Computer network and connection method for connecting a personal computer and a content delivery system using a disk drive which includes a network address and server-contacting program

• US 7,054,937 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2000
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• 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: Milne, Matthew W., Eneboe, Michael K., Hughes, Scott T., Luu, Vu V., Smith, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/618,765
• Time in Patent Office: 2,142 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/203, 709/217, 709/222, 709/227, 713/2
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A computer network connects a personal computer system to a content delivery system for delivering digital content to the personal computer. The personal computer comprises a disk drive which includes a network address for the content delivery system and a server-contacting program. The disk drive comprises firmware installed during manufacturing of the drive which initiates execution of the server-contacting program to enable the network connection and facilitate delivery of content to a large number of personal computers.

Claims

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

providing 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 in the disk drive to initiate execution of the server-contacting program 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, wherein:

the disk drive includes a protected area; and

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware resides in a disk controller circuit.

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 in the personal computer system.

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 computer network, comprising:

a content delivery server having a network address; and

a personal computer system comprising a computing subsystem and a disk drive, wherein the disk drive comprises;

a network address;

a server-contacting program; and

a disk controller circuit having disk drive executable code for initiating execution of the server-contacting program after the disk drive is connected to the computing subsystem in the personal computer system, wherein execution of the server-contacting program includes the using the network address for connecting the personal computer system to the content delivery server.

12. The computer network of claim 11, wherein the disk controller circuit initiates the execution of the server-contacting program upon the occurrence of a selected condition that is determined by the disk controller circuit.

13. The computer network 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.

14. The computer network of claim 11, wherein the disk controller circuit automatically initiates execution of the server-contacting program when the disk drive is connected to the computing subsystem in the personal computer system.

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

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

17. The computer network of claim 16, wherein the monitored events includes the number of boot-ups in the computing subsystem.

18. The computer network of claim 11, wherein the personal computer system receives content data from the content delivery server and subsequently displays the content during a boot sequence.

19. The computer network of claim 18, wherein the content of the displayed content data is periodically changed.

20. The computer network of claim 19, 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.