Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system peripheral devices, and more particularly to an information handling system automated wireless pairing of peripheral devices.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Portable information handling systems generally include integrated input/output (I/O) devices and an integrated power sources to allow end users to use the systems without coupling to external I/O devices or power sources. For example, an information handling system clamshell configuration generally has a main housing portion that contains processing components and an integrated keyboard, and a lid housing portion rotationally coupled with the main housing portion that contains a display. In normal use, an end user rotates the lid portion approximately 90 degrees to elevate the display into a viewing position and expose the keyboard in the main housing portion. During periods of non-use or transport, the end user rotates the lid closed relative to the main housing portion to protect both the keyboard and the display. In some instances, the lid housing portion or display rotates in a manner that exposes the display with the lid portion closed relative to the main portion, thus allowing the information handling system to be used as a tablet.
Portable information handling systems have shrunk in size and increased in capabilities as more powerful processing components have been developed. One general goal of information handling system manufacturers has been to decrease the thickness or Z height of information handling system housings. In particular, tablet information handling systems have sought to provide a minimal planar housing thickness that makes the system more convenient for end users to carry and use. Tablet information handling systems typically use a touchscreen display as the primary input device, such as by presenting a keyboard on the display that accepts keyed end user inputs with touches at the display. Eliminating the mechanical keyboard reduces housing size, however, tends to limit the usefulness of the system for performing tasks that generally require keyed inputs, such as word processing. As a result, end users tend to limit the applications run on tablet information handling systems to those that have minimal keyboard inputs, such as web surfing, e-mail and texting.
One solution that aids keyed inputs to a tablet information handling system is to interface with the tablet system through a peripheral keyboard device. As an example, a base or tablet stand holds a tablet display in an elevated viewing position and includes a keyboard that accepts inputs to the tablet system. For example, the tablet has a connector port located along a side of the housing that inserts into a connector of the base to communicate with a keyboard integrated in the stand. In some instances, tablet information handling systems include only a single USB port that is relied on to both charge the system and communicate data. In other instances, tablet housings will include pogo pins along one side that provide a touch interface to pogo pins of the stand and held in position by the weight of the tablet system or an attachment device in the stand. In essence, a base or tablet stand that integrates a physical keyboard converts the tablet into a clamshell configuration that includes an option for the user to separate from the stand and use the tablet separately as desired.
Another way for a user to interface a keyboard with a tablet information handling system is to interface through a wireless signal, such as Bluetooth. One difficulty with using wireless protocols is that the keyboard and tablet information handling system have to pair with each other in order to communicate data. A typical Bluetooth pairing process involves several steps. First the tablet information handling system wireless network interface card has to be put into discovery mode. Next the keyboard has to be put into an advertisement mode that can be seen in discovery. Finally, the end user selects the keyboard from a list of discovered devices to establish data transfer. In some cases, discovery may be automated and issued from the keyboard, such as with a button touch, with the tablet information handling system advertising to be discovered by the peripheral. One difficulty with the discovery and pairing process is that in an enterprise environment multiple systems and peripherals may be performing discovery and pairing within range of each other, thus presenting the end user with a complex selection of multiple devices or even pairing incorrect peripherals and information handling systems. Further, in an enterprise environment, peripheral devices are sometimes mixed and matched as needed so that an end user may have to repeat the pairing process every time the end user interfaces with a peripheral device. In some cases, end user confusion is intensified where automated pairing of an information handling system and previously-paired peripheral device results in the end user having an unintended association with a peripheral device previously used by the information handling system and stored in memory.