Plug-And-Play Device And Method Of Using The Same

• US 20080005371A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wilde, Keith, Hill, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4413 Plug-and-play [PnP]

Abstract

A plug-and-play device providing a set of functionality comprises a plug-and-play interface, storage, and software stored in the storage. The software is automatically executed by a computer when the plug-and-play device is connected thereto via the plug-and-play interface. The software detects disconnection of the plug-and-play device from the computer and terminates execution in response thereto. The computer does not persistently store the software thereafter.

Claims

1. A plug-and-play device providing a set of functionality, comprising:

a plug-and-play interface;

storage; and

software stored in said storage, said software being automatically executed by a computer when said plug-and-play device is connected thereto via said plug-and-play interface, said software being operable to detect disconnection of said plug-and-play device from said computer and terminate execution in response thereto, said computer not persistently storing said software thereafter.

2. The plug-and-play device of claim 1, wherein said software enables said computer to access the set of functionality provided by said plug-and-play device.

3. The plug-and-play device of claim 1, wherein said plug-and-play interface is a universal serial bus interface.

4. The plug-and-play device of claim 3, wherein said storage stores an autorun.inf file that specifies said software for execution.

5. The plug-and-play device of claim 4, wherein said plug-and-play device includes the CD HID profile.

6. The plug-and-play device of claim 3, wherein said software is copied to a temporary location on said computer and executed therefrom, and is terminated and deleted upon disconnection of the plug-and-play device from the computer.

7. The plug-and-play device of claim 6, wherein said software registers a request with the operating system of said computer to delete said software at a later time.

8. The plug-and-play device of claim 1, wherein said software is copied to a temporary location on said computer and executed therefrom, and is terminated and deleted upon disconnection of the plug-and-play device from the computer.

9. The plug-and-play device of claim 8, wherein said software registers a request with the operating system of said computer to delete said software at a later time.

10. The plug-and-play device of claim 8, wherein said software executes the instance of said software stored in said storage of said plug-and-play device, terminates its own execution and the instance of said software executing from said storage of said plug-and-play device deletes said software from said temporary location on said computer.

11. A method of using a plug-and-play device with a computer, comprising:

detecting connection of the plug-and-play device to said computer;

automatically locating software stored in memory of said plug-and-play device specified for execution;

executing said software with said computer; and

terminating execution of said software upon disconnection of said plug-and-play device from said computer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said executing comprises copying said software to storage on said computer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

registering a request with the operating system of said computer to delete said software at a later time.

14. A plug-and-play device, comprising:

storage; and

settings stored in said storage, said settings being associated with a set of functionality.

15. The plug-and-play device of claim 14, wherein said settings are calibration settings.

16. The plug-and-play device of claim 14, wherein said settings are user settings.

17. The plug-and-play device of claim 14, further comprising:

software stored in said storage, said software providing access to said set of functionality when said plug-and-play device is connected to a computer.

18. The plug-and-play device of claim 14, wherein said set of functionality is provided by said plug-and-play device.

19. The plug-and-play device of claim 15, wherein said set of functionality is an input interface provided by said plug-and-play device.

20. The plug-and-play device of claim 19, further comprising:

software stored in said storage, said software being executable on a computer to which said plug-and-play device is connected to provide access to said set of functionality.

21. The plug-and-play device of claim 20, wherein said software references said calibration settings during execution.

22. The plug-and-play device of claim 21, wherein said software is automatically executed by said computer when said plug-and-play device is connected thereto via a plug-and-play interface thereof, said software detecting disconnection of said plug-and-play device from said computer and terminating execution in response thereto, said computer not persistently storing said software thereafter.

23. The plug-and-play device of claim 15, further comprising:

calibration software for setting said calibration settings.

24. The plug-and-play device of claim 15, further comprising a touch panel on which images are projected, said calibration settings mapping touch panel and displayed image coordinate systems.

25. A plug-and-play device for receiving input, comprising:

a plug-and-play interface;

a touch panel on which a computer-generated image is displayed;

storage; and

calibration settings stored in said storage and mapping touch panel and computer-generated image coordinate systems.

26. The plug-and-play device of claim 25, wherein said computer-generated image is a graphical user interface.

27. The plug-and-play device of claim 25, wherein said plug-and-play interface is a universal serial bus interface.

28. The plug-and-play device of claim 25, further comprising:

calibration software stored in said storage for execution by a computer to set said calibration settings.

29. A method of adjusting the function of a computer, comprising:

retrieving calibration settings from an external device associated with functionality provided by the external device; and

adjusting the function of said computer using said calibration settings.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving input from said external device,

wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting the mapping of said input onto an area of input using said calibration settings.

31. A plug-and-play device providing a set of functionality, comprising:

a plug-and-play interface;

storage; and

software stored in said storage, said software being copied to said computer and executed therefrom automatically when said plug-and-play device is connected to said computer, said software providing access to the set of functionality provided by said plug-and-play device.