DEVICE AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY LAUNCHING APPLICATIONS RESIDING ON USB FLASH DRIVES

• US 20090172219A1
• Filed: 12/30/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: MARDIKS, Eitan
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

A USB peripheral device may automatically launch an application residing in its memory after it is connected to a host or after restarting the host if the USB flash drive has already been connected. Alternatively, the USB peripheral \device can automatically launch an application residing on the host or on a network, which is accessible by the host. The USB peripheral device has a USB interface and a controller, which is operative to execute instructions for sending and receiving messages through the USB interface. The controller is further operative, when executing the instructions, to send to a host a stream of emulated keystrokes, which emulated keystrokes cause the host to generate and execute a startup script. Embodiments of the invention include a USB peripheral device able to control a host and a method of using a USB peripheral device to control a host.

Claims

1. A USB peripheral device able to control a host, the USB peripheral device comprising:

a USB interface; and

a controller operative to execute instructions for sending and receiving messages through the USB interface;

wherein the controller is further operative, when executing the instructions, to send to a host a stream of emulated keystrokes, which emulated keystrokes cause the host to generate and execute a startup script.

2. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to send to the USB interface a message confirming execution of the startup script.

3. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to identify the USB peripheral device as having sent the stream of emulated keystrokes to the host, the identification being made on the basis of an identification code uniquely identifying the USB peripheral device.

4. The USB peripheral device of claim 1 further comprising:

a non-volatile memory,

wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application residing in the non-volatile memory.

5. The USB peripheral device of claim 1,

wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application that the host accesses through a network interface.

6. The USB peripheral device of claim 1, wherein the startup script is operative to cause the host to execute an application residing in the host.

7. A method of using a USB peripheral device to control a host, the method comprising:

receiving a request for data from a host; and

in response to the request, sending a stream of emulated keystrokes from the USB peripheral device to the host,

wherein the emulated keystrokes cause the host to generate and execute a startup script.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the startup script causes the host to send to the USB peripheral device a message confirming execution of the startup script.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the startup script causes the host to identify the USB peripheral device as having sent the stream of emulated keystrokes to the host, the identification being made on the basis of an identification code uniquely identifying the USB peripheral device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application residing in the USB peripheral device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application that the host accesses through a network interface.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the startup script causes the host to execute an application residing in the host.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving power from the host; and

performing initialization of the USB device.