Universal serial bus adapter with automatic installation

• US 6,704,824 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inline Corporation (UnifiedOnline, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Inline Connection Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Justin
• Application Number:
  US09/619,958
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 710/100, 710/8, 710/10, 710/300, 710/305, 710/104, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 717/174-178, 717/121, 709/1, 709/221, 709/311, 703/24
• US Class Current: 710/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system

Abstract

A peripheral device and a method for operating the peripheral device for automatic installation, in which the method includes coupling the peripheral device to a computer and sending a first device identification from the peripheral device to the computer. The peripheral device emulates a device of a type determined by the first device identification, including transferring a driver from the peripheral device to the computer. Then, the peripheral device sends a second device identification from the peripheral device to the computer, such that the sent device identification is for a device supported by the driver transferred to the computer. The peripheral device is then operates by interacting with the driver on the computer.

Claims

1. A method for automatic installation of a driver for a peripheral device in a computer, comprising:

emulating a keyboard comprising transmitting an identification of the keyboard across an interface;

receiving the identification of the keyboard,

using a driver retrieved from storage to establish communication with the keyboard across the interface;

emulating keystrokes issued by the keyboard, thereby controlling the computer in a manner that causes the computer to store a driver for a second device;

transmitting, by the peripheral device, an identification of the second device across the interface, and operating the peripheral device as the second device;

receiving the identification of the second device; and

using the driver for the second device to establish communication, across the interface, with the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring an identification of a mass storage device across the interface,

emulating the mass storage device, wherein the emulated keystrokes causes transmission of the driver of the second device across the interface; and

using a mass storage device driver retrieved from storage to establish communication, across the interface, with the emulated mass storage device,

wherein the emulation of the keystrokes causes transfer, across the interface, of the driver for the second device from said emulated mass storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein data passes through the interface according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mass storage device is a CD-ROM disk.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein data passes through the interface according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein data passes through the interface according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

7. A peripheral device, comprising:

a processor; and

an interface enabling said processor to communicate with a computer, wherein;

the computer, having a version of the Windows®

operating system installed, automatically executes at least a portion of an instruction set in a file named autorun.inf that is stored on a mass storage device,

a storage medium readable by he computer comprises a driver for the mass storage device, and

upon receiving an identification of a device from said processor, the computer uses a driver for the identified device to establish communication, through said interface, with the identified device;

said processor transfers an identification of the mass storage device across said interface to the computer;

said processor emulates the mass storage device, the emulation comprising

storing a file named autorun.inf, wherein said file comprises instructions that direct the computer to retrieve a driver for a second device from the mass storage device,

said processor transmits the identification of the second device to the computer, and the peripheral device operates as the second device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the mass storage device is a CD-ROM drive.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

11. A peripheral device comprising:

a processor; and

an interface for enabling said processor to communicate with a computer, wherein;

a storage medium of the computer comprises a driver for a mass storage device, and

upon receiving an identification of a device from said processor, the computer uses a driver for the identified device to establish communication, through said interface, with the identified device;

said processor transfers an identification of the mass storage device to the computer;

said processor emulates the mass storage device, the emulation comprising storing

a driver for a second device,

the driver for the second device is transferred from the mass storage device to the computer while the computer operates by using the Windows®

operating system,

said processor transmits an identification of the second device to the computer, and the peripheral device operates as the second device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mass storage device is a CD-ROM drive.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as Universal Serial Bus.

15. A peripheral device, comprising:

a processor, and

an interface for enabling said processor to communicate with a computer, wherein

a storage medium of the computer comprises a driver for a keyboard, and a storage medium of the peripheral device comprises a driver for a second device,

upon receiving an identification of a device from said interface, the computer uses a driver for the identified device to establish communication, through said interface, with the identified device;

said processor transfers an identification of the keyboard to the computer, and emulating keystrokes issued by the keyboard, thereby controlling the computer so that the driver for the second device is transferred to the computer,

said processor transmits an identification of the second device to the computer, and the peripheral device operating as the second device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor further

transfers an identification of a mass storage device to the computer, and

emulates storing, on the mass storage device, the driver of the second device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mass storage device is a CD-ROM drive.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as the Universal Serial Bus standard.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as the Universal Serial Bus standard.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said interface operates according to a standard known as the Universal Serial Bus standard.