Wireless Docking Host Managing Primary Secondary Device Roles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless docking systems face interference issues when multiple devices attempt to access the same peripheral, hindering easy and interference-free shared usage of audio/video (A/V) peripherals.

Innovation Solution

The system distinguishes between primary and secondary dockee devices, with primary devices controlling and rendering A/V data on peripherals and secondary devices receiving and monitoring this data, allowing for controlled access and reduced interference through the host device's docking processor and communication units.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple dockee devices access the same peripheral simultaneously, then device versatility and collaboration capability are improved, but interference and system reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the dockee devices into primary and secondary roles. Primary dockee devices have full access to control peripherals, while secondary dockee devices have restricted access for monitoring only. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing multiple devices to connect (improving versatility) while preventing interference through role-based access control (maintaining reliability).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by giving different access permissions to different dockee devices based on their role. Primary dockees receive full control permissions while secondary dockees receive only monitoring permissions. This differentiated local quality allows the system to support multiple collaborative devices without causing peripheral interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple dockee devices are connected to the host device, then device versatility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice versatilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The host device implements universality by providing a unified docking interface that automatically recognizes and configures multiple dockee devices. The system handles both primary and secondary dockee connections through the same wireless docking protocol, managing peripheral access control centrally. This multi-functionality approach allows the system to support various docking scenarios (single device, multiple primary devices, multiple secondary devices) without requiring different hardware interfaces, thus improving versatility while keeping the system architecture relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If primary dockee devices control peripherals for A/V rendering, then output quality is improved, but ease of operation for secondary devices deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput qualityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating virtual peripheral representations for secondary dockee devices. Instead of giving secondary devices direct control of physical peripherals (which would cause interference), the system creates virtual copies that provide the same user experience for monitoring purposes. Secondary dockees can interact with these virtual copies as if controlling real peripherals, maintaining ease of operation while the primary devices maintain actual peripheral control for high-quality output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP2936735B2Multiple user wireless docking
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP2936735B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2936735B2 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2936735B2 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A host device (200) for wireless communication with multiple dockee devices (220,221,230) is coupled to peripherals (210,211) for rendering audio or video (AV) data. The host has a docking processor for docking dockee devices for providing access to the peripherals. The dockee device has a dockee processor arranged for docking, as a dockee device, with the host device for getting access to the peripherals. The docking processor is arranged for docking at least one primary dockee device (230) and at least one secondary dockee device (220,221). Thereby, to the primary dockee device, control is provided over the peripherals for determining the AV data to be rendered. To the secondary dockee device is transferred the AV data to be rendered via the peripherals. For example a primary dockee device, presenter P, is enabled to control and determine the AV contents that are rendered, whereas secondary devices, attendees A, are enabled to monitor the AV data.