Theron Stacy Welch

US Patent:

6874038, Mar 29, 2005

Filed:

Jun 9, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/863996

Inventors:

Brian D. Williams - Redmond WA, US
Theron S. Welch - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F013/10

US Classification:

710 19, 710 5, 710 15, 710 62, 710 67, 719318

Abstract:

Reporting an attribute of a device via PS/2 protocols to a host executing an industry standard PS/2 port driver that does not include explicitly recognize the attribute. For example, a wireless mouse reports a battery state and a signal quality state through a standard PS/2 port driver that does not recognize any command or identifier for battery state or signal quality state. The attribute state is encoded in a standard PS/2 data packet. The standard PS/2 data packet is uniquely identified as an attribute packet by encoding data corresponding to highly unlikely mouse movement. A filter driver running on the host activates transmission of the attribute packets by commanding the port driver to issue a unique sequence of standard PS/2 commands, which the mouse system recognizes. The filter driver intercepts incoming PS/2 data packets, recognizes the unlikely data values that identify an attribute packet, and decodes the attribute state.

US Patent:

6772236, Aug 3, 2004

Filed:

Apr 17, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/420039

Inventors:

Brian D. Williams - Redmond WA
Theron S. Welch - Bellevue WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 1310

US Classification:

710 19, 710 5, 710 15, 710 62, 710 67, 719318

Abstract:

Reporting an attribute of a device via PS/2 protocols to a host executing an industry standard PS/2 port driver that does not include means to recognize the attribute. For example, a wireless mouse reports a battery state and a signal quality state through a standard PS/2 port driver that does not recognize any command or identifier for battery state or signal quality state. The attribute state is encoded in a standard PS/2 data packet. The standard PS/2 data packet is uniquely identified as an attribute packet by encoding data corresponding to highly unlikely mouse movement. A filter driver running on the host activates transmission of the attribute packets by commanding the port driver to issue a unique sequence of standard PS/2 commands, which the mouse system recognizes. The filter driver intercepts incoming PS/2 data packets, recognizes the unlikely data values that identify an attribute packet, and decodes the attribute state.