Patent ID: 7836216

Claim:
A method for operating a computing device, the method comprising: detecting a plug mated with a receptacle connector of the computing device, wherein the plug is used by an accessory device; detecting one or more electrical characteristics produced on one or more signal lines that extend to the receptacle connector as a result of the plug being mated with the receptacle connector; making a determination that (i) a type of the accessory device that uses the plug has a microphone source, and (ii) the microphone source has one or more ancillary microphone functions; wherein making the determination that the microphone source has one or more ancillary microphone functions is performed using the one or more detected electrical characteristics on the one or more signal lines; and configuring the computing device to accommodate the type of the accessory device that is a microphone source and the microphone source has one or more ancillary microphone functions.