NETWORK ADAPTER, METHOD & COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20100106832A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TYSKLIND, Johan, BACKMAN, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

A network adapter for plugging into a host computer is provided. The network adapter may include an internal memory and connection means for connecting the host computer to a communications network. The network adapter may include resident application software stored in the network adapter'"'"'s internal memory, whereby the resident application software automatically activates when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer.

Claims

1. A network adapter to plug into a host computer, the network adapter comprising:

an internal memory;

a connector to connect the host computer to a communications network; and

resident application software stored in the internal memory, where the resident application software is to be activated when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer.

2. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter is to execute the resident application software from the internal memory.

3. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter is to install the resident application software on the host computer.

4. The network adapter of claim 3, where the network adapter is to allow a user to select to un-install the resident application software upon unplugging the network adapter from the host computer.

5. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter is to store data associated with the application software.

6. The network adapter of claim 5, where the network adapter and not the host computer is to store changes to data associated with the application software.

7. The network adapter of claim 1, where the resident application software is to be automatically de-activated upon the network adapter being un-plugged from the host computer.

8. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter includes a receiver for receiving a memory device, where the resident application software is stored on the memory device.

9. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter is a broadband network adapter.

10. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter is portable.

11. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter includes updating logic to search for and/or download another version of the resident application software and/or other resident application software from the communications network when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer to update and/or modify the resident application software.

12. The network adapter of claim 1, where the internal memory includes a non-volatile memory and the resident application software is stored at least in part in the non-volatile memory.

13. The network adapter of claim 1, where the internal memory includes a read-write memory and the resident application software is stored at least in part in the read-write memory.

14. The network adapter of claim 1, where the network adapter comprises a security feature that is configured to check and verify the identity of a user before the resident application software is activated and/or run.

15. The network adapter of claim 1, where the resident application software includes a communications network-based component.

16. A method of alerting a user to available application software and providing the user with the application software, the method comprising:

storing resident application software in an internal memory of a network adapter that includes a connection arrangement to connect a host computer to a communications network; and

automatically activating the resident application software when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically executing the resident application software from the internal memory when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically installing the resident application software on the host computer when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

presenting a selection to the user to un-install the resident application software upon unplugging the network adapter from the host computer.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically de-activating the resident application software when the network adapter is un-plugged from the host computer.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing data associated with the application software in the network adapter.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing changes to data associated with the application software in the network adapter and not in the host computer.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

configuring the network adapter search for and download another version of the resident application software when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer; and

updating or modifying the resident application software based on the other version of the resident application software.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

configuring the network adapter to request and verify the identity of the user before the resident application software is activated or executed.

25. A computer-readable storage device containing computer program code to make a host computer execute instructions comprising:

instructions to store resident application software in an internal memory of a network adapter that includes a connection arrangement to connect the host computer to a communications network;

instructions to automatically activate the resident application software when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer;

instructions to automatically de-activate the resident application software when the network adapter is un-plugged from the host computer;

instructions to search for and download another version of the resident application software communications network when the network adapter is plugged into the host computer; and

instructions to update or modify the resident application software based on the other version of the resident application software.