Apparatus and method for wireless/wired communications interface

A computer readable storage medium including program instructions that direct a computer to function in a specified manner when executed by a processor, the program instructions comprising:

• detecting a communications interface type of a device as one of a wireless communications interface and a wireless/wired communications interface;
• when a wireless/wired communications interface is detected as the device communications interface type, detecting a communications mode of the device as one of a wireless communications mode and a wired communications mode;
• when a wired/wireless communications interface type is detected, determining a data transmission error rate of the device during operation of the device in the wireless communications mode;
• and
• switching the device from the wireless communications mode to a wired communication mode when the data transmission error rate of the device exceeds a pre-determined threshold.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a processor having circuitry to execute instructions;
• a communications interface coupled to the processor, the communications interface to transmit data to a host device, and to receive data from the host device;
• a connection port coupled to the processor to enable coupling of the apparatus to the host device via a wire link;
• a wired/wireless detection unit to detect whether the apparatus is coupled to the host device via the wired link;
• and
• a storage device coupled to the processor, having sequences of instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:
• determine a data transmission error rate of the apparatus during operation of the apparatus in a wireless communications mode, and
• switch the apparatus from the wireless communications mode to a wired communication mode when the data transmission error rate of the apparatus exceeds a pre-determined threshold error rate.

A system comprising:

• a host device;
• a wireless/wired communication device including:
• a communications interface, the communications interface to transmit data to the host device, and to receive data from the host device via a wire link during a wired communications mode and a wireless link during a wireless communications mode,
• a connection port coupled to the communications interface to enable coupling of the communication device to the host device via the wire link, and
• a wired/wireless detection device coupled to the communications interface to detect whether the communication device is coupled to the host device via the wire link, such that the communication device switches from the wireless communications mode to the wired communication mode when the data transmission error rate of the communication device exceeds a pre-determined threshold.