyboard 18 to tablet information handling system 10. In alternative embodiments, physical contact between tablet 10 and base 16 can initiate a contactless interface, such as a Keyssa contactless connector. In addition, tablet information handling system 10 includes wireless capability that supports interactions with peripheral devices, such as mouse 26 or phone 28 that has a wireless speaker and microphone to support VoIP communications. For instance, a wireless personal area network (WPAN) interface card disposed in base 16 supports a Bluetooth WPAN with tablet information handling system 10 so that the end user may make key inputs through keyboard 18 with tablet information handling system 10 physically separated from base 16.

[0019] In the example embodiment depicted by FIG. 1, coupling docking pins 22 and dock pins 24 initiates a Bluetooth pairing operation that is automated and invisible to the end user. Upon detection of the physical interface by pins 22 and 24, an embedded controller within tablet information handling system 10 initiates communication through an I2C link with an embedded controller of base 16 to exchange MAC addresses and pairing information. The embedded controller communication establishes pairing of a WPAN interface card on tablet information handling system 10 and a WPAN interface card on base 16 without having a Bluetooth communication. For example, pairing information and MAC addresses are stored in flash memory by each embedded controller so that the information is accessible by each WPAN interface card on a next power up of the information handling system. In this manner, Bluetooth or other WPAN pairing may be set up with the central processor unit of tablet information handling system 10 powered down and the operating system unloaded. On power up and boot of the operating system, the embedded controller feeds the pairing information to the operating system and WPAN interface card to setup pairing and initiate communication with base 16. Although the example embodiment uses contact pins to initiate the pairing process, the pairing process can be done via a physical or wireless link. Initiation of auto pairing is based upon detection of contact between the keyboard and tablet devices with a physical contact communication. For example, once the keyboard is physically docked to the tablet device, an API on the tablet system puts the operating system into discovery mode and another API on the keyboard side puts the keyboard is advertisement mode so that pairing is initiated as if the user had manually swiped the touchscreen, touched the setup icon, then the pressed a discovery button on the keyboard device. Once the API on both sides initiates the pairing process, actual paring can be done via the traditional Bluetooth link or via the physical interface between the tablet system and the keyboard.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram depicts a system for automated wireless pairing of the tablet information handling system 10 and base 16. Tablet information handing system 10 has a central processing unit (CPU) 30 that executes instructions stored in a random access memory (RAM) 32 or other memory. An embedded controller 34 has flash memory that stores firmware code, such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) 36 that coordinates the interaction between hardware components and an operating system. For example, BIOS 36 running on embedded controller 34 manages interactions between a personal area network (PAN) wireless network interface card (WNIC) 38 and an operating system executing on CPU 30, such as to accept keyboard or mouse inputs from Bluetooth communications with peripherals. Base 16 also includes an embedded controller 34 that manages interactions between physical components, such as inputs at keyboard 18. In various embodiments, embedded controller 34 on base 16 is generally a microcontroller capable of acting as a keyboard controller while embedded controller 34 on tablet information handling system has greater capabilities commensurate with managing the more complex physical components within tablet information handling system 10. In one embodiment, base 16 includes a power source that communicates power to tablet information handling system 10; in an alternative embodiment, embedded controller 34 in base 16 is powered from a battery or from power communicated through docking pins 22 and 24.

[0021] Each embedded controller 34 includes an auto pairing module 40 that automatically establishes WPAN pairing through an I2C interface provided by docking pins 22 and 24. For example, upon detection of a docking pin connection, a GPIO of the embedded controller 34 initiates auto pairing module 40, which sends a request through an I2C link (or similar contactless link) for communication with an auto pairing module 40 on the opposing embedded controller. Once opposing auto pairing modules 40 are communicating, an exchange of pairing information and MAC addresses is performed with each auto pairing module 40 storing the WPAN parameters of the opposing PAN WNIC 38 in a stored WPAN parameters file 42 on non-transitory memory. In one embodiment, the exchange of pairing information and MAC addresses is supported by local powering of embedded controller 34 while CPU 30 is powered down. Base 16 embedded controller 34 may be powered from tablet information handling system 10 to support auto pairing operations even if local power of base 16 is off. Stored WPAN parameters 42 are made available on power up of information handling system 10 so that PAN WNIC 38 may configure Bluetooth or other WPAN parameters without performing wireless communication. As an alternative, embedded controller 34 may temporarily power up PAN WNIC 38 to configure WPAN parameters while the rest of the system remains powered down. In one embodiment, auto pairing modules 40 coordinate a power up of opposing PAN WNIC's 38 so that a brief wireless exchange of data confirms configuration, and then PAN WNIC's 38 are returned to a power down state.

[0022] During operation of information handling system 10 and base 16, information handling system 10 stores in a peripheral list 44 additional WPAN peripherals used simultaneously with base 16. For example, if an end user has a mouse or headset in use at tablet information handling system 10 while base 16 is connected, auto pairing modules 40 share the pairing information and MAC addresses of the peripherals so that base 16 stores the pairing information and MAC address in peripheral list 44. At each connection of tablet information handling system 10 to base 16, auto pairing modules 40 exchange the information on the peripheral list so that tablet information handling system 10 may interact with wireless peripherals associated with base 16. In one embodiment, the stored WPAN parameters 42 are updated at each connection of tablet information handling system 10 with older stored data deleted. Similarly, if information handling system 10 attempts to interact with peripherals on peripheral list 44 without success, auto pairing modules 40 remove the peripherals from peripheral list 44.

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 3, a circuit block diagram depicts contact pin interfaces 22 and 24 between the tablet information handling system 10 and base 16. For example, pins 22 and 24 are pogo pins aligned to connect when tablet information handling system 10 rests in base 16. Detect pins 46 generate a signal indicating that contact has been made so that embedded controller communication lines 48 may exchange pairing information. Power pins included in pins 22 and 24 provide power to run the embedded controllers and to communicate and store the pairing information.

[0024] Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram depicts a process for automated wireless pairing of a tablet information handling system and base. At step 50, pin contact is detected between tablet information handling system 10 and base 16. At step 52, embedded controller to embedded controller communication is established through the pin contact. In response to the pin contact detection, at step 54, each embedded controller executes firmware that exchanges Bluetooth or other WPAN pairing information sufficient to establish a wireless WPAN connection. The exchange of pairing information may initiate a WPAN interface, or may result in storage of the pairing information for access and use at the next power up of the information handling system. For example, the pairing information is stored in flash memory of a tablet information handling system that the WNIC checks on power up to establish a wireless interface with already known peripheral devices, even though the pairing information may not have been previously used for an interface. At step 56, the embedded controller of the information handling system retrieves from the base embedded controller the pairing information of additional peripheral devices. At step 58, the pairing information is stored in flash memory for use at the next system start. In one embodiment, storing pairing information at an information handling system 10 for a base 16 deletes any stored pairing information for similar base hardware configurations so that pairing information is updated at each connection event. In an alternative embodiment, older pairing information may be stored based upon location. For example, pairing information associated with a work location may be deleted if a different base is detected at the work location. In contrast, pairing information for a home location may be retained for lengthier time periods. At step 60, the pairing information is loaded to the support WPAN interfaces at power up of the information handling system.

[0025] Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.