Identification Device and Method for Device Identification

• US 20090182852A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: NG, Chern Ann
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation

Abstract

A device having a unique identification or an identifier for uniquely identifying the device. The unique identification can be a series of alphanumeric characters, a series of numeric characters or letters of the alphabet. The device further comprises a storage module for storing the unique identification. The device also comprises a controller for establishing communication with a computing system over a network when the device is coupled to the network. The device has an address on the network, also known as a network address, when coupled thereto. The network address and the unique identification are transmittable by the controller to the computing system upon communication being established with computing system. The controller comprises a processor and a network access module for facilitating coupling of the device to the network. The device is able to receive data from the computing system, the data storable in the storage module.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a storage module;

an identifier for uniquely identifying the device, the identifier being stored on the storage module; and

a controller for establishing communication with a computing system over a network when the device is coupled to the network, the controller being adapted for obtaining an address on the network when the device is coupled to the network, the address being associated with the device,

wherein the identifier and the address is transmittable by the controller to the computing device upon communication being established with the computing system.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters, numeric characters and letters of the alphabet.

3. The device as in claim 1, the controller comprising:

a processor; and

a network access module for interfacing the processor with to thereby enable communication over the network.

4. The device as in claim 3, further comprising:

a socket for connecting the network access module to the network.

5. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an interface for coupling the controller to a network access module of a secondary device when the device is connected to the secondary device,

wherein the network access module is controllable by the controller for interfacing the controller with the network therethrough.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

7. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one actuator being actuable for generating actuation signals; and

a displacement transducer for detecting and transducing displacement into displacement signals,

wherein the device is signal couplable to a computing device for communicating the actuation signals and the displacement signals thereto.

8. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving data from the computing system, the received data being stored in the storage module.

9. The device as in claim 1, the storage module comprising:

a solid state memory device.

10. A device implemented method comprising:

providing an identifier, the identifier being unique for identifying a device;

detecting connection between the device and a network;

initiating communication between the device and a computing system in response to the device being connected to the network;

determining address of the device on the network; and

transmitting the address and the identifier to the computing system.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the identifier is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters, numeric characters and letters of the alphabet.

12. The method as in claim 10, detecting connection between the device and the network comprising:

providing a network access module in the device;

interfacing the network access module with the network; and

detecting connection between the network access module and the network.

13. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving data from the computing system by the device.

14. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving user data provided by a user of the device; and

transmitting the user data to the computing device.

15. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting usage of the device;

generating usage data from the detected usage of the device; and

transmitting the usage data to the computing system.

16. The method as in claim 10, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

17. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting communication between a device and a computing system over a network;

receiving an address and an identifier from the device by the computing system, the identifier for uniquely identifying the device and the address indicating location of the device on the network, the address being obtainable by the device upon coupling thereof to the network; and

updating a database with the address, the identifier and at least one of time and date of receipt of the address and the identifier.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the identifier is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters, numeric characters and letters of the alphabet.

19. The method as in claim 17, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

20. The method as in claim 17, detecting communication between the device and the computing system over the network comprising:

detecting connection between a network access module and the computing system.

21. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving user data by the computing system from the device, the user data being provided by a user of the device; and

storing the received user data in a storage module of the computing system.

22. The method as in claim 21, comprising:

providing an interface for enabling one of accessing and editing of the user data.

23. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

receiving usage data from the device by the computing system, the usage data being generated by the device in response to usage of the device; and

storing the usage data in the storage module of the computing system.

24. The method as in claim 23, further comprising:

generating analytics from the usage data.

25. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

providing at least one update;

providing an indication in the database of one of presence and absence of the at least one update associated with the identifier; and

transmitting the at least one update to the device in response to absence of the at least one update being indicated by the database.

26. The method as in claim 25, the at least one update being one of a software update, a firmware update and a driver update.

27. The method as in claim 17, further comprising:

recording the at least one of time and date of receipt of the address and the identifier as at least one of a start time and a start date of a warranty duration associated with the device.

28. A device-readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the device to:

detect connection between the device and a network;

initiate communication between the device and a computing system on the network in response to the device being connected to the network;

obtaining an address on the network by the device, the address being associated with the device; and

transmit the address and an identifier to the computing system, wherein the identifier is for uniquely identifying the device.

29. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the identifier is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters, numeric characters and letters of the alphabet.

30. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the connection between the device and the network is facilitated by a network access module in the device.

31. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the device to:

detect connection between the network access module and the network.

32. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the device to:

receive data from the computing system.

33. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the device to:

receive user data provided by a user of the device; and

transmit the user data to the computing device.

34. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the device to:

detect usage of the device;

generate usage data from the detected usage of the device; and

transmit the usage data to the computing system.

35. The device-readable medium as in claim 28, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

36. A machine-readable medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

detect communication between a device over a network;

receive an address and an identifier from the device, the identifier for uniquely identifying the device and the address for indicating location of the device on the network, the address being obtainable by the device upon coupling thereof to the network; and

update a database with the address, the identifier and at least one of time and date of receipt of the address and the identifier.

37. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the identifier is a series of at least one of alphanumeric characters, numeric characters and letters of the alphabet.

38. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the network is one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

39. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein communication with the device over the network is facilitated by a network access module.

40. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

receive user data from the device, the user data being provided by a user of the device; and

store the received user data in a storage module.

41. The machine-readable medium as in claim 40, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

provide an interface for enabling one of accessing and editing of the user data.

42. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

receive usage data from the device, the usage data being generated by the device in response to usage of the device; and

store the usage data in the storage module.

43. The machine-readable medium as in claim 42, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

generate analytics from the usage data.

44. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

provide at least one update;

provide an indication in the database of one of presence and absence of the at least one update associated with the identifier; and

transmit the at least one update to the device in response to absence of the at least one update being indicated by the database.

45. The machine-readable medium as in claim 44, the at least one update being one of a software update, a firmware update and a driver update.

46. The machine-readable medium as in claim 36, wherein the plurality of programming instructions, which when executed, the instructions cause the machine to:

record the at least one of time and date of receipt of the address and the identifier as at least one of a start time and a start date of a warranty duration associated with the device.