Universal serial bus adapter with automatic installation

• US 20040199909A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inline Connection Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inline Connection Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, David D.
• Application Number:
  US10/795,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199909A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system

Abstract

A peripheral device and a method for operating the peripheral device for automatic installation, in which the method includes coupling the peripheral device to a computer and sending a first device identification from the peripheral device to the computer. The peripheral device emulates a device of a type determined by the first device identification, including transferring a driver from the peripheral device to the computer. Then, the peripheral device sends a second device identification from the peripheral device to the computer, such that the sent device identification is for a device supported by the driver transferred to the computer. The peripheral device then operates by interacting with the driver on the computer.

Claims

1. A method for automating the installation of a peripheral device driver in a computer, comprising:

storing at least a file named autorun.inf on an emulated mass storage device;

receiving an identification of the mass storage device;

using a driver to establish communication with the emulated mass storage device across an interface;

executing, by the computer, at least a portion of the instructions in an autorun.inf file to transmit across the interface a driver of a second type of device from the emulated mass storage device;

transmitting, by the peripheral device, an identification of the second type of device across the interface;

operating the peripheral device as the second type of device;

receiving the identification of the second type of device; and

using the transferred driver to establish communication, across the interface, with a device of the second type.