Disk drive and method of manufacturing same including a network address and server-contacting program

• US 6,973,495 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2000
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Ventures Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Luu, Vu V., Milne, Matthew W., Eneboe, Michael K., Hughes, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/618,767
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/203, 709/217, 709/222, 709/227, 709/202, 709/219, 713/2
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A disk drive is manufactured with a stored server-contacting program and a network address. Preferably, a protected area is provided for retaining the server-contacting program and the network address in the disk drive while it travels through a distribution channel to be installed in a user'"'"'s personal computer system. The disk drive has firmware installed during manufacturing to initiate execution of the server-contacting program at an appropriate time, preferably when a selected condition has been met.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a disk drive for establishing connection between a content delivery server and a personal computer system that includes a computing subsystem and a disk drive, the method comprising:

identifying a network address for the content delivery server;

providing a server-contacting program;

storing the network address and the server-contacting program in the disk drive; and

installing firmware having disk drive executable code to control initiating execution of the server-contacting program in accordance with a selected condition after the disk drive is connected to the computing subsystem in the personal computer system, wherein execution of the server-contacting program includes using the network address for connecting the personal computer system to the content delivery server.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising delivering the disk drive for connection to the computing subsystem in the personal computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the disk drive includes a protected area; and

the network address and the server-contacting program are stored in the protected area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware automatically initiates execution of the server-contacting program when the disk drive is connected to the computing subsystem.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware delays initiating execution of the server-contacting program until a predetermined period has lapsed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware delays initiating execution of the server-contacting program until the firmware determines that a selected number of monitored events exceeds a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the monitored events includes the number of boot-ups in the computing subsystem.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal computer system receives content data from the content delivery server and subsequently displays the content during a boot sequence.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the content of the displayed content data is periodically changed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the content data is selected from the group comprising:

a content display program, a game, an entertainment program, a utility program, entertainment data, advertisement data, and music data.

11. A disk drive for establishing connection between a content-delivery server and a personal computer system, comprising:

a network address for identifying a content delivery server;

a server contacting program; and

a disk controller circuit having disk drive executable code that, upon the occurrence of a selected condition that is determined by the disk controller circuit and after the disk drive is connected to a computing subsystem in a personal computer system, initiates execution of the server-contacting program, wherein execution of the server-contacting program includes using the network address for connecting the personal computer system to the content delivery server.

12. The disk drive of claim 11, wherein:

the disk drive includes a protected area; and

the network address and the server-contacting program are stored in the protected area.

13. The disk drive of claim 11, wherein the disk controller circuit delays initiating execution of the server-contacting program until a predetermined period has lapsed.

14. The disk drive of claim 11, wherein the disk controller circuit delays initiating execution of the server-contacting program until the firmware determines that a selected number of monitored events exceeds a threshold.

15. The disk drive of claim 14, wherein the monitored events includes the number of boot-ups in the computing subsystem.

16. The disk drive of claim 15, wherein the personal computer system receives content data from the content delivery server and subsequently displays the content during a boot sequence.

17. The disk drive of claim 16, wherein the content of the displayed content data is periodically changed.

18. The disk drive of claim 16, wherein the content data is selected from the group comprising:

a content display program, a game, an entertainment program, a utility program, entertainment data, advertisement data, and music data.

19. A disk drive for establishing connection between a content-delivery server and personal computer system comprising:

a non-protected area;

a protected area comprising a network address for the content delivery server, at least one application program for contacting the content-delivery server, and an installation program for installing the application program in the non-protected area; and

firmware having disk drive executable code for, upon the occurrence of a selected condition determined by the firmware, initiating the loading and execution of the installation program which thereafter installs the application program in the non-protected area to establish connection to the content-delivery server using the network address.