System and method for installing portable device drivers

• US 20040205778A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synology Incorporated
• Inventors: Tu, Cheng Yu, Liao, Cheen, Wong, Yin Hui
• Granted Patent: US 7,331,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4413 Plug-and-play [PnP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4415 Self describing peripheral devices

Abstract

A method for installing a peripheral device to a computer is disclosed. The peripheral device includes a driver storage formed integral to the peripheral device. The driver storage stores the device driver information. Upon connection to the computer, the peripheral device'"'"'s driver storage imitates a known disk drive to the computer. The computer can then access the device driver information and install the peripheral device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for installation of peripheral device drivers into a computer comprising:

a) means for sending a request signal to an operating system of the computer;

b) means for detecting an acknowledgement by the operating system of the request issued from the peripheral device;

c) means for responding with a message indicating the peripheral device has a dummy storage device as well as the peripheral device, wherein said computer enables the peripheral device and the dummy storage device;

d) means for checking, by the host operating system, if it can automatically execute the auto-run file of the dummy storage device;

e) means for installing, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device in the case when the auto-run function is active;

f) means for binding, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver;

g) means for reverting, by the host operating system, to a manual operation procedure for continuing the installation in the case when the auto-run is inactive; and

h) means for triggering, by the host operating system, the portable device driver installation system to deactivate the dummy storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for operating a manual procedure to continue the installation of the peripheral device driver when the auto-run of the host operating system is inactive, comprises:

a) means for checking, by the host operating system, if the peripheral device driver already exists in the file path of the computer;

b) means for binding, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver in the case when it does exist in the file path of the computer;

c) means for requesting, by the host operating system, the user to select the file path that leads to the dummy storage device;

d) means for copying, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device to the computer;

e) means for binding, by the operating system, the peripheral device driver; and

f) means for triggering, by the host operating system, the portable device driver installation system to deactivate the dummy storage device with name.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for upgrading a peripheral device driver through the external and/or internal buses of a computer comprises:

a) means for downloading the upgraded peripheral device driver to the computer;

b) means for disabling, by the host operating system, the peripheral device;

c) means for replacing, by the host operating system, the existing device driver by the upgraded device driver.

d) means for enabling, by the host operating system, the peripheral device;

e) means for triggering, by the host operating system, to the portable device driver installation system to activate the dummy storage device;

f) means for replacing, by the host operating system, the device driver in the dummy storage device with the upgraded device driver; and

g) means for triggering, by the host operating system, the portable device driver installation system to deactivate the dummy storage device.

4. Computer readable medium having instructions stored in a driver storage component integral to a peripheral device, said peripheral device capable of attachment to a bus of a computer, said instructions operable to:

a) connect the peripheral device to said computer by sending a signal to the host operating system of the computer indicating a dummy storage device and a peripheral device;

b) check if the host operating system can automatically execute the auto-run file of the dummy storage device;

c) install and bind the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device under the control of the host operating system in the case when auto-run is active;

or

d) revert to a manual operation for the installation of the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy device driver with name in the case when auto-run is inactive; and

e) disable the dummy storage device with name.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the manual operation for the installation of said peripheral device driver into said computer further comprises:

a) checking, by the host operating system of the computer, if the portable device driver is already existed in the file path of the computer;

b) binding the peripheral device driver in the case when it exists in the file path;

or

c) requesting the user to select the file path that leads to the dummy storage device;

d) installing and binding the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device; and

e) disabling the dummy storage device by the host operating system.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 4 further including upgrading the peripheral device driver via an external connector connected to the bus to the computer by:

a) downloading the upgraded peripheral device driver to the computer;

b) disabling, by the host operating system, the peripheral device;

c) replacing, by the host operating system, the existing peripheral device driver with the upgraded peripheral device driver;

d) enabling, by the host operating system, the peripheral device; and

e) triggering, by the host operating system, the activation of the dummy storage device.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein the peripheral device that connects to the bus of said computer is selected from the group of disk drives, video digital cameras, cellular phones, personal digital assistants, sound cards, RAID cards, and video catchers.

8. A method for installing a peripheral device onto a computer, said peripheral device having integrated therewith a dummy storage device for storing a peripheral device driver, the method comprising

(a) sending a request signal to an operating system of the computer;

(b) detecting an acknowledgement from the operating system of the request signal;

(c) responding with a message indicating the peripheral device has said dummy storage device and the peripheral device, wherein said computer enables the peripheral device and the dummy storage device;

(d) checking if the host operating system can automatically execute an auto-run file of the dummy storage device;

(e) installing, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device in the case when the auto-run function is active;

(f) binding, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver;

(g) reverting, by the host operating system, to a manual operation procedure for continuing the installation in the case when the auto-run is inactive; and

(h) triggering, by the host operating system, the portable device driver installation system to deactivate the dummy storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said means for operating a manual procedure to continue the installation of the peripheral device driver when the auto-run of the host operating system is inactive operates by:

(1) checking, by the host operating system, if the peripheral device driver already exists in the file path of the computer;

(2) binding, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver in the case when it does exist in the file path of the computer;

(3) requesting, by the host operating system, the user to select the file path that leads to the dummy storage device;

(4) copying, by the host operating system, the peripheral device driver stored in the dummy storage device to the computer;

(5) binding, by the operating system, the peripheral device driver; and

(6) triggering, by the host operating system, the portable device driver installation system to deactivate the dummy storage device with name.