System for the identification and configuration of computer hardware peripherals

• US 5,794,032 A
• Filed: 04/15/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Leyda, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH X
• Application Number:
  US08/634,006
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.08, 395/651, 395/652, 395/653, 395/681, 395/712
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A system for the automatic identification and configuration of a computer peripheral uses an initialization program to send one or more query instructions to a peripheral device such as a CD-ROM drive. In response to the query instructions, the CD-ROM drive replies with data that can be used to uniquely identify the model number or type of CD-ROM drive. The system then selects the appropriate software driver for the identified CD-ROM drive and loads the selected driver. The system can further verify proper operation of other peripheral devices, such as a hard disk drive, by using commands within the disk operating system. A floppy disk, or other computer readable storage media, contains the initialization program and a software driver file for every type of CD-ROM drive supported by the system. The system automatically identifies and loads the appropriate software driver without requiring the user to respond to technical questions related to the hardware.

Claims

1. A system for the automatic identification and configuration of a peripheral device, the system comprising:

a plurality of driver files for operation of a plurality of different peripheral device types;

a computer memory;

a configuration file loaded into said computer memory and containing computer commands to load said plurality of driver files;

an initialization program to execute a query instruction, said query instruction including an identification request to the peripheral device;

a response interpreter to interpret a response from the peripheral device, said response including identification data for the peripheral device to permit the selection of one of said plurality of driver files corresponding to the peripheral device type;

a processor to alter said configuration file in said computer memory based on said identification data to thereby disable the loading of all of said plurality of driver files except said selected driver files; and

a driver loader for loading said selected driver file.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the peripheral device is a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said CD-ROM drive is an integrated device electronics (IDE) device and said query instruction includes an attention application programming interface (ATAPI) identify device instruction to said CD-ROM drive.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said CD-ROM drive is a small computer system interface (SCSI) device and said query instruction includes one or more SCSI instructions to a SCSI interface coupled to said CD-ROM drive.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said selected driver file corresponds to said identified SCSI interface.

6. The system of claim 2 for use with a hard disk drive, said initialization program executing an additional query instruction, said additional query instruction including an operation verification instruction to the hard disk drive.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said additional query instruction is executed following loading of said selected driver file corresponding to said CD-ROM drive by said driver loader.

8. The system of claim 1, further including a bootable floppy disk, said plurality of driver files being stored as files on said bootable floppy disk.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a bootable floppy disk, said initialization program being stored as an executable file on said bootable floppy disk.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said plurality of driver files are stored as files on said bootable floppy disk.

11. A computer readable media containing data that cause a computer to automatically identify and configure a peripheral device by performing the steps of:

storing a plurality of driver files for operation of a plurality of different peripheral device types;

loading a configuration file into a computer memory, said configuration file containing a series of computer instructions that cause the computer to load said plurality of driver files;

executing one or more query instructions, said query instructions including an identification request to the peripheral device;

retrieving, from the peripheral device, a response to said query instructions, said response including identification data for the peripheral device;

interpreting said response from the peripheral device to permit the selection of one of said plurality of driver files corresponding to the identified peripheral device;

in response to the selection of said selected driver file, altering said configuration file loaded into said memory to thereby disable the loading of all of said plurality of driver files except said selected driver file; and

executing said altered configuration file computer instructions to load said selected driver file.

12. The media of claim 11 wherein the media is a bootable floppy disk.

13. The media of claim 11 wherein the peripheral device is a compact disk read-only memory drive.