Standard configurable universal serial bus (USB) device identifier
First Claim
1. A USB peripheral device belonging to a model line of identical peripheral devices, said peripheral device comprising:
- a USB interface enabling connection of the peripheral device to a USB port of a host device; and
memory for storing a USB device identifier used by said host device to select a USB device driver to load when said peripheral device is initially connected to said USB port, said USB device identifier comprising a device identifier which is identical for all the peripheral devices of the model line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a USB peripheral device belonging to a model line of identical peripheral devices. The peripheral device includes a USB interface enabling connection of the peripheral device to a USB port of a host device. The peripheral device also includes a memory for storing a USB device identifier. The USB device identifier comprises a standard USB device identifier that is the same for all the peripheral devices of the model line. The standard USB device identifier identifies each peripheral device in the model line to the host device as identical devices, thereby preventing device driver reinstallation and communication port reassignment when swapping one peripheral device for another peripheral device from the same model line. This enables identical peripheral devices to be “hot-swappable” such that they can be interchanged on the host device, even when the host device is powered up and running. Corresponding methods are also provided.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A USB peripheral device belonging to a model line of identical peripheral devices, said peripheral device comprising:
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a USB interface enabling connection of the peripheral device to a USB port of a host device; and
memory for storing a USB device identifier used by said host device to select a USB device driver to load when said peripheral device is initially connected to said USB port, said USB device identifier comprising a device identifier which is identical for all the peripheral devices of the model line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for enabling USB peripheral devices from a model line of peripheral devices to be interchanged at a USB port of a host device without reinstallation of a new device driver or reassignment of a new communication port, comprising:
providing each USB peripheral device from said model line with an identical USB device identifier for use by said host device to select a USB device driver to load when a peripheral device is initially connected to said USB port. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for providing a standard USB device identifier for a model line of USB peripheral devices, comprising:
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providing a string of text data for use as a USB device identifier for identifying each peripheral device of said model line of peripheral devices when connected to a USB port of a host device, such that the host device can select an appropriate USB device driver to load when a peripheral device is initially connected to said USB port, said string of text data being identical for each peripheral device in said model line; and
storing said identical string of text data in memory of each of said peripheral devices of said model line. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification