AUTO START CONFIGURATION WITH PORTABLE MASS STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20090006722A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Vigier, Benjamin, Caillon, Pascal, Jogand-Coulomb, Fabrice, Yang, Chieh-Hao, McAvoy, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A portable flash memory storage device such as a memory card can configure a host device upon insertion. The configuration may specify applications or other sequences of operations to be executed by the host upon insertion of the card. Files on the card may be associated with an appropriate application and then automatically opened with the appropriate application. A secure configuration may override a more freely modifiable configuration in certain embodiments.

Claims

1. A removable media card, comprising:

a flash memory array comprising a public partition, the public partition comprising a first group of one or more configuration files comprising device configuration parameters that control the behavior of a portable device; and

the flash memory array further comprising a secure partition, the secure partition comprising a second group of one or more configuration files comprising device configuration parameters that control the behavior of the portable device;

the media card configured to sense insertion of the removable media card in a media card receptacle of the portable device, to cause the portable device to read the device configuration parameters of the first and second groups of the removable media card, and to cause an application to be launched by the portable device.

2. The removable media card of claim 1, wherein the card is configured to trigger the portable device to determine differences between the first and second group of configuration files.

3. The removable media card of claim 2, wherein the card is further operable to over-ride a configuration specified by the first group with a configuration specified by the second group if any material differences are detected.

4. The removable media card of claim 2, wherein the removable media card is an SD type card.

5. The removable media card of claim 1, wherein the card is further configured to generate a menu of user selectable items when the application is launched.

6. The removable media card of claim 1, wherein the card is further operable to trigger playback of audio and/or visual content stored on the removable media card when the application is launched.

7. The removable media card of claim 1, wherein a configuration specified by one or more of any of the configuration files is dependent on an operating system of the portable device.

8. The removable media card of claim 1, wherein a configuration specified by one or more of any of the configuration files is dependent on the hardware of the portable device.

9. A removable memory card comprising:

a flash memory array, the flash memory array comprising at least one secure area;

a memory controller that controls read/write activity of the card and restricts access to the at least one secure area; and

means for causing a host device without native auto-run capability provided as part of the operating system to associate content stored within the flash memory array with an appropriate application of the host device and to thereafter automatically run the application upon insertion of the card into the host device.

10. A removable memory card comprising:

a flash memory array, the flash memory array comprising at least one secure area;

a memory controller that controls read/write activity of the card and restricts access to the at least one secure area; and

means for causing a host device without native auto-run capability provided as part of the operating system to associate content stored within the flash memory array with an appropriate application of the host device and to thereafter automatically run the application upon insertion of the card into the host device.

11. The removable memory card of claim 10, further comprising means for configuring a host device in which the card is inserted, said means comprising a mechanism within the at least one secure area for overriding a configuration specified by information in a non secure area of the flash memory array.

12. A removable memory card comprising:

a first group of at least one configuration files at a first designated location, the first group comprising parameters controlling the host behavior when the card is inserted or removed into or from the host device;

a second group of a at least one configuration files at a second designated location, the second group comprising parameters controlling the host behavior when the card is inserted or removed into or from the host device,

the first designated location within a public partition of the memory card, the second designated location within a private partition of the memory card; and

the insertion of the card into the host configured to cause the host to read the at least one of the configuration files, one of the configuration files specifying an application to be launched by the host device.

13. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein the card is configured to read both the first and second groups of configuration files.

14. The flash memory card of claim 13, wherein the card is operable to compare the first and second group of configuration files.

15. The flash memory card of claim 13, wherein a configuration specified by the second group of configuration files overrides that of the first group of configuration files in the event that the configuration specified by the two groups differs.

16. The flash memory card of claim 13, wherein a configuration specified by the second group of configuration files overrides, at least in part, a pre-existing configuration of the host.

17. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein the first designated location is within a root directory.

18. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein a configuration specified by the at least one configuration file is specific to the operating system of the host device.

19. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein a configuration specified by the at least one configuration file is specific to the hardware of the host device.

20. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein the card is configured to cause the host device to associate a file type of a file residing on the memory card with an application appropriate to execute or render the file.

21. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein the one or more configuration files comprise key value pairs.

22. The flash memory card of claim 12, wherein the one or more configuration files allow for key value substitution.