Establishing Wireless Communication Between a Mobile Computing Device and a Docking System

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A mobile computing device that is physically contacting a docking system receives one or more electrical signals via a physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and the docking system. The mobile computing device identifies, based on the received one or more electrical signals, a type of the docking system. The mobile computing device determines, based on having identified the type of the docking system, that a setting for automatically establishing wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system is activated. The mobile computing device establishes, as a result of determining that the setting is activated, the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system.

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, by a mobile computing device that is physically contacting a docking system, one or more electrical signals via a physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and the docking system;   identifying, by the mobile computing device and based on the received one or more electrical signals, a type of the docking system;   determining, by the mobile computing device and based on having identified the type of the docking system, that a setting for automatically establishing wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system is activated; and   establishing, by the mobile computing device and as a result of determining that the setting is activated, the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is established without receipt of user input after the mobile computing device has physically contacted the docking system. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical signals include data that is serially transmitted via the physical electrical connection and that identifies the type of the docking system. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the type of the docking system includes identifying a quantity of electrical contacts over which the one or more electrical signals were received. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to a another docking event that occurs before the docking event:
 receiving, by the mobile computing device and while the mobile computing device is physically contacting the docking system a previous time, another one or more electrical signals via the physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and the docking system;   identifying, by the mobile computing device and based on the received another one or more electrical signals, the type of the docking system;   determining, by the mobile computing device and based on having identified the type of the docking system, that the setting for automatically establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system is not activated;   displaying, by the mobile computing device and in response to determining that the setting is not activated, a configuration user interface with which a user of the mobile computing device is able to activate the setting;   receiving, by the mobile computing device and through user interaction with the configuration user interface, activation of the setting; and   establishing, by the mobile computing device and in response to the user interaction with the configuration user interface, the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the configuration user interface is an initial user interface that is able to receive user input upon the mobile computing device physically contacting the docking system. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the mobile computing device, another one or more electrical signals via another physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and another docking system after the mobile computing device has physically contacted the another docking system;   identifying, by the mobile computing device and based on the received another one or more electrical signals, a type of the another docking system;   determining, by the mobile computing device and based on having identified the type of the another docking system, that another setting for automatically establishing wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the another docking system is not activated;   displaying, by the mobile computing device and in response to determining that the another setting is not activated, a second configuration user interface with which a user of the mobile computing device is able to activate the another setting;   receiving, by the mobile computing device and through user interaction with the second configuration user interface, activation of the another setting; and   establishing, by the mobile computing device and in response to user interaction with the second user interface, the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the another docking system.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication includes: (i) the mobile computing device transmitting to the docking system an audio signal that the mobile computing device receives from another party during a telephone call, and (ii) the mobile computing device receiving from the docking system an audio signal that the docking system recorded with a microphone and that the mobile computing device is to transmit to the another party during the telephone call. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication includes the mobile computing device transmitting, to the docking system and for audible output by one or more speakers of the docking system, an audio signal generated by a media player application program on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, by the mobile computing device and in response to identifying the type of the docking system, a wireless network identifier and authentication code that are for establishing wireless communication between the computing device and the docking system, and that were previously communicated to the mobile computing device by the docking system over the physical electrical connection.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical electrical connection is a data connection that is in parallel with another electrical connection that is between the mobile computing device and the docking system and that is for powering the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile computing device, comprising:
 one or more processing devices; and   one or more computer-readable storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, perform operations comprising:
 receiving one or more electrical signals via a physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and a docking system while the mobile computing device is physically contacting the docking system; 
 identifying, based on the received one or more electrical signals, a type of the docking system; 
 determining, based on having identified the type of the docking system, whether a setting for automatically establishing wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system is activated, wherein:
 (i) in response to a determination that the setting for automatically establishing the wireless communication is not activated: (a) displaying a configuration user interface with which a user of the mobile computing device is able to activate the setting, (b) receiving, through user interaction with the configuration user interface, activation of the setting, and (c) establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system; and 
 (ii) in response to a determination that the setting for automatically establishing the wireless communication is activated, establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system. 
 
   
     
     
         13 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , wherein establishing the wireless communication, in response to the determination that the setting is activated, is performed without receipt of user input after the physical contact of the mobile computing device with the docking system. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the wireless communication includes: (i) the mobile computing device transmitting to the docking system an audio signal that the mobile computing device receives from another party during a telephone call, and (ii) the mobile computing device receiving from the docking system an audio signal that the docking system recorded with a microphone and that the mobile computing device is to transmit to the another party during the telephone call. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the wireless communication includes the mobile computing device transmitting, to the docking system and for audible output by one or more speakers of the docking system, an audio signal generated by a media player application program on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method-comprising:
 receiving, by a mobile computing device and while the mobile computing device is physically contacting a docking system, one or more electrical signals via a physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and the docking system;   identifying, by the mobile computing device and based on the received one or more electrical signals, a type of the docking system;   determining, by the mobile computing device and based on having identified the type of the docking system using the one or more electrical signals, that a setting for automatically establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system is not activated, and as a result:
 (a) displaying, by the mobile computing device, a configuration user interface with which a user of the mobile computing device is able to activate the setting, 
 (b) receiving, through user interaction with the configuration user interface, activation of the setting, and 
 (c) establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system; and 
   receiving, by the mobile computing device and while the mobile computing device is physically contacting the docking system a subsequent time, another one or more electrical signals via the physical electrical connection between the mobile computing device and the docking system;   identifying, by the mobile computing device and based on the received another one or more electrical signals, the type of the docking system;   determining, by the mobile computing device and based on having identified the type of the docking system using the received another one or more electrical signals, that the setting is activated, and as a result establishing the wireless communication between the mobile computing device and the docking system a subsequent time.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein establishing the wireless communication the subsequent time is performed without receipt of user input after the mobile computing device has physically contacted the docking system the subsequent time. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless communication includes: (i) the mobile computing device transmitting to the docking system an audio signal that the mobile computing device receives from another party during a telephone call, and (ii) the mobile computing device receiving from the docking system an audio signal that the docking system recorded with a microphone and that the mobile computing device is to transmit to the another party during the telephone call. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless communication includes the mobile computing device transmitting, to the docking system and for audible output by one or more speakers of the docking system, an audio signal generated by a media player application program on the mobile computing device.