Automatic configuration for portable devices

• US 20020078367A1
• Filed: 05/11/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: msystems Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation), SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Shmueli, Shimon S., Adkins, Brian J., Sharp, David W., Lang, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0485 Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable device configured to interact with any number of host computing devices. In operation, the portable device will initially appear to a host computing device as a known device type. The host computing device will be configured to interact with the portable device as the known device type. Upon such interaction, the host computing device will access indicia sufficient to identify the portable device as a second device type and instruct the host computing device to configure itself to interact with the portable device as the second device type.

Claims

1. A portable device for engaging a host computing device comprising:

a) a body;

b) a memory within the body containing;

i) initial identification indicia to initially identify the portable device to the host computing device as a first device type, which is known to the host computing device; and

ii) configuration indicia to subsequently identify the portable device to the host computing device as a second device type and provide configuration instructions to allow the host computing device to effectively interact with the portable device as the second device type; and

c) an interface associated with the memory and adapted to facilitate interaction with the host computing device,

wherein the host computing device will detect the portable device as being the first device type and subsequently configure itself to interact with the second device type.

2. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the memory further contains service indicia providing instructions to provide a service corresponding to the second device type.

3. The portable device of claim 2 wherein the service indicia includes instructions for the host computing device to provide the service for applications running on the host computing device.

4. The portable device of claim 2 further comprising a processing unit associated with said memory and wherein the service indicia includes instructions for said processing unit to provide the service for the host computing device.

5. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the configuration indicia includes a file executable on the host computing device to reconfigure the host computing device to recognize and interact with the portable device as the second device type.

6. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the memory further contains an application to run on the host computing device.

7. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the first device type is a storage device.

8. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the second device type is a cryptographic service provider.

9. The portable device of claim 1 wherein said memory further contains at least one of the group consisting of private cryptography key, public cryptography key, and cryptography algorithm.

10. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the interface is one of the group consisting of electrical, optical, and radio frequency.

11. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the memory further contains deregistering indicia providing instructions for the host computing device to reconfigure the host computing device to a configuration state prior to interacting with the portable device.

12. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the memory further contains cleansing indicia providing instructions for the host computing device to remove at least certain information from the host computing device indicative of use of the host computing device while associated with the portable device.

14. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the memory further contains instructions to provide the cryptography services for applications running on the host computing device.

15. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the instructions to provide the cryptography services are configured for running on the host computing device.

16. The portable device of claim 13 further comprising a processing unit associated with said memory and wherein the instructions to provide the cryptography services are configured for running on the processing unit.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first device type is a storage device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the second device type is a cryptographic service provider.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising reconfiguring the host computing device to a configuration state prior to interacting with the portable device.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising removing at least certain information from the host computing device indicative of use of the host computing device while associated with the portable device.

13. A portable device for engaging a host computing device comprising:

a) a body;

b) a memory within the body containing;

i) initial identification indicia to initially identify the portable device to the host computing device as a first device type, which is known to the host computing device; and

ii) configuration instructions for the host computing device to subsequently identify the portable device as a cryptographic service provider and provide configuration instructions to allow the host computing device to effectively interact with the portable device to provide cryptography services for applications running on the host computing device; and

c) an interface associated with the memory and adapted to facilitate interaction with the host computing device,

wherein the host computing device will detect the portable device as being the first device type and subsequently configure itself to interact with the portable device to provide cryptography services.

17. A method comprising:

a) identifying a portable device to a host computing device as a first device type, which is known to the host computing device,

b) registering the portable device with host computing device as the first device type;

c) automatically identifying the portable device to the host computing device as a second device type;

d) enabling the portable device as the second device type with the host computing device based on information provided on the portable device; and

e) providing a service corresponding to the second device type for applications running on the host computing device based on information provided by the portable device.

22. A method comprising:

a) identifying a portable device to a host computing device as a first device type, which is known to the host computing device,

b) registering the portable device with the host computing device as the first device type;

c) automatically identifying the portable device to the host computing device as a cryptographic service provider;

d) enabling the portable device as the cryptographic service provider with the host computing device based on information provided on the portable device; and

e) providing cryptography services for applications running on the host computing device based on information provided by the portable device.

23. A portable device for engaging a host computing device comprising:

a) a body;

b) a memory within the body containing;

i) initial identification indicia to initially identify the portable device to the host computing device as a first device type in which a driver for the first device type is known to the host computing device; and

ii) software instructions to subsequently identify the portable device as a cryptographic service provider to the host computing device and provide a driver for the cryptographic service provider to allow the host computing device to effectively interact with the portable device to provide cryptography services for applications running on the host computing system; and

c) an interface associated with the memory and adapted to facilitate interaction with the host computing device,

wherein the host computing device will detect the portable device as being the first device type and subsequently configure itself to interact with the portable device to provide the cryptography services for the applications running on the host computing device.